Summary of Discussions
Everyone discussed the nine types of learning briefly and had various answers on which project last semester demonstrated these. Kimber felt the Webpage project at the end demonstrated all nine, while Becky felt her jeopardy game using the Scratch programming fit the requirements. Merriam agreed with the Scratch programming meeting the needs and also used this as her example. I agree that both sufficiently met these learning types since the Webpage requirement tied everything together and involved the use of each type, while Scratch also did in the creation of your programming.
Each of us had trouble with the self-test and felt it was primarily based on memorization for the discussion, rather than actually obtaining the information. We also all agreed that with a bit of feedback about the wrong answers we submitted, we would each have a better understanding of why our answer was wrong and able to learn from it so as to be able to decipher the correct answer later.
This brought me to research about positive reinforcement. Oftentimes teachers grade a paper or a test, mark an “x” and give it back to the students without explanations of why their answers were wrong or what they could have done to improve their answers. This is a negative form of teaching, and just as we have just discovered, being told why you are wrong on a subject is extremely important. If students are given positive reinforcement after incorrect responses, like “Good Try! However, the correct answer is … because …”, they are more likely to understand why their answer was incorrect without just marking up their page with red marks.
Articles
This article is a book that discusses how to use positive reinforcement in the classroom with students for multiple reasons: bad behavior, bad grades, trouble children, etc. The book begins in part 1 where each chapter contains a self-diagnostic pretest, a narrative summary, and an intermediate test. This is a long book, but would be beneficial to a beginning teacher or a teacher changing her method of teaching and incorporating positive reinforcement in her classroom.
2. Sigler, E., & Aamidor, S. (2005). From Positive Reinforcement to Positive Behaviors: An Everyday Guide for the Practitioner. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(4), 249-253. doi:10.1007/s10643-004-0753-9
This article is a great everyday guide for using positive reinforcement to positive behaviors. If children are rewarded for the positive things they do, they are more likely to promote positive behavior of other students than to act negatively with their fellow students.
3. Rekabdarkolaei, S. (2011). Studying Effective Factors of Classroom Control and Management in Primary Schools. New Educational Review, 23(1), 325-336
This article is a study on positive classroom management techniques in primary schools. The study looks into classroom management and control and factors in how effective it is in the particular classrooms being identified.
Best Article
Sigler, E., & Aamidor, S. (2005). From Positive Reinforcement to Positive Behaviors: An Everyday Guide for the Practitioner. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(4), 249-253. doi:10.1007/s10643-004-0753-9
I definitely feel that the second article listed above is a must read. It helps to show how to use positive reinforcement to promote positive behaviors in the classroom as an easy-to-read guide for getting started and continuing this method of teaching.
Questions
1. What testing forms do you use in your classroom (multiple choice, essay, etc.) and are you using reinforcement techniques for wrong answers?
2. How could you incorporate positive reinforcement more in your classroom?
3. If needed, what would you change about your testing types in the classroom?
Thanks Lauren for the link to that must read article.
ReplyDeleteAs far as testing forms in my classroom, I use none!! You know I teach life skills self contained, however I do assess students every single day. I use informal assessments and checklists. I do one-on-one direct instruction assessments. My students require much longer to aquire a new skill.
I have three paraprofessionals who work in my room. I found that I am very skilled at modeling appropriate positive reinforcing language in the classroom. By demonstrating this I am teaching my children how to respond, but I'm also teaching my paras how to do it appropriately and effectively. Everyone sees the results, so the message isn't lost in translation.
I would like to do less one-on-one and more small group assessing. i would like to see my students working more collaboratively in my room. However, I will keep the independent aspects because it makes them more productive in other settings.
Your welcome Kimber. I really enjoyed that article!! And as for the positive reinforcing language, awesome!! It's great that you're also teaching your paras to do that as well. I would think that positive reinforcement would be very important for special education students, equally if not more important than general education students.
DeleteI definitely agree on less one-on-one, it seems that the students tend to freeze up when you pull them aside for testing. I noticed this with the pre-kindergarten students I was with. They would freeze when trying to recite their letters one-on-one, but when I just carried a checklist and watched them during center time, they could recite so many more letters. I'm definitely a big fan of informal assessments and doing more formative assessments than summative.
1. What testing forms do you use in your classroom (multiple choice, essay, etc.) and are you using reinforcement techniques for wrong answers?
ReplyDeleteIn my math classrooms, I use multiple choice and fill in the blank for my tests. The first semester I definitely use fill in the blank tests so I can see the students work and their process of solving problems. I grade partially even if the student has the wrong answer. It is important for me to see their process and for them to understand at what step they took the “wrong turn.” I believe this helps students gain confidence in completing multi-step problems since it is usually a small operational error that confuses students.
During the second semester I slowly integrate multiple choice. During this integration, I am also preparing the students for the standardized test. There are strategies taught for eliminating answers if the student is unsure of themselves which can improve their percentage of getting the correct answer.
For any “wrong” answers on tests, I go over. Actually I go over the whole test with the students. This allows them to learn from their mistakes by learning key vocabulary in identifying how to solve, setting up equations, and not to over think.
