The concept that stood out to me in this module is one that will continue throughout all chapters of this text. This concept, as stated by the author, is to beware of either/or possibilities (Woolfolk, p. 33). As simple and obvious as this sounds, how often do we end up in these kinds of situations? I know I certainly have been in this position. We are so quick to assert or defend one side or another, that we become blind to progressing by merging ideas together. Although this concept can be applied to all areas of life, I will keep this focused on our topic of Educational Psychology.
For example, one long standing debate in child development has been "nature vs. nurture", or whether heredity or environment are more important developmental factors. Although is debate has lasted over centuries, recent views suggest that these are equally important and act as "coactions" or joint actions (Woolfolk, p. 33). This makes perfect sense and it amazes me that it took centuries to figure this out. Another great example the author examines is whether or not school self-esteem programs are valuable to students (Woolfolk, p. 104). On one side, it is suggested that such programs are problematic because they offer students praise that is not necessarily deserved in order to boost self-esteem. Alternately, it is asserted that self esteem is increased only when students are consistently praised for true accomplishments. The author suggests that it may be better to focus on individual self-concepts rather than self-esteem (Woolfolk, pp. 104-105). Enhancing self-concepts will likely improve performance and accomplishment, thus naturally improving self-esteem in the process.
Today's students are growing up in very different moral and family environments, and are faced with many obstacles to overcome as they navigate their way through school. Therefore, it is imperative that educators are sensitive to these factors and remain open to examining and merging possibilities when solving problems and implementing lessons. These are important steps to becoming an effective teacher.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI liked this post and I agree that we have to put some of the different aspects of education together to get better outcomes. As a teacher being flexible and knowing how to creatively connect the pieces can make the difference between the students learning and grasping concepts to just learning for the moment. We have to be open minded and teach them how to deal with the ways of the world in today's society. I feel like now more than ever students are faced with way more obstacles than we may have seen as children.
Lisa, it is so true that we love to make things black and white so they are easier to understand. So often that is not the case. As we learn in chapter one, and from the videos this week, it is often impossible to conduct a test in a completely controlled environment (Woolfolk, p. 18). We always have to take into account other factors that may influence that data.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stood out to me in this post was the last paragraph. Students, just like adults, are faced with problems every single day. These particular problems are something that we have to take into consideration and be sensitive too. Teachers should not only teach their students, but they should be there from mental and emotional support as well.
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