Blog Post Week 2: Behaviorism in Practice I think the main instructional strategies that lend themselves to my middle school classroom are the pairing or group instruction, then changing to the individual work when the lessons are suitable. We usually finish with a summative activity or discussion to make sure that understanding has occurred. Even with the lab work I so often do, the modeling is important, both with how I handle equipment or procedures and how the activity or lab will be performed. Demonstrations in procedures gives students a visual of the lesson or lab, then when they can perform hand-on, they move to the kinesthetic learning. Exploration activities are essential to science, making sure students can apply what they already know to what they are learning or need to learn. Technology brings in the opportunity for students to do activities such as online dissections from Frogguts or working on the video-based summary activities of the BrainPop website, both of which allow students to do the activity at their own pace. Often I see the students with IEP files performing as well as their peers when they are allowed to use technology. The fine motor skills they lack during note taking or writing assignments is not an issue for them when they are allowed to do the assignment on the computer in the lab or in the classroom. With Behaviorism, technology usage is a privilege that a student can lose in my classroom, but I like to encourage the use of the computer in whatever activity we are participating in. Students with behavior contracts could easily update their files on the shared drive instead of having to rely on a sheet that is easily lost. Having the earned right to use the classroom computer because they have not distracted others during the class discussions will encourage those good behavior decisions and discourage the poor choices that lose the privileges. With the available technology at my school, the IEP file is easily accessed when I am planning a lesson. This allows me to modify activities as needed for the special education students while helping me with varying the activities during the class periods. Though behaviorism is mainly about behavior modification through a reward/punishment system, I think in the science classroom the structure is very important for the safety of the students. Procedures are easily modeled and good choices in behavior can be rewarded with verbal or nonverbal reinforcement. One of the main comments I make to my students is that the classes with better behavior, not necessarily the highest average, are the classes that allow me to bring in the fun, interesting activities/labs to give them as much hands-on experiences as possible during the school year. Classes that I have to constantly make corrections or adjustments for poor choices are not as often given activities as they could with better choices in behavior. With so many special education students mainstreamed in the science classes, the structure is extremely important to maintain a safe learning environment where enriching activities are part of the lessons. Any other suggestions for Behaviorism to be applied in a 7th grade life science classroom?
I don't thing you need any advice on implementing behaviorism in the classroom! I really think you have outlined your methods well, and it seems to be working for you. I liked reading about your take on behaviorism as a science teacher. You brought up points I hadn't thought about, and I'm starting to see how important behaviorism is to classrooms of older students. How do you think behaviorism fits into lower elementary classrooms? I would like your advice!
JoAnne, Great ideas. I do believe that modeling and showing students is crucial. It is amazing how mcuh they really watch your every move and pick up on what you are doing. You brought up excellent points and truly are implementing behaviorism in your classroom.
Erin and Shaina, Thanks for the great comments. Erin, I definitely think a younger classroom needs to have the structure of behaviorism theories in the classroom, at least at the beginning. Once you have established your classroom procedures you can relax and your students will feel they have a safe environment to learn in.
Blog Post Week 2: Behaviorism in Practice
ReplyDeleteI think the main instructional strategies that lend themselves to my middle school classroom are the pairing or group instruction, then changing to the individual work when the lessons are suitable. We usually finish with a summative activity or discussion to make sure that understanding has occurred. Even with the lab work I so often do, the modeling is important, both with how I handle equipment or procedures and how the activity or lab will be performed. Demonstrations in procedures gives students a visual of the lesson or lab, then when they can perform hand-on, they move to the kinesthetic learning. Exploration activities are essential to science, making sure students can apply what they already know to what they are learning or need to learn.
Technology brings in the opportunity for students to do activities such as online dissections from Frogguts or working on the video-based summary activities of the BrainPop website, both of which allow students to do the activity at their own pace. Often I see the students with IEP files performing as well as their peers when they are allowed to use technology. The fine motor skills they lack during note taking or writing assignments is not an issue for them when they are allowed to do the assignment on the computer in the lab or in the classroom.
With Behaviorism, technology usage is a privilege that a student can lose in my classroom, but I like to encourage the use of the computer in whatever activity we are participating in. Students with behavior contracts could easily update their files on the shared drive instead of having to rely on a sheet that is easily lost. Having the earned right to use the classroom computer because they have not distracted others during the class discussions will encourage those good behavior decisions and discourage the poor choices that lose the privileges.
With the available technology at my school, the IEP file is easily accessed when I am planning a lesson. This allows me to modify activities as needed for the special education students while helping me with varying the activities during the class periods. Though behaviorism is mainly about behavior modification through a reward/punishment system, I think in the science classroom the structure is very important for the safety of the students. Procedures are easily modeled and good choices in behavior can be rewarded with verbal or nonverbal reinforcement.
One of the main comments I make to my students is that the classes with better behavior, not necessarily the highest average, are the classes that allow me to bring in the fun, interesting activities/labs to give them as much hands-on experiences as possible during the school year. Classes that I have to constantly make corrections or adjustments for poor choices are not as often given activities as they could with better choices in behavior. With so many special education students mainstreamed in the science classes, the structure is extremely important to maintain a safe learning environment where enriching activities are part of the lessons.
Any other suggestions for Behaviorism to be applied in a 7th grade life science classroom?
JoAnne,
ReplyDeleteI don't thing you need any advice on implementing behaviorism in the classroom! I really think you have outlined your methods well, and it seems to be working for you. I liked reading about your take on behaviorism as a science teacher. You brought up points I hadn't thought about, and I'm starting to see how important behaviorism is to classrooms of older students. How do you think behaviorism fits into lower elementary classrooms? I would like your advice!
JoAnne,
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas. I do believe that modeling and showing students is crucial. It is amazing how mcuh they really watch your every move and pick up on what you are doing. You brought up excellent points and truly are implementing behaviorism in your classroom.
Erin and Shaina,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great comments.
Erin, I definitely think a younger classroom needs to have the structure of behaviorism theories in the classroom, at least at the beginning. Once you have established your classroom procedures you can relax and your students will feel they have a safe environment to learn in.