Dear Readers,
Please click on the link so that you can view the article that was written by the Benton-Michiana Spirit. This article was written so that it could highlight the December 18th Book Signing at Union Memorial AME Church in Benton Harbor, MI.
Lessons on Church Folk Article
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Reflection on Module 6
As I read Bandura's article, I realized that our behavior will influence the way our lives will play out. This theory (social cognitive theory) has helped us to evolve from stimulus-response interactions to the interactions that occur based on our actions. Bandura (2008) and Harre & Gillet (1994) stated that "The sensory, motor, and celebral systems are tools people use to accomplish the tasks and goals that give meaning, direction, and satisfaction to their lives" (p.5). As noted, all three of these systems are important and they help us to make various decisions as we progress throughout our lives. No matter what happens, these three systems will helps us to determine our dreams and aspirations and how we can incorporate those dreams into a career that will fulfill our drive for success.
In the Pajares article, I realized that self-efficacy is important to children of all ages. They tend to gravitate more towards the things that they are already successful in. Investing time is something that they don't understand can be confusing to them. Children will spend more time on activities that will help them to increase their self-efficacy and overall person motivation. Pajares (2006) stated that "In school, teachers work to improve the competence and confidence of the students in their charge" (p. 340). As teachers, we need to assist students so that they can increase their confidence in learning. Increasing their competence and confidence can result in them looking at their learning a new light. If teachers can work hard through specialized instruction to improve a student's frame of mind, they can help students as they make important decisions in the future.
A great teacher is someone who raises the standards in the classroom. This teacher challenges their students to do their very best in the classroom. A teacher who lowers the standards of learning in the classroom is someone who could be setting students up for their future downfall. As teachers, we must raise the bar (through the growth mindset) so that students don't become complacent in their learning experience. For the parents, they need to raise the bar in their homes so that children will know that they have to study hard and get good grades. In Dweck (2006), Marva Collins stated that her students "Well, goodbye to failure, children. Welcome to success" (p. 189). We have to speak success into the minds of our students.
As I read the Gladwell article, I realized that rice is a part of the Chinese culture from agriculture to their daily meals. They eat rice as a part of their meals because it is a part of their tradition. But when it comes down to math tests, Chinese children are far ahead of American children. This is because these children have a wider memory space in order to remember more things. American children can remember more but we must begin training their minds as early as possible so that they can compete with children from foreign countries. Gladwell (2008) stated that "Four year old Chinese children can count, on average, to forty. American children at that age can count only to fifteen, and most don't reach forty until they're five" (p. 229). If we can begin this learning process when they are younger than four, we can position American children so that they can be ahead of their foreign counterparts.
References:
Bandura, A. (1986). But what about that gigantic elephant in the room? In R. Arkin (Ed.), Most unappreciated: 50 prominent social psychologists talk about hidden gems (pp.51-59). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bandura, A. (2008). The reconstrual of "free will" from the agentic perspective of social cognitive theory. In J. Baer, J. C. Kaufmann & R. F. Baumister (Eds.), Are we free? Psychology and Free Will (pp. 86-127). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Harre, R. & Gillet, G. (1994). The discoursive mind. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Pajares, F. (2006). Self-efficacy beliefs during adolescence: Implications for teachers and parents. In F. Pajares & T. Urden (Eds.), Adolescence and education, Vol 5: Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 339-367). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
In the Pajares article, I realized that self-efficacy is important to children of all ages. They tend to gravitate more towards the things that they are already successful in. Investing time is something that they don't understand can be confusing to them. Children will spend more time on activities that will help them to increase their self-efficacy and overall person motivation. Pajares (2006) stated that "In school, teachers work to improve the competence and confidence of the students in their charge" (p. 340). As teachers, we need to assist students so that they can increase their confidence in learning. Increasing their competence and confidence can result in them looking at their learning a new light. If teachers can work hard through specialized instruction to improve a student's frame of mind, they can help students as they make important decisions in the future.
A great teacher is someone who raises the standards in the classroom. This teacher challenges their students to do their very best in the classroom. A teacher who lowers the standards of learning in the classroom is someone who could be setting students up for their future downfall. As teachers, we must raise the bar (through the growth mindset) so that students don't become complacent in their learning experience. For the parents, they need to raise the bar in their homes so that children will know that they have to study hard and get good grades. In Dweck (2006), Marva Collins stated that her students "Well, goodbye to failure, children. Welcome to success" (p. 189). We have to speak success into the minds of our students.
As I read the Gladwell article, I realized that rice is a part of the Chinese culture from agriculture to their daily meals. They eat rice as a part of their meals because it is a part of their tradition. But when it comes down to math tests, Chinese children are far ahead of American children. This is because these children have a wider memory space in order to remember more things. American children can remember more but we must begin training their minds as early as possible so that they can compete with children from foreign countries. Gladwell (2008) stated that "Four year old Chinese children can count, on average, to forty. American children at that age can count only to fifteen, and most don't reach forty until they're five" (p. 229). If we can begin this learning process when they are younger than four, we can position American children so that they can be ahead of their foreign counterparts.
References:
Bandura, A. (1986). But what about that gigantic elephant in the room? In R. Arkin (Ed.), Most unappreciated: 50 prominent social psychologists talk about hidden gems (pp.51-59). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bandura, A. (2008). The reconstrual of "free will" from the agentic perspective of social cognitive theory. In J. Baer, J. C. Kaufmann & R. F. Baumister (Eds.), Are we free? Psychology and Free Will (pp. 86-127). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
Harre, R. & Gillet, G. (1994). The discoursive mind. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Pajares, F. (2006). Self-efficacy beliefs during adolescence: Implications for teachers and parents. In F. Pajares & T. Urden (Eds.), Adolescence and education, Vol 5: Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 339-367). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
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