Foundations of teaching and learning Essay Example for Free

Foundations of teaching and learning Essay I am going to deliver a lesson to my students, which will include the three main schools of learning, Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Humanism. I will incorporate these ways of learning into my lesson plans to ensure my students are offered a range of learning strategies. â€Å"The behaviourist learning theory suggests that we learn by receiving a stimulus that provokes a response. So long as the response is reinforced in some way that response will be repeated. † (Reece and Walker 2007) I think behaviourism is important within the classroom as it is controlled Education, where the teacher takes control of the class and the environment that the students are in. Behaviourism is the educational theory that is based on the underlying ideology that the environment has direct influence on behaviour. Aims and objectives must be shown at the beginning of the class, to ensure the students are aware of what is expected of them. Reinforcement should be used to strengthen behaviour that you want to encourage. Students should be rewarded immediately so it gives the student motivation and confidence to move on to the next stage. Rewards can be offered in a variety of ways e. g. praise, letting them take part in something they enjoy doing, and should be used often when starting a new subject. To ensure students are kept motivated. Behaviourists look for rewards from others such as teachers, family and peers etc. †¦ Some behaviour is inappropriate so a punishment is given to stop that particular behaviour occurring again. People learn by copying from others, for example, performing a demonstration (you are the model) students will learn behaviours from the model. Within my lesson plan I have covered behaviourism with discussing previous background knowledge of subject matter so I am able to gain the required information to move on to the next stage and by applying praise to give them confidence to be able to move on to the next stage. I will take control of the class; the environment within the class will be relaxed and non-threatening. I will offer encouragement and appraisal throughout my lesson, before the end of the lesson I have arranged practical session as a reward. The Cognitivist school believes that learning by doing, and asking students challenging questions, will help students make their own sense of what they era studying, and enable them to make use of their learning in real life† (Geoff Petty2009) The Cognitivist approach to learning focuses on students and how they gain and store knowledge. It looks into how students interpret information given to them and what technique is best for them to use to understand it. The information that is given to the students must be understood to ensure leaning is taking place. It should be presented in a step by step fashion and goals should be in place for each stage, Feedback is essential and should be given out promptly to ensure learning has taken place before moving on to the next stage. There are three modes of learning †¢ The Enactive mode – learning by doing †¢ The Iconic mode – imagery- depends on visual senses †¢ The symbolic mode – using codes to learn This approach should be used in an attempt to promote learning using the cognitive structure. Students learn more when they have a greater understanding of the knowledge within the subject matter. This information is taken and added onto existing information, which is known as deep learning. Deep learning is where new learning makes a connection to old learning so you are able to build on knowledge, Deep learning is good learning; students should be taught a way that encourage them to adopt a way of learning, so they have a deeper understanding. There is also surface learning where there is no connection at all from old learning to new. There is only a small amount of cognitive skills used, and the new subject material has no relevance to previous learning. Studies more recently have shown deeper approaches to learning are related to higher quality learning outcomes† (Ramsden 1992; Prosser and Miller 1989; Trigwell and Prosser, 1991). Learning takes place through individuals changing and processing information from their social and physical surroundings. The teaching strategies for this theory should include things such has class presentations, debates and lectures, videos, readings and case studies. Work material should always be clear to understand, and produced in an organised manner, precise objective feedback should be given to facilitate learning. The amount of knowledge and understanding already attained will influence the speed and capability to add subsequent learning. I have used the cognitivism school of learning within my lesson plan by using deep surface learning, I am going to be building students’ knowledge through learning new subject matter to add on to old. I will take into account the structure of the subject matter delivering it in a step by step manner that is meaningful and understandable to them so they can relate new information to what they already know. My teaching methods will emphasis common principles and transferable skills. I have set tasks so they will have to think for themselves and discover new ways of finding out things about themselves and finding answers within the tasks. There will also be class discussions throughout the lesson, so students have the opportunitiy to express themselves, the classroom environment will be pleasant and relaxed so the students do not feel afraid to speak out. I will be performing a demonstration for students so they will be able to understand exactly what I want them to learn† by doing â€Å". â€Å"The only way to learn how to do something is by doing it! † (Paul Ginnis 2002) Humanism is about the learner feeling good about him or herself and being able to determine their strengths and weaknesses. The learner should believe that able to have the ability to improve. It is important that students feel good about themselves so they are able to set goals that are achievable; this should be encouraged by the teacher to help develop student’s self-esteem. ] All topics should be relevant to the student so it keeps them interested and motivated. Students should not feel that they have done wrong, but use mistakes as an opportunity to learn. Hierarchy of Basic Human Needs [pic] Abraham Maslow 1962) It is essential that the lower needs are met before moving up to the next level in a step by step way. In a classroom setting, these needs must be fulfilled to ensure effective learning can take place. Starting with physical needs working up to self- actualisation. The teacher should make the classroom environment feel warm and friendly with a positive atmosphere, and give students the choice to work at their own pace and let them take responsibility to learn for themselves, so that they become highly motivated by working in an area of their own interests and curiosity. Humanistic teaching enables students to figure things out for themselves because over helping from the teacher will discourage and de motivate the student. Students are encouraged more by active learning than passive learning. It gives the student great motivation when they are able to solve their own problems. The prize for the humanistic theorist is through self-evaluation and self-direction humanists like to reward themselves. Self-assessment is a crucial skill it helps students to be responsible for their own improvements where tests set by teachers are thought of as discouraging – and lowering student’s self-esteem. I have incorporated humanistic teaching within my lesson plan through classroom environment; the layout of my class room is designed to suit the student’s needs. There will be adequate breaks, I will ensure comfortable surroundings, all students will be treated fairly and with dignity and confidentiality will be maintained at all times. I intend to promote interaction between students and show that I care. I will encourage independence and welcome ideas and offer prizes when appropriate, promote optimism and be enthusiastic and supportive and be positive about their future plans. So with this support I have applied basic needs within the classroom so my students will reach self-actualization I have set tasks where students will have to think for themselves and come up with their own conclusions. I have also included a practical activity where students will work in pairs and have to think between them to evaluate the outcome. We will be in an environment where the students are comfortable and the learning subject matter is relevant to the learner’s objectives. I think that the three main schools of learning should be incorporated within a lesson because I strongly agree with Maslow’s hierarchy of basic needs. You need to meet physical needs to be able to move up the ladder without these needs you are unable to achieve or reach self actualisation. I believe that the humanistic approach to teaching and learning is used through all ages of teaching but is more influenced with adult education. Whereas behaviorism I believe is for the younger generation. Behaviorism teaching starts from an infant they are influenced by reinforcements and that is how good behavior is determined from bad. I think this is more effective with school age children. It helps to promote learning when a child is praised. The cognitivist theory plays a big part in learning, learning should be a part of life humans have a natural urge to learn, discover and develop new skills. I agree that it is important that the learning that is taking place and the information is recognized. Marking and feedback is essential and plays a big part in student achievement, so you can evaluate where the students understood.

