week 8 Pschology mathe class notes

theory is not really important but why we learn it.......
how does it relate to us
thri is not important unless it is useful to us

final exam.....
4 questions..12..12..12..14..answer all.....1-3 ab.....4abc

t greet st b4 start....
share recent things with st.....
create some relationship...
help dr shahul wife is going to be well soon...

the topic is relevant.....how to u make it relavant to
them.....connect of their daily life....
IPT....input.....see, hear, smell, touch,......sight n hearing use
most.....therefor we must adjust our teaching so that we use it the
most n safe....ok.....

bila buat presentation.....must link so that ppl is interested...

constructivism...u construct knowledge wat u already know n new knowledge....
if u not have enuf knowledge, might construct knowledge not
right......might want to test and improve....

shud convince friend that we must noe it now....

children construct knowledge....dun have to tell children how to play....
just give them the toy n observe.....they will be able to
play....though maybe they make a few mistake...
but they will realize....

kita main====explore...

learning can take place anytime....
but active.....st do something....& learn

t just guide....
bcs first st will not learn about it.....we have a time constraint

ex.....give 2 groups same article...when present.... different ideas
and approaches come in.....as long as what they say make sense....this
is what constructivism matter

i would say not all the constructivism is useful in all cases, we need to modify it to fit to our class.....

put st into groups, the more ppl, the more different ideas they will be exposed to must mayb less interaction….something tat t must think about

subtraction is not easy to teach, especially when it involve negative…negative is some number less than zero, something that we lack of, concept of basement, temperature, sea level, dropping level

to teach constructivism, first to let them experience it….; to teach the importance of friends or social interaction, put them into solo camp (like in outbound school), let them experience loneliness, let them explain wat they feel

encourage st to say, dun critic if they are wrong, but GUIDE them to correct route

computer games, st know better, they curious, they have experience than teacher…their previous experience is stronger

teacher must be energetic, enthusiasm…; have st to prepare b4 class if want an effective constructivism class

teacher must be able to identify 3 groups of st ability: low, average, and high, though lesson plan is build for average, must consider the low and high achiever, remedial class for low, extra or challenging problem for hign to be solve

if only school exam….then must have the accountability

must tell students : learning is the resposibility of the learner
i cannot learn for u n sit for the exam for u....
then is the time they play a bigger role in learning...

from time to time u assess ur st...they learn how much they learn n
will work harder.....

constructivism is an approach to teaching and learning based on the premise that cognition (learning) is the result of ''mental
construction''

st learn by fitting new into together with what they already know. learning is affected by the context in which an idea is taught as well as by students' beliefs and attitudes.

for those who belief we learn today, will go back and read more about it
http://www.connectionscharterschool.org/constructivism.htm....12
principles (NI in exam)

not angry too much...big challenge to get them process only what u r telling

it does not mean looking at u or not==listening to u

cannot just focusing on the mind....but is the whole body.....
in the same room is not equal to share the same environment

Constructivism, the cognitive theory, was invented by Jean Piaget. His idea was that knowledge is constructed by the learner. The learner must consciously think about trying to derive meaning, and through that effort, meaning is constructed through the knowledge structures. Piaget liked to emphasize learning through play, but the basic cognitive theory of constructivism certainly supports learning through lecture -- as long as that basic construction of meaning takes place.

Constructionism is more of an educational method which is based on the constructivist learning theory. Constructionism, invented by Seymour Papert who was a student of Piaget's, says that learning occurs "most felicitously" when constructing a public artifact "whether a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe.“ Seymour does lean toward the constructivist learning philosophy in his writings, where he talks about the difficulty of conveying a complex concept when the reader is going to construct their own meaning. In general, though, his claim is more about method. He believes that students will be more deeply involved in their learning if they are constructing something that others will see, critique, and perhaps use. Through that construction, students will face complex issues, and they will make the effort to problem-solve and learn because they are motivated by the construction

