Randi

My philosophy on education at this point in my life, is that classrooms should be where students feel safe, have a sense of consistency and what is expected of them, and are encouraged every day to strive to do their best. Students learn all different ways and are incorporating their environmental, social, and academic situations into the classroom. Often student’s socioeconomic statuses, home environment, culture, or learning disabilities effect the way they learn. A teacher must keep all of this in mind while helping students learn in their own ways, that educational “success” for one student may be completely different for another. A teacher must be patient, caring, organized, creative, trustworthy, and determined. It is important to form relationships with your students so that there is a two way street of respect, and you can help them to understand how important their education is. The four sections of my framework include: 1.Acquire/Exploring knowledge, 2. Reinforcement of knowledge, 3.Self Directed learning, and 4. Creativity and Initiative. I tried to portray my framework as cyclic and all of the sections interacting and flowing with one another. I think that my four sections share a lot of similarities and the details of each do not fall under just one category. Acquiring/Exploring knowledge is the first step to learning something new. Students can pull from stored knowledge to help them explore new information and skills. Reinforcement of knowledge would include activities from both the teacher and student to build on the knowledge first learned, and make sure that there is a clear link and understanding between activities and the big picture. Self Directed learning would be the student's chance to recap and continue building on the knowledge that they have learned, whether it be asking questions, researching a topic, or taking necessary steps to learn more about a topic or make sure they fully understand the topic. Creativity and Initiative would be the teacher and student's opportunity to push the limits and see what kind of questions, projects, activities, further acknowledgment, etc that they could provide or add to the learning process.
 * Key Concepts from Chapters 1 and 2 and where I would add them into my framework*

-I think that I would have to add another subject into my framework and that would be REFLECTION.

Chapter 1: 1. Principle: The establsihed relationship between factors. I would add this to Acquire/Explore Knowledge because knowing the relationship between factors and how one thing may effect something else is important for students to understand in their learning processes. 2. Zone of Proximal Development: The point at which a student can master a task if given appropriate help and support. The ZPD would fall into all of my categories because students would be learning on their own both acquiring knowledge and using self directed learning. Afterward, whatever is used to scaffold the problem for the student will help them reinforce knowledge and be creative to link concepts and ideas. Then, they will have to reflect on how they achieved mastering the task at hand. 3. Information Processing: The human mind's activity of taking in, storing, and using information. This would go into all of my categories as well because information processing is a very important tool that we use at all levels of learning and teaching.

Chapter 2: 1.Basic Tendencies in thinking: -Organization: Ongoing processes of arranging information and experience into mental systems or categories. -Adaptation: Adjustment to the environment. Adaptation is often learned through experience so that would fall into the categories of Acquire/Explore Knowledge and Self Directed Learning. A.Assimilation: Takes place when people use their existing schemes to make sense of events in their world. B.Accommodation: Occurs when a person must __change__ existing schemes to respond to a new situation. Assimilation would fall into the categories of Acquire/Explore knowledge, Reinforcement of Knowledge, and Self Directed Learning because a child will first learn a piece of information, explore knowledge about the information, and then fit it in to prior knowledge. Accommodation would fall into those same categories plus reflection because after exploring something, realizing that you have to change your schema to fit the information in is using all of the categories below. -Schemes: Mental systems or categories of perceptions and experience. Schemes are important for our thought processes and would fall under the Acquire/Explore Knowledge category. It would also fall under Self Directed Knowledge and Reinforcement of knowledge because it facilitates the way we think about and categorize things. 2.Disequilibrium: In Piaget's theory, the "out of balance" states that occurs when a person realizes that his or her current ways of thinking are not working to solve a problem or understand a situation. This is important because it is the moment when a child realizes that something just isn't right, which then leads to reflection, reinforcement of knowledge, and self directed learning. 3. Formal Operations: Mental tasks involving abstract thinking and coordination of a number or variables, develops concerns about social issues and identitiy. This would fall under the category of Acquire and Explore Knowledge because it is a stage in Piaget's Theory by being able to obtain thinking logically. I think Formal Operations could also fall into Creativity and Initiative because you have to think outside the box at a higher level of thinking. 4.Vgotsky's Sociocultural theory: Emphasizes the role in development of cooperative dialougues between children and more knowledgeable members of society. Children learn the culture of their community through these interactions. This theory fits into each of my categories because it deals with exploring through the interactions of others. You acquire information by doing so, you learn how to do things on your own, you are reinforced or forced to think differently by others, or scaffolded by others, you take initiative and can show creativity or are shown the creativity of others, and interacting with others around you makes you reflect. 5.Private Speech: Speech that eventually develops into inner speech. It can be used as a way to scaffold for a child. Private speech definitly fits into self directed learning because the student will talk to him or herself and try to work through the problem. They may be repeating something that the teacher said or was used to scaffold, but it is a positive thing when children use private speech.

