Atheoryofteachingisasetofinterrelatedconstructs,definitions,propositionswhichpresent

asystematicviewofteachingbyspecifyingrelationsamongvariableswiththepurposeof
explainingandpredicting.(Sharma,1965)Teachershavebeenpracticingdifferentteaching
theoriesintheircareer.Mostofthetime,instructionisbeingplannedwithoutmuchreflection
onanyspecificteachingtheory.Inthiscourse,wehavestudiedavarietyoftheoriesabout
studentmotivationandhowstudentsprocessinformation.Someresearchesareinfluencedor
evolvedfromotherstheoriesandtheyoftensupporteachotherfromdifferentpointofview.
ThroughanoldlessonplanofminewhenIwasdoingmypracticum,Iamgoingtoanalyseit
withfourdifferenttheoriesandexplainthechangesImadeontheupdatedversion.

Behaviourismfocusesonexternalbehaviourachievementthroughalargeamountof
repetitionofdesiredactions,therewardofgoodhabitsandthediscouragementofbadhabits.
Mostteachersareapplyingbehaviourismontheirstudentswithoutmuchthinkinginvolved.
Lookingbackatmylessonplan,itseemsthatmostactivitiesfallsunderbehaviourism.Idid
mypracticuminasemesterschoolwherewehavelongclasseswithabreakinbetween.The
lessonstartsoffwith2warmupactivitiesfocusedonstudentbehaviourbecausemysponsor
teacherputsagreatemphasisonclassroommanagementteachersexpectationsand
classroomenvironmentfacilitatestudentlearning.Relaxationactivitygiveslearnersachance
tocalmdownandgetoverwhathappenedpreviously.TheSOLARactivityisdesignedto
graspstudentsattentionwhenneededwithaconditionedstimulus,suchasawhistleora
bell.Studentsenjoyedtheactivitybecausetheyseeitasagamethatweplayonceinawhile
inclassaccompaniedbypositiveverbalreinforcement.Teacherbenefitsfromnothavingto
wastetimeandraisethevoicetograsplearnersattention.Thelessonisfollowedbyaseries
ofreviewpagesandgoingoverthehomework,whichdoesntreallytiewithbehaviourism
exceptsomeverbalorfacialexpressiontypeofpositivereinforcement.Ihavedecidedto
movetheunittestandthemovietothefollowingclassinordertogivethemachanceto
interactwitheachother.Thischangesupportsconstructivism.

Constructivismlaysemphasisonthenotionofindividualsconstructingtheirown
knowledgeinanactivewaybyinteractingwiththeenvironment.Opposedtothememorization
offacts,thisapproachstressesondeepunderstanding,reflectionandapplication.Thelaptop
overviewactivityallowsthelearnertolearnbyhandsonexperimentationwiththeknowledge
theyhaveacquiredearlier.Eachcorrectanswerstudentsgetconfirmstheirunderstanding
andbooststheirconfidence.Whentheygetanincorrectanswer,theactivitywillgivethem
unlimitedchancesuntiltherightanswerisselectedanditexplainswhysuchanansweris
correct.Studentsgainedknowledgebyexperimentingratherthanmemorizing.Therestofthe
lessondoesntreflectconstructivismbecausethereisverylimitedopportunityforpeer
interactiontotakeplace.Sointheupdatedversion,Iaddedthreemoreactivities.Thefirst
oneispairandshare.Studentsareaskedtoshare2thingstheydidntknowbefore
completingthelaptoplessonoverviewactivity.Theywillthenasktheirpartnerquestionsthat
theymightstillhaveonreflexiveverb.Asaclass,wewillsumupwhattheyhavesharedand
clarifyconcepts.Thesecondactivityisaprojectwhereascenarioisprovidedandstudents
needtoactivelybuildtheirknowledgearounditbycarryingoutaconversationwithapartner.

