Fantastic Live Musical

March 20 09

This event was fantastic. Many people may think this was a musical however I felt it was a powerful depiction of a working class family and the frustrations a family has to go through when situations outside the norm occur. I didn't feel the performers were dancing and singing. I could have been a movie. The drama, comedy and visual effects were outstanding. This is a show that students from about grade 5 should see. Great for all ages. No one will go to sleep in this performance.

Along with the production the management of younger performers is something to learn about.

I shared my excitement and description of the show to one of may classes which stimulated discussion whilst making are on another topic.

Behaviourism

Behaviourism: Maxine Chriss and Steph

Behavioural explanations of learning often referred to as ‘Behaviourism’. Behaviourism suggests that reinforced or rewarded action is more likely to be repeated. Praising a student can enhance the chance of those positive actions being repeated. From that, permanent behavioural changes from that experience can occur. Behavioural explanations of learning deal with the effects of external events ie: reinforcement or punishment on behavioural changes. (Approaches to teaching and learning 109)

Behaviourists view learning as an outcome of connections or associations that link a stimulus (something that affects the senses) and a response – a reaction to a stimulus.
It is the theory of learning focusing on observable behaviours and discounting any mental activity. Learning is defined simply as the acquisition of new behaviour.

Conditioning

Classical Conditioning
reinforcement of a natural reflex – a response to a stimulus. Pavlov states that there are 4 stages in the process of Classical Conditioning:
Acquisition
Is the initial learning of the conditioned response? Eg: Student response to the bell at the end of the class. They activate packing up work and getting ready to leave.
Extinction
Once learnt, a conditioned response will not remain indefinitely. If the bell was taken away for a period of time and some other response to leaving the class room would take its place.
Generalization
After a conditioned response to one stimulus has been learnt, it may also respond to similar stimuli without further training. If students respond to the bell as a warning they will respond to all bell noises that will alert them eg: emergence warnings.

Discrimination
Is the opposite of generalization. An individual learns to produce a conditioned response to one stimulus but not to another similar stimulus. eg: the students may not respond to all bells as they are not for evacuation but for warning. eg: car alarm shop alarms.

Operant Conditioning
It is more flexible than classical conditioning and therefore seen as potentially more powerful.
It involves reinforcing by rewarding it.
Reinforcement
Is anything that has an effect of strengthening a particular behaviour and makes it happen again.

Positive
Praise, house points, freedom to choose, food
Negative
Punishment

Rewards
eg: ticks and written comments in books, stars, stickers, more formal points and commendations, privileges and sweets.

the rewards need to have value to the student
Come unexpectedly, intrinsic motivation will remain high
Extrinsic rewards are used – everyone receives one for their best efforts.
Can be used to invigorate or add fun to an activity

Problems in using extrinsic rewards.
Can belittle or demean a learning experience
Can engender feelings of unfairness or competition
Can detract from the real issue involved in completing tasks.
Does not always lead to higher quality work
May isolate students who feel they have little chance of getting a reward.
Punishments, such as loss of privileges, or the withholding of rewards can be effective as well, (although it is widely recognized that a positive approach is preferable to an approach to behaviour management predicated solely on punishments).
Behaviourisits believe all voluntary or intentional behaviour is controlled by antecedents and consequences. In behaviourism the ongoing chain of activity that is behaviour is represented by Antecedent behaviour consequence (ABC). ABC is a strategy used by teachers to specify exact nature of problem behaviour and any contextual factors that may be contributing to its occurrence. It involves the teacher recording the behaviour of a particular student in terms of the events that immediately precede the behaviour and follow it.
Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) refers to the use of behavioural learning principles to change behaviour in settings such as classrooms.

The procedures associated with implementing behaviourist principles form the basis of ABA. The primary focus is on behaviour (academic communicative social motor vocational self help). The goal is to change behaviour that is socially important.

Main features of ABA: Clearly specifying the target behaviour & goals – describe the behaviour to be changed and identify the behavioural goals. Develop and implement an intervention plan, allowing for consequences. Monitor results of intervention and implement changes in intervention plan where needed.

Antecedent – An event that precedes a behaviour. Consequence – An event that follows a behaviour.

Observing antecedents.
The effect of consequences.
Types of consequences: reinforcement & punishment.
Primary & Secondary reinforcers
Continuous reinforcement
Intermittent reinforcement
Reciprocal determinism
Cognitive behaviour modification and self regulation.

Skinner urged educators to focus on reinforcement and on success rather than on punishing failure.

Some ‘rote’ learning may be useful way of helping some children to cope better with some of the aspects of their work which they find difficult. Where possible, initial rote learning should be followed by attempts to encourage understanding.

