In this class we covered many of the key ideas in Chapters 4-8. We did an exercise in learning to write with a partner and had a chance to practice demonstrating, describing, encouraging/praising, facilitating and giving feedback as we struggled to write in Chinese or Nepali. The objectives were to experience the difficulty of learning to use abstract symbols to represent sounds, and to emphasize the importance of teachers being experts in the curriculum. We also continued our discussions about classroom design and had a chance in groups to sketch out indoor and outdoor plans.
For our next class, please wear comfortable clothes as we may be sitting on the floor.
Have a great week. Go Canucks!
I was very interesting tonight to see the various options for possible class set ups. Every time a group presented, I thought, “Oh I like that, I would want to include that also…” It was engaging and fun to plan the most ideal class with no budget or space restraints. It was nice to include everyone’s ideas and to share what we find important and what we value. I really enjoyed working with my group and feel that the exercise made me think about my own classroom one day and the choices that I will be presented with. In making decisions about the room, it was also intriguing to make a point and then have to defend why the idea should be incorporated in the classroom. However, it got me to thinking, that it would be interesting to give us all a budget and price points for various items and then have to plan the lay out for a class, as this is realistic to the school environment out there. There are space restraints, and budget cuts, so as a follow up to this exercise, it would be fun and realistic to plan a class with the realistic restraints. In working with a group, then we would really have to negotiate what would be included in the classroom and really have to defend why…..
ReplyDeleteI would also like to talk about the “controversy” regarding praise. After reading the text book and listening to the lecture in class I feel somewhat puzzled as to how to best approach praise in the classroom. I by no means am advocating the misuse and extended use of praise, however do feel confused in some regard as to the bad name that it is receiving. I find that giving students praise works better in motivating students than pointing out the negatives….I do believe that praise has to be specific, timely, and balanced between all students as well as not used in excess, so please do not get me wrong. However, I like to find the positives in all situations and did find that I praised my students a great deal as a group and individually. I feel as though my students responded in a positive manner. Praise can be anything in my mind, a smile and tap on the shoulder or verbal. I respect the research and will consider it in my use of praise. I appreciate that this course has made me address my practices and think about how I would move forward in the future.
Providing students with feedback is absolutely vital for students to develop further in all subject areas. I think the use of specific verbal and written feedback is extremely valuable, but not utilized enough in the classroom. During my practicum I made a conscious effort to give specific written feedback along with the marking scheme I used. This is necessary for students to see where they need improvement but also for them to recognize their strengths. Without this feedback students are often confused about why they get the marks they get. Furthermore, simply giving a grade or a “mark out of 10” does not give credit to the process students underwent to get to the final product it only focuses on the end product. For students who struggle in particular subject areas their end product may never be “exceeding expectations” but the amount of effort and time the student spent on the work is evident. This is something that needs to be acknowledged and encouraged. Without giving students who are struggling that positive attention the motivation to continue trying is diminished. Also, some students make excellent progress in their work, which is also something that can be noted in feedback. Overall, I think feedback gives students that extra knowledge that allows them to progress and without it they don’t have the self-monitoring strategies to allow for future development.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely some dangers in providing too much praise to students. I also think praise needs to be very selective because students are coming to believe they deserve to be praised and get rewards for the silliest things. Some schools have created programs where if a student is observed doing a “good deed” they receive a They also had a “Caught a Star.” Though this program at some point every student in the school would be recognized and rewarded for their act of kindness. The problem is that despite a students behavior the teacher needs to make sure every student receives a prize. However, students who frequently participate in kind and helpful tasks at school cannot win more than once. What’s fair about this? First of all, I don’t think it makes sense to be giving prizes to students because they help clean the classroom or pick up garbage. These behaviors should occur naturally in the classroom and not be dependent on whether or not they get a prize. I think this kind of praise is having a negative effect on its purpose to get students to help each other and their school out. Praise needs to be directed in more selective ways that individualizes the achievements of each student appropriately. For some students praise needs to be given privately so it doesn’t embarrass them, for others the validation in front of peers may be the necessary boost for them to maintain a behavior. The key is knowing your students and how to approach giving them encouragement, help, praise and feedback that makes them feel comfortable and contains genuine interactions.
Demonstrating is obviously a very important part of a teachers career, but what is so funny about this is as TOC’s we are often put into unfamiliar settings where there is a high possibility we have not done some of the activities before making it difficult to demonstrate them to students. Although being prepared in your lesson and doing the activity prior to teaching them to students is ideal it is also a necessary for teacher to be flexible because even with ding something once activities do not always go as planned.
Encouraging, Praising and Helping
ReplyDeleteThis topic is of interest to me because I think that encouragement, praise and help are integral roles of a teacher. I do agree that praise needs to be used sparingly and in the right circumstances. Instead of using praise a teacher “can focus on specific efforts or achievements of the child” (Mac Naughton &Williams, 2011, p. 69). If students are trying hard to solve a math problem or they are consistently showing greater effort in their work then I think that the effort should be addressed. Furthermore, if the child’s efforts are fostering a higher level of achievement then they should be praised for it. I think that encouraging the children during an activity can help foster self-esteem and can help motivate a child to continue with their work.