Asampleconversationisprovidedtogivethemanideaofwhatisexpected.Thispeer
interactionfostersreflections,andreflectionunderstanding,andunderstandingreflection.
Learnerslearnbetterbyhavingtoapplyalreadyacquiredknowledgeinapossibledaily
conversation.ThelastactivityIhaveaddedistheirhomeworkwheretheyneedtofindan
articlethathasatleast2reflexiveverbsinit.IwillprovidethemFrenchwebsitessuitablefor
theirleveloflanguagecompetency.Thisassignmenthelpsstudentsconnecttheirknowledge
withrealworldandfacilitatestheirowncreationofknowledge.Constructivismtheoryshapes
mylessonplanningquiteabitbecauseitbringsteachingandlearningtothenextlevel.It
neveroccurredtomethatfactsaremadebyusandbyourwayofexperienceratherthan
givenbyanindependentlyobjectiveworld.

Cognitiveneurosciencefocusesonthementalprocessinvolvedinthinkingand
remembering,aswellasthecognitiveandemotionaldevelopment.Occipitallobeisfor
perceivingtheword,parietallobeforholdingattention,frontallobeforshorttermmemoryand
temporallobegeneratessoundsofeachwordinyourhead.Eachcortexworkstogetherto
carryouthigherorderfunction.Itiseasiertorememberinformationwhenitispresentedina
multimodalformat.Researchalsoshowsthatreadingisveryimportantforlearnerscognitive
developmentinawiderangeofskillsapartfromreadingskills.Therefore,thetraditional
teachingmethodofreadingcomprehensionisindeedinevitableinlearning.Insum,
neurosciencereassurethatalltypesofteachingapproacharevaluableaslongasthereisa
variety.Myinitiallessonplanhadsomevariety,butlackspeerinteraction.Kinaesthetic
learnersmightneedmorevarietiestokeepthemfocused,especiallyinalongclasssession.
Theupdatedversionofthelessonplanhasastrongerweightonreviewingthecontentin
differentformat.Itprepareslearnersbetterfortheunittesttocomeintheclasstofollow.

WhatreallytriggersmyinterestincognitiveneuroscienceisDr.Willisperspectiveonplanning
instructionusingthevideogamemodel:Challengeisapowerfulmotivatorwhenstudents
takeontaskstheyfindmeaningfuland,throughtheireffortsandperseverance,succeed.
(Willis,2011)SimilartoWillisvideogamemodel,thelaptoplessonoverviewactivityIhave
createdisdesignedtosuitlearnersbackgroundknowledgeandabilities.Theyaretoremain
motivatedtopersevereandbuildmasteroffoundationalknowledge.(Willis,2011)The
overviewactivityhasdifferentbarstoreach.Everystudentisatadifferentlevel.Soevery
timetheyreachabar,theirachievementisbeingrecognizedalthoughitmightnotmeanbeing
thetoponesinclass.Itisbeneficialtolearnerswhentheirachievementareconfidentialand
awayfromanycomparison.Cognitiveneurosciencetheoryhasaclosetiewithinformation
processingtheorybecausetheybothcoverhumanmemoryinlearning.

Informationprocessingtheoryisbasedontheideathathumansprocessthe
informationtheyreceive,ratherthanmerelyrespondingtostimuli.(Wikipedia,2012)
Althoughthisapproachisintheoppositespectrumfrombehaviourismtheory,Icanstillsee
themworkingsidebyside.Withbehaviourismapproach,Icanobtaindesirablestudent
behaviour,whichhelpswithclassroommanagement.Byknowingandacceptingwhatis
expectedoutofthem,studentswillcomeinclassreadytolearn.Thisiswheninformation

processingkicksin.Throughthesensoryregistryofhearingandseeing,informationwillstay
inshorttermmemory.Oncethelearnersgetachancetopracticeandrepeatthecontentin
differentways,suchaslectures,notestaking,makingimageryconnectionfrommeaningto
word,selfevaluationandselfplanning,theinformationwillmovefromshorttermmemoryto
longtermmemory.Mylessonplanisaperfectexampleofreviewingthecontentwithdrills
fromtextbookpages,bygoingoverthehomework,byexploringthelaptoplessonoverview
activityandbypracticingitinareallifescenario.Informationprocessingindeedequatesthe
mindtoacomputerbyanalyzinginformationfromtheenvironment.

*stillmissingconclusion...