School System Places the Right

¶ … school system places the right amount of emphasis on rote memorization? How important is it to teach students to think more critically, to connect and evaluate their ideas? Describe a course that you took in high school that you think would have been much more effective if it were taught through critical thinking instead of rote memorization and explain why.

Rote memorization is a process of education far too often appealed to in the formal academic setting. It is a regrettable appeal to long-standing and fairly uncreative modes of instruction in which the dry recitation of information would be conflated with the passage of knowledge. Indeed, far to great an emphasis is typically placed on an approach to instruction which does not promote critical engagement of the subject matter and which poorly approximates the experience of gaining knowledge.

A primary example of this is in high school mathematics, where the dual emphasis on operational proficiency and positive grade evaluation functioned to promote one of the least engaging courses of academia in spite of a subject which has extremely compelling implications. Far too often, mathematics instruction would be limited to the explanation of operation and would provide far less time investigating the broader implications of these operations.

Such is to say that mathematics instruction has quite often failed to effectively convey the natural beauty and all-encompassing permeation of mathematics principles. It is only later in one's education that these applications become apparent, but for those deprived of this insight during high school, interest in the subject has already been spoiled. This is the danger in using rote memorization as a way to stimulate learning. Recall will not associate this information with any more important emotional or philosophical cues due to an instruction which failed to implant these.

Though word problems would hint at the broader implications of the subject, their presentation would rarely be a cause of discussion or conceptual elaboration so much as a vehicle for operationalization. Later opportunities in education demonstrate an approach which should be taken early in one's math education, in which memorization is eschewed in favor of active experimentation. The wooden derby race is a good way to engage students thusly, with students designing miniature derby cars, rolling them down an incline and timing the results. This could produce a bevy of calculative activities extending from the original project.

By and large though, mathematics tended to facilitate an instructional methods distinguished by its absence of imagination and flexibility. The method of rote memorization more than the subject itself is responsible for this failure to engage. This is to say that the practice may be observed in vocabulary education as a well, a context where it is especially poorly suited to the acquisition of knowledge.

Though some aspect of memorization is only sensible, such as with the early induction of children into an understanding of the alphabet, as students grow more sophisticated, this approach is increasingly less useful or recommended. Critical assessment and practical application are two of the most important aspects of one's education, helping one to make the transition from attention to information to the ability to use this as knowledge and to ultimately develop into skill.

In the context of vocabulary, there is little to be gained in simply memorizing words and their definitions. If a student is unable to apply these words in writing, in conversation or in internal comprehension, than this memorization has precious little worth. Quite unfortunately, this is not a perspective which seemed to have been understood by the curriculum designers and educators in my high school. Few and far between were those that attempted to move beyond the traditional methods of recitation and regurgitation to challenge our sensibilities and inflame our opinions. This is regrettable because in a great many subjects, the opportunity to gain knowledge would be lost in a shuffle of facts, figures, dates and names that have very little relevance to the philosophical and intellectual implications of that which I have studied.

Chose some specific material that would typically be learned at the level of education (elementary, secondary, or higher) in which you are interested. Explain in detail according to information processing theory how this material would be encoded and stored. What practical techniques might be used to enhance retention of this material?

It can often be extremely challenging to motivate an entire classroom of students in the mathematics discipline. While there will inevitably be a number of students prone to success, a majority of students will require meaningful incentives in order to be receptive to that which math has to offer. Its importance in establishing foundations for rational reasoning, concrete operationalization and problem quantification may all be illustrated to students through well-conceived motivational methods.

Project-orientation is an effective way to encourage inclusive class participation, idea application and the pursuit of identifiable goals. In elementary math education, it is appropriate to begin to create group project structures in which students apply mathematic principles to the creation of hypothetical business models, budget balancing projects or even simple investment strategies. By demonstrating the real-world applications for students, such projects not only arm students with an ability to conceptualize important life skills but they will help the instructor to avoid the historically persistent student plaint that 'I'm never going to need to know this stuff.' By bringing students into an involvement with such projects, it is possible to help bridge some of the limitations in traditional mathematics education that have failed to effectively engaging learning interests. (Salend, 1)

This is a perspective on instruction that proceeds from the information processing theory, which argues that "this is done on a continuum from perception, through attention, to labeling, and finally, meaning. The key point is that all stimuli that activate a sensory receptor cell are permanently stored in memory, but that different levels of processing (i.e., elaboration) contribute to an ability to access, or retrieve, that memory." (Huitt, 1) This means that where mathematics is concerned, a failure to contextualize instruction in such a way as to promote multiple ways of perceiving the knowledge is tantamount to a failure to properly engage students on all levels. The orientation toward a project which presents mathematics concepts at the levels of attention, labeling and assignment of meaning can significantly improve the student's ability to reflect on the lesson according to both its academic and practical implications.

