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Module Five: Motivation, More Effective Teaching Skills, and Assessment Bias

MODULE FIVE: Motivation, More Effective Teaching Skills, and Assessment Bias CONCEPT ONE: Motivation Summary: In chapter twelve, Woolfolk covers the important topic of motivation and how it affects students’ learning and growth. Woolfolk defines motivation as “the processes that initiate, direct, and sustain behavior”, and states that “motivated students put out more effort, persist longer, learn more, and score higher” (462) than unmotivated students. Woolfolk also discusses the importance of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the different strategies and uses of both of them. Reflection: As I was reading about the concept and ideas about motivation, I found myself reflecting back on myself and the things that I am motivated to do in different ways. At one point the book talks about being motivated by integrated regulation and gives an example of completing activities in order to reach a valued goal. The example given is one that I relate to and understa...
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Module Four: Problem Solving, Technology, and Observational Learning

MODULE FOUR: Problem Solving, Technology, and Observational Learning  CONCEPT ONE: Metacognition and Problem Solving Summary: Chapter nine had a bit of a different feel to me than the other chapters we have read thus far. Instead of focusing on specific aspects of teaching, specifics of students, or specifics of teaching, chapter nine focused more on the overall process of thinking—or the broader term of “metacognition”. Metacognition “consists of knowledge and skills” (375). Knowledge defined as “knowledge about our own information-processing capabilities…and the skills used to regulate the thinking and learning tasks we face” (375). This chapter of Woolfolk’s book describes a few different aspects of metacognition including learning strategies and problem solving. Reflection: As I was reading through this chapter, I found that I had a generally knowledge and understanding of most of these concepts. What stuck out to me the most; however, was that I hardly re...
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Teacher Interview

https://youtu.be/I1xinHND4_s Teacher Interview- Lauren Sandeno 25 May 2020 Reflection: I have known Lauren Sandeno for about four years of my life now. She came into my life when I was a junior in high school and was the wife of the youth pastor at my new church. From the beginning she has shown me what it looks like to love others well. She displayed that, in a new light, during this interview. In the years that I have known her, we have not had many conversations about teaching. And yet, knowing Lauren, I was not surprised at all by the responses she had in this interview. She has taught me many things about life and faith, and many things about teaching as well. Class Management Philosophy: It was very exciting and reassuring to hear Lauren talk about her classroom management philosophy as the topics that I had discussed in my blog post. Lauren talked about knowing her students and the importance of keeping them engaged. She noted the importance of knowing each of ...
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Module Three: Relationships in the Classroom

MODULE THREE: Relationships in the Classroom CONCEPT ONE: Finding the “Why” Summary: In chapter seven, Woolfolk discusses the different ways of managing a classroom and of dealing with negative classroom behavior. She also explains ways of handling undesirable behaviors and the many ways of addressing such issues through reward systems, punishments, and negative and positive reward systems. She then discusses the meaning and use of a Functional Behavior Assessment and how an FBA can be applied in the classroom. When a behavior occurs in a classroom, an FBA is used to assess the reasoning of that behavior and help to determine “the possible functions of many school behaviors” (284). Reflection: For as long as I can remember I have been excited about being around children. As soon as it was legal, I started babysitting. When I was sixteen, I started working in at an after-school program for elementary school kids. Last summer, I worked at a summer camp and worked (w...
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Module two: Labels, English Learners, and...More Labels?

MODULE TWO: Labels, English Learners, and… more labels? CONCEPT ONE: Labels Summary: Woolfolk covers a very wide variety of important ideas in chapter four. This chapter discusses the many different types of learners, learning styles, and learning needs of our students. Because every student is so unique, Woolfolk discussing many broad types of students’ needs in the classroom and some ways we, as educators, can best support all of our students. In chapter four, Woolfolk discusses students who are gifted, students who have special educational needs, and the role that IQ scores play in education. Reflection: As I read and reflected on this chapter, I thought of all of the labels that we have that surround children each and every day. From the time they are born or enter preschool they are faced with so many labels about who they are, where they fit in with their peers, how intelligent they are, or what “disabilities” they have. It’s exhausting, really? This cha...
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Module 1: Teaching, Developing, and Identity

MODULE ONE: Teaching, Developing, Identity CONCEPT ONE: “Good Teaching” Summary: Woolfolk starts out his book strong with the first chapter of the textbook talking broadly about teaching and specifically discusses what makes a teacher “good”. On page ten, Woolfolk states that “[t]eachers must be both knowledgeable and inventive. They must be able to use a range of strategies, and they must also be capable of inventing new strategies. They must have some basic research-based routines for managing classes, but they must also be willing and able to break from the routine when the situation calls for change.” But the list of criteria to be met for a “good teacher” does not stop there. In fact, there are so many ideas and opinions for good teaching that it is difficult to decide which one to follow. In chapter one, Woolfolk describes a few different frameworks for teaching that many professionals have created to identify what works in teaching and how to identify those ideas. Fro...
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