Final Learning Log

I took the quiz and my scores were as follows:
Behaviorism 42/49
Cognitivism 45/49
Humanism 41/49
What? I scored the highest under Cognitivism. There are three main parts of social cognitive theory: the power of observation, the role of control, and the importance of motivation. When talking about the power of observation, social cognitive theory is mainly about learning by observing others. By doing so, you can learn new behaviors from models. For example, take vicarious punishment and vicarious reinforcement; people learn what behaviors are most likely to lead to reinforcement and punishment by watching others who experience it. Also, by watching others, they get a good understanding of what they are and aren’t capable of doing. The social cognitive theory also talks about how people can be in control of their surroundings. When people watch others, they control what they learn, and if they learn, by paying attention or not paying attention. When people self-regulate, they take charge of their own behaviors and their own learning by setting goals and doing self-evaluations. Lastly, it is important to be motivated. Most of people’s behaviors are goal-based. Also, through observing, people form their own expectations of future outcomes of certain actions. It’s found that, in order to be completely motivated, people must have high self-efficacy and believe they will be successful, to some degree or another. Most people take charge of their own motivation by evaluating future responses. I believe that it is so important for students to be motivated, and this is the reason why I think I scored the highest in that section.
So What? It is important to know this information because we, as teachers, will deal with this for the rest of our career. In every classroom there is AT LEAST one student who struggles, is disabled, or is special needs. It is important for the teachers to be well educated in how to handle these kinds of situations so they are able to reach out to every one of their students, whether they are disabled or fully able. As I further my education and career, I will become more aware of which abilities and behaviors are typical for a particular age-group and will be able to identify children who are atypical in one way or another. The job of referring students to a specialist or for assessments ultimately comes down to the teacher, so it is important to be aware and educated on this information. For all I know, in the school I teach at, they might practice inclusion. I would need to provide specialists with information for IEP's and detailed specifics about the disabled students.
Now What? Now that I have learned about the information in Chapter 5, I feel a LITTLE bit more confident in going into teaching and being aware that I will encounter these kinds of situations. I am still nervous because of the unknown, and actually having them in a classroom compared to just doing textbook exercises on the information. I believe I will be able to express my knowledge about inclusion and IEP's, as well as apply to my classroom the concept of "Least Restrictive Environment", which is extremely important to have in the classroom. As a teacher, it is my job to teach everyone in my classroom, not just those who are willing and able. I need to reach out to those who have severe to minor disabilities, as well as special needs. Whether or not my school I teach at practices inclusion, I need to be aware of what it is and how to adapt my classroom to it. From Chapter 5's information about individual differences, I think it is very important for the students in the classroom to be aware of the differences amongst the students around them, and it doesn't matter if the differences are minor or major.

Chapter 4 Learning Log

What? Who we are is composed of our past experiences, beliefs and knowledge. This is an important concept because it applies to the social relationship between teachers and students. All of us get in the habit of looking at the world through our own cultural lenses, seeing things the way we believe they are supposed to be seen. But, what happens when a student sees the world differently than other students see it, or how the teacher sees it? This is why it is so important to have an open mind as a teacher. In order to effectively work with students, teachers must try hard to overcome these biased behaviors. For example, in some cultures, children do not look adults in the eye as a sign of respect. The best thing to do is to know who your students are. Communicate with the parents to find out if there are any cultural differences that you should be aware of as their teacher. As a teacher, it is also very important to be able to quickly adapt and modify your teaching style to those students who are culturally different.
So What? It is important to know these things because in the classroom I will have many students from diverse cultures. I need to know how to handle situations where students may think other students are weird for being "different", but in fact every one is different, and it is my job to make each and every one of my students aware of that. No parent wants to send their child off to school when they are unsure of how their child is "viewed" each day. It is the teacher's job to make sure that there is an atmosphere of respect that is maintained in the classroom.
Now What? Now that I know this information, I am more aware of the cultural aspects of a classroom. I will be able to educate my students about the differences between all the students. I could maybe have a "Me Day" where each student chooses a way to present themselves to the class. I could do this activity in the beginning of the school year as an introduction activity. I think it is so important, and so much more important after reading Ch. 4, to be educated about cultural differences among students. The better you know the students, the more comfortable they will feel around you as their teacher, and the more successful they'll be in your class.

