Chapter 3 Blog: Views of Teaching and Learning

I truly believe the first sentence of "Chapter 3: Views of Teaching and Learning" demonstrates the weight of the responsibility we each have to help our English Language learners move along the path of English language development. The quote is: "Education is the key not only to survival but also to prosperity." In my opinion, this statement means that our students need to attain English language proficiency so that they can obtain/ benefit from their K-12 education and beyond in order to prosper in this great country. This chapter was very long and complex, full of imformation...it's hard to narrow it down. I will touch on a few things that influenced me as a teacher.

Behaviorism, by BF Skinner, including the principle of using reinforcement (rewards), and punishment were initially used, from the 1920's to the 1970's, to explain language-learning behavior. Some other behavioral methods that have been used are the: Audiolingual Method, Total Physical Response (TPR), Direct Teaching and Mastery Learning. Though each enjoyed varying amounts of success, the down fall of these behavioral methods is that the language performed under pressure and on cue- didn't always translate to spontaneous language in natural environments. I personally use the TPR methods with my language delayed and English learner preschoolers. We do a lot of movement activities where I pair a verbal word with an action. The students hear and see and then imitate. I think that this builds their vocabulary. Brain research in the last several years has shown that active learning helps children remember and retain knowledge. In the 1960's, we saw the birth of cognitive psychology. Chomsky claimed that the mind contains an active language processor, called the Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which generates rules through the unconscious acquisition of grammar.

I liked the section on "Brain Compatible Learning"- there has been a huge emphasis on incorporating brain compatible strategies in the classroom in the past several years. The text states that "Brain compatible learning helps to reconceptualize teaching by taking into consideration how the brain learns." The text also states that learning engages the entire physiology and is as natural to humans as breathing. Students remember not what they are told but what they experience. Eric Jensen, known for his extensive research on the brain, said "Sucess depends on making use of all the senses by immersing the learner in a multitude of complex and interactive experiences." This is especially true with young learners- using a variety of learning modalities- kinesthetic, visual, auditory, etc...increases our chances of helping our children learn. They, in essence, learn by doing- preschool is very hands on. We often teach or model the activity and then the child attempts it. The same is true of language- we use all different means of teaching language, gesturing, signs, verbal imitation, modeling, prompting, etc.to accomodate different modalities and learning styles.. so the child will have every opportunity of learning as much as he is capable of... Multiple intelligences is a form of brain compatible teaching that caters to the individual learning style of each student. In an article by in Science Educator, entitled "Brain Research:Implications to Diverse Learners", Madrazo and Motz state, "Learning styles are influenced by such factors as age, gender, and cultural background." Madrazo and Motz go on to explain the importance of teaching to learning styles- they said that evidence shows that students achieve more, in a shorter amount of time, when teachers teach to students' individual learning styles. (P.58)

Sposton, in his/her blog, stated, "It is important to integrate cognitive and affective learning, as this will assist in motivating the student and help them achieve the maximum benefit from our instruction." I agree with this statement. Teaching our students cognitive concepts , in a variety of ways, including through the senses will be more meaningful, more motivating, and the learning will be more long lasting than in a more traditional, boring way. Chidren like novelty
and anytime we can make learning interesting and fun by incorporating their senses, movement, music, etc... the child will learn and remember more and be better for it.

Reference
Madrazo, G. and Motz, E. Brain Research: Implications to Diverse Learners. The Science Educatorpring 2005, Volume 14, No.1 p.58