How does the teacher use modeling/observational learning? Include factors that impact learning from models in your response (attention, retention, production, motivation/reinforcement) as well as the types (live/symbolic) and characteristics (competence, power/prestige, etc.) of models used. Cite specific examples and be sure to include underlined vocabulary from the theory in your response.
My cooprating teacher uses modeling as an effective method for classroom management. I think one of her strengths is her classroom management skills (I actually observe a couple teachers depending on which day I'm at the school, and this particular teacher has the best control of the classroom. She's very good at reinforcing positive behaviors whenever possible, which I believe has a response facilitation effect. She has a lot of class discussions that could easily become chaotic if she wasn't able to keep the students speaking in turn. She recognizes students for following the rules and raising hands, she kindly ignores those who speak out of turn, etc. However, there have been a few times when the vicarious reinforcement didn't work. In those situations she was always quick to put a stop to the negative behavior. I'm always impressed with the way she does this because she lets the entire class know that it's not okay to be disrepsectful. But because she's so kind and respectful of them, it seems as though everyone accepts her corrections and really wants to do better. That's something I haven't seen as often in the other classes. Even if the teachers can get the other students to be quiet, it's usually out of authority and not out of genuine accountability and desire to be better. This response inhibition effect keeps other students from recreating that behavior.
Another example that I've seen from a different cooperating teacher is on some civics lessons. This class has been discussing the Civil Rights Movement and she was trying to get the students to understand the courage it must have taken for people to stand up for what they believe. They had been talking about the importance of dissent and free speech in a democracy and the power of protest for social change. She had asked the students if they would be willing to fight for democratic ideals that they believed in, like civil rights. Of course, it's hard to get young students to understand the magnitude of the events. So she showed the documentary Freedom Riders. It's a very powerful documentary and does a really good job showing the risks that these young students were taking in riding integrated buses through southern states. The documentary is captivating and really grabs students attention After the film they spent time discussing and writing reflections about what they saw, and they related it to current events. I think this activity would really help with the retention of the material. Along with the discussion on current events they wrote up ways that they could do their part to when they see people being treated unfairly. I think this is a good way to use production when more practical alternatives don't seem to be available. I think students were motivated by this model because it applied real life situations to historical events that had powerful messages and implications. This was a good example of using symbolic models for learning. I know one student really identified with the situational relevance of the documentary when it discussed some of the students parents being really angry over their involvement with the movement. One student expressed that she thougth her views about the current border situation were very different from her parents and she understood why it would be hard to advocate for a something you believed in if your family disagreed with you. And because a lot of the people interviewed in the documentary have gone on to be prominent figures in the news when it comes to Civil Rights, many of the students viewed their perspectives as having some power and prestige.
My cooprating teacher uses modeling as an effective method for classroom management. I think one of her strengths is her classroom management skills (I actually observe a couple teachers depending on which day I'm at the school, and this particular teacher has the best control of the classroom. She's very good at reinforcing positive behaviors whenever possible, which I believe has a response facilitation effect. She has a lot of class discussions that could easily become chaotic if she wasn't able to keep the students speaking in turn. She recognizes students for following the rules and raising hands, she kindly ignores those who speak out of turn, etc. However, there have been a few times when the vicarious reinforcement didn't work. In those situations she was always quick to put a stop to the negative behavior. I'm always impressed with the way she does this because she lets the entire class know that it's not okay to be disrepsectful. But because she's so kind and respectful of them, it seems as though everyone accepts her corrections and really wants to do better. That's something I haven't seen as often in the other classes. Even if the teachers can get the other students to be quiet, it's usually out of authority and not out of genuine accountability and desire to be better. This response inhibition effect keeps other students from recreating that behavior.
Another example that I've seen from a different cooperating teacher is on some civics lessons. This class has been discussing the Civil Rights Movement and she was trying to get the students to understand the courage it must have taken for people to stand up for what they believe. They had been talking about the importance of dissent and free speech in a democracy and the power of protest for social change. She had asked the students if they would be willing to fight for democratic ideals that they believed in, like civil rights. Of course, it's hard to get young students to understand the magnitude of the events. So she showed the documentary Freedom Riders. It's a very powerful documentary and does a really good job showing the risks that these young students were taking in riding integrated buses through southern states. The documentary is captivating and really grabs students attention After the film they spent time discussing and writing reflections about what they saw, and they related it to current events. I think this activity would really help with the retention of the material. Along with the discussion on current events they wrote up ways that they could do their part to when they see people being treated unfairly. I think this is a good way to use production when more practical alternatives don't seem to be available. I think students were motivated by this model because it applied real life situations to historical events that had powerful messages and implications. This was a good example of using symbolic models for learning. I know one student really identified with the situational relevance of the documentary when it discussed some of the students parents being really angry over their involvement with the movement. One student expressed that she thougth her views about the current border situation were very different from her parents and she understood why it would be hard to advocate for a something you believed in if your family disagreed with you. And because a lot of the people interviewed in the documentary have gone on to be prominent figures in the news when it comes to Civil Rights, many of the students viewed their perspectives as having some power and prestige.
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