The Black Community Essay -- American History, Luther King Jr. Malcolm

Introduction Throughout history, blacks have been treated the poorest out of all races. Although everyone under God is to be treated equal, whites thought of themselves as being the superior race. In 1619 a Dutch ship brought 20 slaves to America and it took nearly 240 years for slavery to end in 1865(Ronald, , para. 3).These helpless slaves were taken to America and put to work growing anything from cotton to tobacco. Slaves had absolutely no rights. They were simply property of their â€Å"Massa’.† Being disrespectful to a white man could get a Negro killed and they just accepted the facts of the matter. The south was the most notorious in its treatment of slaves and slaves would run away. It was a big risk, but a slave that made it to a free state without getting caught had the possibility of being free for once. Yet, if a slave were to flee his description would be in an ad in the newspaper and the consequences when he returned would not be delightful. Under constant control, s laves struggled for centuries only to hope for a day when they could be treated as equals rather than always being inferior to the white man. Freed Slaves Some historians believe approximately 50,000 slaves ran away each year between 1830 and 1860(Ronald, , para. 44).This was a major issue in south because the southern slave masters were the most brutal. But, some slaves found it difficult being on their own and either came back or were captured due to advertisements in the newspaper. Most of these runaways wanted to find their families but found it nearly impossible due to slave trading during that time. Women were also unlikely to run away because the men would be the ones trying to escape to find their wives. The Underground Railroad was a series of lo... ...s group in which he found that not all white people are against blacks. On February 21, 1965, three gunmen assassinated Malcolm X in Manhattan New York(Biography of Malcolm X, 2001, para. 11). Conclusion Although we have come a long way in the black community, there are still racial prejudices out there. These prejudices lie in the deep in America in which some whites still hold on to the idea of white supremacy. For example, the noose that was hung in a tree in which African-American students would sit. This happened in a college in Indiana where there is not much racial diversity because of the prejudice there. People throughout America recognize prejudices but now more than ever they are hidden because majority of people are not racist or as racist anymore. Slavery is no longer an issue for blacks; being fully accepted into predominantly white communities is.