Describing
I thought that the writing activity at the beginning of class was a very helpful reminder that children are truly learning abstract concepts. It reminded me to think about how I teach a lesson and steps that I go through to ensure the information I am trying to relay is clear. Thinking through the lesson or situation prior to and picking out key features is imperative. I like that Mac Naughton and Willams (2011) state the significance of understanding that people never see a situation in the same way. This makes it important for teachers to be able to rephrase or elaborate on certain descriptions. Teachers need to remember the different learning styles and include verbal, written and pictorial descriptions to help a child understand what they are describing. Due to this teachers need to be knowledgeable in what they are teaching and flexible in their teaching practices. Lastly, I think that asking students to describe situation during play time is a great way to help children learn to describe. For example, if there is an argument that occurs during play time teachers can facilitate a discussion about feelings and can use new describing words and phrases to help young children learn appropriate language.
Firstly, I'm sorry I missed Monday's class! I enjoy sharing ideas in this class, and I'm sorry I missed the classroom design ideas! Is there a way to scan any of the designs if they were sketched out? I'd love to see them!
ReplyDeletePraise is definitely a hot button topic these days. I agree with many of the comments here in that praise needs to be specific, timely, and spread among all the students. I personally also like the reward programs, but only when structured in a realistic way.
The school in which I did my practicum gave out "stars" for students who had done something exceptional every monthly assembly. There was no minimum or maximum that had to be nominated, and not every student would receive one in the year. Some students did receive more. The stars were elected anonymously, and teachers and parents could be elected as well. The program was realistic in that not everyone won. Students who did receive stars got them for an outstanding performance of some sort, such as volunteering to show a new student around the school, cleaning up the litter on the playground on their own, etc.
Personally, I like to give out praise, but it needs to be balanced with comments on inappropriate or incorrect behaviour. One thing I noticed my SA did in our kindergarten class was when behaviour or quality of work was lacking, she had a class meeting. The entire class was spoken to, and she made it clear she was upset or disappointed because she knew they could do better. Praise, on the other hand, was given out in an individual and group manner, and was always specific. The students were always aware of where they were sitting with regards to their behaviour or school work. They were held accountable, and kept well balanced in that they always knew what was being expected of them and how they could fix it, or what to keep doing.
Praise needs to be used sparingly and specifically though. It can be hard though. When you praise one student on how their letters are really following the 'house' guideline, and another student says don't theirs look the same, and they don't... what do you say as a teacher? I truly don't believe in lying, and I'm not going to give out praise simply because it's being sought. Typically, I would make a specific comment, for example how their 'e's look much better today, and not use the same praise with them. What does everyone else do? And for those who agree with praise, what about negatives? I think students also need to hear when they are doing wrong or perhaps know when we notice they aren't doing their best. How do we approach that?
“This week’s readings had some good tips for educating children through multiple strategies to help them become better at what they’re doing and build self-confidence at the same time. I like that a lot of the activities described in these chapters was hands on and had the teacher helping or facilitating the learner. I think that it is really important for the child to be able to do something by his or her-self with minimal help for them to build confidence in what they are working on and in themselves.
ReplyDeleteI found this week’s class activity really engaging and fun. It was so cool to hear everyone’s ideas on what they would have in their preschool and the reasons for why it would be set up that way. This not only gave me ideas for my future classroom but also brought to my attention things that I probably would not have thought about for a classroom. Working with the group to come up with the design reminded me that collaboration is important and things turn out better when then are more ideas to work with. In times it might seem easier to just work alone but when more people have input it make the product stronger.”
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of using praise, positive feed back and encouragement in the classroom rather then using punishments to gain desired behaviours. I have found that children are more willing to apply themselves if there is a more positive outcome for their attempts. On the other hand, if punishments held over their heads like a sword of Damocles, I have found that the children that I work with rebel; like they cannot maintain the level expected of them and end up imploding, for lack of a better word. They seem (often times) to resent the expectations that teachers and other adults in instructional positions have of them and rebel or give up. I had one little boy tell me that he didn’t care because even if he did do whatever the assignment was, it still wouldn’t be done right and he would get in trouble just the same. This really upset me, and when I went to the teacher with my concern, she told me not to worry, that he would eventually buckle-down and do the work, unless he wanted his parents to have come to the school for a parent teacher meeting (which horrified me a little bit, I must confess). The idea that her ‘motivation’ was do your work or I am calling your parents really surprised me, I tried a few of the encouragement techniques that were suggested in our text book and found them to be very helpful when dealing with the little boy. Just sitting with him and going through the steps of his math assignments really seemed to make a difference; he was more willing to attempt his work when we could easily go step-by-step and back-track to find any mistakes. When it was a lower pressure atmosphere, he seemed to blossom.
Another technique that I like using, but was surprised it was not mentioned, is the use of thanks and appreciation. I have found that by simply saying ‘thank you’ to the kids for doing something, (like sweeping up when not asked to, or tidying up the shoe area) and explaining why I appreciate what they’re doing, they and others are more willing to do more without being asked to do so. This has gotten me some strange looks from parents and teachers alike when I say thank you to a child for being courteous and holding the door open for me because my hands were full. In my mind if you show appreciation for things that are being done for you, it will encourage the child to do it again. This not only applies to doing mundane tasks, but also to doing their work as asked of them. I routinely thank students doing their work promptly or neatly compared to their normal work, I thank them for putting in the effort, not simply for the result. The children will not be doing their work for the praise in and of itself, but rather because they (the child) enjoy knowing that what they do is recognized and appreciated by others. I mean, I thank adults for doing things for me, so why not do the same for children? Appreciation does not a praise junkie make.
