Early Childhood: “Fire Safety” Elementary School: “Project Night” Middle School: “Frogs”
High
School:
“The Substitute”
Module 6: The Brain and Development
Outline
and Learning Goals 102 The Relevance of Brain Research 103 Physiology
of the Brain 105 Applications for the Classroom 111 Summary 115 Key
Concepts 115 Case Studies: Reflect and Evaluate 116
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Module 7: Cognitive Development
Outline and Learning Goals 118 Constructivist Theories of Cognitive
Development 119 Issues in Cognitive Development:
Piaget and Vygotsky 125 Applications: Principles for Effective
Teaching 128 Summary 130 Key Concepts 130 Case Studies: Reflect and Evaluate 131
Module 8: Language Development
Outline and Learning Goals 133 Understanding Language
Acquisition 134 Development of Language Skills 136 Applications: Encouraging Language
Development
in the Classroom 144 Summary 147 Key Concepts 147 Case Studies:
Reflect and Evaluate 148
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94
As you read the case, make notes:
1. WHO are the primary participants in the case? Describe them.
2. WHAT is taking place?
3.
WHERE
is
the case taking place? Is the environment a factor?
4.
WHEN
is
the case taking place? Is the timing a factor?
It’s Fire Safety Week at Rolling Hills Preschool, a half-day preschool in the small suburban town of Westview. Mrs. Grace Palmer, the head teacher for nearly 20 years, is supervising Angela Hodan, a student teacher from a university in a neighboring city. Angela begins today’s activities by explaining emergency situations for dialing 9-1-1 and having children practice how to dial 9-1-1 on pretend phones. She also has the children recite basic safety information, such as their first and last names, address, phone number, and parents’ names. The children trace the digits of their phone numbers on giant flash-cards that Angela prepared to help them recite their phone numbers, and then they color and decorate them.
“I’m going to pick pink first,” says Michala. “I’m trying to stay in the lines.”
“I
like purple best,” says her best friend, Brianna. “You know, my
dad’s a firefighter. He’s coming to visit our school tomorrow.”
As Angela listens to the chatter and observes the coloring, she feels satisfied that things seem to be going smoothly.
On Tuesday morning, the preschool classroom is buzzing with excitement because the children are expecting a visit from the Westview Volunteer Fire Department. After snack time, Angela announces, “Boys and girls, please find a spot on the carpet. We’re going to read a story about fire safety while we wait for the firefighters to arrive.”
Brianna and her best friend, Michala, rush to sit on the letter M on the alphabet rug, the coveted spot opposite the teacher. The girls begin pushing and shoving as each tries to occupy the letter M space. “I was here first!” Michala shouts.
“No you weren’t!” Brianna responds.
“Well, M is for Michala, so I can sit here!” Michala yells, almost in tears.
Angela asks the girls to apologize to each other and suggests that they sit on two different letters today, F for firefighter, and D for dragon, the main character in the story they are about to read. Brianna and Michala are happy that they can sit next to each other, because no one has chosen to sit on the E. Angela eagerly announces, “I need all of you to put on your listening ears for our story.” Once the children have settled down, Angela sits in a tiny chair at the center of the carpet and begins to read No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids, a rhyming book about a dragon who starts a fire at a girls’ tea party. As Angela finishes the story, distant sirens grow louder and louder. “The firefighters are here!” some of the children shriek, wriggling with excitement. Angela leads them outside for a tour of the fire truck.
Back inside, the children take their seats while firefighters Dan and Tracy, in full gear, demonstrate what to do and what not to do in a fire situation. “If you hear a smoke alarm when you’re in bed, should you hide under your covers?” Dan asks.
“Oooh! Oooh! I know,” says Brenden. “You don’t hide in your bed. The dragon in our story hided under a rug when he started a fire. That was bad.”
“Right,
that’s not safe. You never hide in the house if there’s a fire.
You get out!” replies Tracy. The firefighters continue to
demonstrate safety tips, such as feeling a door for heat before
opening it, crawling low under smoke, and stop-drop-and-roll, with
each child practicing in turn. When the firefighters leave,
everyone receives a shiny, red fire hat as
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a reward for learning the safety rules. The children eagerly line up to go outside. They can’t wait to play firefighters on the playground!
In the last half-hour of preschool, Angela reviews what they learned from the firefighters. “Who can tell me what we do if our clothes catch fire?” Several children happily drop to the floor and begin rolling around. “Okay, I see you remember stop-drop-and-roll. Now, what number do we call in a fire emergency?” Angela asks.
“9-1-1!!” they all shout.
“And where do we call 9-1-1?” she asks. The children look confused. “Where did the mommy in the story call 9-1-1? From her house?” asks Angela.
Raising her hand, Dominique answers, “She ran to her neighbor’s house.”