Chapter 5 Learning Log

What?  There are several ways in which students in any classroom may be different from one another.  Starting out, teachers may find this to be overwhelming.  however, with time and experience, I'll learn how to bring diversity into the classroom and make each student feel special and loved.  It is very important to know as much as you can about each student.  What's it like for them at home?  What languages do they speak?  Any information will be helpful to the teacher in providing that student with the proper learning environment.  Individualize instructions for those students who are non-disabled, as well as disabled and special needs.  It is VERY important to have good communication with the students' parents, because the more information about their child you swap, the more successful the teacher will be in reaching out to that student.  When dealing with inclusion, it is important to take into consideration their disabilities.  Your classroom always should be LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), meaning the teacher should do everything they can to reach every student, and the way they are teaching should benefit everyone in the classroom and leave nobody out.

So What? It is important to know this information because we, as teachers, will deal with this for the rest of our career.  In every classroom there is AT LEAST one student who struggles, is disabled, or is special needs.  It is important for the teachers to be well educated in how to handle these kinds of situations so they are able to reach out to every one of their students, whether they are disabled or fully able.  As I further my education and career, I will become more aware of which abilities and behaviors are typical for a particular age-group and will be able to identify children who are atypical in one way or another.  The job of referring students to a specialist or for assessments ultimately comes down to the teacher, so it is important to be aware and educated on this information.  For all I know, in the school I teach at, they might practice inclusion.  I would need to provide specialists with information for IEP's and detailed specifics about the disabled students.

Now What? Now that I have learned about the information in Chapter 5, I feel a LITTLE bit more confident in going into teaching and being aware that I will encounter these kinds of situations.  I am still nervous because of the unknown, and actually having them in a classroom compared to just doing textbook exercises on the information.  I believe I will be able to express my knowledge about inclusion and IEP's, as well as apply to my classroom the concept of "Least Restrictive Environment", which is extremely important to have in the classroom.  As a teacher, it is my job to teach everyone in my classroom, not just those who are willing and able.  I need to reach out to those who have severe to minor disabilities, as well as special needs.  Whether or not my school I teach at practices inclusion, I need to be aware of what it is and how to adapt my classroom to it.  From Chapter 5's information about individual differences, I think it is very important for the students in the classroom to be aware of the differences amongst the students around them, and it doesn't matter if the differences are minor or major.

Chapter 10 Learning Log

What? There are three main parts of social cognitive theory: the power of observation, the role of control, and the importance of motivation. When talking about the power of observation, social cognitive theory is mainly about learning by observing others. By doing so, you can learn new behaviors from models. For example, take vicarious punishment and vicarious reinforcement; people learn what behaviors are most likely to lead to reinforcement and punishment by watching others who experience it. Also, by watching others, they get a good understanding of what they are and aren’t capable of doing. The social cognitive theory also talks about how people can be in control of their surroundings. When people watch others, they control what they learn, and if they learn, by paying attention or not paying attention. When people self-regulate, they take charge of their own behaviors and their own learning by setting goals and doing self-evaluations. Lastly, it is important to be motivated. Most of people’s behaviors are goal-based. Also, through observing, people form their own expectations of future outcomes of certain actions. It’s found that, in order to be completely motivated, people must have high self-efficacy and believe they will be successful, to some degree or another. Most people take charge of their own motivation by evaluating future responses.
So what? It is important to know the information in chapter 10 because, as a teacher, you need to enforce the importance of the students paying close attention to the teacher, as well as other students.  It is very important that a classroom has a positive and stimulating learning environment.  To do this, the students need to cooperate and behave well.  It is important for teachers to encourage their students to keep the atmosphere in the classroom a positive one.  Self-efficacy is a dire thing all students need at some level.  This will give them confidence in the person that they are.  If the students observe each other, and one student sees another with self-efficacy, that student who is observing could gain self-efficacy in some area if they see another student be confident in what they do.  As a teacher, it is VERY important to be a good model to your students.  They look up to you in every way, and in order to prepare them for their future, we need to prepare them in the best way possible: by providing them with a positive model.