When we did the demonstrating activity in class where we were asked to teach a fellow student how to write Chinese or Nepal, I was reminded of what my School Associate taught me, “I do, we do, you do”. In other words, demonstrate a concept to the students in a very explicit way. Then practice the same concept with the students. Then allow the students to practice the concept on their own. I found this way of explicit teaching especially helpful during math lessons. I found that the students responded with enthusiasm and confidence when I always taught in the same manner. They knew what to expect and were not hesitant to try something new. When I was introduced to this in-class activity I automatically started teaching in this manner.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the group work where we collaborated on making the ideal classroom. It seemed that everyone had a fairly good idea about the atmosphere they would like to create in their setting. I heard some interesting ideas while everyone was presenting their work. I really liked the idea of having a garage door in the classroom and bringing the outdoors in. I also thought that creating a garden and using the classroom’s compost was an innovative way of teaching about sustainability.
I think it would be interesting if we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of praise a little more in-depth. Myself, I use praise mostly to address the classroom when I feel like they have worked hard for a period of time. I also find myself praising students who find school work challenging. I would love to hear some more suggestions on how to use praise in a beneficial manner.
Providing feedback to children I think is very important. I think a lesson plan is effective if it is followed up by effective feedback. Feedback not only reflects on the teachers' struggles and weaknesses, but also guides the teacher in assessing the childrens progress. Feedback should be consistent and given by written notes or by verbally. I think feedback should be point out weaknesses but yet be motivating enough to encourage the children to learn and progress from their mistakes. From my experience, I would have a smiley face with a talking bubble that had included the feedback.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed our group project of designing our classroom. I enjoyed listening to other peoples' insight and creativity. It made me realize the structure of the classroom can be advantageous to your students. For example, I was having a discussion were I think having an organized classroom will be beneficial, however another opinion was that an unorganized table can create creativity. I found that interesting and made me think of having a community table were there are piles of odds and ends that can allow the children to go there during free time and build something from their imagination.
I have a few things to comment on regarding the readings for this week. For the chapter on demonstrating, it mentions that demonstration can support the growth of young children’s artistic development. I really agree with that. Even though, initially, children might copy the demonstration because they might not have the experiences to break away from the demonstration model. For example, when teachers first demonstrate how something is drawn in preschool, usually the students would copy the model quite closely. As they have more practice with drawing, children would come up with their own ideas regarding the things they might want to add to their picture, making the picture more interesting. Their creativity begins to blossom. I also find the praising and feedback chapters quite interesting. There has been considerable debate about the effectiveness of praise with young children and that we might be raising praise junkies and that students might rely on others to build their self-worth and self-esteem. I have mix feelings regarding this. In a way, I feel that we should not overpraise children as it might not be realistic and we might actually not be setting them up for success. On the other hand, I find that praising a child is something that comes very natural to educators. As a teacher, when you see a child that has performed well on a task, you would want to acknowledge what they did and you would immediately praise the child. However, I remember from the slides from Monday’s class (Susan’s notes) mentioned that encouragement supports learning more than praise and that encouragement during the process of learning is more crucial for students’ success. Giving students feedback is also important. Feedback that is explicit, specific and describes what the child is doing rather than just a ‘good job’ is far more successful to children’s learning. These are things that educators need to keep in mind when they are teaching.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed the two activities that we did in class. The activity where we have to describe to another classmate how we can write in Chinese or Nepali was quite challenging. I have taught other people how to write in Chinese by showing them the characters, but without showing the characters was quite difficult. I found that I was kind of struggling with the description even though I know how to write in Chinese. If it was not for the feedback from my classmate, I do not think I would have been able to explain to her how to write the character. She was asking me questions regarding where to put the slants or the strokes. What I learned from this activity is that we have to be very detailed and clear when we teach young children as they might not be able to give us feedback regarding what they do not know. As teachers we have to rephrase or elaborate constantly the way we try to describe something so that students will understand. We have to think ahead as to the problems and difficulties they might face with learning. The other activity where we have to design our own preschool was a great exercise. I found that I was really engaged in this activity. The discussion among my group also gave me a lot of ideas as to how to set up a place when I have my own classroom. We had to think carefully about how and why we set up the room. If we were given a budget, we probably would be surprised as to the different changes we had to make to our classroom environment. We might not have been able to buy as many supplies as we would like and the classroom that we envisioned might also be a lot smaller.
The week four readings were an eye opener for me, specifically to the idea of creating “praise junkies”. I have certainly heard about being strategic with your use of praise, but chapter six really made me think about my actions. In the elementary school that I volunteer at, I found myself frequently giving generic praises to students. It was then at the day care where I work that I was a bit horrified. I caught myself praising the children for almost every task they completed, very frequently with a “Good job” or another generic praise. I also noticed that the children (K-1) often looked to me when they completed a task, for example after finishing their painting. So now it is something that is much more conscious to me and I am working to selectively use my praise. At first it caused a bit of a hesitation while I had to rethink what I would normally say, but it is beginning to become more natural for me.
