Educational Psychology in Nowadays Environment - Essay Example

Educational Psychology. Unit 2: MCA 2 - Assignment MCA 2B. Field Activity: Case Study of Instructional Approaches. Instructional approaches adopted by the teacher in the teaching process have high validity with regard to the effectiveness of the learning. In this paper I intend to describe my observations of a group of students being taught mathematics at _________ High School in ______________ in California. The description focuses on the unique instructional approach adopted by the teacher with specific attention on the rapport building with the students and the grouping process for the effective teaching activity. Further, it details the specific individual accommodations by the students and describes the information learned from my observation and interviews in relation to the relevant course readings. Class Details: My observation of the instructional approaches and the effects of the specific approach adopted upon the students had great value in relation to the course learning l had. Thus, it was an evidently useful project and it was done at an 8th Grade Mathematics Class at­­­­­­­­­­ ­­­­____________. My observation class contained thirty students and the teacher in charge of them was Mr. John. The class started at 10 O’ clock in the morning and it was necessary for the teacher and the students to come to good rapport with each other as it was a fresh day and the effectiveness of the class depended mainly on the nature of relation between the instructor and the learner. The strategy adopted by Mr. John in establishing a good connection with his students as well as the special way of grouping had very captivating effect on me. It was interesting as the activity for introduction to the class was purely based on the psychological approach of teaching. The strategy adopted by the teacher was important for they looked into the needs of the students from a psychological outlook. Every type of student was given detailed attention from the beginning of the class and the teacher was careful about special attention to the ones required in the rapport building activity. Accommodations made by the teacher for the students with special needs were part of the preliminary observation result. All these factors suggested how useful the observation results that I gathered were and this also pointed out the implication of such a case study report. The instructional strategy seemed to be highly relevant in the case of the class atmosphere as the type of grouping, the teacher’s approach to individualizing instruction, and technology integration etc were evidently suggesting the quality of the instructional approach which addressed the need of diverse students. The most essential thing that I noticed was the way the teacher accommodated the need of different students completely recognizing their varied challenges and needs. Such a strategy was evident in the rapport building activities, the grouping, and more evidently in the instructional method. Classroom: Significantly, the classroom consisted of various types of students and even the students who required high attention comprised the group. It was important to recognize the way the teacher manages and brings all types of requirements of the class and the ultimate conclusion regarding the strategy adopted heavily justified the strategies. As the class started the students were seen engaged in various types of activities and it was pertinent for the teacher to bring together all sorts of interests, which were scattered around many activities and engagements. The teacher was observed as doing it effectively through the strategy he adopted for rapport establishments. I was of all praise for the strategy adopted by the teacher to bring all sorts of scattered interests and varied talents together and effectively arouse a curiosity and readiness for the class they were about to receive. Accommodations for the Special Needs of the Students: Most essential value of all types of strategies and activities the teacher adopted has been the way the teacher recognized and accommodated the requirements of the students with special needs. Thus, the lead in activity as well as the grouping process aimed most significantly on raising the attention of the students with special needs and incorporating them to the entire functioning of the learning activity. There were five of them and the teacher was evidently seen considering their interests and incorporating them in the common interest, thereby making their roles very much important and appreciated in every activity. However, more significantly, the teacher was very psychological in his approach so that he made it very simple a process to provide special considerations to those students and was more concerned to hide his process of special considerations away from the awareness of those students or any other students of the class. There were students who were very slow in responded to the instructions of the teacher. Some of the students with special needs included those who were shy of facing the challenges of the group activities but preferred to be in their own world, the students who had inability to keep up with the fast instructions and conversations in English, some students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the students who needed special appreciation and care to be effective in the class. The teacher was evidently seen as giving special care to those who needed it. Thus, Mr. John encouraged the students with special needs to join in the activities of the class and gave them due attention and respect in the grouping activity and rapport building exercises. He also was effective in the pacing of the talks, instructions, and other conversations as to encourage every type of learner to understand and respond to what he instructed. Moreover, the teacher was seen repeating some important parts of his instructions so that every student gave due attention to the instructions and nobody missed any of the important areas of his instructions. He was also seen giving more participation to those special students and asked for their responses and opinions every now and then. The taking of the students into the track of the class was very essential and it was clear that Mr. was effective in the tracking process of the students. The teacher was effective in attending to the unique behavioral needs of each student especially of the students with ADHD. The assistance of the gifted students in the class also was found crucial in the strategies of the teacher in accommodating the students with ADHD. Results: My observations in the class came up with some pertinent findings and most significant of them has been the way the teacher has to accommodate the interests of every type of students giving special attention to the requirements of those with greater needs. Another important result of the observation was that the way the gifted students in the class responded to the special attention strategies of the teacher. It is noted by Slavin (2006) that “un-tracking often runs into serious opposition from the parents of high achievers.” (Slavin, 2006, p.300). However, in the interview