Final Blog Posting

1. This is tough for me because I think that everyone learns in all the ways that we have studied. I believe that we construct knowledge through prior experiences and through discovery learning (constructivism). There is no denying that the chemical make-up of our brain can effect how we learn and what we retain (cognitivism). We have learned through studies and observations that we can change people's behavior through conditioning (behaviorism), and finally we know that the environment around us effects our choices and how we act (social cognitivism). However, if I were to identify one theory that I most closely support, it would be social cognitivism because it is kind of a conglamorate of all the theories...to a certain degree. I think another reason that I like it is that it provides an easy way to manage a classroom effectively through observational learning.
2. This will impact the way that I run my classroom because it will challenge me to really observe who is on task and then affirming that action. It will also be a challange to make sure that I am not giving the attention to the same people all the time. That all are getting the reinforcement that they need to raise their self-efficacy. I also think that the principle of reciprical causation will be vital to the classroom set up. If environment, behavior and personal variables all effect eachother, if one is out of control, it will effect the balance of the whole classroom.
3. The next step for me would be really looking into how I can control these variables (environment, behavior, and personal variables). What can I do to control classroom behavior and make sure that all are working together and that management does not get out of control? How can I create a learning environment where all feel safe and are encouraged to participate? How can I help shape the values, beliefs and emotions of my students? Really, you need to study all the aspects of psychology to accomplish all these goals, but I think if I can help my students in these areas, that learning will occur.