Journal #3

 

 Educational Psychology Chapter 6: Cognitive Theories of Learning                    

Journal #3 

Chapter six focused on the cognitive theories of learning. Throughout this journal entry I will be discussing and responding to the following questions. 

• How did you feel about the concept?
• How is this concept significant concerning the context of your classroom?
• How might you use what you learned to become a better teacher?
• If this event sparked additional questions, what are they and what actions will you take to address them?
• After researching your additional questions, what information knowledge and or skills did you gain?  

My engagement with this reading material has sparked additional questions. I wonder what role these theories play in the processing for students with disabilities. I also wonder what role it plays with individuals who speak multiple languages, especially the students who I teach that have English as a second language. I leaned that metacognition helps students learn by thinking about, controlling, and effectively using their own thinking processes (Slavin, 2021).  Some strategies that are effective are directed underling and concept mapping. I use both as learning strategies and these are highly effective with my students. I also learned that modeling and information elaborating helps with building of cognition (Slavin, 2021). One of my students receives ESOL services and exceptional educational services. I questioned if the child genuinely had a disability or if it was just related to her low processing due to English not being her first language. The ESOL teacher informed me that language and cognition is in different parts of the brain, so it was not related. While reading this chapter this made more sense to me because each part of the brain specializes in specific category of functions. For example, three that stand out to me are language/comprehension, memory, and higher intellect self-control/ inhibition emotions. With strategies and support from her service provides she can learn. Brain research has discovered that as a person gains in knowledge and skills the brain becomes more efficient (Slavin, 2021).  As her teacher I am going to continue to utilize her supports and strategies. After reading this chapter I will be adding more of memory building techniques that are aligned to help her brain become more efficient.  

I feel that the concept of cognitive theories of learning are logical. The chapter begins explaining that learning is an active process of focusing in on important information, screening out unimportant information, and using what is already in our minds to decide where to place it (Slavin, 2021). A vast majority of our cognitive systems is vested in sensory. What we see, smell, touch, taste, and hear is impactful during cognitive development. While reading the chapter I discovered that from the first microsecond that we feel, see, hear, or taste something we start an unconscious process of what it is, how it relates, ultimately up to what is significant about this that makes it either important or not important and begin to store that new information in one of the two categories (Slavin, 2021). I think back on when I was a little child. My earliest memory is me running outside feeling free with no shirt or shoes on. After reading I discovered this is called episodic memory.  Episodic contains images of experiences organized by when or where it happened (Slavin, 2021). I remember feeling the earth hit my feet and the sun kiss my skin. I had to be at least three years old. That was a time where I connected being outside with the feelings of joy, peace, and a carefree mind. This is also a part of schema, what I already know. As an adult I enjoy being in nature. Of course, with clothes on but minimum as possible while still being respectful. 

The concept of cognitive theories is significant concerning the context of my classroom in increase engagement, intentional connection of information, and expanded learning. Information processing sensory register, working memory, and long-term memory play a role in cognitive learning. Science and technology play a huge role in understanding how the brain processing information. I find this interesting with students. Each child has their individual working memory and process and I often have to remind myself of this. What works for me to obtain information does not work for all students. It is not a one size fits all situation. Learning these theories is defiantly a support inside and outside of the classroom. One of my biggest take a-ways is the memory building strategies. Teachers can help students remember facts by presenting lessons in an organized way and by teaching students to use memory strategies called mnemonics (Slavin, 2021). I picture myself using this with songs and lyrical poetry types. I teach at an arts themed school. I can’t wait to get influences of dance and instrumentals to accompany the verbal memory building strategy. I can also use supports such as Youtube, Flo-cabulary, and Go Noodle to build memory with new concepts. The goal is to get the child to association to recall the information during the learning process. 

I see my self using as a teacher with my elementary age students. I attended an arts integration conference this passed week and it was amazing! One thing that I connected to this read was the sensory aspect related to learning. During the conference I was faced with a scenario and had three other peers to accompany me. We were four-year-old toddlers who had to warm up the sun so that the sun could unfreeze the plants. There were no props allowed and minimum words as possible. Three of us chose to be the freezing plants. One of us chose to be the sun and slumped into a ball.  Using schema, we began to shake our bodies to simulate freezing for fun we also added shivering sounds. We then began to warm the sun by rubbing our hands together as if these were wood starting a fire. Eventually the sun stood up tall and warmed the plants. It sounds silly but we were fun while teaching the group watching something without using words. The group watching did not know the problem but at the end of they were able to piece together what we were doing. Levels of processing theories holds that people are subject to stimuli to different levels of mental processing and whole to the information that has been thoroughly processed (Slavin, 2021). I will be using this along with incorporation props with my third-grade students next school year. I can use this teach inference, collaborative learning, and more. Adding props for visual, physical touch, and sound through instrumental will tap into multiple stimuli and I hope it is beneficial for my students. I’ve gained a lot of insight and I look forward to learning more in my next chapter reads. 

Slavin, R. E. (2021). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (13th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.