with the teacher following the class it was clear that there were not many of such issues and that, except for one or two of them, all the gifted students were ready to contribute to the process of special care to those students in particular needs. One important factor in the effectiveness of the strategy adopted by the teacher was that he was often reminded of the need for reinforcement of things to be done by the students and encouragement and motivation to them. It was confirmed by Mr. John in the interview with him. Conclusion: It is important to maintain that the observation of the classroom activity helped me understand many of the essential strategies to be adopted by the teacher in accommodating the needs of every student with special attention to those who especially required it. The scope for this case study is that it points out the need for inclusion of the specific needs of the students. The strategies that are adopted by the teacher in the classroom instruction has significant role in relation to the effectiveness of the class. Unit 3: MCA 3 - Assignment MCA 3A - Field Activity: Classroom Management: Abstract: The effectiveness of the learning depends on several factors and one of pertinent consideration has been that of classroom management. In this paper I intend to describe my observations of the classroom management as observed in two classes at _________ High School in __________ in California. The description focuses on the unique classroom management as observed by in the two classrooms and my observation is presented in relation to the relevant course readings. My observations focused on the classroom management artifacts such as digital pictures of posters, rules, tokens, or other items the teacher uses to support the strategies adopted. All the components of the classroom management were found effective in the observation of the two classrooms and it was reinstated by the interview with the instructors there. Classroom Overview: Classroom management has great significance in the modern day learning process and my observation of the classroom management as well as the interviews with the instructors proved to be important in the understanding of its significance. The interview was as important as the classroom observation and these helped me come up with conclusions regarding the various aspects of classroom management. There are various types of requirements from the part of the teachers to follow the appropriate techniques and tools to be selected for classroom management. Classroom management and management of student conduct can be evidently understood as key skills for the teachers. These are essential skills that teachers get hold of and sharpen up over time. Teaching experience, as I realized from the observation as well as the interviews I had with the teachers, is of great value for the effective classroom management. It is true that effective teaching involves substantial skill in managing the innumerable number of tasks and situations which crop up in the classroom each day. “Skills such as effective classroom management are central to teaching and require "common sense," consistency, a sense of fairness, and courage. These skills also require that teachers understand in more than one way the psychological and developmental levels of their students. The skills associated with effective classroom management are only acquired with practice, feedback, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Sadly, this is often easier said than done.” (Classroom Management, 2008). Thus, here the classroom management strategies as well as the techniques adopted by the teachers for effective classroom behavior are analyzed. Techniques Observed: As we recognize it rightly, the techniques adopted by the teacher in classroom management seem to be of pertinent value in the effectiveness of the teaching. Thus, the observed classroom situations and techniques used proved to be very effective in classroom management. The classroom arrangement, the way of addressing the students, the well set expectations of behavior in the classroom, encouraging and motivating the learner, and the like seem to be very effective in managing the classroom. And the teachers interviewed also agreed to the importance of such techniques in classroom management. These teachers were of particular opinion that setting the expected behavior in the classroom formed part of essential strategies for classroom management. Slavin was proved right in making the observation that expected classroom behavior as well as classroom rules “should be clearly explained and deliberately taught to students.”(Slavin, 2006, p.379). Mr. Jack was more concerned of setting the classroom behavior right away whereas Mr. John seemed to be presenting it indirectly. The technique adopted has great importance, as they put it, in learning outcome and in the overall classroom management. It is important to “know what you want and what you dont want, show and tell your students what you want, when you get what you want, acknowledge (not praise) it, [and] when you get something else, act quickly and appropriately.” (Classroom Management, 2008). Therefore, the techniques observed in the classroom seemed to be very much proving all these conditions. Conclusion: The classroom management depends heavily on the techniques adopted by the teacher in the course of the class. It is also important to remember that “personal experience and research indicate that many beginning teachers have difficulty effectively managing their classrooms. While there is no one best solution for every problem or classroom setting, the following principles, drawn from a number of sources, might help. Classroom teachers with many years of experience have contributed to an understanding of what works and what doesnt work in managing classrooms and the behavior of students.” (Classroom Management, 2008). The classroom techniques I observed have been essential contributor to my understanding of the relevance of classroom management and the contribution made by the various techniques towards classroom management. Unit 4: MCA 4 - Assignment MCA 4A - Evaluation /Assessment Chart: Evaluation or assessment has great validity to the process of learning and the quality of learning depends on the effective choice of the type of evaluation. There are several definitions for evaluation which specifies various aspects of the process. Two of the most relevant ones are the following: “Evaluation is the systematic assessment of the worth or merit of some object,” “Evaluation is the systematic acquisition and assessment of information to provide useful feedback about some object.” (Trochim, 2006). These definitions are significant as they are in agreement that evaluation is a methodical venture. The use of the term object by both the definitions mentions a program, policy, technology, person, need, activity, and so on. It is essential to note that, on the basis of the object being evaluated and the purpose of the evaluation, there are many different types of evaluations. The most basic distinction in evaluation types is often made between formative and summative type of evaluation. In other words, it