While I was trying to find out ‘’why teachwe always want to tell everything’’, I suft through this page, ‘’best teacher ever’’, I think I will keep this link so that I can come back and read again in future….http://www.etni.org.il/bestteacherever.htm

A page with quates about teacher: http://www.quotegarden.com/teachers.html

Tips of becoming a teacher: http://www.adprima.com/tipson.htm

But I still cannot find the reasons why teacher tend to explain everything to students (students are able to and should learn by themselves), I will try to figure this by myself.  Actually the first thought was the teacher want to show that he knows everything. Other reasons might be he want to share his knowledge with students (sharing is caring); he do not want the students to lack of single detail; he hope students really understand…

ConStrucTiViSm

week 7 task

How are you going to help students remember or retain a new piece of info or things learn????

1^st and foremost, we must get students attention. If students do not pay attention, what teacher teacher will go into left ear and come out from right ear. . It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into memory. Therefore, we need to get students attention and engage students in the learning, for example through set induction.

Then, it would be an advance if students know what they will be learning. Before going into topic, teacher can give an introduction of what is going to be learnt. Hence, students can pay more attention to the main theories and put aside other less important things.

In order to remember a concepts efficiently, we should understand about it. Mathematics is not like history (event history has causes and effects), students ought to understand why they need to do this, is this the only way, what they need to do and so on. For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details.

We must construct our new knowledge based on previous knowledge. Giving example(s) is one of the good ways of doing so. By linking true life example with the concept, students will remember more easily. Also, they are going to appreciate the concepts as something useful rather than a piece of theory.

There are 2 types of connection, intraconnection and interconnection. For example, while teaching probability, we make intraconnection with topic such as ratio, fraction and percentage; interconnection with subject biology such as calculating probability of getting a girl or a boy in one pregnancy. Not only that we can ease the learning of new concepts, we can recall and recap what we learn in the past.

Based on behaviorism and information processing theory, repetition helps build information and reaction. Hence, teacher can give exercise and test in order to help students do revision. Furthermore, one can have an assessment of what had remembered. Teacher had students to jot down all the points that can remember (without refer to the notes), if possible have a mind map, then, review the original notes quickly and compare both sets. Through this, we can check what we had mastered and what have not, thus further action can be taken to improve them.

Review or recall is a type of repetition.  At the end of each lessons, teacher should have a short recview session, to summarize what students had learn that day. Teacher could invited students to summarize the lesson that day, instead of doing it herself. On the next class, a recall session could be done to recall what had been learn in previous class. What researchers call “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than “cramming.” If we are able to “over-learn” information so that recalling it becomes second nature, so much the better.

In two way communication class, discussion is very much encouraged, whether it is a whole class discussion or a group discussion. Speaking about what we have learned will implant it more deeply in the memory center of the brain making it easier to remember when the need arises. Discussion is also a way of interpreting information in our own way. Discussion helps us to check our understanding, compare with others and make collaboration.

Though human brain is one of greatest creation of God, we are not supercomputer. We do forget. Hence, in order to remember we might forget, we should take notes of what we learn, using both words and pictures, manually or using electronic devices. In addition, we can highlight the main point to mark important points. In case of we really forget, visualization creates strong connection for recalling the material. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain.

Read out loud, this is what we had done since we start learning, but some of us has stop doing it. For some, read out can implant information in our mind more easily.

We cannot learn efficiently with an exhausted mind. Teacher could not blame students for not learning, she should understand why they are not learning. Teacher should schedule a brief rest period after each learning session for optimum retention. The optimal learning session is around 30 minutes, after that, students should be allowed to have a break to relax and to let the information ‘sink in’. During this period, teacher can refresh her mind also, besides responds to some students’ questions or problems.

Give students some brain games. Playing brain games keeps the brain sharp. Example, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, creating mnemonic and other challenging tasks help to remember what you are learning.