ReplyDeleteAs for the classroom activity of designing a classroom, I really liked this exercise. It really brought out the importance of classroom design and what the most important aspects to a classroom are to me. For me having a classroom where I can see everywhere and everyone within it is important. I also like the idea of having different areas, especially in regards to the colours and visual side of the classroom. I have seen many children distracted by busy circle time areas, and would prefer a neutral coloured area with limited distractions for circle time. Then the classroom portion can have more colour and include things like the alphabet, numbers and some of the children’s work. Something I would also like t incorporate are the shelves on wheels. These shelves are great because you can have toys and games on one side, but when it is time to work and focus, you spin the shelf around and the distraction is gone.
I found the information regarding praise to be the most interesting (and controversial) of the readings this week. I agree that children tend to be praised for every single thing they do and through this we are creating praise junkies. I have many children that come up to me looking for praise... "Did I do this right?" "Do you like my picture?" it goes on and on. This being said though I cannot say that I dont use praise and I dont believe that it doesnt have a place in the classroom. It is a wonderful tool to use during classroom management. Often when my students are slow to get started on an assignment or are squirming instead of listening, a quick "I really like the way Sam is sitting" will soon have a class of 24 students sitting exactly the same way, listening and ready to work. I think that instead of saying we should not praise or praise only the process and not the product, we need to find how to use praise in a way that is genuine, encourages the child to go further and to motivate them, instead of creating children who will do nothing without that pat on the head.
ReplyDeleteChildren are naturally beautiful and good little beings. So I certainly understand the reticence to stifle their innate goodness and beauty by turning them into 'praise junkies' instead of intrinsically motivated, rounded little persons.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, "Man is a social animal," as Aristotle put it; we are not independent little columns of being unto ourselves. Human beings are deeply social, communal creatures. Our identity does not end at the barrier of our own skin but always extends outwards to include whole social networks of family and beloved friends. For this reason I think it is mistaken to make so much of intrinsic motivation that you deny that natural, healthy role that trusted others can play in the lives of growing children.
While a child may be naturally creative and able to make a beautiful finger painting even without our praise and input, an honest comment affirming the child's own sense that "this is lovely work, I especially like the bright green swirl," will not threaten intrinsic motivation but better *develop* said motivation.
Such sparing, honest praise is a far cry from compulsive, thoughtless formulaic praise, which may wilt intrinsic motivation and replace such motivation with a 'dependency' on outside validation or reward.
I was thinking about an example from my own life actually. My first Summer job as a teenager, I worked on a berry farm in Langley. I was raised with a good work ethic and in good shape, so I worked very hard over long days on the farm. This was 'normal' for me; I didn't think anything of it. I finished the whole year without ever being 'recognized' for working hard; neither did I think of myself as particularly special. I just did the job as I thought it was to be done.
The next Summer I was hired back. However this second year, I was paired up with another worker-- a young man who had been on staff for over five years. I was very surprised to discover that he took much longer breaks, he avoided difficult jobs, he left tasks unfinished if he was tired, etc.
Working with him, I started absorbing this new lax work ethic; before long I fell into the same sorts of bad habits.
What's the point?
Well I since learned that my boss, the first year, often told my mother how great a worker I was; how happy he was with me, etc. However he never said any of this to me!
I have many times since wished that he would have *praised* me a little more-- not because I needed it to keep working well, but because it would have helped to shape my identity and self-concept. I believe if I had been recognized and praised for my natural hard work that first Summer, then by the second Summer I might have resisted acquiescing to the bad work habits of my coworker, because I would have had a healthy sense of pride in my own identity as a hard worker, a good worker.
So this is one case where I think praise-- honest, sparing, specific praise-- could have really benefited someone (myself!).
Some thoughts;
-Mark Northey
I really enjoyed creating a classroom with a group this week. It would be amazing if teachers had the funds to create these type of facilities for their students. I believe that children and teachers would benefit greatly from having such large classrooms with no limits. It was interesting that all of the groups came up with such different ideas for the classrooms. I believe that you can definitely tell a lot about a person based on the ideas they put into a classroom setting. This was a great activity to get us to do in order to expand our ideas about classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the readings this week and found the "praise" section very interesting. I find that children get praised all the time. Not necessarily only in the classroom. They get praised in community based classes and teams (eg. gymnastics, hockey, etc.) or and even at home. I have been witness to many "praise junkies" who expect a sticker or reward for completing something properly. It is sad that children NEED rewards to be dedicated to working hard.
See you all on Monday!
One thing that stuck with me for most of the week was when we had to teach our partners how to write in a different language. I cannot learn through verbal instruction; I am not sure if it is because I have difficulties hearing or it is my horrific attention span, but it does not work. My poor partner tried her best, but I could not grasp what she was telling me to do; finally, frustration got the best of me and I requested she show me what I need to do. I am a kinesthetic and visual learner, and if I am not active in someway, or have someone use props to show me (pencil and paper works great, nothing too fancy), I will not learn effectively. When completing reading for school, I have to write notes or I will never remember what I read. And, without overhead notes and lots of activities, lectures are, sadly, kind of a time waster for me. As I was analyzing the chapters and the activity, I realized how important demonstrations were to me as a learner, but also how integral they were to my teaching style. It made me question, if other teachers favored the styles that they learn best through as well. When I give a lesson, I always have props, hands-on activities, discussions, singing, dancing, games, and concrete demonstrations; I am not comfortable describing, without having something for my students to do, or being active in some way. This epiphany made me a bit uncomfortable, and I think that it is because I became very nervous about all the children who did not learn best in these ways. I am now very aware of the student’s that learn best through reading, writing, or independent activities, and will integrate these into my lesson plans when it can be. No lesson is perfect, and I feel that it may be impossible to support each and every learner’s needs at all times, but as educators, we must try; being aware of the multiple intelligences, various teaching strategies, and student’s needs is the first step.