Now what? After reading chapter 10, I will be able to apply what I've learned in the classroom.  I now know how important it is to be on a watch 24/7 for how I behave in order to be a model for my students.  It is also important to keep the behavior of all the students on a good level, because students also look to other students as models.  I am going to be as positive as I can, in both my personality and how I arrange the classroom, in order to promote self-efficacy in my students.  I think it is so important for students to believe that there is at least one thing they are exceptionally good at.  If they have this feeling about something, they can use that feeling and build off of it to gain self-efficacy in other areas as well.

Chapter 9 Learning Log

What? A great way to learn about human learning is by examining stimulus-response principles. Antecedent stimuli tend to evoke certain kinds of responses, either in classical conditioning or operant conditioning. It is these responses that lead to changes in the learner’s environment. For example, they may lead to reinforcement or punishment. By altering any part of the chain of events, whether by changing the classroom environment or teaching a more effective way of responding to the environment, we can help our students acquire more productive school behaviors. Also, we can help them gain the attention of their peers by teaching effective social skills through reinforcement.
So what? It is important to know this information because it was all about how children respond to different stimuli. This is a huge part of understanding human learning. In the classroom, it is important to know how students will respond to what and why they respond in the way they do. This lesson also teaches about reinforcement, both positive and negative. It is very important to understand the difference between positive and negative reinforcement: positive reinforcement is where you reward someone with something that they see as positive. An example of this is, if the all the students read over winter break and write about the book they read, they will have a pizza party when they come back. This is positive reinforcement because you are rewarding the students with something positive (pizza). Negative reinforcement IS NOT punishment. The word negative in this context is very misunderstood. Negative reinforcement is rewarding someone by taking away something that is negative in their eyes. An example of this is, if the students score an 80% or higher on their spelling test, they won't have any homework that weekend. This is an example of negative reinforcement because you are taking away something negative (homework) as a reward, because the students won't have to do homework that weekend and that is a reward to them. It is so important to know these terms because I will use them in my class a lot and I will be able to distinguish the difference between what kind of reinforcement I am dishing out.
Now what? In the classroom, I will be able to apply everything I've learned in Chapter 9. I especially look forward to testing out different kinds of stimulus-response principles. I'll be able to experiment in my classroom to see what different cues work better than others, and that way I will be able to run a more effective classroom. Chance are, different cues will work better for different classes, seeing as every child is different and one year will differ from the previous year. I will also be able to see which stimulus students respond better to. If students are more motivated if they are rewarded by a pizza party than extra recess, I will know what to use as positive reinforcement from then on if I want a result that I am not seeing in my students. I will also see examples of operant conditioning in my classroom, as well as possible results from past classical conditioning. The classical conditioning includes phobias the students may have, and it is important to be sensitive to these.

Investigations Math: Extra Credit

◦What is investigations math? Investigations Math is a program where the students discover mathematics for themselves instead of being taught it. It has been found that it does not help the students grow in their understanding of math; in fact, it take them back grades. It removes all teachings of the times tables and memorization of math facts.
◦What were the results of its use in Alpine? In the Alpine School District, they have been patching this program every year for 4 years, as it was implemented 5 years ago. They know the program has major weaknesses and they are under the false impression that you can turn a 40 horse-power car into a hot rod if you just put enough other corvette body parts on the vehicle. It's the ENGINE that is the problem. You would be far better off replacing the core engine and later patching anything you felt was still an issue. Even the district curriculum specialist said it's not a matter of "if" they'll change the program, but "when."
◦What were the arguments for and against its use? The arguments for it's use are as follows: the games and activities are child-oriented and fun, they build upon some first grade concepts, and it has a math workshop model built into it. Some cons are: TREMENDOUS gaps in our first grade curriculum (missing some MAJOR topics which we need to supplement), for the first year or two you spend a lot of time cutting and organizing, it still requires a lot of prep time, and there's not enough practice time in learning math strategies (worksheets).
◦What is your opinion? After doing the research, I think it's fair to say the cons definitely outweigh the pros. This doesn't sound like something I would want to use in my classroom at all, even though some teachers have found that they like using it with their students. I'm glad I stumbled upon the message board about it (my second source below) because I actually got to read about actual teachers that have used Investigations Math in their classroom, and they all seemed to say both negative and positive things about it. Overall, I didn't get a very good first impression about it because of the first source I looked at (listed below) and I just really hope I don't have to use it in my classroom. I'd like to teach math another way than that.
◦Sources: http://www.oaknorton.com/imathstart.cfm, http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=116091

