R3

Question: What strategies are helpful in sustaining attention for individuals who are “naturally scatter-brained”?

Quotation: “Let your pupil wander from one aspect to another of your subject, if you do not wish him to wander from it altogether to something else, variety in unity being the secret of all interesting talk and thought” (James, 1899, p. 56).

Connection: As any good school psychologist, James’ chapter on attention naturally led me to think of students with attention disabilities and the various strategies that we use to aid in their learning.  We are taught a multitude of methods to use when working with these students and many of these strategies align with the advice provided by James over 100 years ago.  These strategies could include using classroom activities that are stimulating across several senses (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile), providing frequent breaks that include physical movement, quick transitions, lessons that are kept abbreviated so as to allow time for review, etc. (Shinn, Walker, & Stoner, 2002).  Strategies such as these often help to give students with attention difficulties the opportunity to both stay on task as well as review material that they may have missed by providing frequent shifts in attention whether it is through a different sensory modality, different topic, or different class format.  By allowing our mind natural alterations in the focus of attention, we are therefore allowing it to wander in a productive manner. 

Outside Connection: The same can be said of all learners in general.  As James said, we do not attend to material “without effort”.  Last year I attended an orientation for new teaching assistants at the university.  We learned a lot about the process of teaching, grading criteria, etc., but one lesson that stuck out in my mind was the idea that for every 15 minutes of instruction provided you should allow 5 minutes of review for the most optimal retention of subject matter.  The presenters provided us with some heavy statistics on why this occurs and even gave a mini-lesson on the topic, however, this week’s readings on attention reminded me of this lesson and provided further evidence of James’ point of allowing attention to wander as it naturally does.  Although I have no personal experience of teaching, I do know what it is like to be a student and I know that I appreciate the opportunity to review and test my knowledge of the material.  This also relates to the New York Times article that was provided to us last week in class of the importance of the retrieval of information to our later retention of that content.  Our minds tend to wander, and therefore effective instructors incorporate this knowledge into the structure of the lesson so as to aid in making our shifts in attention relevant to the content we are learning.

References

Shinn, M. A., Walker, H. M., Stoner, G. (2002). Interventions for Academic and Behavior Problems II: Preventative and Remedial Approaches. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologist

R2

Question: What are the important components in forming lasting associations in student’s minds?

Quote: “In working associations into your pupil’s minds, you must not rely on single cues, but multiply the cues as much as possible.  Couple the desired reaction with numerous constellations of antecedents,-don’t always ask the question, for example, in the same way; don’t use the same kind of data in numerical problems; vary your illustrations, etc., as much as you can” (James, 1899, p. 44). 

Connection: The above question addresses a concern of all educators who aim to form lasting impressions on their students that will provide them with information that will follow them into their future lives and careers.  William James’ chapter on forming associations provides important information about how teachers may best provide new content or knowledge to their students with the most optimal chance of producing lasting understanding.  Specifically, the passage provided above suggests that multiple modalities of instruction and assessment provide the best environment for lasting associations.  This passage related to my profession of school psychology by illustrating a point we use when deciding on accommodations and related services for students with disabilities.  For example, you rarely see a single accommodation listed to aid a student towards a certain goal on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).  There is often a plethora of accommodations listed that include various modalities of service delivery, including cue cards, one-on-one instruction, group work, peer tutoring, the use of technological aids, computer time, etc.  These examples of accommodations to instruction ensure that James' point of “multiple cues” and “numerous constellations of antecedents” are available to potentially struggling learners.  His point, however, encompasses not only special education but all learners in general. 

Outside Connection: James’ assertion concerning the necessity of utilizing multiple methods in instruction to increase the likelihood of forming lasting impressions also resonates in the domain of general education teachers, an area that I am less familiar with.  Fortunately, my husband is a High School science teacher and I am able to discuss some of these matters with him.  In discussing the reading with him, I learned that while it is easier in some subjects than others, incorporating multiple modalities of instruction into daily lesson plans is a necessary and often enjoyable process of teaching.  For example, his science class includes frequent changes in the modality of providing instruction to include both variety and student input into the classroom environment.  This could include labs, incorporation of technology including video, demonstrations, different forms of assessment (e.g., in the form of papers, tests or quizzes, group work, and lab work), group work, peer reviews of work, etc.  From my husband’s experiences, these teaching methods encourage more student engagement and greater understanding of the content material.  Based on this information, it can be assumed that by increasing our effort in varying the modality of instruction, we create the best possible chance for students to have lasting associations surrounding the material.

Reading Response #1

R1

Question: Is knowledge and awareness of psychological constructs and theories of learning enough to be an effective instructor?

Quotation: “Psychology is a science, and teaching is an art; and sciences never generate arts directly out of themselves. An intermediary inventive mind must make the application, by using its originality” (James, 1899, p. 3). 

Connection: The assigned readings for this week introduced me to the works of William James and provided me with multiple insights into learning and the application of psychology to the field of teaching.  There were multiple components of his writing that I found myself agreeing with.  Specifically, James’s reflections on the difference between the science of psychology and the art of teaching provoked increasing thought surrounding my prior understanding of applying psychology to the practice of teaching.  Encompassed in the statement provided above is the importance of understanding that while psychology can provide us with certain techniques or approaches that may be beneficial in the classroom, it is the skill and creativity of the instructor that dictates the success of the student.  This point is related to my own instruction and experiences in interacting successfully with teachers as a school psychology student.  For example, in consultative interactions with teachers in the school system, school psychologists are encouraged to value teachers’ viewpoints and experiences when providing them with relevant services and advice.  It was also important to take time to allow teachers to explore their own resources and knowledge base (Kampwirth, 2006).  When working with teachers, I believe James would suggest that a psychologist with a valuable knowledge base concerning techniques and approaches to learning should disseminate this information to teachers in a manner that recognizes the importance of the teacher’s experience and ability to creatively engage students.  Personal experience in this area has demonstrated that teachers are receptive and appreciative when the value of their experiences is acknowledged.

Outside Connection: The points made previously highlight the limits of my own knowledge in the field of teaching and the importance of working collaboratively with educators to provide the most positive outcomes possible for the students we are working for.  Teachers have a plethora of knowledge of which I have limited experience, and therefore could benefit from engaging in collaborative discourse.  The aforementioned topics highlight the importance of teacher experiences and knowledge.  Considering this, the question is raised whether knowledge of certain psychological principles related to learning is enough to provide successful instruction.  James states, “To know psychology, therefore, is absolutely no guarantee that we shall be good teachers” (p. 3) and that psychology cannot provide all the answers to teachers who must also have “ingenuity” as a constant tool to aid in the learning of their pupils.  This “ingenuity” is often developed from the first-hand experiences of teachers and relates back to the idea presented by Kampwirth (2006) suggesting that educators have a significant amount of knowledge from their own experiences and past observations made from interactions with their students.  Therefore, effective instructors recognize that teaching is an art form that develops from practical experience with students using creative methods to promote learning and often parallels psychological constructs.

References

Kampwirth, T. J. (2006). Collaborative consultation in the schools: Effective practices for students with learning and behavior problems (3^rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.