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Hello fellow bloggers,
I had some technical difficulties with posting- accidentally posted to the wrong blog!
Here are a few of my thoughts on behaviorist learning methods and the use of technology in the classroom.
First of all, as I mentioned in the discussion posting, I completely disagree with the idea that behaviorist methods are antiquated and have no place in today's classroom. I teach elementary school age children, and I actually believe that for the majority of the subjects I teach, behaviorist methods are possibly the best methods. At the very least, they are a major ingredient in the combination of instructional methods.
Behaviorist methods are the most effecient way to lay down a foundation of basic information to build off of. In elementary school people sometimes take for granted that a student can read or do simple math. If they lack these skills, behaviorist methods are a great way to help them learn them. If they lack these skills, it is impossible to reach for loftier goals in the future.
It is important to recognize the use of behaviorist methods in establishing classroom discipline, and individual expectations of effort, attitude, and quality of work.
Of course, educators certainly cannot fully rely on behaviorist methods to teach. If they do, they will never be able to go beyond a basic understanding of simple subjects. In order to fully address the needs of every student, and to lead them in the direction of higher learning and higher order thinking, teachers must use a variety of methods.
I believe that technology and behaviorist learning methods are a good match. Most of us use computer programs that we learned using behaviorist methods, like tutorials. In addition, the computational and statistical nature of computers is a good fit with the desire to assess, monitor, and reward progress towards goals.
However, just like traditional teaching environments, it is important to recognize that behaviorist methodology in combination with technology can only take a student so far, at which point it is necessary to move away from behaviorist methods, not move away from technological assistance.
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I like the point you made about skills generally learned through drill and practice and their connection to higher order thinking. If a student is unable to understand how to add integers for example, how are they ever going to understand arithmetic sequences and series? I also believe that behaviorist methods can be one of the better ways to lay down a basic foundation of information to build off of.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that behaviorist techniques can be an effective learning strategy. The one problem I see is that it is often the primary strategy and students become dependent on extrinsic rewards that often have little to do with the actual learning. In addition, I have observed some classrooms where there is so much basic drill and mundane practice of basic facts that the students are completely bored and there is no excitement about learning. The students cannot wait until the end of the school day. I am a bit cynical but I deal with a teacher population where I am on the lower end of the teaching experience scale and I have been teaching for 20 years. I have many educators in my district who are teaching the way they did 30 years ago with a heavy dependence on worksheets and doing page after page of practice, even it the students already have mastery. There is no differentiation and technology is rarely utilized. I observe some of these classrooms and I am bored within 20 minutes and I cannot imagine what the students feel like having to endure the same thing day in and day out. There is an element of reward for the teachers who teach this way because their students tend to perform well on standardized tests which focus on basic factual knowledge and do not stress higher level critical thinking. The biggest danger I see is that some of these students will lose, or will never have the chance to develop an enthusiasm and excitement for learning.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to reach some of these veteran behaviorist centered teachers so they at least will use technology and other techniques to engage and interest students. It has been an uphill battle but the SMARTboards, Senteo voting devices, and interactive websites are starting to make an impact. I may not get them to use cooperative learning and project based learning but at least their classroom will be a bit more student and learner friendly.
As a middle school teacher you are so right when you stated that elementary school teachers sometimes assume that a child does know how to read, write, and do math but as I see everyday many of our students are administratively passed to the next grade and there are many students in my school that can only read on a 4th grade level. With the "No Child Left behind" law it makes it that much more difficult to ensure that all students can read and write and do math on their correct grade level. Variety is also very important as a teacher and as teachers we must be able to accomodate to needs of all our students and the only way to do that is use a variety of methods.
ReplyDeleteI like how you said that tech and behaviorist go hand and hand. I also like that you stated only after serious growth is it time to move onto other theories of learning. I do believe that tech and behaviorist theory can create a great scafolding for students education.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Scheilk's comments about the over use of drill and practice and a reliance on worksheets, I agree with you. It seems to me that no matter what classroom I visit or what students I talk to, they all have one thing in common, they hate worksheets. However, I think this could lead us to one of the greatest uses of technology in the classroom. While the opinions on worksheets are pretty much always negative, the opinions on webquests and online tutorials are almost always the exact opposite. Despite the fact they serve just about the same purpose. The only real difference is the use of technology. I hope we examine this phenomenon during the course of this class. It is my belief that the simple use of technology can turn a monotonous drill and practice lesson into a dynamic and interactive behaviorist lesson!
ReplyDeleteI think I mentioned this in someone else's blog, but I agree with everyone that behaviorist methods are instrumental in instilling the most basic of skills sets a student will need. I assume this common belief is the main reason why we study behaviorist methods first, and then move on to other areas. I think the most important thing we all take away from this weeks lesson might be the connection between behaviorist methods and the use of technology. I would love to hear any other specific examples of the use of behaviorist methods when directly applied to technology. I am always looking to steal other people's ideas in the classroom. Thanks for the feedback.
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