Two Unlikely Women in British Literature

Two Unlikely Women in British Literature Rachael Haines British Literature Summer Term Critical Essay Allison, the Wife of Bath in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, are two bold women in literature who abandon the expectations of society on women of the time and instead use manipulation to gain power and control. These two women, Allison and Lady Macbeth are significant female characters because they represent upheaval in their respective societies both in their behavior and in their expected societal roles.Allison, a cloth-maker, lives in a time following the Norman Invasion. The Anglo-Saxon ways including the more even playing field between sexes gave way to â€Å"frenchified†, male-dominant way of life. Women were expected to serve their husbands yet Allison expects her men to serve her. Lady Macbeth also acts unexpectedly when she takes things into her own hands and doesn’t act as a submissive and noble woman shoul d. Following the delivery of the three witches’ message to Macbeth regarding his fate, Lady Macbeth instantly realized what is being threatened and desperately wants to change his fate.Instead of acting honorably and as a servant to her husband, she devises a plan in which she will commit regicide and kill Duncan herself. She instead decides to convince Macbeth to commit the murder himself. At first glance, the Wife of Bath may seem to be in support of feminism yet Chaucer describes her in explicit ways when he writes about her headdress, her scarlet dress, her hips and particularly her gapped teeth which were commonly associated with lust during her time. Allison comes off as experienced and knowledgeable about men because she has had five husbands.Unlike the women of her time, Allison is dominant. She uses her body and sexuality to manipulate and gain control over her men. During her fifth marriage even a traumatic blow to the head at the hands of her husband doesn’t stop her controlling behavior and she lies on the floor as if she is dead. She dramatically pretends to be dead from the blow in order to incite concern with her husband. Lady Macbeth quickly jumps into the thick of things when she learns about her husband’s predicted fate. She and her husband both want the wealth and power.Lady Macbeth devises a plan to murder the king so that fulfillment of the witches’ message might not be met. Lady Macbeth is desperate. She feels her husband is too loyal and not ruthless enough; too weak. Lady Macbeth, although bold and ambitious recognizes that she isn’t really capable in her current state of carrying out murder. Instead she asks for the supernatural ability to be unsexed; to rid herself of feminine qualities so that she can murder the king. Instead of gaining supernatural power, Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to commit the murder†¦freeing her from the burden of actually committing the crime.Lady Macbeth becomes m erely the catalyst for her husband’s out of control murderous behavior. Both women use manipulation to get what they want and both women live outside the societal norms of their time. However, Allison ultimately is a much more durable character. Allison presents herself as a promoter of sexual freedom and not a promoter of feminism. She uses her sexual skill and her body to gain what she purports that women want most; sovereignty over their husbands at a time when servitude by the woman was expected. For Allison, her sexuality was her biggest shock factor.At first meet, Lady Macbeth paints an image of herself as a villainous queen; both strong and ambitious to retain her power. Yet it isn’t long before we realize that Lady Macbeth cannot handle the guilt associated with being a murder and committing regicide even though her hands didn’t actually commit the murder, she pushed and supported her husband in completing the acts. Before long, the power hungry spree be gins to take its toll on the ambitious Lady Macbeth. The audience witnesses her deteriorating health and mental stability as she fruitlessly tries to wash her hands of the guilt.In this comparison, I find that while both women were women outside of the norms of society they did convey an upheaval. They may have represented the frustration that women and men might have felt over the ever-changing society that both writers endured. However, regarding our leading ladies, Allison is a much stronger character who is able to endure the ill effects of her manipulation, while Lady Macbeth falls victim to them in her quick demise. Neither of these bold, unforgettable ladies were typical ladies of their time.