“That’s right. She went to a safe place to make the phone call,” Angela responds. “We need to give our address when we call 9-1-1 so the firefighters know where the fire is. Aakshi, can you tell me where you live?”
“Two-two . . . uhhm . . .” Aakshi pauses.
“2249 Hunter’s . . .” Angela hints.
“2249 Hunter’s Ridge Road,” Aakshi replies. The children all have a turn at recalling their addresses and phone numbers.
After the children leave, Grace and Angela discuss how the fire safety lessons are going. Grace listens as Angela describes what she thinks was effective and what wasn’t working. Together they identify what needs to be changed and come up with some modifications of the lessons for the rest of the week. They agree to meet at the end of each day to evaluate the children’s learning and Angela’s teaching.
1. Would you consider Rolling Hills Preschool a stimulating environment for four-year-olds? Why or why not?
32. In your opinion, are the lessons that Angela prepared appropriate for preschool children? Why or why not?
3. Based on your knowledge of preschool-age children, describe their language skills. Can you find examples of preschool language skills in the case?
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96
As you read the case, make notes:
1. WHO are the primary participants in the case? Describe them.
2. WHAT is taking place?
3.
WHERE
is
the case taking place? Is the environment a factor?
4.
WHEN
is
the case taking place? Is the timing a factor?
AI n March, students in Mr. Carlos Morales’s fifth-grade class begin a project-based unit in social studies. They choose a topic for their project based on any of the social studies units they have completed during the school year. Carlos has provided them with a long list of topics from five areas: Native Americans, explorers, colonial America, forming a government, and the westward movement. The students begin by conducting research in the school’s media center with the help of Linda Porter, the library media specialist, who taught them to find information on their topics using encyclopedias and Internet searches. Carlos knows that his students need to develop and practice these important research skills.
After students have compiled and read information they collected on their chosen topics, Carlos forms “research evaluation teams” to help students learn to identify important information and evaluate their sources. In research teams, each student has an opportunity to explain to the others what information they think they should include in their projects and why it is important. To help team members evaluate the presenter’s ideas, Carlos gives them question starters:
n “Can you make your point clearer?”
n “An even better idea is . . . .”
n “I’d like to know more about . . . .”
Carlos likes using this procedure. It helps improve the quality of the projects by giving students practice at evaluating their own and others’ thinking. The question starters also have been especially helpful for the bilingual students who are not as fluent in English. Carlos monitors students’ progress in the research teams and assists when needed. Research teams continue for several weeks, until everyone has had a turn to present his or her project resources.
Students then meet individually with Carlos to pick a project design. They have many choices, including:
n writing a skit,
n writing a poem,
n creating a painting or sculpture,
n developing storybooks,
n developing a board game,
n writing songs to illustrate an era, and
n writing a newspaper article or a letter from the perspective of a historical figure.
Carlos thinks that the range of options will allow right-brained and left-brained students alike to use their strengths. He has arranged some time each week for students to work on their projects at school, and he has provided as many supplies as possible to sup-
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port their projects (paints, clay, wardrobe items). Because his students come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, he wants every child to have an equal opportunity for success.
Project Night has finally arrived, and it’s as much fun for Carlos as it is for his students. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to show off their class projects to students in other grades, teachers, and parents. Carlos enjoys viewing the projects of students in other grades, conversing with his students’ parents, and beaming over the success of all his students. As Project Night winds down, Carlos announces to his students, “Class, I want to congratulate you all on your hard work and achievement. Give yourselves a pat on the back.” Parents and children clap enthusiastically. “Make sure you enjoy some refreshments— you’ve earned it. Thanks everyone, and have a good evening.”
Later that evening, Carlos reviews the project self-evaluations students turned in before they left.
“I liked that we got to choose a project. So I picked something that interested me.”—Ahmad
“My favorite subject is art. So I liked this project because I got to make something to show what I learned. I was happy I didn’t have to take a test. I always do bad on multiple choice. Thanks, Mr. Morales.”—Isaac (student with a learning disability)
“Working in the research teams was fun and helped me think more about what I wanted to do for a project. Doing projects is better than tests. I don’t like memorizing a lot of facts.”—Leah
“I learned a lot. The research was hard and it took a long time to read. But I had fun in the media center and in the research teams. It would be more fun to do group projects.”—Sonia (a Spanish-English bilingual student)
Carlos
is surprised that many students made comments like Sonia’s about
wanting to work in groups. He is also disturbed that not much
self-reflection is evident in the self-evaluations. But, as always,
his students’ comments give him much food for thought about how to
improve the project unit next year.
1. Was Carlos correct in assuming that students are right-brained or left-brained? Is your response opinion, speculation, or based on some source, such as a course, a textbook, or a news report?