Practice makes perfect (Drill and Practice)

Programmed Learning eg: ‘Frame’ work.

Every correct response requires an immediate feedback.


References:
Killen. R Effective Teaching Strategies Lessons from Research and Practice. Third Edition. NSW: Social Science Press 2003:4-20
Groundwater-Smith. S, Ewing. R, Le Cornu. R Teaching Challenges and Dilemmas. Third Edition. Australia: Nelson Pty Ltd. 2006 124-5,258,66,78-9,3211,258-62,247-58
Krause. K, Bochner.S, Duchesna.S educational Psychology for learning and teaching. Australia: Nelson Pty Ltd. 2003 476, 217, 390-5,127,110-114,131-133,312-313,222-223,114-28,128-130,131-132,130
Ways of Learning, Theories and Learning styles in the classroom, Second Edition, Pritchard, Alan. Routledge, Oxon.P2, 6-16

Case Study - Year 8

My case study is about a year 8 group that has difficulty producing the class requirement in art.
This group has 2 key boys who are very opinionated in regards to their perception of what should be taught in Art.
One double session the year 8 students arrived enthusiastically to class. The class was period 3&4, just before lunch. The lesson was making masks.
Everyone sat down in their normal seating plan and began to chat not taking any notice of me at the front of the class.
As I called the class to attention to mark the roll 2 students, Richard and Josh began demanding information from me regarding what was the class going to do today. "Miss, what are we doing today?, said Richard. Before my answer Josh said "Yeh miss, what are we doing today?". As I began to take another breath to start the roll, Richard began to express his frustration with me as I didn't answer him. He said "is this what we are going to do?", as he walked over to the artwork positioned at the back of the room. I called for quiet from the noisy class , unsettled by Richard and Josh's interruptions and requested that everyone should be seated and once the role was done we will discuss today's lesson.
Josh ran over to Richard and commenced playing with the artworks too calling out to me, " is this what we are doing today?. Minutes later more of the boys left out of their seats and went over to the artworks(masks). I again requested that everyone sit down and I commenced marking the roll. Everyone other than Richard and Josh sat down and I was able to mark the roll. I commenced the presentation of the lesson for the day and Josh and Richard demanded that they start and in unison said, "we know what we are doing so why can't we start now? I endeavoured to keep delivering the lesson with the new information required to complete their tasks and manoeuvred Richard and Josh closer to me and directed the res of the class to begin. Any questions could be answered as we went along give the time had diminished and that we weren't going to get any peace from Josh and Richard until they were involved in their own work.
As it turned out Josh and Richard sped ahead and after not listen to the requirement left a few things out. Consequently they complained that,"I didn't tell them to about those things".

How was I going to address this problem in the next class.
I recognised that both boys were very capable at making and were fairly creative. Their approach was to get the job done quickly so that they can demand to go on the computers for spare time due to finishing before everyone else. Something that comes from another class.
My plan then is to introduce more examples of finished artworks and actual references from real life situations for comparisons as they may create a greater challenge for the boys. eg: Marks made by other students and New Guinea mask both real and digitally projected. The boys would have related to the technology, as would the rest of the class and having actual examples other then the teachers would have provided a level of quality for them to aim for.

Using the Thinking Hats I could plan the lesson for all types of learning more exactly. I would also describe the classroom requirements such as there is no free time using computers.
To avoid the dominant out bursts by Richard and Josh, as quick chat after class reminding them of the responsibilities to their own learning and of other and consideration for the teachers preparation and presentation.

Reflection

My thoughts after my first day at school was "How things had changed". I was teaching in a classroom nine years prior at all levels. Students have definitely changed. I had taught students from Kyneton before.
What had changed? First observations of the year 9 class were:

• short concentration spans,
• irritation when information wasn't getting through to the student quick enough,
• impatience regarding getting on with the making/creating - they already new how to do something before you presented them to how to do it
• lack of understanding of anything to do with art and making
• the girls were more attentive and able to follow the topic and have a quicker outcome
• the boys questioned the idea and the content of the topic and criticized its worth
• the art room was a pit stop only not a place to respect and care for, including the work around the room
• the disrespect for the teacher and anyone else who was in the room.
• the student didn't car if they were going to fail as it wasn't important
• many students in particular boys could sit still in the room for more that 5 minutes
• deliberate sabotage of the lesson

I couldn't comment on whether this behaviour was in all classes on the day. The year 8 class was different however David had a firm hand over the boys before they entered the room and a very strong consequences procedure that they all understood. I felt they respected him for it.

Many of the students use the ipods and at year 9 level they are constantly being asked to remove them. I felt the students in year 9 were distracted by so many things that a teacher talking to them made them irritated and cranky