Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner: 

When a particular Stimulus-Response (S-R) pattern is reinforced (rewarded), the individual is conditioned to respond. Reinforcement is the key element in Skinner's S-R theory. A reinforcer is anything that strengthens the desired response.

Stimulus - Response

• positive reinforcement
• positive punishment
• negative reinforcement
• negative punishment

Generalization: having a similar response to a similar stimulus
ex. continuing good behavior outside of class

Exceptional Learners?

I.E.P (individualized education plan)
- these IEP's allow each student to be taught to their specific needs
- this gives teachers a way to attend to each students needs, making their learning experience the best possible

Inclusive Education: the teaching of all students together
- I believe that inclusive education may be a good thing for the future of schooling but it does come with consequences: Students that need extra care and help in the classroom may not work well with children who are developing at a normal rate. They sometimes need specific attention and when they are placed in a class with everyone else it is hard for the teacher to provide the child with what they need specifically.
- Students with individual learning needs require some form of support or specialized program, this can be hard to do in classrooms with a large number of students
- Our class room systems should be fair. Fairness means that everyone gets what he or she needs, this does not mean that everyone gets the same things.

Video: How difficult can this be? (FAT city workshop)
F.A.T - Frustration, Anxiety, Tension

Oral Expression: Dysnomia (word finding problem)
- cognitive = one thing at a time
- associative = two or more things at a time
For a child with Dysnomia speaking is a cognitive activity

Auditory and Visual Capabilities
- some kids understand once something is read to them
As a teacher you have to be aware of the ways students learn best and form your teaching strategies around them.

Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.)

IQ (formula): IQ = MA/CA x 100 (mental age/chronological age)

Myths:  - belief that a person's IQ will be constant as they develop
              - belief that IQ is the only important thing we need to know about children

Question: What do you think about the IQ testing of children?

I do not agree with the IQ testing of children. Because our IQ changes as we age and develop it is not fair for a child to have their IQ tested while they are still growing. If a child receives a low score on their IQ test, they would be treated differently than the average student. This is wrong because the child may just be developing slower than other children his or her own age.  

Video: Digital Nation

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/?utm_campaign=homepage&utm_medium=proglist&utm_source=proglist

Multitasking is dumbing down the human race. When we multi-task it takes our focus back and forth between tasks and we never place our focus on one thing. There are so many distractions these days such as: Facebook, Texting, Google (search engines), Ipods, etc. I think that these distractions have good and bad consequences. 

Bad: distracts us from daily tasks like driving (can be cause of accidents), school (resulting in less studying and a drop in class marks), and work (motivation & production). These electronics are making us very anti-social with the rest of society, instead of talking and hanging out with each other we sit at our own homes and text back and forth, reducing social contact. 

Good: connects us to people all across the world, provides us with quick access to information, gives us instant responses from family and friends, etc. 

Todays generations are "hooked on tronics" !

This Song by Paul Brandt is a different look at how electronics and technology has impacted our lives.

Kohlberg

Levels and Stages of Moral Development

1. Preconventional
   - punishment
   - hedonism (get things that we like)
2. Conventional
   - nice boy/nice girl
   - law and order
3. Postconventional: process of internalization is complete
   - social contract (occurs quite rarely)
   - universal ethical (occurs practically never)

Heinz Dilemma

Heinz wife is dying. One special drug, discovered by a local druggist, might save her, but the druggist is selling it at an exorbitant price. So Heinz, after failing to borrow the money he needs, pleads with the druggist to sell the drug cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist refuses. Should Heinz steal the drug for his wide? Why?


I believe that Heinz should consider all of the consequences, good and bad, before he makes a concrete decision.


BAD: 

• he could do jail time for stealing the drug
• he could be issued a large fine, which would set him back more than he is now
• if he steals the drug, there is a chance that it will not cure his wife. Then the robbery would have been for nothing.

GOOD: 

• if Heinz steals the drug, it could cure his wife (but he could go to jail because of the robbery and not be able to spend time with his wife when she gets better.)

Simon Sinek

How Great Leaders Inspire Action 
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

"Think, Act, Communicate"
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

• Inspired people think from the inside - out (why, how, what)
• Everyone else thinks from the outside - in (what, how, why)

"There are leaders, then there are those who lead."