Monday, January 27, 2020

Behaviorism And Constructivism

Behaviorism And Constructivism This research will focus on the overlapping relationship between two important theories, which are behaviorism and constructivism in the teaching field. The effective method in applying them in teaching English as a second language in foreign environment. The constructivism study of 417 students in china which examine its applicability. The behaviorism study that represents its affect on teaching and learning. My teaching experience with second grade students with Arabic background and their achievement in language acquisition. Academic learning requires conscious effort and much practice in composing, developing, and analyzing ideas. Literature Review In the Second Language Classroom Reading: A Social Constructivist Approach (Lianrui Yang, 2006), was mainly about constructivism theory and the best way in applying it to learn ESL. The key points were concerned about how to read in a constructivist way to take a strategic approach to develop effective reading. The paper shed a light on the important of social learning, and its purpose is to ask the right question to become independent readers. The A Comparison of Two Theories of LearningBehaviorism and Constructivism as applied to Face-to-Face and Online Learning (Dr. Mary Anne Weegar, 2012), which pointed to the Skinnerian behavior theory in learning. Behavior is predicted and controlled according to Watson, who considered the inventor of this science. The role of instructional technology in teaching and learning and its influence on understanding. The paper discussed the comparison between behaviorism and constructivism in different aspects. In the behaviorism chapter three in Learning Theories (Schunk, 1991), the theory was a leading one in the past, which considered a psychological one. Behaviorist approach is to conduct careful analysis of material to be learned: break it down into its smallest component and pieces, put them in a sequence so more complex ideas are built out of simpler one. Incorporate effective reinforcement: identify positive (and possibly negative) reinforces and provide them in a systematic and timely way. Use objective measures of learning to track progress. The school system used to have certain conditioning behavior with certain reinforcement also, Skinner focused on expected responses. The chapter enhanced the importance of positive enforcement instead of negative enforcement. The book of Learning Theories (Schunk, 1991) discussed the constructivism in chapter six, which reflect the theory on teaching and learning process. This theory has been developed by two important theorist who is Piaget and Vygotsky, who have been discussing in details the cognitive and psychological sides of this theory. Constructivism as a paradigm or worldview posits that learning is an active, constructive process. The learner is an information constructor who will build his own knowledge according to the basic one he has. People actively construct or create their own subjective representations of objective reality. New information is linked to prior knowledge, thus mental representations are subjective. The research of Effect of Questions and Test-Like Events on Achievements and On-Task Behavior in Classroom Concept Learning Presentation (Mckenzie) has focused on an experience of choosing fifty-one students and divide them into two groups. The paper was concerned about question controlled and addresses each individual at a time. The students were exposed to oral questions as stimuli. The paper concentrated on test-like environment more than ordinary classroom, were verbal question play a certain behavior, which allow the teacher to monitor the students achievement. The core of this study is to enhance the learning process. The article of An investigation into the factors affecting the use of language learning strategies by Persian EFL learners (Mohammad Rahimi, 2008), discusses the different teaching a second language strategies. In the study there has been a data collected from 196 students to examine their understanding of the language and discover the weakness. The research points out to the importance of motivation in language learning; also it presses the importance of integrated curriculum with language acquisition. Introduction English language considered the second official language in Saudi Arabia because its the language of science and has been used in business, governmental circles and affairs. There have been a number of negotiations on what is the proper age to learn English as a second language; hence they reached to solution that is the proper age to learn English is 4th grade. Thus, the privet schools have different curriculum and system which is teaching English since kindergarten. T A second language acquisition in a different environment considered a hard job on both teacher and student, while you only expose to English for one or two periods per day. The behaviorism was concerning about conditioning and learning by behavior influence. There has been different methods and theories discussed to improve the education process. Different studies and researches prove a number of methods and philosophies and the teacher work is to define what is appropriate to her/his class. Behaviorism Behaviorism considered an old psychological theory goes back to 1880, and had been started at laboratory which examines behaviors. Then, Watson in 1913 was responsible for the movement towards behaviorism and away from functionalism. This publication was a study of the relationship between organisms and their environment (Overskeid, 2008). In addition, Skinner came an used Watson findings, and apply them on humans behavior, he tried to condition the human behavior by reinforcing the positive stimulus in order to have the required responses. Skinner expressed no interest in understanding how the human mind functioned. He was a behaviorist in the strictest sense as was John Watson. Both Skinner and Watson were only concerned with how behavior is affected by external forces (Dr. Mary Anne Weegar, 2012). The behaviorist theory riles mostly on generalization, reinforcement, rewarding and conditioning. Imitation plays a great role in behaviorist classroom, specifically through verbal learning. There has been a movement against behaviorism especially at the ends of 1960, when Noam Chomsky, who is linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, logician, proved the inefficiency of Skinners Grammatical theory, which led to the ends of behaviorism. The beams of behaviorism still affect the education process even if it is not directly. The child developed knowledge is an important to build ones character is by providing him with the right education. B. F. Skinner pointed to that learning due to the change of reinforcement, responses, and stimulus. According to Schunks behaviorism chapter, in which he discusses Behaviorism is a worldview that operates on a principle of stimulus-response. (Schunk, 1991). All behavior caused by external stimuli (operant conditioning). All behavior can be explained without the need to consider internal mental states or consciousness. In addition, behaviorism is kind of related to John Locke