ReplyDeleteTwo of my classes this week discussed praise and feedback, and it made me realize I have a bit of an extreme view. I am taking the social lives of school children, and we were asked to consider and discuss the link between self-esteem building and narcissism, with an emphasis on praise. Unfortunately, the text they gave us indicated that there was no link by providing no counter-evidence to their main theories; I, therefore, was unable to argue what I believe, because I had no empirical evidence on hand. This has been bugging me, so I am happy to get this off my chest.
I believe that praise is a concern when not completed properly. I feel that there is a fear of damaging children’s self-esteem by telling them they could do better, or that they are unable to do something. This leads many parents and educators to validating children’s efforts, feelings, and actions whether they are good or not. Parents and educators must be truthful with children. It is important that children are being acknowledged for things they deserve, and are given details about their efforts. Constantly making generalized statements of “great job” or “your great”, even when it is not true, can lead children to have a distorted view of themselves. When I think of praise gone wrong, I always think of the bad singers on American Idol who think that the judges are lying, and they continue to assert that they are amazing. I am always shocked that there was no one in their life to set them aside and say, “you cannot sing”. I want to see how these individuals were raised, and if it was the result of too much praise. Parents and educators must accept children for who they are and be genuine. As a teacher, saying this sounds gross, but some children will never be smart enough, strong enough or capable enough to achieve what they want out of life, and I feel that providing praise incorrectly, even for little things, may create some harsh realities later. Every child is good at something, and a teacher may have to dig to find it, but it is possible to provide feedback that is warranted and does not create unrealistic expectations.
I found the section talking about the difference in encouragement between girls and boys very intriguing. This was something that had never crossed my mind; it made me reflect on my own practices. I am not sure I agree 100 percent with the books findings. I have not witnessed a teacher praising a girl for something but not a boy for the same activity. The books talks about praising a boy for climbing a rope but not the girl who got just as far. I was in a class earlier this year and they were completing a unit on gymnastics, the teacher who was teaching made it a point to praise all the students as they were completing each station. The book also discussed how boys were praised for completing “masculine activates” and girls were not, and vice versa. I was surprised. I would have thought that you would praise students for completing something outside of their comfort zone. This would help build their confidence with the activity, allowing them to become more comfortable and excel.
ReplyDeleteAs I said this section really made me think and I was wondering if anyone has any way to prevent or minimize how often we praise boys over girls or girls over boys. I believe everyone should feel equal and included in the classroom, and after reading this section I know I will be much more attuned to my actions.
I found the activity we completed in class very challenging. It really opened my eyes to what it must be like for students which English is not their first language. We were working with another language with little experience with it and trying to teach it to someone else. Trying to encourage and describe what to do was hard because we were unable to really demonstrate. We didn’t have the background knowledge or understanding to teach it to someone else. We were learning as we were going which although it was really fun was a great eye opener. I also felt this activity was a good example of making sure you are always prepared for what you are teaching. Trying to lead a lesson when you are not confident makes it difficult for you to get your ideas across and even more so for the student who is trying to follow those directions.
Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the wonderful sunshine bestowed on us this weekend :)... Our third class presented us with two important ideas: one - verbally instructing our partner to write in a foreign language, and two – constructing the most optimal preschool classroom in our view.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the learner's shoes really helped me understand the importance of modelling or demonstrations in front of students. This is important especially when the young student is learning something completely new to them. When I was describing the lines required to write the Chinese symbols to my partner, I depended a lot on what I assumed or thought my partner knew to build on. This showed me that when taking away the visual aides when teaching, verbal is not enough to teacha adequately.
Creating our perfect preschool classroom in groups was such a great exercise. It's always a good idea to work in groups as it allows us to learn and see things from others that we didn't quite understand/know before. As the saying goes, 'two heads are always better than one,' working in a group to create the optimal preschool class, assured me that we didn't miss anything when we were constructing in this perfect environment for early learners, everything from the quiet reading areas and drama/acting centre to the creative art and block/clay areas.
Our textbook and in-class discussion went over praise and feedback. I realized how many general statements I often gave during my practicum period, which can be very confusing for the poor kids as it can come off as sounding vague! However, whenever I marked student work, I always wrote written feedback so the students could see what they did well or need improvement on. Only if I had made the connection and used verbal feedback as specifically as I did when marking their work, I feel student learning could have been more successful. I know understand that praise should be delivered appropriately according to how the student is following through in regards to the task from the lesson, and praise should be specific to what the child is doing well.
