Knowledge of Students and Their Learning Reflections of a Teacher

  Description An effective learning environment has engaging lessons, on-task activities, motivated students, and uses time well (Slavin, 2018). A teacher will seek to maintain the flow of a lesson when misbehavior or interruptions occur, in an effective learning environment, by using strategies that are the least invasive but yield positive results.   Analysis In an effective learning environment, the teacher can control engaged time/time on task. It is not always better to have more time if the allotted time is not used effectively (Slavin, 2018). To prevent lost time, school should be used for learning with a sense of getting down to business. Starting on time will set the tone for the class, and it is important to go to the end (Slavin, 2018). Preventing interruptions can keep the momentum of the lesson going, so postpone routine procedures during breaks or use student power (Slavin, 2018). Using nonverbal cues to correct misbehavior is best, such as a look, proxim...

  Description A constructivist view of learning is a student-centered way of teaching. It stems from Piaget and Vygotsky where learning takes place when there is an imbalance from what they know and what they are discovering (Slavin, 2018). The teacher gives a complex task and then supports or facilitates students as they investigate and work in groups to complete and understand the task (Slavin, 2018).   Analysis Students learn best when they wrestle and discover things, it takes hard work and requires thinking (Slavin, 2018). A constructivist view of learning is most successful when students learn in small cooperative groups, this allows students to learn from one another (Slavin, 2018). Students can learn from more experienced peers, known as the zone of proximal development (Slavin, 2018). The group provides the help that a student needs to master material that is just above their comfort zone. Cognitive apprenticeship provides students with expert peers or an adul...

  Description Is there a perfect formula for teaching that inspires learning? Direct instruction is a model that scaffolds student learning in an organized manner. It is ideal for certain lessons and less ideal for others, the key is to know the difference (Slavin, 2018). Analysis Effective teaching comes from knowing what you want your students to do or know by the end of the lesson and planning how to get there (Slavin, 2018). Direct instruction is a structured way to teach concepts that begins as a teacher driven model, then slowly gives control to students through collaborative practice and independent practice (Slavin, 2018). A teacher begins by stating the learning objective and grabbing students’ attention. The teacher will address any prerequisite skills, teach the new concept while thinking aloud, and practice the concept with students (Slavin, 2018). Students will then complete an activity independently, which can be the formative assessment or not.   Finally, ...

  Description What is learning and how do we learn?   What process does our brain go through for us to retain information in the long-term? Does our knowledge about how we retain information help with our teaching practices? Research about how our brain processes information can be used to help teachers choose effective strategies to help students make meaning of content. Analysis Learning is a process that includes utilizing our background knowledge to focus on important details and getting rid of what is not important (Slavin, 2018). Continuing research on human memory has led to information processing theory. Our executive functioning is controlled exclusively by the learner, ourselves (Slavin, 2018). Our brain is constantly receiving stimuli through our senses known as sensory register (Slavin, 2018). These are all the little observations that we make through our senses such as how something sounds, feels, looks, etc. We do not remember all of this unless we pay atte...