Essay about The Black Death - 669 Words

The Black Death The Black Death was undoubtedly one of the most devastating diseases that occurred during the middle ages. The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was a world-wide epidemic that caused the death of more than 20 million people throughout Europe (Velenzdas). The people of this time period were clueless as to the cause of the plague, but were well aware of the tell-tale symptoms that accompanied infection. There were many cures for the outbreaks, however it is known that only a small percentage proved successful. Although the Black Death is deemed by many to be the most devastating pandemic in history, some consider it to have ultimately led to the Renaissance by starting†¦show more content†¦It is from these lesions that the name, Bubonic Plague, was derived from. In addition to the buboes, there was also much diarrhea and vomiting, which resulted in severe dehydration. The final stage, which often resulted in death, was respiratory failure (Cantor 12). It was kn own that infected humans would suffer a near 90 percent death rate in less than one week following exposure (Velenzdas). The people of medieval Europe used seemingly ridiculous cures in attempts to rectify the many symptoms of the plague. Many people sought the advice of witches and herbalists to cure a family member of the illness. Very few of these remedies proved to be successful, such as controlling the flea population in human dwellings, and many were often fatal. One extremely interesting thing to note is that bathing, a practice which may have helped prevent spread of the plague, was deemed dangerous by doctors during that time period due to the fact it was believed it made it easier for one to be infected by the plague (Cantor 23). One shocking cure for the plague was placing objects such as a frog or a pigeon without its tail feathers, on top of the sores. It was expected that in doing this, the poisons in the body would be transferred to the animal, which would then dieShow MoreRelatedThe Black Of Black Death939 Words   |  4 Pageshistory few events seem as cataclysmic as the Black Death. The Black Death was actually one of the most deadly pandemics in human history. This awful pandemics most devastating time in Europe was between 1348 and 1350. According to some estimates it wiped out at least two-thirds of Europe’s population. A Malmesbury monk from Wiltshire wrote that, â€Å"Over England as a whole a fifth og men, women and children were carried to the grave.† (James â€Å"Black Death: The lasting impact†) Many epidemiologists stillRead MoreThe Death Of The Black Death1148 Words   |  5 PagesThe Black Death, one of the greatest natural disaster to hit Europe thus causing the death of many people in the most horrific manner and cause the end of feudalism. This was a disaster that affected one third of the European continent and also one that no one was prepared to face. It killed more people than during a war and it impacted simple lives of people, their culture, religion and the economy as a whole. The origin of The Black Death has several explanations. Some people said The Black DeathRead MoreThe Death Of The Black Death905 Words   |  4 Pagesgrew were dying. On the wake of these seven distressing years of weather and famine was the greatest plague of all times, The Black Death. In 1347 AD, The Black Death began spreading throughout Western Europe. Over the time span of three years, the widespread epidemic killed one third of the population in Europe with pretty near twenty five million people dead. 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Since peasants had worse l iving conditions than the nobility, they were far more likely to catch theRead MoreThe Black Death1386 Words   |  6 Pagesatrocious and it made the perfect place for Yersinia Pestis to thrive. Yersinia Pestis is the virus responsible for the Black Death, a deadly disease that rapidly powered through Europe, killing nearly all of the people in its way. The Black Death had a lot of gruesome and terrifying symptoms that made bystanders sick just watching. Certain people were more likely to acquire the Black Death than others. Since peasants had worse living conditions than the nobility, they were far more likely to catch theRead MoreThe Black Death1349 Words   |  6 Pagesatrocious and it made the perfect place for Yersinia Pestis to thrive. Yersinia Pestis is the virus responsible for the Black Death, a deadly disease that rapidly powered through Europe, killing nearly all of the people in its way. The Black Death had a lot of gruesome and scary symptoms that made bystanders sick just watching. Certain people were more likely to acquire the Black Death than others. Since peasants had worse living conditions than the nobility, they were far more likely to catch the PlagueRead MoreThe Black Death831 Words   |  4 PagesTHE BLACK DEATH! What Is The Black Death? The Black Death is a disease that went on for over 5 years. It also spread around a wide range of places! It killled and harmed thousands upon thousands of people and had no mercy. If you were to sadly catch the Black Death, you would DEFINITELY die and there was many cures and causes however none of the causes actually worked also all of causes were thought to be a punishment from God. Once you knew you had the Black DeathRead MoreThe Black Death1203 Words   |  5 PagesWhat were the short term and long term impacts of the Black Death on Medieval society? The Black Death is one of the most fatal diseases in human history and took its peak in Europe from 1348 to 1350. Half of Europe’s population was wiped out due to this disease and the short and long term impacts greatly affected the structure of Medieval Society. The Black Death or otherwise known as the plague was thought to have begun in Central Asia, which spread down the Silk Road and eventually to Europe