Behaviorism’s Place in the Classroom
Behaviorism is not a dead learning theory; it has been proven to work in many classroom and life situations therefore it definitely has a place in the classroom. The thing we need to pay more attention to is how this theory is applied in today’s classroom, as well as the other theories. The most successful situation any teacher can be in is one where the right learning theories are used in their most appropriate situation. Therefore it is whether you use the right mixture not just the right theory. I am very much on a quest to achieve this mastery.
The online tutorial has been cited as one of the most widely used means of behaviorism technology in the classroom (Laureate, 2008). I do believe that this technology can be used in a more effective manner that it is in the classroom. I do not believe it is a justifiable means to snatch electives away from students who have to be remediated. Elective courses teach valuable life skills which are applications of the coursework a student has learned over the years. There is also a valuable skill that can be learned which helps a student find their ability thereby reinforcing the need to receive more instruction in the core subjects to perfect their crafts. I am heartbroken when I see so many students in reading lab working on Accelerated Reader and Plato. I believe our school district could adjust the schedule to provide all students with a modified homeroom period in which all students are required to receive computerized tutorials. This not only allows a period for students to be remediated, but a program could also be offered to enrich or reinforce. The technology utilization alone helps our student acclimate to how things are being done in and more advanced society.
Behaviorism definitely still has a place in classroom management. These are definitely proven methods for modifying behavior, so why not put them in to practice. Most of the behavior problems in the classroom exist because some teacher whether before, during, or after they have come through you did not implement a consequence for unacceptable behavior. An even sadder notion is the lack of support you receive from the Administration sometimes when you have made an effort to modify a student’s behavior.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology [DVD]. Behaviorist Learning Theory. Baltimore, MD: Orey, Michael.
Our school is fortunate to provide a similar classroom to the modified homeroom you describe. Our junior seminar class allows for all juniors to receive online tutorial but with teacher support. I am a high school math teacher and I teach this class with a high school English teacher. There are 24 juniors and their abilities are very different so it would be inefficient to teach math to 12 students who are in 3 or 4 different math class. We subscribed to an SAT/ACT tutorial and offer support while students work through the tests and explanations. This computer time happens 1 class period per week. This is an excellent way of reaching several students at individual levels but this should only be used as another means for the success of the classroom. The tutorial does indeed follow the methods of behaviorism but the tutorial itself is just a tool.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right about classroom management. Whether or not we realize it, if you have a classroom that is productive for all students than you have used some methods of behaviorism to get there. I teach high school and have found similarities with elementary teachers of maintaining control in the classroom. Some students will test teacher’s patience as long as we have schools’ and it only takes one student to derail an entire class period. We need to provide the proper stimuli to keep students engaged and we need clear and consistent consequences for maintaining a productive classroom.
I think you have an interesting point with the remediation students. They also need to learn the technology that the other students are learning as well. They might need to learn it using different methods, but it's not right to take away their chance at technology to improve other areas. It would work to combine both sections.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you've ever heard of TechSteps, but it's a program that follows a student through high school. It gives six core projects for each grade that can be integrated into curriculum. I just finished teaching the last one today. It's interesting to see how my low kids learned compared to my high ones. In the low class, there was a lot more teaching by students. I couldn't clone myself so after giving the instructions and how to whole group, I "hired" helpers. They would teach the students or provide assistance. To see what they could do was amazing. Two of my lowest boys wanted to help and they did well. If they had spent that time focusing on remediation, they would have lost out on the valuable opportunity to do and teach themselves.