2. In your opinion, is the lack of reflection in the students’ self-evaluations typical of fifth graders? Why or why not?
3. Based on the students’ comments, are their language skills typical of fifth graders? Why or why not?
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98
As you read the case, make notes:
1. WHO are the primary participants in the case? Describe them.
2. WHAT is taking place?
3.
WHERE
is
the case taking place? Is the environment a factor?
4.
WHEN
is
the case taking place? Is the timing a factor?
As the second-period bell rings Monday morning at Exeter Middle School, eighth-grade students begin filing into their science labs. This morning in Ms. Morgan Thesdale’s biology lab, students will be dissecting frogs. Dissection is a new addition to the district’s curriculum, and Morgan, who taught tenth-grade biology for three years, is eager to try dissection with middle school students. She’s sure the students will enjoy the hands-on format.
After
students take their seats, Morgan briefly covers laboratory
procedures, han dling and storing the frogs, and the lab’s
objectives. She reminds students that one objective is to
compare the frog’s body systems to those of humans and
discuss the similarities and differences between frogs and humans.
She then divides students into six groups of three. Students will
take different roles: cutting and probing, drawing the frog’s
body systems, and taking lab notes on their discussions.
During
the lab, Morgan walks around the room to monitor the groups and join in their discussions.
Alanna, Yumi, and Keon have already made their first incision, have sketched the diagram of their dissection, and are discussing what they saw as Yumi took notes. Morgan stops to compliment their progress. Then she walks toward Haley, Kyla, and Erin, who are not as far along. “Kyla, like I heard Robert asked you out. Is that true?” Haley asks as Erin tries to draw the frog diagram and listen at the same time.
“Yeah, but my parents won’t let me go out on a date yet. So we’re going bowling this weekend like with a bunch of us. You wanna . . .” Kyla says, as Morgan interrupts.
“Ladies, I’m not sure how this relates to biology. Keep your conversations on the frog, please,” Morgan warns.
Morgan notices that Jay, Tyler, and Vincent are also talking. But they insist that they are already finished. However, when Morgan asks them questions about the frog’s digestive organs, it is clear that they have not done much discussing at all. Jay, who is outgoing and a natural-born leader, did the cutting, while Vincent sketched and Tyler took notes. Tyler, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and has a language delay, receives special education accommodations such as extended time tests and notetakers. Morgan is perturbed at the boys for assigning Tyler to a note-taking role, for speeding through the lab assignment without any discussion or collaboration, and for not taking Tyler under their wing. Morgan finishes making her way around the room and tries to initiate and support students’ discussions in the rest of the groups—she realizes that the students need a lot more assistance with the comparing and contrasting than she originally thought.
On Friday, students take a lab exam. They rotate through several stations set up in the classroom showing frogs at different stages of dissection. Students identify organs, indicated by tags, by filling in the diagrams on their exam sheets.
The following Friday, after the class finishes the unit on body systems, students take a written exam that includes questions about some of the same items from the lab exam, as well as multiple-choice and essay questions.
On Monday Morgan hands back the lab and the written exams. “Class, the good news is that everyone did pretty well on the lab exam. However, I’m very disappointed in the results of the written exam. Many of you did fine on the lab questions and multiple-choice
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questions. But I was disappointed by many of your essay responses. I expected to see a lot more explanation to show me that you were thinking, but I saw a lot of regurgitation of facts.”
“But Morgan, I studied a lot,” says Keon. “I can even show you my flashcards.”
“Yeah, Morgan, some of us studied together. We quizzed each other on the definitions in the notes and the textbook,” Haley chimes in, as Erin, Kyla, and others nod.
Vincent raises his hand and comments, “Your test questions are tricky. I mean . . . the multiple-choice questions are not exactly like the definitions in the book.”
“I’m not sure I even understood some of the questions!” Alanna adds. “I mean, you know, what does exemplify mean, anyway, and I don’t know how to even compare the former with the latter.”
Morgan
and the students continue to discuss study techniques. She is glad
she took the time to discuss this important issue. But she knows
inside that in order to get students to learn material in a
meaningful way, she has to make changes in her teaching as well.
1. In your opinion, what role—if any—should knowledge of adolescent brain development play in teacher planning of curricula and teaching methods?
2. Should Morgan have the same expectations for teaching biology in middle school and in high school? Why or why not?
3. How would you describe the language skills of the middle school students in this case?
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100
As you read the case, make notes:
1. WHO are the primary participants in the case? Describe them.
2. WHAT is taking place?
3.
WHERE
is
the case taking place? Is the environment a factor?
4.
WHEN
is
the case taking place? Is the timing a factor?
