Theory Of Teaching And Learning

In today’s society many people recognize that our current educational system is antiquated and heavily flawed. Many do not believe the education our children routinely receive adequately prepares them to be successful in their adult lives and because of this parents are very concerned. This dissatisfaction has led to the implementation of numerous alternatives to the traditional educational system to which we have become accustomed. Each of these alternatives has their own collection of philosophies and methodologies, proponents and opponents, advantages and disadvantages, but the common thread is that they each aim to provide our children with a better, more effective education suited for today’s world. Montessori education is one of these alternative learning options that been around for many years and has been steadily gaining popularity.

Montessori’s teaching approach aims to develop all aspects of the child mentally and socially (Pound, 2012). Montessori cautioned teachers to remember that children need to be allowed to do basic tasks to learn for themselves (Mooney, 2000, p.28). The role of the teacher in a Montessori setting is mainly observation of the child, encouragement, preparation of the environment, leadership, fostering the child’s independence (Mooney, 2000, p.29), and keeping a complex and delicate balance between each role. (Miller, 2010, p.79). Both theorists acknowledged that children learn best by doing and through repetition of tasks (Mooney, 2000, p.29). Large blocks of time for free work and play, should be scheduled as this was part of the Montessori legacy, this can also be seen in Steiner settings. (Pound, 2012). The teacher should also give children responsibility for keeping the setting space clean and tidy and allow the children to structure their own play. (Mooney, 2000, p.29). Steiner’s role of the teacher is comparable. Steiner wanted to create an education which gave children ‘clarity of thought, sensitivity of feeling and strength of will’ (Pound 2012, p28). Like Montessori the role of the teacher is all about observation, the teacher needs to be both interested and observational of the child’s basic needs to fully develop the child both

Comprehension as a process is an intriguing phenomenon. The ability to understand a particular student is affected by inevitable factors such as age and intelligence of that individual. The method employed during teaching is a constant factor. The intelligence quotient varies between various individuals. It is, therefore, paramount to always employ an effective means of teaching. This entrusts a feeling of equity ascertaining that all students acquire a minimum preset level of comprehension of the subjected lesson. The forged policies and pedagogy is a by all means a basis of universal teaching that can encompass a qualitative learning process. This can be achieved by several factors such as learning some characteristics of

Skinner believed that behaviour is shaped and maintained by a reinforcing stimulus and that schedules of reinforcement are important factors in the learning process. There are many situations in the classroom where a behaviourist approach is likely to work well. For example, when I teach, I have started to pick out students who are making the right choices throughout the lesson. I call attention to the student who is doing the right thing and use verbal praise, which is quite an effective way to let other students realise what the expected learning behaviour is. The Year 6 students in the class are aware of the school’s reward system; ten credits lead to one merit, which is recorded in their merit book. They are also aware that bad behaviour in the class or on the playground will be followed by negative consequences. To warn against unwanted behaviour, I have seen teachers use negative reinforcers such as verbal warnings, timeouts and losing privileges.

Maria Montessori founded an education system which is called Montessori and still bares her name, her system is based on belief in the child’s creative potential, (Douglas, n.d.). Her first Casa Dei Bambini (Children’s house), where Maria was using her approach of teaching was opened in 1907 in Rome. She was great educator who believed that children are learning through their personal experience at their right time and their own pace. (Ridgway, 2007). Children rather than learning largely from what the teachers and the textbooks say, learn from “doing”,(Douglas, n.d.). To provide for children an effective, independent learning process, and that they become a competent and confident learner, Teacher had to provide for children a healthy, clean, well-prepared and well organised environment in which children could develop. Maria Montessori came up with idea that if children have to work and play independently, they have to be comfortable and need appropriately sized tools and items that fit their small hands (Mooney, 2000). Montessori believed that children learn through sensory experiences. Teacher has a responsibility to provide wonderful sights, textures, sounds, and smells for children. Sensory

Education is very important especially in this day and age. What school one attends and how they perceive school to be is a huge factor in one’s life success. There has been research done in the past few years proving that students who receive a Montessori education will prosper academically more so than those who receive a traditional education (Ryniker and Shoho, 2001). Traditional schools typically follow teacher based philosophies and the Montessori education is student centered. On average, children enjoy student based philosophy classrooms. Therefore, they are much more in tuned to what they are learning and that benefits their educational career. Having fun while learning is the key to keeping children engaged.

