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.