Chapter 7 Learning Log

What? Students are always adding to and modifying their understanding of the physical and social world they live in. Their knowledge is that of their own because they must individually create their own views of the physical and social phenomena. Their knowledge and beliefs are also influenced b y their environment and experiences. Every student constructs their own unique view of the ideas and events they encounter in and out of the classroom. Their views may be both good and bad. They can be good because their understandings are equally legitimate. However, they may interfere with growing socially. It is our job as teachers to make sure they interpret the world around them in ways that will benefit them.
So what? It is important to know this information because teachers need to know that there are common misconceptions that the students have due to their age. There are many ways of promoting conceptual change: identify existing misconceptions before instruction begins, look for and then build on kernels of truth in students' existing understandings, convince students that their existing beliefs need revision, motivate students to learn correct explanations, and monitor what students say and write for persistent misconceptions. It is important to know these ways of promoting change because the students need to be corrected when they have misconceptions.
Now what? In the classroom I will know what to teach and in what way because of the misconceptions the students have. They have their schema, which we learn about in a lot of my classes this semester, and I will be able to help my students use their schema to altar it with the correct information. If I overlook what my students know prior to me teaching the units, their schema would stay the same and they wouldn't learn anything because they would be building off of the wrong information while they are learning. The best way to do this is by scaffolding and walking the students through this step by step so they aren't confused when the teacher tells them that what they've thought all along was wrong, and what's right is completely different than that they thought.

Chapter 6 Learning Log

What? Long term memory had infinite capacity, but short term memory and attention has limited capacity. No matter how interesting something may be, we can only learn so much so fast, and we can only retain so much information in our short term memory. In order to learn something efficiently, you need to give the learning process your undivided attention in order to retain that information. That is, you must mentally focus on it and temporarily make it the center of your cognitive world. Then, you need to make it meaningful. If you don't think it's important or there's no reason to remember that information, the brain will not recognize it as a priority to remember it.
So what? It is important to know this information because teachers need to know why it's important to remember things, and how students can remember. If we as teachers know how students can remember information, we will be able to teach in a more effective way. If we teach our students ways to remember information and teach them why it is important to give their undivided attention to the lessons, they will be able to use those skills in the future when they need to remember even more important things like for college or their jobs.
Now what? In the classroom, I will be sure to always emphasize the importance of understanding information, and I will let my students know over and over again that if they don't understand what's going on in the unit, they must come and meet with me so we can get it into their long term memory and they can recognize it as important. I will not only emphasize this in my words but also in my activities, assignments and assessment practices. I will do my best to make learning meaningful so my students will be able to feel success more often and be able to actually learn how to learn.