theory which is that the mind is blank slate. Construcutivism As a response to instructive approaches such as behaviorism and programmed instruction, constructivism states that learning is an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. Knowledge is constructed based on personal living experiences and hypotheses of the environment. Each person has a different interpretation and construction of knowledge process. (Constructivism, 2012). In the article of Second Language Classroom Reading: A Social Constructivist Approach, you will find the transformation of the educational method in the classroom which has been moved from behaviorism to constructivism. The introduction of the article has discussed this transition, thus it highlighted the social constructivism in which learners are active constructor at their learning environment. The article discussed learning English in a different environment such as Chinese learners. Vygotsky, the father of social constructivism, claimed that learning occurs through dialogue (Vygotsky, 1978). The importance of reading to language teachers and the role of constructivist teacher is to assist the students during their learning process. The role of teacher is to build independent readers inside their students and enable them to ask themselves the questions. The students should interpret the text into their own meaning without the help of the teacher. According to the constructivist, the learning is an active process and as knowledge would be constructed more and more. Learning is kind of personal interpretation toward thing around us. Frankly, constructivism is emphasizing the problem solving and other things. Social learning means that you have to share knowledge and construct learning with group. The teacher would deal with the students in the classroom and there he/she will discuss the objectives and goals with the students. In addition, the teacher role is to moderate the knowledge. Environment is playing a great role in the constructivist class, and the students should expose to things that help them learn. The epistemological notion of constructivism is that the person constructs understanding through different learning principles. In addition the metaphysics notion of constructivism that the body of knowledge isnt fixed, thus it is dynamic changing. Constructivism comes from a cognitive and rationalism paradigm. The teacher plays a subjective role, it rely on what he represents. The students, according to the constructivist class, are playing a great role, in which they will be the knowledge learner, seeker, creator, and team member. The instructor would be presented as a facilitator of the knowledge, coach, and he should always motivate them. Cognition is based on mind constructivism; the mind is providing ideas and constructs it in several ways. The cognitive Schemata, has its effect on the learner ability to construct knowledge and interpret information and data. It is a mental process, where information takes place in the mind. The use of brain schemata is to assess our previous knowledge, and construct knowledge depending on the ideas we get from the environment. The brain is hard wired and the mind has a memory capacity and it has an internal structure that makes it perform in certain way. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We must immediately expand our vision beyond standard educational institutions. In our cultures of today and of tomorrow parents, peers, and media play roles at least as significant as do authorized teachers and formal schoolsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if any clichà © of recent years ring true, it is the acknowledgment that learning must be lifelong. Howard Gardner Applying multiple intelligences method to reach different type of students as a sub-part of constructivism. Multiple intelligence has been noticed by Howard Gardener, who impresses on valuing all kind of intelligences. Constructivism and multiple intelligences are two sides for one coin, there is a kind of correlation between them in teaching and learning process. Gardner has written several books about the different kinds of intelligences to address both teachers, students, peers, etc.. to develop a better teaching and learning method. The article of an investigation into the factors affecting the use of language learning strategies by Persian EFL learners, has reached to the finding that strategy use is a complex with the different variable of students learning ability. The result of the research shows that context of the language learning plays important role in understanding the language. For example, certain aspects of learners strategic behavior such as their perceived use of metacognitive and social strategies appear to have been influenced by the teaching approach adopted in the Iranian EFL classrooms (Mohammad Rahimi, 2008). In this Table: ANOVA results for effect of sensing vs. intuitive learning style on cognitive, metacognitive and social strategies use (N = 196) (Mohammad Rahimi, 2008). Also, shows that the use of different learning strategies will help the learner of second language to understand and build their own knowledge. Throughout my teaching years, especially teaching 3rd grade Arabic students and teach them a second language such as English, I need to provide them with the best methodology to acquire the knowledge. Constructivism has its affect in building the knowledge, especially that students have been exposed to English for only ninety minutes per day. Through these minutes they have to do different tasks, starting from listening, reading, writing, to speaking. In the past, teaching was colored with behaviorism in it approach, in which the teacher has to give them the information step by step and they have to follow the teacher rules. In the mean time, teaching and learning goes into transformation from behaviorist approach to constructivist one. In the constructivist class students can use their intelligence and build the words according to the phoneme sound they have learned today. The students have a great role in my class, they dont just repeat what I say, in the contrary they build their own words and throughout the conversation with their peers and me, they build new words and explore new knowledge to construct. The responsiveness the students of learning a second language in behaviorist and constructivist classroom. The students in the behaviorist class room would feel little bit jammed into a stereo type situation where the teacher steer the wheel and they have to follow without interruption. It is totally different from the constructivist classroom in which they have the total freedom to lead their own mind where ever they want. The teachers role here is more about how they deliver the knowledge and how the students construct the knowledge. Conclusion At the conclusion, as teacher we believe that students are the only ones who do the actual learning. The improvement of teaching second language with constructivism method has been noticed all over the years. I believe that the teacher job is to be facilitators to knowledge which will be grown and burst into her/his own students.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The nature of skills