Imagine now you are try to make sense of the complicated concept of trigonometry equation, you are just one last steps from the final solution, suddenly, ‘Shake, shake and shake shake your heart’, it was handset ringtone!!! What would you feel? Somemore, it is the teacher mobile phone. Could you still concentrate on the learning. We need a conducive and distraction free environment for learning. During class, teacher and students must disconnect from communication devices, to make sure the class is not distracted and interrupted. Some classical music in the background helps many students relax and have better focus, thus helping to retain more of what they are learning. In addition, routine and predictable lesson also send signals to the body to relax and be open to learning.

Allow students to involve as many sense as possible in learning and tailor information acquisition to their learning style. Most people are visual learners; they learn best by reading or otherwise seeing what it is they have to know. But some are auditory learners who learn better by listening. They might benefit by recording information they need and listening to it until they remember it. So, teacher should not feel awkward if students try to record the class.

Give encouragement but not stress. If students able to think positively about the success of understanding and remembering what they learn rather than thinking about the failure becoming a successful learner, they will be more likely to remember and do well. Terrible feelings actually hampers the ability of the brain to remember, while positive mental feedback sets up an expectation of success.

based on:
http://helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Can-You-Train-Your-Memory-to-Retain-100-Percent?&id=985370
http://www.ehow.com/how_4705170_remember-what-read.html
http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2010/30-tiny-tips-to-remember-what-you-read/


Based on reading of the information processing theory and its effect on children and learnin at
http://www.helium.com/items/1678590-the-information-processing-theory-and-its-effect-on-children-and-learning

Most of the concepts in the article has been discussed in Monday class, so i would just write what i think is useful.

The information processing theory is an interesting theory that discusses how a person processes information as a child and how the child's processing develops as the child ages; environment and heredity can influence information processing and the intelligence of a person.

Maybe due to good previous experience, whenever I read something, I want to know what I would gain from reading it. Here it is, ‘In order to be an effective and understanding teacher it is important to understand how information is processed by the mysterious mind.’ It is relevant because teacher's can plan lessons that are structured in accordance with the developmental needs of the students. If a child is not developing at a normal rate, a teacher will be more aware of this problem.

Attention is causes information to move from the sensory register to the working memory (or short term memory) while rehearsal, organization and elaboration cause information to move from the working memory into long-term memory.

The development of abilities and cognitive processes occurs steadily and gradually through trends, we cannot force children to learn in advance. Environment and heredity are both factors that can influence intelligence and the processing of information.

One of the lines that I like most in this article is ‘‘the child is born with freewill and free thought, and the child can overcome most influences of environment and heredity if the child chooses to’’. There is no reason that one cannot improve if he try very hard, and make the environment or people around him an useful resource. Just as the sayings, there is no ugly woman, only lazy woman.

Constructivism

next week, we are going to discuss on Constructivism

here is something that you can read to start from ; )

Constructivism (from http://www.funderstanding.com/content/constructivism)

Definition
Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own “rules” and “mental models,” which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences.

Discussion

There are several guiding principles of constructivism:

1. Learning is a search for meaning. Therefore, learning must start with the issues around which students are actively trying to construct meaning.
2. Meaning requires understanding wholes as well as parts. And parts must be understood in the context of wholes. Therefore, the learning process focuses on primary concepts, not isolated facts.
3. In order to teach well, we must understand the mental models that students use to perceive the world and the assumptions they make to support those models.
4. The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else’s meaning. Since education is inherently interdisciplinary, the only valuable way to measure learning is to make the assessment part of the learning process, ensuring it provides students with information on the quality of their learning.

How Constructivism Impacts Learning

Curriculum–Constructivism calls for the elimination of a standardized curriculum. Instead, it promotes using curricula customized to the students’ prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes hands-on problem solving.

Instruction–Under the theory of constructivism, educators focus on making connections between facts and fostering new understanding in students. Instructors tailor their teaching strategies to student responses and encourage students to analyze, interpret, and predict information. Teachers also rely heavily on open-ended questions and promote extensive dialogue among students.