The first aspect of this week’s class that I would like to discuss is regarding the activity to which we taught our partner Nepali or Chinese. I found this activity to be extremely insightful as it allowed me to reflect on the importance of a precise description when teaching. As I guided my partner, I found that comparing aspects of the Chinese symbol to symbols that she was already familiar with allowed her to successfully draw the symbol correctly. Therefore, as the text suggests that descriptive power is effective when young children “are familiar with what is to be described” (page 58), this was illustrated through my partner’s successful interpretation of my description. However, during this activity I struggled in answering my partner’s questions in regards to the Chinese language; as I was not an expert in the material that I was teaching. In addition, when I attempted to answer the questions, despite my uncertainty, I confused her. Consequently, this incident explicitly demonstrates the importance for a teacher to fully understand the material that they are teaching to the class; as their lack of knowledge would be clearly evident through their inability to answer questions or their inadequate descriptions. Furthermore, if a teacher does not yet fully understand the material, it would be ridiculous for them to expect their students to understand the material that is being presented. Finally, a teacher’s failure to comprehensively understand the curriculum is not fair for the students because it compromises the quality of their student’s education; while simultaneously jeopardizing a child’s positive school experience as they become frustrated with not understanding the material.
ReplyDeleteProviding feedback is also another means to which teachers can support their students and ensure quality learning. I feel that feedback is exceptionally important because it allows the students to expand the knowledge that they already possess; by providing them alternative options of how to approach a situation. For example, as a child is stacking up building blocks on an uneven surface, a teacher may comment of how tall the structure is, but then suggest that next time the child may consider doing it on an even surface to prevent the structure from swaying. Therefore through the teacher’s suggestion, the child has expanded their knowledge of block building as they now consider the surface that they are building on. Furthermore, I found the section of feedback in regards to race and culture to be significantly enlightening; as it suggests activities to which teachers can use as a means of approaching the topic of differences and similarities among race and culture. As an educator is it imperative for teachers to address the curiosities and observations that children have regarding culture or the physical variations among individuals, rather than dismiss them. By scrutinizing the children for their curiosity and dismissing the topic, educators would then be teaching children that ignorance is acceptable; which thus contradicts the purpose of an education as the student’s perspectives are inhibited as opposed to expanded.
I had so much fun creating a classroom with a group and being able to design a classroom that was "unlimited funding". Also, the activity where we either taught our partner Chinese or Nepali was very interesting. Even though I know Chinese, it was still hard for me to be able to describe the characters to my partner. The activity definitely showed how teachers need to be prepared for each class in order to present the material well and for the class to understand what is going on.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the chapter about praise because it is such an issue in classrooms. What constitutes as the "right amount of praise"? Many of the times, adults will say "good job", but will that really boost the self-esteem? Praise should be specific so that the child understand what it is that they are doing to deserve the praise. Also, over-praising may lead the child to constantly be expecting praise, or even for them to start doing things for the sake of being able to receive a praise. This may lead to narcissism.
Of all the chapters we had to read for last class, I found the chapter on describing (Chapter 5) to be particularly interesting and insightful. In my own experience, I often find myself having difficulties describing certain things to children in a way that assures me that they understand, especially when the questions are very abstract. From reading this chapter, I realized that part of my uncertainty in describing different things to children might stem from the fact that I may not be altogether familiar with what I have to describe, which is why I found that point in the text to be particularly important. Another point that stuck out for me was the one in which explained that describing something to kids “only begins their process of understanding it” (p. 59) and having a description alone is not sufficient enough to create “total understanding” (p.59) of the object or person that is being described. I believe that this fact is important for all grades, but specifically the primary ones. In the Kindergarten classroom that I volunteer in, a key objective for them throughout the year is to learn the letters and sounds of the alphabet. This chapter made me realize that by just describing the letters and the sounds will not make the kids completely understand, they will need supplementary opportunities to explore and practice what is being described which we do through ABC Books and songs.
ReplyDeleteAnother point that I would like to talk about is the first activity that we did last class, teaching a partner how to write in Chinese and Nepali. I found this activity to be challenging yet very eye-opening and interesting at the same time. When I first looked at the Nepali Writing Lesson sheet and realized that what I would have to teach my partner, I automatically knew it was going to be a challenge as the symbols were completely different that the ones that we are used to. However, I found that breaking the task into little steps and trying to describe the word using symbols that my partner and I were both familiar with, really made the task easier and quite enjoyable. For example, when trying to describe how to write the word heart in Nepali to my partner, one of the symbols looked like the letter “C” in our alphabet, so I told my partner to draw the lowercase letter “C” which she understood and completed perfectly. I like that this task made me look at a specific learning experience from both a teachers and a child’s perspective since we had to teach and be taught how to write a word. It really made me realize how difficult it can be for a child to start learning all the letters of the alphabet. Even though as adults, we feel that each letter is easy to write, all the letters are to children who are first learning how to write are just abstract lines and curves. Because of this activity, I am more aware of these difficulties and it made me remember to always allow children plenty of time to practice writing their letters and made sure that I try to describe them in ways that they will understand in order to make their leaning more enjoyable.
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI’m really enjoying reading all the comments and opinions on the use of praise. This has been a topic I’ve struggled with both through PDP and in raising my own girls. I have been aware of the research for a while, as motivation was a big topic in my Psych classes when I did my undergrad. At the time, it seemed so cut and dry - the research is compelling. However, life is so complex and I can’t help but feel that there is something natural about the use of praise when used honestly. When my girls were infants, there were times when words of praise spilled out of my mouth and it was as if I had no control! For example, when they took their first steps and plopped down, they looked to me with a smile. “Great job! Look at you!” I would exclaim. I don’t think it has messed them up; they seem perfectly motivated to walk even though I no longer praise them for it.