Teaching and Learning consists of various different theories that educators may or may not feel applicable to their individual philosophy. There are bits and pieces of a variety of theories that many educators feel are important in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to explain the personal learning theory and how it is applied in a classroom. After an educator takes the time to research and do further learning by reading a variety of written books, the educator may or maynot change things in the classroom or focus on a different topic that they had not previously focused on in the past.

Many questions have been raised regarding the legitimacy of Montessori schools and the capability of students to effectively learn the same amount of information as those who attend regular schools. Then again, there are also people that swear by the unconventional, self-directed ways of a Montessori school. These types of schools were founded by Maria Montessori with the sole purpose of providing an innovative learning experience for young students instead of the traditional learning style that is highly regarded by most of the US population. A Montessori classroom setting includes integrated age groups, lengthened periods of time dedicated for discovery, and the absence of grades or tests.

I observed and analyzed the design and delivery of an instructional unit in a Montessori school setting. I observed a classroom of grades 1-3 two times from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the Kennebec Montessori school. I was asked to sit quietly and to not interact with the children so I could get a realistic view of the class day and the children would pursue their chosen work.

Montessori classrooms provide a prepared environment where children are free to respond to their natural tendency to work.

Studies show that Montessori students tend to achieve at a greater rate than students in traditional programs; however, critics say that the method is insufficiently standardized, and its efficacy has not been deeply evaluated. The Montessori Method was a radical philosophy at the time which contradicted and challenged many of the existing beliefs about 'whole-class learning ' the acquisition of knowledge and the development of early human cognition.

Watching a small child discover how to operate his or her favorite plaything is awe inspiring. The look of wonder at the item as it's carefully chosen from amongst their belongings and studied ever so carefully for each and every nuance. How that little face lights up with each new discovery no matter how large or small. The sounds of delight an even dismay at an unwanted result are beautiful. Consider an educational system that would continue to utilize a child’s natural curiosity, unyielding ingenuity and thirst for knowledge. Montessori education creates that environment for children by allowing them the freedom to not only gain knowledge in a natural progression, but also provide a basis on which to continue to grow no matter where

The education system back in her era focused on teaching the children to memorise word to word from books and posters and Children sat in rows at desks at the classroom learning from a blackboard and slates. This method of education wasn’t stimulating and exciting for children. Nevertheless through her experience Montessori discovered children want to learn, and they will do it in their own time frame and they shouldn’t be forced.

A. Behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism are relatively common theories used in the classroom as ways to approach student learning. Behaviorism focuses on observable behavior, such as students answering questions correctly, or being able to follow directions to complete a task as instructed. Characteristics of a classroom that uses behaviorism might be memorization of facts, writing vocabulary words, or a token reward system to inspire the desired behavior and decrease undesired behaviors. Constructivism, as indicated by the root word “construct,” focuses on the construction of new ideas, or expanding on what is already known. Students in a classroom using constructivism as a means for learning might seem more actively engaged

The ways in which children learn is variable, learning practices and singular theories cannot explain by themselves the very process of learning but gives some idea when these theories are viewed simultaneously; working through the limitations and expressing the benefits held across the theoretical principles. This assignment will analyse and critically evaluate behaviourist and cognitivist theories in terms of learning and education; reflecting back on application to a classroom environment. This assignment delves into areas of behaviourism developed by Skinner, Bandura, and Pavlov to name a few; which mainly works on the principle expedited by Pavlov, taking the name ‘Classical Conditioning’ of learning; which can be linked back into classroom practice; for children need to feel that they are in a positive, inductive centre of learning where they associate the positive environment with the educational situation they are placed within (Alan Pritchard, (2009)). The other side of the coin however delves into the constructivist or cognitivist theories developed by such theorists as Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner. Cognitivist theory mainly focuses on learning as a social principle, in which the learning is the responsibility of the students, who receive and organise their information, with the teacher acting as a facilitator who scaffolds the learning process. This can be linked to classroom practice in terms of ‘Active learning’ and ‘Social transmission’, in which the children