I have many mixed thoughts about behaviorism. To begin, I would like to share a video that I found on YouTube about a Psychology student named Linda and her dog, Milu. Through Operant Conditioning she is able to train her dog. I found this video to be quite cute and it really depicts B.F. Skinner's theory of Behaviorism very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhmONAl6Yiw&feature=fvw
I feel as though behaviorism is still necessary in classrooms as well as in life. This video clearly shows how after reinforcement an animal can do trained to do pretty much anything. This is similar to the "Skinner Box" where the theorist B.F. Skinner used various animals and trained them by controlling their environment.
Behaviorism is used in the classroom more than maybe some teachers think. I feel that teachers should use some behavoristic techniques to teach classroom procedures and promote good choices. Dr. Michael Orey states, "Reinforcement is more powerful than punishment" (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). My first grade students know that if they make positive choices there will be a reward. If students do not follow classroom procedures or demonstrate undesirable behavior, there will be a consequence.
Now, here are my mixed feelings. I do not feel that behaviorism should be used to "drill and kill" information. In many schools, teachers are required to use specific software programs in order to raise and improve student achievement. To me, this does not seem like an effective way to teach students and I do not feel as though students would be very motivated to try their best.
I think the best way to teach students it to model, give students hang-on materials to manipulate, and create a positive classroom environment. I strive to accomplish these factors everyday.
I look forward to hearing from my classmates and their thoughts.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author
Online Learning in K-12 Schools
13 years ago
Posts
Mrs. Winner,
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of applying the lessons of behaviorism when it pertains to reinforcement. As the old saying goes, "you can catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar." After all, we are human and our actions, among other characteristics, make us who we are. I do believe that behaviorism theory concerning practice also has a place depending on the subject matter.
Some subjects are not easily taught through hands on manipluation, but one can be creative in the retention aspect of the learning. Many subjects require basic memory practice. By using drill activities in a creative way, such as with music, pneumonic devices, and art, students may find drill and practice more effective, less boring, and hold better retention. Practice does not always have to be about homework, but practice is needed in some cases.
I like the video clip you shared on operant conditioning. It really correlates with the behaviorism learning theory.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you when you said that behaviorism should not be used to "drill and kill" our students. My students use a computer based tutorial program. I believe this program has become ineffective because the students simply click through the questions to get to play the games. The program does not require the students to get the right answer in order to play the games. The students are working in the program for remediation, however they hate using the program and they aren't learning. Allison said it best when she said that using technology to drill students can cause negative feelings toward the technology (Heiple, 2010, May 12). My students do not want to use the program and don't want to go to the computer lab at all. I hope that this program is used differently in the future.
Resources
Heiple, A. (2010, May 12). Behaviorists Learning Theories. Message posted to EDUC 6711 discussion board, Week 2.
Mrs. Winner,
ReplyDeleteI agree that behaviorism does have a time and place. Students obviously love positive reinforcements. Also, I think a classroom that offers positive reinforcements has a better atmosphere than one that only offers consequences for things not done correctly.
Our school is not required to use specific software for students' use. However, I can see your point that if students were required to use these programs over and over again to practice skills, they are not effective. Just like when I use the same type of instruction over and over again, it is not effective. That is why behaviorism should not be the only theory used in the classroom for instruction.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the video you shared on Linda and Milu. This is the same sort of picture I had in my head when I began reading about behaviorists theories this week for our class. I see your point about having mixed feelings about behaviorism. However, I do not think I could teach without incorporating some of this in my routine. I believe all students love a reward, so why not use this in our teaching. It does not always have to be a treat, like with Milu, but praise, or having a student's work displayed can be reinforcement too. With that being said, the mention of a popscicle party for my kindergarteners can usually get them pretty motivated (behavior wise). Good luck with the end of the year with your first graders.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteFrom reading our colleagues’ posts it seems that most of us would agree that a behaviorist approach to learning is probably not the most effective method of instruction, but at times, it really does work! I absolutely agree with you that many teachers use behaviorism to "teach classroom procedures and promote good choices". Whether it's for a pizza party at the end of the year, or because their parents give them five dollars for every "A" they receive, most students will respond to positive conditioning if you "dangle a carrot" in front of them. As I stated in my blog, these students are used to this rewards/punishment motivational technique, and they are just fine with it.
As far as using a behaviorist approach to instruction, as a High School Biology teacher, I believe there is no way to avoid it. There are too many areas that simply have to be memorized. (Human body systems etc.) I have found, however, that using technology to enhance the content makes it more exciting for the students and tends to break up the monotony of daily classroom activities. Utilizing interactive "web quests" has been an excellent way for my students to search for information at their own pace, and discover the content. I feel these would work well for all disciplines and at all levels.