Fw: LOGO-L> behavioism

[mmaveal@foxberry.net]

I'm in trouble again, I know it:
After reading Gary McCallister and Bill Kerr's conversation on behaviorism, I 
remembered (see below) a past thought of mine on the subject. I have up to 28 
students per class, six periods per day - 6 of which would rather be suspended. 
Put one of these six in each of 6 groups to attempt group projects and you have 
a very interesting and trying day. The problem I have found in the Toledo area 
colleges with Professors debating Behaviorism vs. Constructivism is that most 
of the academics doing the debating haven't been in the classroom in 20 years 
and really don't have a clue as to what the current teachers are dealing with. 
In the same light the politicians are stumbling around in a fog initiating 
programs that don't work. After the programs fail the blame is laid at the feet 
of the teachers. What a system! I'm in a graduate class at present dealing with 
how to use engineering principles in teaching math and science. The first 3 
hours of classtime was spent trying to convince us that we teachers are at 
fault for not presenting the information in multilingual form. This is great! 
Now I have to go back to my lab and try to convert all the logo commands into 
"Ebonics!"  "We be, you be, they be thinkin bout it!"  Mike M.

> Behaviorist - is teaching in such a way that the results are marked, 
> measureable, and can be established on a set time table. A one word 
> description 
> of behaviorism = TRAINING. The problem is we what to do with the ones that do 
> not keep up or refuse to be trained?
> 
> Constructivist - is marked and measureable only when and if the student is 
> ready and willing according to the students time table. A one word 
> description 
> of construcivism = LEARNING. The problem here is the same. What do we do with 
> the ones that do not put forth the effort to learn or who flatly refuse to 
> cooperate? 
> 
> I've played guitar in bands for 30 years. There are musicians that learned to 
> play because their mother made them (behaviorist) these I call "technicians." 
> Then there are real "musicians" who learned because they wanted to play 
> (constructivist) the music is in them, they love it and they want to do it. 
> Believe me you can feel the difference when you begin to play together.
> 
> The problem we teachers have, especially in a public school setting where we 
> do 
> not have the luxury of removing those students that do not want to be there 
> and 
> refuse to cooperate, is one of motivation. I think the "powers that be" 
> (politicians, etc.) today view the answer as a matter of just getting the 
> students TRAINED while teachers are working frantically to aid the students 
> in 
> LEARNING. Training is easier, requires less intelligence, creativity, effort, 
> and MONEY thats why it's such a popular idea!  
> 
> ----
> Mike Maveal
> mmaveal@foxberry.net
> Jones Junior High
> Toledo, Ohio
> 


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