Chapter 4: 1. Encouraging Language Development: This is an important aspect of growth throughout all of a student's development. It is important to help faciliate language development because a person uses their language from childhood to the time they die. It is a major part of learning and growing within the educational enviornment. I would put this in the categories of acquiring/exploring knowledge, creativity and initiative, and reflection. While encouraging language development you can encourage the student to ask questions, talk about the child's interests, and listening to their ideas and positively reinforcing their participation. 2.Transition Programming: Gradual preparation of students with special needs to move from high school into further education or training, employment, or community involvement. This is important for students with special needs, and for students who are not provided with sercvices. Learning specific skills and social cues so that they can further develop within a different enviornment would fall into all of the categories within my framework. The student would be consistently gaining new knowledge and exploring the steps necessary for them to reach their goal. They will have to practice the skills taught to them and then eventually commit to those skills on their own. A student needs to take initiative and then reflect on their experience in parts and whole.

-I think I am going to add a seperate category to my framework off to the side of Teacher's "Keep in Minds". The next term will go into that category. 3. Response to Intervention (RTI): A process to make sure students get appropriate research-based instruction and support as soon as possible and that teachers are systematic in documenting what interventions they have tried with these students so this information can be used in planning. This is so important becaused based on the differences in students and their learning styles, it is necessary to understand what each individual needs. 4. Making a referral: Table 4.13 gives guidelines for making a referral for a student. It has great information, like you must talk with the student's parents before you hand in the referral, look at your records, and talk to your student's other teachers while making sure that you can make a strong case. This I would put into the teacher section of my framework.

Chapter 6: 1. Classical Conditioning: Association of automatic responses with new stimuli. This includes the unconditioned stimulus and response and the conditioned stimulus and response. I think that this concept is so important because it helps learning and reinforcing behavior. It is also a good tool for teachers to keep in mind in ways to shape behavior they feel is necessary in the class. 2.Reinforcement: Use of consequences to strengthen behavior. -Positive Reinforcement: Strengthening behavior by presenting a desired stimulus after the behavior. -Negative Reinforcement: Strengthening behavior by removing an aversive stimulus when the behavior occurs. -Punishment: Process that weakens or suppresses behavior. All types of reinforcement and punishment should definitly be kept in mind by the teacher. It can also be put into the categories of acquiring/exploring knowledge because we learn through reinforcement, reinforcement of knowledge because our actions and learning is being reinforced, and can lead to reflection and self directed learning. 3.Shaping: Reinforcing each small step of progress toward a desired goal or behavior. I would put this in all categories because it is so important within education. It is important to motivate students by praising and recognizing their achievments, even if they are small. 4.Token Reinforcement System: System in which tokens earned for academic work and positive classroom behavior can be exchanged for a desired reward. This concept can be put into the category of things teachers should keep in mind and reflection. I think that anyone works towards a rewards and children are probably more likely to behave the way you want them to when they are working towards a reward. 5.Social Learning Theory: Theory that emphasizes learning through observations of others. This can be used for the elimination of misbehavior or hurtful/discrimanatory language within a classroom. It can also be used to show students how you expect them to complete a project or paper.

