Madeline Leslie: Cognitive/Self Theories

Big Idea: A teacher introduces a subject to her students. Once the teacher gives the children some background information on the topic, it’s up to the student to continue to explore the subject and gain more knowledge. Once they become more knowledgeable, the student participates in some type of activity that enhances that knowledge. They then study all the information they have been introduced to and are tested on it.  After they are tested, the student will receive a good grade for all the work they have put in. The teacher will praise the student for receiving such a good grade. The student will then want to continue the process in order to continue to receive good grades.

Activity/Example: The teacher wants her students to learn about chemicals. She creates a PowerPoint and teachers her students the main points they will need to know about chemicals. The students will then want to explore this subject area and find out more about the topic. Once they know about chemicals, they will participate in a science lab, experimenting with different chemicals and seeing different reactions. What they learn in the lab enhances their previous knowledge about chemicals. The students will be working in groups of four. Next, the students need to study for their test. After they take the test, they receive an A and their teacher praises them for doing such a fantastic job. The student likes the feeling of feeling smart and having their teacher be proud of them, so they repeat the process for the next topic they’re going to learn.

Reflection: My diagram model has not changed from my previous model, however the interpretation and reflection of the material has been altered. My initial model was based solely on hands on activities. I then realized that hands on activities, although they are important, are not actually doing the teaching. They are there to enhance the learning process; and therefore I needed to incorporate some type of activity that would actually teach the students background information on the topic. The students must know background information before they participate in any sort of activity. After the students become knowledgeable enough to work on an activity, they have the option to split up into pairs because working in groups and having social interactions will allow the students to challenge each other and become even more knowledgeable, or they can choose to work alone. If a student chooses to work alone, they may be trying to promote self-efficiency, which we learn about in Module 17. Self-efficiency is an expectation that we are capable of performing a task or succeeding in an activity. After the activity is completed, the students will begin to study for an upcoming test. Studying for the test displays either the concept of extrinsic motivation or intrinsic motivation, which we learn about in Module 16. Extrinsic motivation focuses on external rewards for their behavior, such as receiving a good grade on a test, while in intrinsic motivation, learning is the reward itself. My goal as a teacher will be to promote intrinsic motivation; however I’m not senseless enough to believe that all my students will participate in this type of motivation. Deciding whether to work with a partner or alone may affect they type of motivation that each student is performing. After the student studies and gets tested on the material, the student will receive a grade. The teacher will be more than excited if their students receive good grades. They will even hand out different forms of reinforcement which will in turn encourage the students to do just as well on their next test/activity.