Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Behaviorism and Instructional Strategies
Behaviorist learning theory, as explained by Dr. Michael Orey's DVD segment "Behaviorism", refers to operant conditioning which uses reinforcement of desirable behaviors and punishment of negative behaviors(Laureate, 2009). Chapter 8, "Reinforcing Effort" and Chapter 10, "Homework and Practice" of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works by Robert J. Marzano both encourage the use of Behaviorist theory. The Effort Rubric is a checklist that allows the student to gauge his effort level in several specific areas of skills for classroom achievement (Marzano, 2007). Over time, the student can easily see that if he puts in greater effort his achievement will go up. It is a plain and simple tactic that charts success. If a reward were given for the improvement shown, this rubric would be very similar to the online resources we explored this week which used positive and negative sounds for behavior change. Chapter 10 discusses the role of technology in homework and practice sessions. The technological resources mentioned in this chapter also correlate well to Behaviorist learning theory. "Multiple exposures to material help students deepen their understanding of content and become proficient with skills" (Marzano, 2007). The drill and practice routines described encourage implementing tutorial websites and programs which makes these strategies a part of effective Behaviorist theories.
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I think that many times we do things in our classroom and not even realize that they are part of the behaviorist theory. I know on many occasions my students are provided with positive reinforcements and consequences if their behavior is not up to par or if they have not completed an assignment.
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of the time teachers use the behaviorist theory when dealing with student behaviors. They do not realize that many of the other educational activities they use are also part of this method. I had never thought about all the online games and activities I use as being a part of the behaviorist theory. Now, however, I am more aware of it and notice it often. Pretty much all of the online review games I have my students play provide immediate feedback to the student. If the answers are correct it is positive and if not, it lets the student know that they need to try again. These have been very useful in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lindsay about not realizing how many review/remediation games I allow my students to play that involve the Behaviorist Theory. I use several of these each day and many of the resources listed in the book were ones that I currently use. There were also some new ones that I would like to try.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed previewing many of the resources that the book mentioned this week. I just happened to be working with a student this week who is working towards mastering multiplication by 2's and 3's. He completed a short 15 problem drill quiz and I timed him. At the end of the quiz I asked him a simple question which I assumed he would have an easy answer for. I asked him, what do you think you need to do to get faster at your facts? I thought for sure he would answer me with practice them. However, he didn't. He said I don't know. I don't think I would have asked that question if I hadn't read Chapter 8 and the rubric the teacher had used to show increased effor = higher ability. We brainstormed a list of things he could do to help himself improve with his speed and accuracy with fact drills. Just another reminder that assuming is never a good idea!
ReplyDeleteI think we all agree that we implement lots of strategies and theories into our teaching each day. There is no "one size fits all" in classrooms because children have such different needs and we try to reach them all everyday. I agree that it is important to realize the types of strategies we are implementing and what goals we are trying to reach by implementing them. Being aware of the goal of Behaviorist theory and its role when blended with what we learned last week about the brain and learning is important as we make instructional decisions each day. I think we all agree that there is a place for positive and negative reinforcement and that we all use it, as long as we don't use it exclusively and blend other types of strategies in to maximize our effectiveness.
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