As the fi rst-period bell rings Monday morning, a hush falls over Mr. Reddy’s British literature class as a young man in his 20s walks through the classroom door. A new substitute teacher! Mr. Reddy was to return to work after a recent surgery, but due to complications he would be on medical leave for the remainder of the semester. Mr. Jake Matthews has been hired as a long-term substitute. “Good morning class. I’m Mr. Matthews. I’ll be taking over Mr. Reddy’s classes while he’s on medical leave. I understand you’re reading A Tale of Two Cities, one of my favorite novels,” he says. Mr. Matthews, a newly certified secondary education teacher, exudes confidence and energy. The students definitely are not used to someone so young and vibrant.
Mr. Reddy is predictable and—well, boring. He assigns his junior class chapters of the book to read, they come to class, and he lectures for most of the 50-minute class about the progression of the plot or about Dickens’s life while he was writing the novel. The students take notes and study for exams on the books they are reading.
But this morning Mr. Matthews stands in front of the class, leaning against the teach-er’s desk. The students all look at Mr. Matthews and then at each other, not sure what to expect. They are eager for a change of pace from Mr. Reddy’s usual routine.
“Where did you leave off?” Mr. Matthews asks the class. Maya raises her hand sheepishly.
“The Jackal . . . page 89. That’s where we are,” she says.
“Great. Let’s start by recapping where we are in the novel. Who wants to start off? You, sir, in the yellow shirt next to the window, what’s your name?”
“Dylan,” the boy says.
“Dylan, what’s been happening in the plot?” asks Mr. Matthews. Dylan looks back at Mr. Matthews with a blank stare. He hasn’t kept up with the reading and has fallen asleep in class several times. Dylan comes from a single-parent home and his mother works the late shift. Recently, he has been hanging out late at night with older adolescents, some of whom have dropped out of school. Rumor has it that he has started drinking and smoking. So he easily falls asleep at 8:00 A.M., especially when Mr. Reddy drones on.
“Who can help him out?” Mr. Matthews asks.
“We’re not sure,” says Collin, the outgoing junior class vice president. “Mr. Reddy doesn’t really ask us any questions. We just listen to him and take notes.”
“Hmmm,” Mr. Matthews replies pensively. “Well, we’re not going to do that. I know this is a challenging story with some archaic language. But the only way to understand it is to jump into it with two feet and enjoy it. Let’s start by discussing the historical backdrop for the novel.” Mr. Matthews is a history buff and is eager to begin by telling the students about the late 1700s in London.
“Excuse me, Mr. Matthews. Should we be taking notes? I mean . . . will this be on the test?” asks Felicia. Felicia has always been extremely anxious about taking tests and doing well.
“Don’t worry about any tests for now. What’s more important right now is that you listen and get a feel for the setting,” replies Mr. Matthews.
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The students sit on the edge of their seats, hanging onto Mr. Matthews’s every word. He has a way of lecturing that is more like campfire storytelling. Even Dylan is staying awake.
As the bell rings for next period, Mr. Matthews announces, “Be sure you finish reading the next chapter for tomorrow. I have a special activity planned.”
The next day, as students take their seats, wondering what Mr. Matthews has in store for them, he begins passing out booklets. Is this a quiz? they wonder.
“Okay, everyone, these are scripts I prepared for today’s class,” Mr. Matthews announces. “Don’t worry. You will all get a turn acting in a skit before we’ve finished the novel. For today, I’d like some volunteers. Who wants to be first?”
Jody, Mason, and Demeri raise their hands. Demeri, a bilingual student who recently transferred to this school, for the first time feels comfortable participating. Because the school does not have a separate bilingual program, Demeri was placed in British literature without any bilingual supports, even though his English reading skills are two grade levels below those of his peers.
“Great! An eager bunch!” Mr. Matthews says. “Now, the rest of you can follow along in your scripts.” The students begin the skit as the rest of the class watches attentively. Mr. Matthews can tell they are enjoying themselves.
After the skit, Mr. Matthews arranges students in groups of four and hands out a sheet of guided questions, including these:
n Place yourself in the scene of the novel you acted out today.
n How do you feel—what are your thoughts, your reactions?
n How do you think the characters felt?
n What do you think will happen next? Why?
Mr.
Matthews instructs, “I want you to first answer the questions by
yourselves. Write down your responses in your notebooks. These won’t
be collected. They’re only for your reference. Once each member of
your group is done, discuss your points of view in your groups for
about 15 minutes. You may take notes if you want.” The students
immediately begin writing. Soon the room is filled with noise.
1. Imagine that you are a new high school teacher like Mr. Matthews. What might you want to know about the brain and its development in adolescence? Think of some specific questions you might have.
2. In your opinion, is British literature developmentally appropriate for juniors in high school? What about freshmen?
3. What aspects of language development should a high school teacher be
concerned about?
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