Temple Grandin Presentation

I really enjoyed the presentation by Temple. I once knew an autistic boy back home growing up, and he had several qualities that made him different from the other kids I knew. He always had to tuck in his shirts and wear his socks high because he hated the feeling of anything touching his skin. Socially, he had a hard time understanding situations. The way Temple talked and dressed reminded me of how my friend talked and dressed. I found it interesting that she is so knowledgeable, and her qualities mirrored those of my friend's.
I thought she was a fascinating person, and she was so smart! I really liked that she knew a lot about teaching autistic children, because as she shared her knowledge with us, it calmed me because I am actually a little nervous about getting autistic children as students mainly because I hope I handle them and their differences the correct way. She repeated a lot of things that I learned in my Exception Students class last semester. She said that it isn't a good idea to all of a sudden change things, like the room's layout or the schedule of the day. Autistic children don't adapt well to change in any manner, whether it be having indoor recess or making science before reading for a day. She advised that we take the child aside in the morning and tell that child that today will be a little different and it is nothing to get worked up over, and just make sure they understand that there will be changes in that day. I think this is the part that makes me the most nervous about having autistic children in my classroom.
I'll be honest here, I'm vegetarian and so the fact that she's all about the slaughterhouse scene doesn't put her high on my favorites list. But, other than that, she's an amazing speaker! That's totally off topic, and yes, she was very interesting to listen to!

Brain Reflection

What? I learned so much about the brain. The jigsaw activity helped a whole lot. I especially like that we used the jigsaw activity because we learned about it in Social Studies Methods, but being able to experience it first-hand makes it easier to use the strategy in the classroom. I learned that the frontal lobe controls emotions and judgement, as well as personality and facial movements. The parietal lobe controls movement, orientation, recognition and perception of stimuli. The occipital lobe is associated with visual processing (occipital is an eye-related word), and the temporal lobe has to do with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli, memory, and speech. The cerebellum controls regulation and coordination of movement, posture, and balance. So, if someone were to damage their cerebellum, they may have a hard time balancing or sitting up straight. The amygdala is associated with memory, emotion and fear. The hippocampus is necessary to convert short-term memory into long-term memory storage.
So What? It is important to know the parts of the brain because it is your brain! It is the most magnificent organ in the body that controls everything you do and makes up who you are. In the classroom, it is important to recognize that there are students whose brains may operate differently than others' brains, and it's good to know that a student who had damage done to their frontal lobe may have mood swings or act differently than they did prior to the injury. It is also good to have this knowledge because students can come up to you and ask you about why things work the way they do in the brain. You could give them a sentence or two of an explanation, and tell them to do some research on the rest of the information and present it to the class because it would be a neat thing to find out. I think that by doing this, the student would get very interested and be driven to do research about the brain.
Now What? Even though I got so much more out of the lesson than this, I can use the jigsaw strategy in my classroom now that I have experienced it first-hand. I understand the strategy much more now and I see how effective it is when it is put to use. My students will really be able to benefit from it, and I can apply it to any subject. Now that I have learned about the different parts of the brain and what they do for the human body, I will be able to become more familiar with its functions. If I am teaching the students how to memorize, like teaching the different strategies to use while studying, I can emphasize that they need to store it in their temporal lobes. I always feel it's important to review different studying techniques with the students, and during this, I can incorporate what I know about the brain.

Chapter 3 Learning Log

What? I learned a lot in the reading. I learned that social interaction is critical for everybody to grow and develop. Relationships play a huge role in developing social skills. Conversations about controversial topics and moral issues help you to gain a more greater perspective on things and help you to gain a more advanced moral reasoning. When punishment is accompanied by induction, perspective taking and moral development are promoted. As teachers, it is important that we communicate with our students the rules of behaving in the classroom, as well as at home. It is also important to show love so the students gain respect for you as their teacher. We need to allow the students to interact with others to explore themselves and others, especially if cliques are present in the classroom. Children are more likely to make gains in moral development when they think about the harm and distress that certain behaviors cause others. Classroom discussions of controversial topics and moral issues appear to promote increased perspective taking and the transition to more advanced reasoning.
So What? It is important for me to understand these concepts because I will need to understand and know how to deal with certain issues in the classroom, such as cliques and unusual social interactions. It is important to know the pros of social interaction and the steps of moral and social development because, that way, I can promote it in the classroom to help my students grow. There are many ways I can encourage moral behavior and development in the classroom. I can give reasons that some behaviors are unacceptable, encourage perspective taking, expose the students to numerous models of moral behavior, and get the students actively involved in community service.
Now What? In the classroom, I will be able to develop lesson plans around helping the students develop and learn about morals. It is very important for the students to know their limits, both in and out of the classroom. That way, I can encorporate this by having the students come up with the rules of the classroom. I still need to learn about how I would apply these techniques in the classroom, that way I can be able to assess the students' development properly.

