module 4

This weeks reading included chapters 9, 10, and 11 of the Woolfolk textbook. Chapter 9 was the complex cognitive processes. I really liked this chapter because I am not only learning how to teach students I am also a student myself. That is important because the 9th chapter discussed the learning strategies in relation to the cognitive processing. It also covered critical thinking and problem solving is important to teach students so that they get the most out of the material they are learning. 

Next, chapter 10 of the Woolfolk text was on constructivism and the designing of learning environments. Constructivism is the view that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building understanding and making sense of information. There are two types which are the cognitive constructivists, they make a sense of the world based on their beliefs and individual knowledge, and the social constructivists, who believe that social interaction, cultural tools, and activities shape individual development and learning as written on pages 383 and 384 of the Woolfolk textbook. I personally connect more with the cognitive because I believe that our personal lives greatly affect our ability to learn and think. However, I don't think that anyone could learn based on their personal beliefs alone. Instead I think its best that teachers understand that both effect the way that a student learns and need to take both into a account when they want to show the students new information. Further, the teacher also needs to ensure that they are setting up the learning environment to maximize this. Understanding that allows a teacher to create a scaffolding thinking. This means that they are connecting their cultural knowledge and the everyday experiences and knowledge of their students to make an environment that nourishes motivational and cognitive support. Finally the other impactful piece of this chapter, to me, was the flipped classroom created learning environment. This means that in a technology era students would learn at home at their own pace and in their own style as described by Woolfolk on page 418. Then, they would take the information to school and work on problems and applications of the knowledge in class so that they can further their understanding through teacher instruction. As a future teacher I know that I will be applying this type of learning so that I can maximize the in classroom time with my students. 

Last, chapter 11 of the Woolfolk text explains the social cognitive views of learning and motivation. The most impactful part of the chapter were the four perspectives on learning. These included behavioral, cognitive, constructivist, and social cognitive. It is important to keep in mind, as expressed on page 454 of the Woolfolk textbook, there is no such thing as the best approach which is why it is so important to understand all the perspectives rather than focusing on only one. So, in application the students would first understand and make sense of the material called the constructivist. Then, they would need to remember it called cognitive. Next, they would need to practice it till it became the behavior. Finally the social cognitive is established when the student takes the learning into their own hands. The table on page 455 of the Woolfolk textbook does a great job of displaying these learning views.