Skills represent your talents, abilities, and aptitudes – in short, what you are good at doing. Skills are built gradually by repeated training or other experiences. They may be, manual, intellectual or mental, perceptual or social. (Source: I) Skills are built gradually by repeated training or other experience. May also be defined as any competence possessed by someone; in an employment using there hands well among manual workers. The acquisition of skill is a tortuous process that takes us through the following sequence: 1. Unconscious incompetence This is the stage when ignorance is bliss, when it looks easy and you don't realise how much there is to it. In an example of a skilful presenter to the observer, he may be performing the task effortlessly. 2 Conscious incompetence This is the realisation that, when you first try to emulate the skilful performer, you can't do it. This is an unpleasant discovery which may shock you into giving up and returning to the relative comfort of stage 1. 3 Conscious competence This stage is hard work! It is when you are able to do a competent presentation, but only by investing an enormous amount of conscious effort into every aspect of it. You have to force yourself to make adequate eye contact with the audience and to stand still. You have to force yourself not to talk to the visual aids and to synchronise your gestures with your main messages. This is such hard work that you may decide that it isn't worth the effort and abandon your attempt to acquire the skills in question. 4 Unconscious competence This is the skilful stage when you too can do professional presentations effortlessly! Even this, however, isn't the end of the story, because of the real danger of complacency creeping in. The more skilful you are, the more you tend to cut corners which, if unchecked for long periods, degenerate into bad habits. The answer is to drop back to conscious competence every now and again to check things out and eradicate the bad habits. (Source: iii) The four basic learning strategies are as follows; 1. Trial and Error 2. Being Told or Instructed 3. Copying or imitation 4. Thinking for yourself (class notes 4rm 26-11-02) A perfect example illustrating the application of the methods outlined above would be acquisition of Social competence (Source; II) DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT TYPES OF SKILLS Various different types of skills to be outlined in TASK 2 can be developed and improved through a number of processes the main ones being: 1. Learning 2. Education 3. Training; this is a planned process to modify attitude, knowledge or skill behaviour through learning experience to achieve performance in an activity or range of activities. 4. Personal development; an inevitable process which is unique to each individual, and which enables that individual to develop, increasing knowledge, skill, moral values and understanding. 3rd TASK SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS TASK I believe that by carrying out this ‘skills audit' on myself to fulfil the requirement of the set task 3, I will gain further incite into the current level skills and with that in mind I should hopefully be able to identify the sklls that require more attention in future. Communication I speak to others with ease and clarity, giving information and explanations which are clear and easily understood. I have identified that I need to improve on this by listening actively to others. Motivation Showing a lot of energy and enthusiasm is always good for motivation; I need to do this a lot more in order to improve the current skill level. Delegation This is a task that I readily seem to take for granted, in order to build a reflective team I will need to focus more on this aspect of leadership and attempt to increase my capabilities in it. Decision – making I have to always evaluate the alternative lines of action in order to make appropriate decisions. Lots of information is also required to help this process. Strength My strength is self-confidence and understanding what my weaknesses are. I try to be as realistic and am willing to learn from past failures and successes. I'm reliable and I can cope with pressure and control my emotions. Weaknesses My main weaknesses may lie in time management, a skill which performed in a grouped situation I able to cope with, but individually on a task, I will need to work upon suggestion include planning more effectively.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

