#ed foundations module b

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Reply Post Module B by Kylie

Reading your post Alyssa, the thought of Maslow’s hierarchy theory on humanist psychology is extremely valid in the case of Jane’s students. The fact that her students are not as physically developed as she would expect, that they are difficult and don’t complete their work, really emphasises this idea that her students basic physiological needs are not being met. Furthermore, without this fundamental need and the fact that Janes students are ‘underdeveloped’, other factors such as the students self-esteem and self-efficacy are affected, leading to negative thoughts, behaviour, motivation and achievement (Krause et al., 2010), which are factors that are being reflected in Jane’s students. Another key point, in regards to Maslow’s theory is that it ‘asks educators to focus on students needs in a learning situation rather than those of the teacher or curriculum’ (Churchill et al., 2011, p.78), which definitely sums up the view Jane needs to take in regards to her teaching practice, if she ever wants to actually facilitate her students learning in a positive and constructive approach. Another theory raised in this discussion was Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development, which not only focuses on social and cultural interactions between individuals, which was stated, but also their interaction within an environment. ‘Cognitive development is an outcome of interaction between child, its carers and the environment’ (Churchill et al., 2011, p.77). In regards to Jane’s students, unfortunately their carers, i.e., parents and teacher, contain a relationship of animosity, which does not shape a constructive learning environment or relationship for her students. Also the fact that most students are living on isolated farms again does not encourage social interaction. Without this focus on social and cultural interactions within Jane’s student’s lives and education, it is another reason why her students might be having trouble with their schoolwork. Besides Vygotsky’s theory, understanding how the brain works during adolescence also is a key factor in terms of cognitive development and learning. During adolescence, the brain prunes unused synaptic connections, essentially a use it or lose it scenario, so the activities that adolescents engage with regularly will be the ones that the brain or memory will hold and impacts on emotions, thought processes and learning (Churchill et al, 2011). Due to Jane’s students being in a rural community, they do not have the benefit of being exposed to various activities or environments. Jane needs to engage her students with relevant activities so that they can understand the context easier and continue to stimulate their brains to learn and find meaning. References

Churchill, R., Ferguson, P., Godhino, S., Johnson, N.F., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Mackay, J., McGill, M., Moss, J., Nagel, M.C., Nicholson, P. & Vick, M. (2011). Teaching: Making a Difference. QLD, Australia: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Krause, K.L., Bochner, S., Duchesne, S. & McMaugh, M. (2010). Educational psychology for learning and teaching: third edition. VIC, Australia: Cengage Learning.

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Reply Post 2 Module B

This post is in response to Tom’s Module A Ed Foundations blog: http://tomasrl.tumblr.com/

 Tom’s post about Wayne’s situation brings up some difficult ideas about how to deal with students who are disengaged and possibly using illicit substances as Wayne suspects that some of his students might be drinking or taking drugs. Tom writes, ‘if Wayne’s suspicions about the group that appear unmotivated are correct, then this could be the reason why they appear like they don’t want to be there.’ It is clear that this is a serious issue and Tom outlines the risks to the student’s brain development from alcohol and drugs and suggests that ‘the students might also be finding the content harder to keep up with due to these developmental problems and so disengage and give up.’

However, I would like to suggest that it could also be possible that Wayne is not teaching to his student’s interests. It seems that though Wayne is spending a great deal of time planning for his senior students none of the students are really engaged deeply with the content. Our memories are shaped by our experiences (Churchill et. al, 2011: 89) and if Wayne’s students’ experiences, memories or prior knowledge have no relevance to new knowledge, then they are very unlikely to actually learn anything, or want to learn. It is very possible that this is why Wayne’s students are disengaging or not deeply engaging in class.

The brain uses synapses to connect neurons of information to one another. It is suggested that new information adheres much better to an already formed neuron/memory. A Piagetian approach to this science may reccomend that Wayne provides his students with knowledge that they can assimilate into already developed schemes/memories. (Woolfolk & Margetts, 2010: 39)

If Wayne took the time to ask his students about themselves, their interests and hobbies, then perhaps he could begin to tailor lessons to involve some of these things. By tapping into his ‘students emotional lifeworlds’ (Churchill et. al, 2011: 122) Wayne could not only connect with their lives and interests, but it would also allow his university/exams focused students to practice creative writing for exams. And if Wayne’s students are having issues with drugs and alcohol he could tackle the issue with a new knowledge about the student’s lives, hopefully hitting home with them.

Resources

Churchill et. al, Teaching: Making a Difference, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd: Milton QLD, 2011

A Woolfolk and K Margetts, Educational Psychology, Pearson Australia: 2010

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Reply Post Module B by Andy

Alyssa I found our critique interesting as I had really skipped over the importance of students requiring breakfast to enhance their learning opportunities.  You mentioned how students from the rural areas may be further isolated with the ‘breaky club’.  Perhaps an alternative could involve the school creating partnership with parents and the bus company and provide prepacked breakfast packs for students as they get on the bus?  This way student’s enter the school already fed and having fuel for the brain. 