Chapter 7: 1. CognitiveView of Learning: A general approach that views learning as an active mental process of acquiring, remembering, and using knowledge. This concept would fall into all of the categories of my framework. Students actively learning means that they are acquiring/exploring knowledge, they eventually will have self directed learning, they will reinforce the knowledge they know by actively practicing their skills, and they will be able to be creative once they can move through the other categories. I also think that this concept would fit into reflection because being an active learner allows students to reflect on what they have learned or have tried that may not have worked. 2.Domain-Specific Knowledge: Information that is useful in a particular situation or that applies mainly to one specific topic. I added this concept into my framework because I think it is very important for teachers to keep in mind that often students have an easier time with one subject over another, or are more receptive to certain skills and not others. Domain-Specific Knowledge can fit into all of my categories because it can allow for students to explore, learn, reinforce, be creative, and reflect on the knowledge that they are confident in. 3.Bottom-Up Processing: Perceiving based on noticing seperate defining features and assembling them into a recognizable pattern. This is a very important concept because it is what allows us to understand what we are seeing. The book uses an example of the letter A. We can see that it has two relatively straight lines joined at a 45degree angle, and that is how we perceive that it is an A. This is how we must learn large concepts through experience and being able to take details or parts of something and put it together to make a whole. Bottom-up processing can fall into all of my categories because we are constantly exploring and recognizing something, or learning what parts make up a whole, and then it is being reinforced until we can learn it or understand it on our own. 4.Chunking: Grouping individual bits of data into meaningful, larger units. Chunking can go into reinforcement of knowledge and self directed learning because chunking a number not only helps you learn it by hear, but it helps you memorize it. Chunking is an awesome tool to remembering longer numbers that you would not be able to otherwise remember or store in your long-term memory. This is a great strategy for students to use when it comes to memorizing certain things. 5.Elaboration: Adding and extending meaning by connecting new information to existing knowledge. Elaboration is important because it is how we further the process of learning and linking things to one another. Elaboration could fit into all of my categories because you have to think about prior knowledge that you've already learned and understand, take the initiative to explore that knowledge further and make connections, practice elabortaion and linking ideas and concepts so that it is reinforced, and get creative by linking things in different and new ways. Also, reflection can be a way to practice the new knowledge you have learned how to link.

Chapter 8: 1.Metacognition: knowledge about our thinking process. Metacognition is an important concept for students to understand when it comes to things like critical thinking and writing strategies. It is important for teachers to help students understand the way they think. Metacognition would fit into all of my categories because it is thinking about the way you think. 2.Learning strategies: general plans for approaching learning tasks. I think that learning strategies would fit into acquring/exploring knowledge and also reinforcement of knowledge because learning strategies are things you must first learn and then practice to utilize and master. 3.Visual Tools for Organizing: These include concept maps, READS, Cmaps, CAPs, and KWL. These are all tools for organizing information in an easier way that students can remember. I think that visual tools can fit into each category, including what a teacher should keep in mind because they can be useful for learning, remembering, being creative, and reinforcing knowledge. 4.Problem Solving: Creating new solutions for problems. Problem solving is what pushes students to dig deep down in their brains and come up with new ways of thinking. They practice skills in problem solving, sometimes higher level thinking. Problem solving can fit into each category as well. You must explore your knowledge to problem solve, when you are critical thinking, you are taking initiative and reinforcing information, and then you can reflect on your process of problem solving, along with the process of others. 5.Divergent thinking: coming up with many possible solutions. Divergent thinking is important and can stress the different ways students think and problem solve. Divergent thinking is often used in critical thinking. Divergent thinking would fall into all categories. 6.Critical thinking: Evaluating conclusions by logically and systematically examining the problem, the evidence, and the solution. Critical thinking would fall into all categories, including what the teacher should keep in mind. Criticalthinking leads your students to think in new ways and facilitating that is very important.

