Prompt: Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing nature vs. nurture, the basics of biological development and a few different perspectives on cognitive development. Please reflect and write about the big ideas that you have learned and the implications for classroom practice. Please include ideas from your peers during discussion forums, your own experiences and new ideas learned from class materials.
* Note. You need not provide an exhaustive analysis, but perhaps pick one or two aspects to discuss. Then, elaborate on that aspect by describing a classroom activity for each, to demonstrate your familiarity with the ideas. Your reflection need not be more than 200 words, but you may opt to write more.
In this course we started off with a discussion debating nature versus nurture. Through the group discussions, the debate helped all of us new teachers better understand students’ learning processes and the importance of believing that the classroom is a large source of nurture in children’s lives.
Nature vs. Nurture- After reading Pressley and McCormick (2007), I came to a conclusion that nurture plays a greater role in shaping us, and as educators this means the environment and experiences we provide to our students is extremely important. For example, if you were born in an environment that you couldn’t use your genetic qualities then it would just be useless to have them. The discussions I had with my fellow classmates made it clear to me that the greater role in a child’s life is nurture. I learned that all children progress through key developmental stages of the physical, cognitive and social development of children, a child’s systematic and sequential progression through those stages remains virtually the same (Pressley & McCormick, 2007, pp. 4-5. Additionally, I found out that a child’s development is influenced by their teachers, their family and the home they grow up in (Pressley & McCormick, 2007, pp. 4-5). As a future educator it is very important that I am aware of these stages and understand that family and teachers play such a crucial role in children’s development.
My classmate Ryan stated “I believe that parents absolutely have a hand to play in their own child's development. What they expose their children to can absolutely influence their ability and interests in certain things” (Ryan Rainbolt, Module 1). I agree with Ryan and believe that parents clearly have a large influence on their child’s development. I grew up in Africa, then moved to the United States at the age of 15, and that has changed me in the things I do and say. Besides these experiences, I’ve seen a difference in myself based on the influence of my parents and the kind of people that they are. I can tell that my interests changed and some of my opinions changed based on my parents’ influences. As well as that the area I’ve grown up in has helped shape my opinions of the ways things should be, and should not be. Through the discussion with Ryan, I learned that to truly impact the lives of students and teach them, parents will need to be my best ally. I will to get them involved. I will share ideas garnered to get parents involved. I will create an opportunity to work alongside, observe, and collaborate with some incredibly creative, energetic educators.
Biological Development – Pressley and McCormick (2007) explain that, “Students can only perform tasks that do not require more executive processing space than they have available for use” (p. 54). During group discussions Audrey elaborated by saying that, “As an educator it is crucial to take into account certain factors that may affect a child's limitations and development, but simultaneously strive to provide accommodations and opportunities to maximize their potential (Audrey Pavlisin Module 1). Audrey makes a great point by stating that educators need to understand how to teach all students with different abilities and provide good instruction to identify the student's needs. This will help students move their learning forward by differentiating the instructions in a safe environment, inclusive and challenging ways. To help students cope with short-term capacity, Pressley and McCormick (2007) remind us that “the goal of educators should be to make the most of the biological potential of a child. That means providing children with consistent high-quality experiences” (p. 4). As a future PE teacher, I am going to modify my lessons so that I will get all my students involved. I will get advice from other PE teachers of how to modify my lessons if there are disabled children in my classroom. I don’t want my students to feel left out of any activities and want everyone to have fun but at the same time make it challenging for everyone no matter what skill level they are. In my opinion, the most effective PE teacher will help every student learn no matter what types of skills they have or how quick of a learner they are. Disabled students who do not feel accepted by their peers will most likely not want to participate during an activity in PE class. This creates a barrier for the student to learn. The teachers need to build that bridge for those students by helping them feel accepted by others to participate in activities. It is the teacher who is responsible for having everyone involved. In the future, I will try to build friendships, teamwork, and lifelong learning by including all of my students in all of my activities.
Cognitive Development – Between the three alternatives to constructivism, I see myself gravitating towards dialectical approach, students realizing conceptual relationships mostly because of the teacher’s effort to ensure students explore everything that needs to be explored. Chad Jordan mentioned through the group discussions “I feel like, there needs to be at least some instruction. The dialectical constructivist approach appeals the most to me because I feel it strikes the right balance between the other two. I may be picking it because it is so moderate when in reality I would find myself being more of an exogenous constructivist, especially when it comes to a subject as challenging as math” (Chad Jordan, Module 1). As a future PE teacher through this approach, I would offer collaborative learning activities such as letting students design their own games within the scope of a regular lesson. I would give my students random pieces of equipment and allow them time to design a game that would be enjoyed by everyone in the classroom, while still covering standards. This opportunity will allow students to explore and plan out a physical activity that focuses on specific skills (ex. Jumping/leaping; upper body strength/etc.) and engage students in their learning.
Resources:
Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.
Pressley, M., & McCormick, C. B. (2007). Child and adolescent development for educators. New York: Guilford Press.
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