Assessment–Constructivism calls for the elimination of grades and standardized testing. Instead, assessment becomes part of the learning process so that students play a larger role in judging their own progress.

if you want to know advantage and disadvantages of adopting constructivist approach, slides in the link below is a good choice (you need to click ''play'' ''pause'' to move from slide to slide)

http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/21827/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Adopting-the-Constructivist-Approach

hope this could give you some idea about constructivism so that you would not come into the class empty minded as i always do, as it say we need learn actively, and new info must be linked to prior knowledge for learning.

week 7 class note

oooot o....it is 7th week liao....wat had u done?what had u not done yet?

use more English, write more share with others....

http://shatelier.blogspot.com/2011/02/presentation-2.html

info processes theory....
model... explain how human mind receive, store and use....= computer....
it needs input (5 senses organ collect it)

sensory register.....input 5 stimuli from environment...
2 types: iconic....receive visual.can hold about 1 sec and transfer to
other,.....
acoustic....sound....hold about 4 sec b4 stimuli disapear....
if we not pay attention, will lose; if pay, it go to short term memory....
maybe have develop other strategy so that other would not miss it...so
we repeat it....or leave it there for the st to see & connect....
what ever that is lost the first seconds...will lost forever....
it is up to the t to link more than just saying it....
must have other strategy to link it....

short term memory working memory.....
store 20-30 seconds
to remember longer, must be rehearsal or repeat....
if not process, it will b forgotten....

repetition...used frequent easy to remember.....memorizing formula or
tables... phone number & names that repeat alway...song tat keep on
playing will be memorized....revise=repeat
encoding...link new info with something that is remembered.....make
connection of new knowledge to real life....how is it relevance...

long term memory....unlimited capacity...
permanent store....
not all info in long term can recall, environment cues help someone to
recall....
what ever is in long term, is there....just need to give some cue...
7-9 items at the same time...

semantic memory....facts....family names
episodic...specific event....date of birth
procedural....process of doing something....how to solve trigo...how
to do long division....the process name might not be remember...but
the process...

cognitive model...
perception....from gestalt theory....ability to take info from senses....
dominant senses (used most often) vision and hearing....audio and video....
how to use taste....sometimes it is poisons....reason why we use
dominant senses...
touch....maybe it is hot....
depend on how we look...concentrate on white; back....
the perception can be reserved, mental construct of the moind...
internal mental word can differn from external physical world-how we
perceive it to be....
ex, if we looked at the moon, we think it is beautiful....
ex, if we show this to st, they see something else....& dun get angry
about it,,,,
up to u to help st to help what or how can they see...
st have their own perception about things....

comprehension....describe the complete reading process from recognize
word intill comstruct a represenntatopn of the meaning....
when st read the question or text, they will be able to catch the meaning

problem solving....problem finding and problem shaping
polya 4 steps; Example: trial and error (factoring quadratic equation,
many discovery...in the process we learn more and more), hypothesis
testing, research

reasoning....

implication.....
get st attention.....set induction.....set induction can be
anything...just engage everyone in the conversion....eg....ehat is the
VC has to say to canclel one class......
main purpose......get st attention...something that related or not....
eg whole number.....wat is the date today, 21, feb, 2011......

help st to separate essectial and non-essectialat the end of this
clas....what we are going to learn today....

make connection....previous knowledge
giving example...is relate to what is already know....

repetiion...exercise...activity...game....test....make use of info....

how are you do to help st remember or reatin a new piece of info
things learn???? do blogging.....
(explain....example....connection....repeat....challenge....games...link....)
& email to inform dr about it....

http://www.helium.com/knowledge/304044-the-information-processing-theory-and-its-effect-on-children-and-learning

http://www.helium.com/items/1678590-the-information-processing-theory-and-its-effect-on-children-and-learning
read first 2 pages....

if hvae time,,,try to look up as mnemonics....