How to Make Camias Prunes and Soap Essay

Procedure: To make candied kamias, begin by sorting fruits according to size and eliminating the spoiled or damaged ones. 1. Weigh and wash the fruits.  2. Soak them overnight in lime solution (one tablespoon lime per one liter of water). This process will firm up the fruits. Again, wash thoroughly in running water to remove lime. 3. Blanch fruits in boiling water for three to five minutes and drain. 4. Prick the bottom part of kamias with a fine toothpick and press each fruit lightly to remove some of the fruit juice. 5. Prepare syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water), boil it and strain. 6. Add the kamias to the syrup and boil them for five minutes and soak overnight. 7. Remove the fruits and add one cup sugar to the syrup and boil. Then add kamias again and heat for five minutes. 8. Soak the fruits overnight. 9. The following day, remove fruits and add some more sugar to the syrup. Then, add kamias again and boil for five minutes. 10. Allow to cool; drain and weigh. 11. Arrange kamias on a tray and dry in the solar dryer. 12. After drying, weigh again and pack in plastic bags and seal. Materials: * 1 glass Caustic Soda (NaOH) * 3 glasses water * 5 glasses cooking oil * 1/2 glass juice or extract Procedure: 1. Prepare the materials and the utensils needed. 2. Measure 1 glass of caustic soda and 3 glasses of water and pour into a plastic pail. 3. Mix well by stirring continuously using a wooden ladle or bamboo stick. Use only one direction in mixing the mixture. Stir until the caustic soda is dissolved. 4. Pour 5 glasses cooking oil into the mixture. 5. Continue stirring until a consistency of a condensed milk is achieved and add 1/2 glass of juice or extract. 6. Pour the soap mixture into desired plastic molders. Set aside and let it cool to harden. 7. After 4-5 hours,  remove the soap from the molder. 8. Allow 30 days of ageing before packing. Label the soaps. Indications: * Kamias – fruit extract or juice (bleaching soap) * Calamansi – fruit extract or juice (bleaching soap) * Cucumber – fruit extract or juice (moisturizer) * Papaya – extract from fresh leaves (bleaching/moisturizer) * Radish – extract from the stem (moisturizer) Reminder: * Caustic Soda can harm the skin upon contact. Wash immediately with vinegar or anything sour and then wash it with soap and water. * Caustic Soda is harmful to health and so, make the necessary precaution. Use mask and gloves to protect your body. Directions 1. In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don’t bother with processing, and just refrigerate. 2. To test for jelling Place three plates in a freezer†¦ after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate†¦ if it doesn’t try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it’s ready to be canned!

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Women During World War II - 1059 Words

Women during World War II In the past, WWII and WWI, women were very dominant; they had to take care of their children, do all the chores and also had to cook the food. During WWII, women had to take place for the men (First world war.com). The war changed the life for all Canadian women. When men went to fight, women were called upon to fill their jobs, and this included many jobs that were previously thought of unsuitable for women. Women were called up for war work from March 1941(Women during World War II). The roles of the women were positively impacted by World War II, because they had the potential to re-enter the workforce, control the farms and join the military for the first time. Taking control of the military was tough, but women had shown that they could work together and handle the situation. Important to realize, that during WWII, Women were very excited to joined the military for the very first time in Canadian history. Women in Canada wanted to play an active role in the war and influenced the government to form military organizations for women. In 1941-1942, the military was changed as it created its own women’s forces. The Women s Army was set up in September 1939, when women joined the military for the very first time (women in military).Beginning in December 1914, 350,000 women served in armed forces during World Adnan 2 War II. About 70% of women who served in military WWII held traditionally female jobs. After the men hadShow MoreRelatedWomen During World War II1534 Words   |  7 PagesDuring World War I, women stayed at home, aided the Red Cross, and volunteered with churches and civic groups to collect donations. Women s roles in World War II challenged the traditional roles of homemaker and caregiver. Women took on a more active role in the military and held positions alongside men. They were trusted with more responsibilities and offered more freedom than they had during the First World War. 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