A Foundation for Teaching - Admission/Application Essay Example

Theory and Practice CHAPTER Educational Psychology: A Foundation for Teaching Summary Characteristics of a good teacher Variousqualities contribute to the overall success of teacher. Teachers are able to make an impact on the students based on their knowledge about the subject matter. Effective teachers know every aspect of a particular topic or area. In the particular way, a teacher is always in an appropriate position to answer to the numerous questions that students raise out of their curiosity nature. The book acknowledges that educators have knowledge of the subject area. It is one of the principle elements on effective teaching; however, the skill of teaching is also important in terms of effective teaching (Slavin, 2006). The teaching skill is very important since it gives the teacher a platform to express what he knows in the simplest way so as the student might understand. The skill of teaching entails developing a relationship with the students while applying pedagogy. The b0ok acknowledges the fact that teaching does not entail one person with greater knowledge transmitting it to others, but it entails the ability of making the student think critically and work out a problem to derive a solution. Intentional Teacher The intentional teacher is a teacher who constantly thinks about the impact of a particular study taught on the students. He thinks of the different ways adopted to make the student learn and understand. Students learn through unplanned means. Various components constitute to good teaching. Good teaching involves a teacher having the proper knowledge about the subject area and their abilities to use various teaching resources to deliver the lessons. It also involves engaging the students and helping them develop critical thinking and various problem-solving skills. Effective teaching also entails knowing the capabilities of the students and the different means they adopt during learning (Slavin, 2006). Moreover, proper teaching and communication skills guarantee effective delivery of a particular subject matter. Significance of research in Educational Psychology Research aims at seeking answers to certain questions through the adoption of objective methods that test various factors that contribute towards learning. The outcomes of the researches conducted are always theories, principles and laws. Teachers greatly benefit from research in education psychology since it assists them to understand the characteristics of their classes and use the appropriate theories in making them understand and adopt better learning habits. It is a great way of determining the teacher’s success (Slavin, 2006). Teaching as decision-making Teaching involves the adoption and making of various decisions based on circumstances and situations that are rampant and random in their appearance. In most cases, the decisions made are always in response to a certain behavior portrayed by the students. Therefore, teachers have to know how to identify issues and problems when they arise. They should view a particular challenge from different multiple perspectives. They should apply their knowledge before applying a specific action. Finally, they should analyze the consequence to determine whether the course of action adopted is appropriate (Slavin, 2006). A teacher should continuously study materials with the aim of expanding his skillset in terms of solving certain challenges experienced in their line of duty. Research methods adopted in Education Psychology Experimental research is highly adopted when testing the impacts of various educational treatments or programs (Slavin, 2006). Laboratory experiments are short termed and highly structured. Randomized field experiments take long periods and are always action and result oriented. Key Terms Control group refers to a certain number of students easily regulated and monitored. Critical thinking refers to as a skill adopted through analysis of various problems and situations. CHAPTER 2: Theories of Development Summary Human Development Views The development of the human being comprises of moral, social, personal, physical and cognitive development. Factors of nurturing and nature affect the development of a human being. Continuous theories focus on a child’s social experiences passed through while discontinuous theories preview the inborn qualities as opposed to the environmental factors that affect it. Various factors affect the development of a human being and it they include aspects of ability, personality, culture, heredity, and exceptionality, child rearing and total environment. Theories of cognitive development proposed by Lev Vygotsky ad Jean Piaget (Slavin, 2006). Cognitive Development Views by Piaget He viewed development as comprising of four distinct stages. Through accommodation and assimilation, various human beings are able to deal with the various factors that influence and affect their individual lives. The proposed stages of development in the particular scenario are sensorimotor stage that occurs between birth and 2 years of age, preoperational stage taking place between 2 to 7 years old, concreate operational stage that occurs between 7 to 11 years and the operational stage that affects an individual who is at the age of 11. At the particular stage, various young people are able to differentiate what is morally right from what is wrong (Slavin, 2006). Modern views of Piaget theory The theory has undergone criticism because the child’s abilities are ignored and that the stages are too broad. People against the theory attribute development to environmental and social influences in cognitive development. Piaget’s principles in teaching and various school curriculums have undergone adoption (Slavin, 2006). Vygotsky Cognitive Development Views He attributed cognitive development to social development, which has its foundations on the interaction with the environment and other beings. During proximal development, a child is aided and taught how to learn. They are able to undertake tasks based on their abilities, assisted by the teacher (Slavin, 2006). Through silent and vocal speech, children develop self-regulation, solve problem and internalize learning. The teachers play an important role in providing various support structures to aid them in their learning process. Personal and Social Development According to Erickson He attributed the stages of development based on eight stages. Stage 1 comprised of trust against mistrust developed as they interacted with their guardians. Stage 2 comprised of autonomy against doubt experienced between 18 months and when the child is 3 years old. Stage 3 comprised of initiative against guilt, 3-6 years, where the children developed a sense of self through their interaction with the environment (Slavin, 2006). Stage four comprised of industry against inferiority, 6 – 12 years, characterized by academic success and failure of the child. Stage 5 was about identity against role confusion, which was characteristically the adolescent stage. Stage 6 was intimacy against isolation, which marked the beginning of adulthood while the final stage was about integrity versus despair. Key terms Adaptation refers to the ability of a child to get along with various changes that they are going through Cognitive development refers to the various psychological experiences that a child goes through in readiness to face the challenges of the world Development refers to the ability of a child to progress from infant stages towards adult stages while developing psychologically CHAPTER 3: Development during Childhood and Adolescence Summary Children development in Preschool years The physical development of the young children begins with the ability to control the large muscles before the control of the small muscles. The cognitive development process adopts Piaget’s structure of the preoperational and the sensor monitor stages (Slavin, 2006). The child is able to construct sentences and talk adequately at the age of three. Basic reading and writing foundations acquired before a child joins formal schooling help in the development stages. The socio emotional development relates to the initiative against guilt stage as proposed by Erickson (Slavin, 2006). The various peer relationships established by the children assist them overcome their ego through preoperational thinking as suggested by Piaget various prosocial mannerisms developed include caring, comforting, cooperating and sharing. The social sophistication and interaction relate to the categories of ply, which are cooperative, parallel, solitary and associative. Early Childhood Educational Programs Various programs exist and they include preschool centers, day-care centers, kindergartens, preschools, day-car centers and compensatory preschool (Slavin, 2006). Various researches have promoted the steps of introducing children to learning and education at an early stage in life. In the process, age has seized to be a determinant factor and it its place the educators focus on the individual characteristics possessed by the individual. Elementary Years Child Development Children grow slowly and develop greater skill and health at the ages between 3 and 7. This is the concreate operational stage as suggested by Piaget. Students who are at a higher educational level experience the transformation from an egocentric way of thinking to a more decentered way of thinking (Slavin, 2006). Between the age of 9 and 12, the children begin to reason in an abstract way conforming to peer group influences, mixed sex groupings and commence facing challenges in complying with adult authority. Child development in Middle School and High Scholl Years It is a stage marked with adolescence and various curiosity arisen because of puberty. The stages of maturity among individuals in the particular stage vary with some maturing earlier. It is characteristic that majority of the individuals in the particular stage develop the identity against role confusion in the particular stage Identity achievement and identity foreclosure are experienced at this stage with various factors such as t risk such as AIDS infection, dropping out and substance abuse Key terms Peers refers to people who are of the same age group Compensatory preschool programs refer to programs likened to the preschool education where children get basic knowledge to begin the education curriculum. Reference Slavin, R. E. (2014). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice. New York: Pearson. Read More