Another way to motivate actually operates on the inverse principle of cultivating that with which students are already familiar from their own experiences in order to foster better assimilation of math principles. The pervasion of information and ideas through various media sources today means that students arrive in the latter years of elementary school presumably already armed with a considerable wealth of information, especially relative to those generations which predated the integration of internet technologies. It is advisable for an instructor to understand and respect the relevance of such information by incorporating into class lessons applied examples of operations that relate to student consumer patterns, cultural interests and socio-economic circumstances. The suburban school where I have based this discussion enables for the insertion into math-oriented material examples derived from the prices of trading cards, the salaries of movie stars and the line-item value of the items in their refrigerators at home. By using concepts for which students already have a framework, this approach to math instruction avoids the disconnect which may often occur when students approach the subject with an assumption of its irrelevance. This method of instruction demonstrates the important principle that numbers are all around us. And it is especially practical where the student less inclined toward mathematics interest is concerned, helping to induce an understanding of mathematics principles while becoming more practically acquainted with living responsibilities. (Johnson, 1)

A new and crucial element of bringing students into a greater comfort with mathematics has been the incorporation of evolving technologies into instructional and extra-curricular strategies. Students arrive at the later elementary school level with a degree of technology savvy that, in some cases, exceeds that of the faculty. It is necessary to factor that into educational and testing methods in order to help contextualize mathematics in ways with which students are inherently comfortable. Incorporation of software and web-based instructional methods is becoming increasingly standardized.

And yet, in our consideration, some more traditional materials may be most effective as a way of providing students with the building blocks for the projects and software applications discussed here above. Thus, one of the best ways to promote information processing is through the use of strictly visual materials. In the context of elementary math education, I have found the 100-Board to be a particularly effective tool. This provides me with a multi-functional visual display through which the multiplication tables can be demonstrated. Here, students may be instructed to identify every third square, then to use the pattern illustrated to assign a set of visual cues to comprehending the multiples of three. Subsequently, the student can return to the board and identify the multiples of four and observing the pattern produced as it relates to the multiplicative factors of four. Here, the information processing theory applies to the manner in which the board induces a multilayered engagement of the subject matter. The correlation of conceptual and practical application with a visual presentation conforms to the information processing idea that "information is stored in multiple locations throughout the brain in the form of networks of connections. It is consistent with the levels-of-processing approach in that the more connections to a single idea or concept, the more likely it is to be remembered." (Huitt, 1) As we have addressed technology based approaches to instruction, it bears noting that there are evolving opportunities in the fied of education to improve upon this multilevel engagement of material.

As an educator, you want to decrease undesirable behaviors in the educational environment. What is the best strategy to decrease these behaviors for each student? 1)Andrew who likes to utter profanities every now an then. 2) Sandy, who tells you to quit bugging her when you ask her questions. 3) Matt, who likes to mess up other students' papers. 4) Rebecca, who frequently talks with students around her while you are trying to explain or demonstrate something.

Student discipline is one of the primary functions of the educational profession. Though it is not always desirable to deviate from the educational aspects of classroom oversight, sometimes behavioral issues make this an absolute necessity. A failure to control the behavior in the classroom will induce a deficit in the necessary authority commanded by an instructor, damaging both credibility and effectiveness.

As the article by Ogonosky (2009) argues, this places a pressing impetus upon the instructor to achieve control over the classroom as a way both to enhance behaviorally problematic students' opportunities for learning and to diminish the threat of disruption for the other students in the classroom. Ogonosky warns that such disruption can take myriad forms and that a teacher must be prepared to confront this disruption appropriately in all of its forms. While there is never a condition in which disruptive or inappropriate behavior is to be accepted or tolerated, it is anticipated that an educator will nonetheless encounter these behaviors and perhaps with some regularity. As the article indicates, "tantrums, defiance, aggression, poor academic progress, poor social skills and passive noncompliance of requests (such as putting heads down on desks) can present a challenge. But educators can have success with children who have emotional disturbances if they get support from co-workers and consistently implement behavioral strategies and classroom management techniques." (Ogonosky, 1)