I think that children look to us for feedback and praise is a part of how we pass on our values and share in our accomplishments. I have found myself praising my daughters’ artwork, but I try to do it honestly, specifically, and when they share it with me. I agree with previous posters and the textbook that children lose trust for adults when we praise indiscriminately. I also tend to reserve my praise for when the activity or product is shared with me. I believe that sometimes children do things for their own purposes and it is intrusive and disrespectful to project my own thoughts on to such activities.
I do believe that there is a risk of raising praise junkies and as with most things in life, balance is the key. I do not think it is healthy to go through life being told everything you do is wonderful, but I also don’t think it is healthy to never be celebrated for our effort and accomplishments.
I had an interesting conversation after last day’s discussion about praise and encouragement with a colleague who teachers preschool. She said that praise is for parents. I didn’t really understand what she meant so we talked about it more and she said it’s an important distinction. She gave this example: what if you told Johnny that he did a “great job” on something then looked at Sarah’s work and told her it was “nice”. What’s the difference between their work and how does that make Sarah feel? She might feel like her work isn’t good or good enough. Also if you were talking to Johnny the next week and told him his work was “good” he might wonder why it was only good today but great the week before. Its important to keep in mind that children’s work is their own and has merit no matter what they produce but also that children place value on what the adult says. As a parent I find myself praising and encouraging my child all the time and while I was in classrooms during my practicum I found it difficult to switch gears but now see where I need to change my approach to help my students become more successful intrinsically, without the need for my approval.
ReplyDeleteThe writing exercise was very interesting. I feel like describing is an area where I lack expertise. I am more apt to demonstrate something rather than try to describe how it is done. This example of trying to describe, only with words, how to build a character from a different language was very educational for me. When I described my first character I forgot key words, but the second time I watched how it was done and was able to describe the character better because I could see where I had forgotten an important word or direction. Using descriptors more accurately is an area where I feel like I need more practice and I have consciously been challenging myself to do so more effectively.
I really enjoyed the collaborative effort of building our dream classrooms. It was so interesting to talk to other people who have seen different aspects of classrooms that maximize the utility of space and incorporate that into a room that any student or teacher would love to have as a learning environment. The reasoning part of this assignment probably carried the most impact for me. We agreed that placing a coat room in an area where it can’t be seen by all may lead to things going missing, it also means that students can’t access their things at any time without asking. Students should, in my mind, be able to get food or a drink or a sweater at any time they need to. Overall it just goes to show how much thought and effort must go into a classroom to make it an active learning space that welcomes all.
I really enjoyed the activity we did last class in creating the classroom designs. It was very interesting to me how each group’s classroom was very different but each also had similarities. Every classroom had a noisy or messy section and a quiet reading corner, and a bathroom and sink area. Everyone agreed that manipulatives, dramatic play, and literacy materials should be included in the classroom. It was interesting to see the creative differences in the classrooms as well and what kinds of materials we would like to have in a utopian classroom.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the describing and feedback activity. You really had to work hard and practice with that particular student in order to achieve the desired outcome. I got good insight into how difficult this can be for a teacher, not only when a child is learning something new, but also how much more difficult this could be when a language barrier is present.
I agree with my classmate’s argument about excluding praise from the classroom. Yes, teachers need to be careful about how praise is used, but used in the right way, praise can be a great motivator. Giving a child direct and well structured praise can help them to set their own goals and encourage them to reach those goals.
Chelsea wrote:
ReplyDeleteIn this week’s readings, grouping was discussed for early childhood education, and how there are a vast variety of different grouping techniques offering different advantages to students’ learning. For intermediate students, these grouping techniques also hold value, but I want to add an emphasis on having the students’ involvement when choosing/discussing these groupings. Intermediate students can be given opportunities to choose their own learning partners/groups, but should be instructed in the value of choosing an effective partner that they work well with. Students should be encouraged to take risks and partner with other people, and practice their interpersonal skills. When making seating arrangements, students input can be taken in by asking them to privately submit 4 names who they would like to sit with that they feel would support their learning. Then, the teacher can use their expert opinion to develop a seating plan that respects students wishes (attempting to give each student 1 person from their list- with discretion), while providing supports for struggling students and leadership for the groups. Intermediate students respond well to being included in the grouping processes that happen during school, and can make thoughtful choices when assisted.
As for listening to intermediate students, an effective way to show students their value is to encourage them in the writing of their thoughts/opinions. Specifically, teachers can set up private journals and response journals, where the teacher reads the students’ written message and responds back to each student in writing. As well, listening is developed when an underlying message of “attentive listening” is used when focusing on the teacher, each other, and guest speakers. Students can also develop their listening skills and be heard by using Class meetings. Finally, intermediate teachers can demonstrate they are listening to their students by developing formative assessment practices regularly into their lessons so they can respond their instruction to the students’ learning needs, and tailor the content to include individual students’ interests.
Its amazing how feedback can be interpreted by students! Something as subtle as standing over the student for a bit too long can give a child feedback about how they are doing. In some ways I think nonverbal feedback such as a thumbs up can be a quick and easy way of telling a student they got it! However when a child is having difficulty completing or understanding an assignment, sometime nonverbal feedback is not the best choice in helping students understand what they have to work on. Student need to hear words that will help them understand what is specifically needed for them to do in order to get it! We have to remember it is important not to judge when explaining, or the child will feel as they have already failed. Supporting the child is also essential in order to create positive reinforcement.