I witnessed A Car Accident today

while i was still thinking wat should i put on to my blog, i witnessed a car accident in front of me....

tired and hungry...
i was waiting for bus outside the Intan gate...
it is 1:10 plus, bus is taking longer than usual to come....

car comes and go....
i was thinking wat kind of car would turn into the junction, to Mahsa College and UM...
it is lunch hour, school end time....
lots of car...

there where 2 motors in try to make U-turn....
then from UM hospital, traffic light must had just change, lots of car heading to Jaya 1 direction....
then one selfish car, C1, (i think is silver wira) try to take the right turn into Jalan Intan, though it was in the left side lane....
but the motors or some car were blocking the roads, so C1 end up in the center of 2 roads....

the car behind it must stop immediately behind C1,
however some car could nott make it....
i think one or 2 cars behind C1, C2  stop, followed by C3.(myvi)..
however, C4 (proton something) did not manage to stop, C4 bumped into C3, C3 bumped into C2....


i was just beside C4, heard 2 bump sounds.....
the front side of C4 dented in around 20cm, water or oil come down from its engine....


my first though was, will the car explode (i watch too much dramas with explode cars)
so i move nearer to two girls, G1 and G2...


luckily nobody was hurt...
passenges of C3 and C4 came out...
at first i thought they going to fight or discuss.....
luckily they seems to be collegues.....


C1 was nowhere in sight anymore...
C2 may had stop but also gone later


after a few minutes, they push C4 to the side (the car cannot be started any more)
the owner and passengers of C3 and C4 get contacts from the two girls,just in case of police report....


after few minutes, bus finally here, the two girls and I took the bus and left


(the girls are 1st yr, sc fac students, 7th college drummer; one car owner is UM grad)


feeling sorry for the car owner, to have car accidents, some more in the last day of CNY....
will they get insurans to pay for the repair???


later when i think back....
if the car really explode,
with the distance, i might still get hurt
so, i must go farer than what i did....


but, should give a helping hand to those who meet accident???
especially in front of us....


am i phobia of taking car in future???....no


do i have an unfriendly or cold face?
why the they do not ask for my contacts?
can i be a friendly teacher then?
how can i improve?


when i was in bus....
i must say that i really proud of my quick thinking....
last time, when my dad & I was on the way back to Johor for CNY,
we were also near to bumped into a lorry that suddenly come out
i still have the time to think....
what i thought that time was,
Would i have my CNY in hospital?
My mum will really be sad if both my dad & I is injured...
luckily my dad managed to control the car well....
i admired his driving skill, but i really worry when he drive very-very fast & like to follwed car in front very close


what should we do when we meet accidents???
who should teach us general knowledge???

http://www.wikihow.com/React-After-a-Car-Accident
http://www.wikihow.com/React-when-You-Witness-a-Crash
http://www.ehow.com/how_5574376_react-after-car-accident.html

Week 5 reflection

in the 1st stage sensorimotor stage (0 to start talking), baby cannot understand language yet, so he do not smile as his father try to made him
however, when his father touch him, he smiles
in this stages, children show response using 5 sense, namely, see, hear, smell, touch & taste...
baby hear & response to sound but do not show the desire response as he do not understand the meaning yet

in 2nd stage pre-operational stage (2-7 ages) children begin to associate symbol (or words) with objects, the girl most probably likes to eat Peas and Toasts & she can associate them well the name of the her favourite food
also, as the child sensory motor skill is developed now, she can help doing light house chores
then, child this age is egocentric, they take themselves as the center of universe and hard to take viewpoint of others
child at this age still cannot conserve or use logical thinking

in 3rd stage concrete operational (7-11 ages), child has deeper understanding things, he is able to understand abstract and capable of reasoning (he is able to reasons the event), but with the practical aids, for example in this case the terms on the white board
child at this age is able to classify objects (or event) to several features and order them in series along a single dimension (such as time)

in the fourth and last stage, formal operational stage (ages 12 onward), teenagers have full reasoning capacity and can consider multiple viewpoint
teenagers now have develop abstract thought and can easily conserve and think logically in their mind
they becomes concerned with the hypothetical , the future, and ideological problems