Chapter 14: 1.Assessment: Procedures used to obtain information about student performance. Assessment is important for teachers but can also be used by students on themselves. Assessment helps understand what students are capable of or have mastered based on everyone else and what they should be capable of. Assessment can fall into all categories because it can facilitate self directed learning, it forces students to explore the knowledge they already know, it reinforces what they know and also need to improve on, and can lead them to think in creative ways and take initiative to learn. Students and teachers must reflect on their assessments also. 2.Authentic Assessments: Assessments procedures that test skills and abilities as they would be applied in real-life situations. This is a useful way to assess students and delete the question “why do we have to do this if we’re never going to use it in real life?” Authentic Assessment can fit into all categories as well because it takes real life skills and reinforces them eventually. 3.Portfolio: A collection of the student’s work in an area, showing growth, self-reflection, and achievement. A portfolio can be a really awesome way for a student to reflect on their experiences throughout the year and their development in your class. A portfolio is something a teacher should keep in mind because it allows students to partake in each category. It can also inspire students to get creative and learn on their own.

Chapter 10: 1.Teacher’s Self Efficacy: A teacher’s belief that he or she can reach even the most difficult students and help them learn. This is an important concept because it gives every student a chance to succeed no matter what their abilities are. It highlights the fact that all students learn differently but can still achieve in different ways. This will go in my Keep In Mind as a teacher part of my framework but also in reinforcing information because this is something that students should feel from the teacher. 2.Volition: Will power; self-discipline; work styles that protect opportunities to reach goals by applying self-regulated learning. Every teacher tries to instill these skills in their students. As students gain these skills, they are able to distribute their responsibilities and complete tasks in a productive way. This concept would go in self-directed learning, reinforcement, and reflection. Students will through all of the ideas when learning will power and self-discipline, etc. 3.Self-Regulated Learning: A view of learning as skills and will applied to analyzing learning tasks, setting goals, and planning how to do the task, applying skills, and especially making adjustments about how learning is carried out. I think that this concept would fit into all of the parts of my framework because self-regulated learning is a cycle and is often challenging.

Chapter 11: 1.Extrinsic Motivation: Motivation created by external factors such as rewards and punishments. I think that this is a very important concept for a teacher to understand the effects of, and students. Extrinsic motivation would fall into the categories of things teachers should keep in mind and reinforcement. It would probably fit into self-directed learning because after reinforcement or punishment, students will use motivation to complete their assignments. 2.Legitimate Peripheral Participation: Genuine involvement in the work of the group, even if your abilities are undeveloped and contributions are small. It is important for students to understand the importance of contributing in a group. Even if they are confused or do not have much to say, they can ask questions or contribute by doing something they feel confident in. In my framework, this would fit into the self-directed learning and creative/initiative. 3.Need for Autonomy: The desire to have our own wishes, rather than external rewards or pressures, determine our actions. This is an important part of student motivation and should happen often. Students should want to do well for themselves and feel good about their accomplishments. Need for autonomy would go into self-directed learning because it is a part of maturation, it would also fit into reflection because students need to make a personal decision to want to do well for them. 4.Social Goals: A wide variety of needs and motives to be connected to others or part of a group. For students and teachers to understand their social goals and the goals of others, social goals would fit into all the categories of my frame work because everyone’s social goals are different and people have different experiences that help them realize them.

Chapter 12: 1.Classroom Management: Techniques used to maintain a healthy learning environment, relatively free of behavior problems. This would be put in the things teachers should keep in mind category of my framework because classroom management is a greatly important aspect of teaching. 2.Natural/logical Consequences: Instead of punishing, have students redo, repair, or in some way face the consequences that naturally flow from their actions. This can be very effective in reinforcing the behavior you want from a student. Therefore, natural/logical consequences should be something teachers keep in mind, and would also fit in the category of reflection and reinforcements for students. 3.Assertive Discipline: Clear, firm, unhostile response system. It is important that students see a teacher is serious and assertive about their rules and expectations, but that they are fair and clear. Assertive discipline will fit into the things teachers need to keep in mind and reflection and reinforcement.