ReplyDeleteIn order to give successful feedback, students need to be given the specific event and context that they are successfully completing. This is important because students need to understand their skills. If they know that they are good at a specific skill they will become more confident and try new things because they know they have already mastered something taught to them! in my teaching practice I want to incorporate positive feedback to all my students on a day-to-day basis in order to give them the confidence to try new things and share their skills with others in order to help them better understand.
I really enjoyed the writing Chinese and Nepali activity that we did last class. Personally, I found it a bit challenging at first to try and explain to my partner how to write each character. However, both my partner and I noticed that it got easier as we progressed through the activity. The experience reminded me of the way I felt during my first week of my work experience in a kindergarten class. I was just thrown into a situation where I was trying to coach children on writing their alphabet. Having never done something like this before, it was a bit challenging at first. Obviously in this case the letters were not foreign to me. I quickly realized that if I wanted to teach a young child something I would have to put myself in their shoes—think how they think. Like when you are describing for example, you want to use terms and examples that would be familiar to them. In the text, one of the guidelines for describing was “be prepared to rephrase”. Personally I found that initially I did a lot of rephrasing when explaining activities to the kindergarten children. As I became more familiar with the children I automatically came up with phrasing that they understood right away. It is important that you learn what works with which child. Some children learn better visually, so using pictures when describing might be helpful. Some need a little extra guidance and support. Children most benefit from encouragement and/or praise that is specific and personalized—you cannot generalize praise for the entire class. As a teacher, I think it’s important to tailor you approach to personally suit each child. It isn’t easy to do, but the effort will go a long way.
ReplyDeleteFacilitating:
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the opening definition of ‘facilitate’: to make the process of children’s learning easier. Somehow I had a conception of facilitation being a complicated process of designing and operating learning activities—and while it really is that, holding the attitude of ‘making learning easier’ is a great approach to keep the whole process of teaching in a busy early childhood setting in proper perspective. It feels good to conceptualize my role as a teacher in that way; sometimes these simple definitions draw me back to a nice clear focus.
Of course facilitation is so not cut-and-dry. I wondered while reading this chapter where I fall on the continuum from non-directive and low intervention to directive and high intervention approaches. I also contemplated what the consequences of each approach on children’s learning and development, especially through play.
This is a contentious issue for me—children learn so much from their social and cultural worlds outside of the program/classroom; so what are the real consequences of being non-directive? I think it means that a lot of what they already know grows as they ‘make their own’ rules. Children making their own rules in their make-believe play is vital to their learning and development; how much of what they base those rules on comes from their social worlds? Who knows weather or not this content is positive or negative. And if one intervenes only when they overhear something that isn’t pro-social, is it really useful, or does it simply fragment and confuse a growing set of beliefs, acting as a momentary set-back?
On the other hand, children learn a lot through their perceptual faculties and senses, and probably not every inch of the child is conditioned by culture. This fact taken beside considering an exaggeratedly high-intervention and directive approach again renders the approach somewhat comical. If children and all their sensory learning, which may wriggle its focus into the most unexpected places that a teacher can’t anticipate, are taking in their environment in their own personally constructed way than what ‘good’ is being directive?
To me, early childhood education is ridden with paradoxes, but that’s probably what keeps it so regenerative, engaging and interesting! Facilitating encompasses everything in the classroom, and I get the feeling that as an ECE teacher I need to have the skills of flexibility in sliding along the directive/ high intervention, non-directive low-intervention continuum to a suitable medium with ease from day to day.
I agree with the statement from the book (chapter 4 – page 46): “it is important not to rely on demonstration as the main way of teaching young children as this can reduce their capacity to innovate and to discover things for themselves.” Demonstration is an effective teaching technique, especially when the students are going to perform a complex task for the first time (i.e. making cookies) or when the students’ safety is involved (i.e. using new playground equipment). However, demonstration techniques should not be over used, as children are curious, creative, self-driven learners. Children need time to explore and make connections between new and prior experiences. For instance, a child who is learning how to build a puzzle in the shape of a house may need a few minutes to start placing the puzzle pieces that show the roof of the house on the top part by thinking of his/her own house. Similarly, a child who will go on top by thinking of his/her own house. Similarly, a child who is knows how to write the word “dog” and “fun” may be able to write the word “fog” by making associations between the consonant “f” from fun, and the rhyme pattern “og” from dog.
ReplyDeleteDemonstrating a skill to a child needs to be a purposeful, thoughtful process, related to specific situations. Children need opportunities to make their own discoveries, and develop their thoughts. Children also need opportunities to learn from their own mistakes. I really enjoyed the activity we did in partners when we had the opportunity to teach our partners a new symbol without visually demonstrating how to do it. There are many ways of teaching students new skills, demonstrating is only one of them.
Praise Debate: Educators should not rely on praises to motivate their students. Students who become used to receiving prizes or verbal praises upon the completion of learning tasks may not be motivated to finish tasks that are not associated with such incentives. My other concern is that these students may not realize the importance of trying to accomplish a task, regardless of the final outcome. Learning should be interactive, engaging, and fun, where the students are motivated to participate because they want to be part of this amazing discovery process.