is essential to understand the difference between the formative type of evaluation and summative type of evaluation as they are the most significant ways of evaluating the effectiveness of the learning. It is of pertinent importance to understand formative evaluations as reinforcing or improving the object being evaluated. Formative evaluations are of great significance as they assist in improving the quality of learning. The particular type of evaluation examines the delivery of the curriculum, the quality of its implementation, and the assessment of the organizational context, procedures, inputs, and the like. “Summative evaluations, in contrast, examine the effects or outcomes of some object -- they summarize it by describing what happens subsequent to delivery of the program or technology; assessing whether the object can be said to have caused the outcome; determining the overall impact of the causal factor beyond only the immediate target outcomes; and, estimating the relative costs associated with the object.” (Trochim, 2006). It can be evidently seen that formative evaluation includes several evaluation type such as needs assessment, evaluability assessment, structured conceptualization, implementation evaluation, and process evaluation. Thus, it can be seen that the needs assessment concludes who needs the program, what the volume of the need is, and what might work to meet the need etc. The evaluability assessment is concerned with assessing if an evaluation is feasible and determining how the users can contribute in shaping its usefulness. Similarly, the structured conceptualization helps stakeholders define the program or technology, the target population, and the possible outcomes. The implementation evaluation determines and assesses the trustworthiness of the program or technology delivery. Finally, the process evaluation is concerned with investigating the process of delivering the program or technology, including alternative delivery procedures. Similarly, the summative evaluation can also be subdivided and they are as follows. Outcome evaluations investigate whether the program or technology caused demonstrable effects on specifically defined target outcomes. Impact evaluation is broader and assesses the overall or net effects -- intended or unintended -- of the program or technology as a whole. Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis address questions of efficiency by standardizing outcomes in terms of their dollar costs and values. Secondary analysis reexamines existing data to address new questions or use methods not previously employed. Meta-analysis integrates the outcome estimates from multiple studies to arrive at an overall or summary judgment on an evaluation question. (Trochim, 2006). Among the several considerations of the formative evaluation it is understood as a type of evaluation that is typically conducted during the development or improvement of a program or person. Significantly, it is often conducted more than once, in order to improve the quality of the performance. One of the most important purposes of formative evaluation is to authenticate or guarantee that the goals of the instruction are being achieved. The method helps in improving the instruction if necessary. It is evident that the formative evaluation is useful in providing the teachers with options to get evaluative information valuable in improving the program. “Formative Evaluation is a bit more complex than summative evaluation. It is done with a small group of people to "test run" various aspects of instructional materials… Summative evaluation provides information on the products efficacy (its ability to do what it was designed to do)… Summative evaluation is typically quantitative, using numeric scores or letter grades to assess learner achievement… A Summative Evaluation…looks at more than one learners performance to see how well a group did on a learning task that utilized specific learning materials and methods. By looking at the group, the instructional designer can evaluate the learning materials and learning process.” (Formative vs. Summative Evaluation). It is also important to distinguish between the criterion referenced evaluation and norm referenced evaluation. The former has been effective in concluding whether each one of the students has attained specific skills or concepts of the learning item as well as in finding out how the prior knowledge and post knowledge of the student. The latter, on the other hand has been useful in ranking each student in relation to the achievement of others in broad areas of knowledge and in differentiating between high and low achievers. As regards to the content of the criterion referenced evaluation, it measures specific skills which make up a designated curriculum and these skills are identified by teachers and curriculum experts. It is to be noted that each skill is expressed as an instructional objective in this type of evaluation. Norm referenced evaluation, it must be noted, measures broad skill areas sampled from a variety of textbooks, syllabi, and the judgments of curriculum experts. In the criterion referenced evaluation, every skill is assessed by as a minimum four items so as to acquire a sufficient sample of student performance and to reduce the effect of guessing. In the other type of evaluation, the skills are generally tested by less than four items and the items differ in difficulty. Also, the items are selected which distinguish between high and low achievers. The Criterion-Referenced Tests are noted for the following characteristics in score interpretation. “Each individual is compared with a preset standard for acceptable achievement. The performance of other examinees is irrelevant. A students score is usually expressed as a percentage. Student achievement is reported for individual skills. [And Norm-Referenced Tests for the following] Each individual is compared with other examinees and assigned a score--usually expressed as a percentile, a grade equivalent score. Student achievement is reported for broad skill areas, although some norm-referenced tests do report student achievement for individual skills.” (Huitt, 1996). Reference Slavin, R. (2006). Educational psychology (8th Ed.), Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. p. 300. Classroom Management, Management of Student Conduct, Effective Praise Guidelines, and a Few Things to Know About ESOL Thrown in for Good Measure, (2008). Adprima. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from http://www.adprima.com/managing.htm Slavin, R. (2006). Educational psychology (8th Ed.), Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. p. 379. Trochim, William M K. (2006). Introduction to Evaluation, Social Research Methods. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/intreval.htm Formative vs. Summative Evaluation, Retrieved May 21, 2008 from http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/edtech/etc667/proposal/evaluation/summative_vs._formative.htm Huitt, W. (1996). Measurement and Evaluation: Criterion- Versus Norm-Referenced Testing, Retrieved May 21, 2008 from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/measeval/crnmref.html Read More