Extra Credit: Kim Peeks

Today I went to an assembly where Kim Peeks spoke, accompanied by his father. It was an amazing experience to see him in person and to hear what he had to say. At first glance, Kim Peeks did in fact appear mentally retarded. With his thick glasses and playful antics, he seemed almost like a child. However, when words came out of his mouth and he enlightened the audience with his philosophies and stories, I felt mentally retarded! He blew my mind, and I'm assuming the audience's as well.
Here are some interesting facts about Kim Peeks. At nine months he was diagnosed as mentally retarded due to the fact that the two lobes in his brain had formed together. At the age of three, he utilized the dictionary, and at 14 he graduated high school. He can play 85% of all classical music on the piano that he heard between ages 3 and 6-1/2 perfectly from memory. Until the movie "Rain Man," he was severely mentally retarded. Then, Dustin Hoffman told his father to share him with the world. And he did just that. Kim Peeks has touched several lives with his wit, charm and knowledge.
I noticed that he played with the microphone and covered his face a lot, like a child would. He also rarely spoke directly into the microphone; his father had to tell him to do so. He groaned a lot and interupted his father while he was speaking.
Kim's greatest words today were "Everybody's different."

Chapter 2 Learning Log

What? I learned about the different parts of the the body that are involved in making memories and learning. When a child learns, new synapses are formed and strengthened between neurons. I also learned about Piaget and his stages. He believed that children went through stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Through these stages, children grow in their learning through their perception of what is around them. Vygotsky was also in the reading. He had theories of his own about cognitive development. His beliefs are about the importance of society and culture in promoting cognitive development. Vygotsky was more involved in observing the students when they interacted with themselves and other students, as well as adults (teachers). Overall, Piaget and Vygotsky introduced possibly the most important factors in cognitive development when it comes to acquiring language.
So What? It is important for me to know these things as a future teacher because it is important to know where in cognitive development my students are so that I am able to adapt my teaching methods to be able to get through to my students. There will be diversity in my classroom in the students' cognitive development, so I need to know what to do in order to properly teach the students. If I can teach all of my students equally, despite their diversity in cognitive learning, I will be a much better teacher than if I couldn't.
Now What? I will be able to use the different methods suggested by Vygotsky in my classroom, such as apprenticeship, scaffolding, guided participation, and many others. I will also be able to assess my students adequately now that I know what to expect from that at certain places in cognitive development. Now that I have learned about Vygotsky's theories, I have many new techniques I can apply in the classroom to assess where in the cognitive development my students are.

Hidden Assignment

List 2-3 specific goals you have for this course. One goal I have for this course is to just overall improve my teaching skills. I would really like to know what to say and how to say it to get things into students’ heads. Another goal I have for this course is to just become a better teacher. I’m a little nervous about the middle of this semester, going into the classroom and all, but I’m hoping this class, as well as my others, will calm my nerves and prepare me more. My last goal for this class is to understand why students learn the way they do compared to how the teacher teaches (if that even makes sense). In other words, I would like to know which teaching styles work best compared to those who don’t. I understand that every student learns differently, and each teacher teaches differently, but I would like to learn more about that.
Describe your weekly preparation plan. Be specific. What will you do each day of the week to prepare for this course? What do I do each day to prepare for this course? I like to break my homework up and do a little of each class each day. I consider myself to be very organized when it comes to homework and scheduling, and I have a written schedule I’ve made that tells how much of each subject I do each day. Monday, I go to this class. Tuesday, I do a little homework. Wednesday, I read about half of the assigned reading. Thursday, I finish the homework. Then, I’ve left the entire weekend to complete the reading. Outline the study strategies that you will use to understand the material. It’s hard to say now, because I find that I need to adapt my study methods to how the teacher assesses. I’d have to say that by me reading and doing the assignments, I will be prepared adequately (as far as I know so far) for any kind of assessment. For the midterm written test, I will most likely get a study group together. I really like study groups because it allows me to study not only what is in my head and in my notes, but in other people’s heads and notes.
Explain the process you will follow if you do not understand a topic. I will first go to a peer, because I’ve found that going straight to the teacher can make one even more confused in some cases. If I still don’t understand it after talking with a friend in the class, I will go to the teacher and explain that I am having a hard time understanding a certain concept.
Complete the following statement: I will reach my goals in this course by attending class (both physically and mentally), being honest with myself as far as what material I understand and what material requires more explanation, and giving this class my all.

