EDUC 220 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Differentiated Instruction, John Dewey, Progressive Education
18 Jun 2018
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Chapter 1 Notes
LEARNING A TEACHING TODAY
What are Classrooms Like Today?
•the % of immigrants coming into Canada is growing (20% —> 55% by 2031)
•most immigrants are coming from Asia
•visible minority groups are growing in size
•Diversity is heavy most in large cities such as Vancouver or Toronto compared to small
towns
•Some Vancouver classrooms currently have over 80% of ESL students
•participation in religion other than christianity has doubled since 2006 in Canada (6% to
14%)
•1 in 7 Canadian children are in poverty (kids make up 36% of food bank users) and 4 in 10
of indigenous children are poor.
•children have diverse abilities and disabilities, often kids with disabilities are in a general
classroom all day with others.
•Health problems, like cancer, sometimes affects a kids learning as they have to leave
school for treatment - sometimes it can be hard for them to catch up afterwards
•children’s families are diverse - they don’t all just have a mom and a dad.
Do Teachers Make a Difference?
•some researchers suggest that things like wealth and social status determine a child’s
level of learning more than the teacher
•though individual studies are good, in this course we need to systematically examine the
impact of teaching on the lives of students by carefully designed research studies
Teacher-Student Relationships
•Bridget Hamre and Robert Pianta
•followed 179 students from K - 8 and found that the relationship built with the teacher
and the student could predict the success of the student
•newer study, following students from gr 3 - 5
•found 2 factors that improved struggling math students
•higher level instruction, & positive relationship with the teachers
•kids with behavioural problems early on are less likely to have problems later in school if
their teachers are sensitive to their needs and provide frequent, consistent feedback
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Teacher Preparation and Quality
•Linda Darling-Hammond (Stanford University)
•compared teacher qualifications to student achievement
•found this to be the strongest correlation (before AND after controlling for student
poverty and ESL)
Why Do We Need Differentiated Instruction?
•children are so diverse and so many people think we should have class instruction that
take advantage of the diversity rather than ignore it
•Differentiated instruction —> teaching that takes into account students’ abilities, prior
knowledge, and challenges so that instruction matches not only the subject being taught
but also student’s needs
•sometimes students will be working at different paces, or be assessed using indicators
that fit their interests and needs
THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
•Educational Psychology —> The discipline concerned with teaching and learning
processes it applies the methods and theories of psychology and has its own as well
•existed for about 100 years now
In the Beginning: Linking Educ. Psychology and Teaching
•Plato and Aristotle discussed the role of the teacher way back when
•William James —> had lectures “talks to teachers on Psychology”
•Stanley Hall —> encouraged teachers to make detailed observations to study their
students’ development
•John Dewey —> considered the father of the progressive education movement
•E.L. Thorndike —> wrote the first educ. psychology text in 1910
•in the 40’s and 50’s —> educ. psych focused on individual differences, assessment, and
learning behaviours.
•60’s and 70’s —> focus shifted to cognitive development and learning, with attention to
how students learn concepts and remember
•recently —> investigating how culture and social factors affect learning and development
Educational Psychology Today
•both in the past and today, educ. psychologists study learning & teaching, and at the same
time, strive to improve educational practice.
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find more resources at oneclass.com
•they examine what happens when someone or something (teacher/computer) teaches
something (math, dancing, etc), to someone else (student, co-worker) in some setting (a
classroom or theatre or gym)
•topics of study include:
-child and adolescent development
-learning and motivation
-how ppl learn diff. academic subjects (math VS reading)
-social and cultural influences
-teaching and teachers
-assessment (such as testing)
Is it Just Common Sense?
•many findings that educ researchers make - ppl often claim that “everyone knows that!”
But take the following examples into consideration
Taking Turns
•What method should a teacher use when choosing students to participate in a primary-
grade reading class?
•Common Sense Answer —> Teachers should choose randomly and not in a pattern to
keep students focused and always listening
•Research answer —> Ogden, Brophy, and Evertson found that in a grade 1 class going in
a circle was good because it ensured that nobody was overlooked and everyone received
feedback on their reading (results were better achievement in circle VS random)
Helping Students
•When should a teacher provide help for lower-achieving students as they do classwork?
•Common Sense Answer —> they should offer help often b/c the student may not know
when exactly they need help or are too embarrassed to ask
•Research answer —> Sandra graham found that if teacher provide help too early, the
students see it as they are not capable and does not have the ability to succeed (attributes
failures to lack of ability rather than lack of effort) = motivation suffers
Skipping Grades
•should a school encourage exceptionally bright students to skip grades or to enter
university or college early?
•Common Sense —> NO! Very young children will not fit in properly with the older kids if
they skip grades, this leads to social misfits. they are not physically or emotionally ready to
deal with older students and would be miserable PLUS miss out on social milestones with
kids their age
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Teacher preparation and quality: linda darling-hammond (stanford university, compared teacher quali cations to student achievement, found this to be the strongest correlation (before and after controlling for student poverty and esl) The role of educational psychology: educational psychology > the discipline concerned with teaching and learning processes it applies the methods and theories of psychology and has its own as well, existed for about 100 years now. How ppl learn diff. academic subjects (math vs reading) Is it just common sense: many ndings that educ researchers make - ppl often claim that everyone knows that! . Skipping grades: should a school encourage exceptionally bright students to skip grades or to enter university or college early, common sense > no! Some people says american schools hold back their highly intelligent kids from achieving, but the answer to this question really depends on the individual student, their intelligence, maturity, and considering any other available options.