It is thus that Ogonosky continues with a discussion on the subject by providing educators with a number of suggestions concerning how best to manage and cope with these inevitable behavioral disruptions. First and foremost in Ogonosky's perception is the demand placed upon the teacher to understand the unique qualities of an individual's emotional status and behavioral needs. This means achieving a fully recognition of the patterns of behavior which have tended to be exhibited by the student, an awareness of the intervention strategies which have been proven successful with the student in the past and an awareness and effective avoidance of those events and interactions which are considered 'triggers' to inappropriate behaviors. (Ogonosky, 1)

These general considerations aside, specific problem students will present the instructor with specific challenges in terms of establishing control and retaining credibility in the classroom. A student such as Andrew, who has a tendency to utter the occasional profanity, may not be a behavioral problem on the larger scale. But it is clear that he desires attention, which causes him to seek it in the wrong ways. One approach to dealing with Andrew is to simply ignore the offending behavior. By not validating his attempt at gaining attention, he may begin to understand that this way of being noticed does not produce a desirable outcome. It is also important to pronounce this intention to Andrew, indicating that if he desires attention, he can gain it by engaging in class discussions and being nice to other students rather than by using disruptive language. Ultimately though, if Andrew is unwilling to alter his behavior, then it will become disruptive and problematic for the class, necessitated Andrew's removal and some broader consultation regarding his general behavioral issues.

Sandy appears to have a serious attitude problem and a willingness to demonstrate resistance to authority. Her insistence to not be bugged by the instructor indicates a willingness to undermine the teacher in front of the class and some cognitive dissonance where class participation is concerned. We may deduce that this comes from either a discomfort with learning material, an insecurity in terms of speaking in front of the class or both. First and foremost, the teacher should abide Sandy's wishes and cease demanding answers from her in front of the class. However, the teacher should also pull Sandy aside for a conference in order to ascertain whether or not she is grasping the material fully. Sandy's frustration may arise from academic problems that could be improved through tutorship or after-school help.

Matt is the most notably problematic of the students in question. His destructive tendencies and his proclivity to directly impede upon the work of others by destroying papers written by his fellow students suggests that Matt is struggling with an emotional disturbance. This has manifested in the type of dysfunctional aggression toward others which suggests he may be a resource room candidate.

Rebecca, on the opposite end of the spectrum, appears to be a pleasantly socialized child who yet has difficulty separating her social time from her class time. Based on Rebecca's apparent interest in the social conditions of school, I would expect an in-class interruption on her behalf to be effective in changing her behavior. A possible method of appeal is to stop instruction when Rebecca is speaking to her neighbors and to simply stare in her direction. When she sees that all eyes are on her, she should adjust her behavior.

The array of methods suggested here denotes the pragmatism demanded of the educator, suggesting that he or she must be as much a child therapist as an instructor.

There are several approach to learning. Discuss what learning is and what it is not. Identify and describe the behavioral and social cognitive approaches to learning. What do you see as the similarities and differences between these approaches?

All learners absorb information differently. It falls upon the teacher to adjust the pace and style of instruction to accommodate the needs and ambitions of students. For those of a higher aptitude or who crave challenge in their educational lives, the instructor may find that there is a distinct benefit to a faster pace of classroom lecture, practicum and problem solving demonstration. Students working on higher tracks will desire this pace in order to remain engaged and gain a sense of the dynamic opportunity in the classroom.

Where the aptitude is demonstrably present and where it will constitute no risk of leaving behind other students, the instructor will be benefited by moving briskly from one activity to another so as to retain the attention span of students accustomed to grasping concepts quickly and moving on to application. The advanced classroom teacher will especially find that this pace keeps students nimble and tuned in to the myriad outlets for new knowledge and insight. Slavin's (2005) text denotes that one of the best ways to promote this frenetic pace while maintaining the interest of students is to provide lessons in varied segments, moving quickly from a presentation of a concept to open discussion to activities and group projects which require practical use of such concepts.

There are instances when this quickness of pace might not be as appropriate or beneficial. First and foremost, in contexts where individuals are not all of an advanced learning aptitude, this approach could have excluding characteristics. Additionally, even where all students are of advanced learning capabilities, it may be appropriate to balance the quick pace of learning on some days with other more reflectively paced in-class lesson plans. The speed of induction should be complimented with more purposeful and concentrated deconstruction at other points.