WebQuest Final Reflection

What? I've learned a lot about all of the four educational research types. I didn't know how different descriptive study was from experimental study. Prior to this, I thought you could relate cause-and-effect correlations through experimental study, but I've found out that you can't. Also, I thought that action research was really interesting. I didn't know there was actually a name for the kind of study where teachers/schools hold about issues around the school. I took many statistics classes and in them we talked about correlations, and by learning more about correlation studies, a lot of the information I learned in those classes were brought back to me.
So what? It is important to know the difference between the different educational research types. As an educator, if you want to find something out about the students or classroom techniques, it's important that you know how to go about finding the answers to your questions. You need to reflect on your teaching and how the students respond to your strategies, and you need to know how to act upon your reflections.
Now what? I need to learn how to carry out studies in the classroom. Now that I am more familiar with the different types of studies, I need to learn what to do with the information that I learned. In my future career, I will incorporate studies in the classroom. The class and I will carry out studies about the class and school (action study) and I will do studies to see which of my teaching techniques work and don't work with the students. Not only will I generate research, I will consume it. I will use the information I gather from my research in the future.

Motivation

1. Why are you here? I am here to learn, to feel, to grow (mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally), and to teach. I believe that every experience that I have while I am alive contributes to some sort of learning, feeling or growing. I think that it is very important to know why you are here, because if you don't know why you are here, how do you know what to do? What goals would you have? Even if I wasn't going to school for Education, I would still believe that I am here to teach. I feel this is one of the most important reasons I am here.
2. What motivates you? I am motivated when I am going against the grain. When I believe something is right for me and I need to do it, I am very motivated to accomplish it, especially when there are people around me saying "You don't need to do that," or "That is a terrible idea". I come from a very opinionated family, and if I set a goal for myself that isn't what they would chose to do, they will definitely let me know how they feel. For some reason, this pushes me to do it and drives me to accomplish it. I think it is because I know that I am doing it for me, and only me, and that way I can feel a higher, more personal, sense of accomplishment.
3. Why do you succeed? I succeed because I am driven. If I lose my sense of drive and begin to push it farther back on my priority list, I don't get it done. If I do get it done, it's not my best effort. I don't need everything going my way in order for me to succeed. If things get rough, I just try all that much harder. I am a very driven person when I want to be, and when I chose which goals I want to succeed in, they more often than not get accomplished, all because of my drive.
4. Why do you fail? I fail because I am not driven and I lose focus. If I get distracted, I chose between ignoring that distraction or giving my undivided attention to it, and when I chose the second one, I fail. I see failing as not achieving a goal you set for yourself. Sometimes, I'm just not capable of succeeding at things. I wanted to be a Dental Hygienist at a point in my college career, and I was so driven, maybe more driven than I had ever been in any other class. I took my prerequisites: chemistry, communications, sociology, and microbiology, and earned a C+ in everything except microbiology: my first F. I tried so hard and failed, because the goal I had set for myself was at least a B- in every class. I took microbiology again and got a C+. This time, I succeeded (in my eyes) because my goal was to not fail again. I decided that Dental Hygiene wasn't for me after all, and teaching was much more rewarding in the long run.
5. How do you need to change your motivations and mindset for this class in order to become a great teacher? In order to become a great teacher, I need to set realistic goals for myself. I need to understand that, for this class, I am learning how to become a great teacher. I need to focus on learning in order for my studnets to benefit from my teaching. If I don't focus on learning in this class, I will have missed out on a huge part of how to be a great teacher.