One main point I took from this scenario is Jane’s inability to engage her students.  It is her first year out, so you can argue that she is still nervous and getting into the role of teaching.  I recall a comment from somewhere that first year teacher’s main role is to get to know their students, then after that year they can work on curriculum and being creative.  This could make for a long year, but Jane getting to know her students is one of the most valuable methods to know how to engage them (Bartholomew, 2007).  Once she knows the students Jane can tailor lessons to better engage them and improve student’s interest in learning (Leong, 2005). 

You also mentioned the importance Vygotsky places on social interaction to increase student development.  Getting to know her students and using their strengths will greatly increase the productivity of the group work you mentioned and so their social interaction abilities.  Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD, 1978) also comes into play here once she knows how her class as a whole works.  This may be something Jane can use to help engage her students and bring in external ‘parent’ support to help scaffold and assist student learning. 

I also couldn’t help but think that Jane had to work on how to engage her students to study/ do homework on the long bus trips home.  There is a bit of research on this and even a Facebook page… But that is research for another time. 

References:

Bartholomew, B. (2007). Why We Can't Always Get What We Want. Phi Delta Kappan, 88(8), 593-598. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Leong, L. (2005). Improving Students' Interest in Learning: Some Positive Techniques. Journal of Information Systems Education, 16, 2, pp. 129-132.

Vygotsky and ZPD found in: Churchill, R., et al. (2011). Teaching making a difference.  (Pg 75-78) John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.

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Ed Foundations Module B

In looking at Jane’s scenario I found several areas that could be examined further in regards to helping us understand issues surrounding human development. Jane’s students are different from many of our students in suburban areas.

Travelling from isolated regions for around an hour every morning to get to school means that her students may have left home without breakfast, or have had breakfast hours before school even starts. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs clearly details the importance of physiological needs such as food, water and oxygen for human beings and brain development. Maslow has noted that, if the ‘organism is …dominated by the physiological needs, all other needs may become simply non-existent or be pushed into the background.’ (Maslow, 1943: 373) If Jane’s students are coming to school with no breakfast and waiting hours until lunch, they are less likely to be ‘switched on’ in class. In other words, they will be unable to move up the hierarchy of needs to achieve self-esteem and self-actualisation, which a humanistic approach to teaching would deem as key factors to learning. It has also been shown that ‘children experiencing hunger are more likely to be hyperactive, absent and tardy, in addition to having behavioral and attention problems more often than other children.’ (Murphy et. al, 1998: 37) This could be why Jane’s students are disengaged and difficult to control.

In light of this, Jane may need to consider implementing a breakfast program in her school, for which, being in a rural/ low socio-economic area, she may receive government funding. Research shows that ‘providing breakfast to students at school improves their concentration, alertness, comprehension, memory, and learning.’ (Food and Research Action Centre, 2010: 1) However, we need to consider what Jane's students want and need from her. It is possible that Jane's rural student's don't want her to set up a breakfast program because they feel isolated at school already. But they do need to be provided with good nutrition in order to learn and be less disruptive in class. The program may also be met with hostitlity from the local parents, in which case Jane needs to consider who is accountable to, her students or their parents.

Though, the divide Jane sees between the rural students and those who live in town could actually be bridged with the breakfast program. By providing the brain with the nutrients it needs to support learning and social interaction, the rural students may be more likely to mingle with their peers from town in the morning, where they may have been too tired and less motivated to do so before. 

Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development suggests that students learn through social interactions with their community. Vygotsky writes that, ‘…all the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals.’ (Vygotsky, 1978: 57) So Jane will also need to promote this social interaction between the different groups of students in her classroom as well. This could materialise as group work tasks or whole class discussions, for example. Jane needs to recognise that helping nourish her student’s brains both physically and socially, in class and through other initiatives, could help solve her problems with disengagement and misbehaviour in class.

Resources

A. H. Maslow, “A Theory of Human Motivation”, Psychological Review, 50 (1943): 370-396.

 L.S. Vygotsky, Mind in Society, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (1978) as cited in "Social Development Theory  (L. Vygotsky)", http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html, accessed 17/4/2011

Food Research and Action Centre, "Breakfast for Learning: Scientific research on the link between children’s nutrition and academic performance",  2010,  frac.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/breakfastforlearning1.pdf

Murphy JM, Wehler CA, Pagano ME, Little M, Kleinman RF, Jellinek MS. “Relationship Between Hunger and Psychosocial Functioning in Low-Income American Children”, Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, (1998): 163-170.

Churchill et. al, Teaching: Making a Difference, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd: Milton QLD, 2011