2. How could you incorporate positive reinforcement more in your classroom?
I enjoy using positive reinforcement in my tweenager classroom. At that age, there are so many limitations and rules, that all they hear is NO. During instruction, I sometimes ask questions that spiral information from previous lessons. Its similar to a one question pop quiz. The first one to get it correct gets a dollar pass to cantene (kids can buy sodas and food after lunch). Most of my students love this since they come from low income homes that qualify for free and reduced lunches.
My 8th graders for some reason love to sit with me at my desk. When I grew up, sitting at the teaches desk meant you were in trouble. These kids enjoy sitting at my desk and being my helper for the day. Through acts of kindness or having amazing grades on an assignment or test, my students get chosen to be my helper.
3. If needed, what would you change about your testing types in the classroom?
I can remember some advice my dad gave me when he dropped me off to college. He said, “Whatever state of mind you study in is the same state of mind you need to be in while taking your test.” I believe every ounce of this advice. Over the ages, students have been expected to stick their noses in books and take the test the same way. Times are changing though, learning is not all pencil pushing and I think that testing should not be either. I have so many students that have test anxiety because of the format of the test versus how administration expects teachers to teach. For example, my room is organized chaos. There are at least 4 groups collaborating at one time using technology and manipulatives to learn and complete problems. However, administration expects their knowledge to be measured through a quite test using a notecard. The learning and testing are conducted in complete opposite atmospheres. Administration expects classes to be instructed in one manner but measured in another, which causes much confusion with my students. If I could, I would erradicate “old” forms of testing and administer more modern projects that reflect students understanding of formula applications versus problem pencil pushing.
I like your method of testing, with the use of fill in the blank at the beginning and then transferring over to multiple choice to prepare them for standardized testing. I always liked when teachers gave partial credit and went over the material so that I could find my "wrong turn". It always helped me to correct my own work to learn from mistakes rather than to just do problem after problem, attempting for it to just "click".
DeleteI definitely think positive reinforcement is important, especially in the lower junior high levels. I was in a fifth grade course that you could tell heard "No" entirely too often, and coming from low income feelings oftentimes means little to no parent involvement. Rewarding their positive behavior definitely helps to increase self esteem and their self-worth. I agree with the teacher's desk... that was always bad growing up and where you did NOT want to sit.
I LOVE ORGANIZED CHAOS IN THE CLASSROOM!! I think students learn so much better when in groups and when getting to interact. Quiet classrooms are so creepy and eerie to me and the students don't look like they are having any fun. However, one of the big things I have to work on in the classroom is doing boring testing types so as to limit the student's test anxiety when it comes time for the standardized test. I like to do a lot of different testing types and veer away from pencil-paper multiple choice testing, but that is how the state tests and it's also important to prepare students for those tests as well as making the learning fun and the testing more enjoyable.
1. What testing forms do you use in your classroom (multiple choice, essay, etc.) and are you using reinforcement techniques for wrong answers?
ReplyDeleteI use a variety of test forms, multiple choice, essay questions, matching, graphic organizers, and even implement technology. I have had my students create videos, comic strips, and presentations. I try to grade many of my assessments as a class that way they get to listen to the right answer and get feedback to what they have questions for. It is sometimes time consuming, yet it is important for them to know why and how. I try not to grade as a class essay questions because confusion and questions arise immediately. In that case I do make sure to write a comment or so, or write on top of the page.."Need to talk to you" so I can explain what was wrong and why.
2. How could you incorporate positive reinforcement more in your classroom?
I have always thought about giving them an ice cream party or nuggets party, but because of so many administration limitations its a long procedure to go about. Because of this then I need to do what I can and that might me homework passes or a chance to get a price. I have also noticed that we as educators tend to call troublesome student's parents and I started to call parents whose kids perform great too. It just seems I don't have enough time, but I am going to do that.
3. If needed, what would you change about your testing types in the classroom?
If I could, I would implement online testing because it takes care of grading and will provide students with immediate feedback. I don't have computers in my classroom, yet maybe I can try to give once in awhile an online test can work miracles.
I also love to use activity-based assessments in the classroom, where the students are creating something or implementing some type of skill. Videos and comic strips definitely seem to spark some hidden interest in the students when they get to do something different. Also, grading as a class works well since the students are hearing the correct answer, seeing it on paper, and able to correct it.
DeleteCalling the parents of students that perform great is a terrific idea for positive reinforcement, that and notes homes would work great. I never thought about the fact that most often parents are only called or written to in the case of negative behavior. It would be extremely positive to tell parents when students are performing well. As with parties, it is very hard. However, most districts allow so many parties for different holidays or times of the year, if you could incorporate extras in that, it would make you able to do that as well.
Online testing is great, but also tends to have easier ways for students to teach unless they are being watched vigorously. I used an online quiz site that quizzed the students on TAKS questions and they figured out that if you refresh the page after you put in the wrong answer, you can change your answers to get them all correct.
Excellent team input!
ReplyDelete