Reflective Journal Blog for EDAT 6115

          What makes an effective learning environment? Researchers, like Slavin, have come to the conclusion that classroom management plays a major role in how positive and productive a classroom can be. Slavin (2020) emphasizes that “students who are participating in well-structured activities that engage their interests, who are highly motivated to learn, and who are working on tasks that are challenging yet within their capabilities rarely pose any serious management problems” (p. 280). When students are on task and engaged, the management problems are at a minimum. In turn, this allows the learning that can take place to be limitless and long-term. I feel that for a classroom environment to be effective and productive, classroom management must be consistently built/improved upon and maintained. Teachers, like myself, need to possess discipline when approaching undesirable behaviors as well as become good classroom managers. Concerning the context of...

So, what is the most effective way to teach students? Through direct instruction? Student-centered instruction? There are cons and pros to both types of instruction. Direct instruction is where the teacher directly delivers information to students (Slavin, 2020, p. 166). They play the main role in the learning process. The lessons are strategically structured by the teacher. I feel that direct instruction can be beneficial in that the teacher is the best source of information and the best feedback provider. However, student participation is at a minimum. With this type of instruction, students are more likely to be disengaged and get bored. In student-centered instruction, students are active participants in their learning process. They are able to collaborate with their peers and get hands-on experience through this instruction type. However, this type of instruction can also cause chaos in that students can become off task more easily. Not to mention, all students may not have the sa...

As soon as I hear, taste, see, feel, or smell something, my brain/mind immediately begins to make sense of what it is experiencing. Ultimately, Slavin (2020) refers to “the human mind [as] a meaning maker” (p. 127). The information that I take in either remains in my memory for only a small period of time, or it is stored for a much longer time frame. Irrelevant information can instantly be scrapped from my memory, or information can be remembered for a short time then forgotten.  Notably, the way in which we absorb information is addressed by cognitive learning theorists, who have coined the information-processing theory. The information-processing theory “...describes the processing, storage, and retrieval of knowledge in the mind” (Slavin, 2020, p. 127). All in all, I feel that I, as an educator, must take into context what all this means for the sake of my students when I present them with content. Whether they learn/retain the material or not is ultimately up to them. My stude...

Learning can happen in a vast amount of diverse ways. I am learning at every moment throughout my life whether intentionally or unintentionally. The same goes for the students in my classroom. My students are constantly absorbing information like sponges whether they are truly trying to or not. Nonetheless, I feel as if it is my responsibility as their teacher to help them procure and retain crucial concepts and skills that will be of use in their everyday lives. To gain a better grasp of the idea of learning, I must also take a deeper look into both behavioral and social learning theories. These theories give elaborate explanations for learning that bring attention to observable behaviors (Slavin, 2020, p. 101). I have studied these established theories in prior college courses. Ultimately, I feel that there are substantial gains to be made when we truly think and study further about the idea of learning from such experienced and veteran theorists like Skinner and Bandura. Concerning ...

     Cognitive development essentially refers to how people think and make sense of the world around them. When talking about children’s development, it is important to note that “they think differently and see the world differently than adults do” (Slavin, 2020, p. 20). I, as a teacher, must fully comprehend the ways in which my students think and how they see the world. Only then will I be able to effectively teach each of my students.       Overall, I feel that understanding the concept of cognitive development in children is extremely beneficial to the success of my students in the classroom. As Slavin (2020) states, “individual children develop in different ways and at different rates, and development is influenced by biology, culture, parenting, education, and other factors” (p. 20). This ultimately means no two children think exactly alike. I must take this into consideration when differentiating the content, process, and product of my lessons. ...

    From this week's reading, the concept of the intentional teacher is something that I have come across before in a prior college course. There is not a one-way approach to becoming this type of teacher. However, I feel that there are certain characteristics and practices that one must have and implement in order to reach this status. The most notable one is that of being intentional. Slavin (2020) notes that "...teachers need to be intentional: purposeful, thoughtful, and flexible, without ever losing sight of their goals for every child." For each and every lesson, there must come a plentiful amount of preparation for not only the content but how to communicate the content to each and every child. When teachers are intentional with their preparation and delivery, students will be able to learn and retain material undisputedly.      How is this concept significant to my classroom? It embodies everything that I strive to be as an educator. I want to be confide...