What is the exercise mathematics learning stages?
in my opinion, the exercise require us to achieve formal operational stage in order to solve it
we need to analyze the sequence, consider different possible alternative and choose the best solution
 
by the way, i always think Piaget is a she, as his name "PIJ" sounded like Jane ; )

my favourite sem

this sem is certainly my most relax and happy semester in UM so far....

this morning, while walk in to UM from the little gate at Intan Gate,
i enjoy the peacefulness and the greenery scene before my eyes...
green trees, wind, & i know there will be a fun lecture waiting for me...
when i refresh back wat i go through this morning,
it was really a great time...

i wake up as the light of the sun come through the window (not by the clock)
then i take bath (without need to queue)
i have breakfast tha i cooked (not as decided by mak cik anymore)
i sit down & chat with my housemates
oops.....suddenly i realize that i may be late...
& get ready to class...
though i miss a bus, a second just manage to catch my a minute later....
within 15 minutes, i was in UM
place that i had been for last 3 years...

wat i did yesterday?
watching dramas online,
reading some (interesting but not academic) booK
cooking & eating...
retreat in the living room in afternoon (as my room is as hot as oven) and watch TV
then feel guilty & start to do assignment (hope i manage to finish all in time)
really happy and enjoying

i m really blessed...
thx for my parents,
thx my teachers,
thx my friends,
thx my coursemates,
thx YOU,
thx all the ppl around me..: )

thx that i m going to be a teacher
(there is any easy job in this world)
i will have plenty of time to enjoy myself
i will the accompanyment of young ppl all the time
i will have the oppurtunity to learn my whole life (learning keep us young ; ) )

i like this songs...Thank You for The Music
though i m not singing....
i would like to THANK YOU

week 5 psiko math class

behaviorism to cognitivism
today class slides:
http://dawnlikechickenrice.blogspot.com/2011/02/5th-week-presentation.html

main player...piaget...piaget four stages commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpYQH_T2FWM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwGpgsqXVYM&feature=related

stages, implication

discover rather than created the theories
as he watch the children....

stage1sensorimotor...recognize the word
stage 2-conservation...cant see....not exist....; cannot understand
same volume (contend) but different height....
do exp it or show picture?   after transfer, which would have more
water (children say see)
child cannot say it is the same amount of water into....

stage 3: use concrete object to teach abstract math

when we graduate...some of the pupils are still at stage 3 (though
there are in secondary school)

stage 4: more likely will be our pupils level
they have to imagine themselves, how they are going to solve

scheme or schemata...
develop through organization & adaptation...

4 type of schema
cognitive structure....see a dog, all 4 legs are dogs....1 day see a
goat, that is a dog....the child do not noe wat a goat is until he is
shown....child learn from that how to differentiate dog & goat

symbolic...(at pass, need to see the apple to see it) now, can imagine
apple when apple is not in front
(must relate to example when we teach later)

organization....see the dog, dog has 4 leg, fury; see a goat, mum tell
it is not a dog, a goat.....it has a beard....child reorganize....or
based on sound of dog and goat

assimilation....first time see goat, see it is a dog
accommodation...the goat is a goat....
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081018210743AAxXIve

cognitive dissonance...new info doesn't agree
if child use right brain more...
if child use left brain more...
when prepare lesson, must consider it will not mix up...what brain see
& eye see....

implication....
4 main
1...focus on process, not only product...
teacher must understand meaning of process, why it must be like this,
its rational...
eg: secondary teacher feed us with the formula...
but it must be important for them to now wat it means....
integration....summation/ combining...of (discrete) part of graph...
use strip close enough, curve become straight
lime.....trapezium....ask how to cal area of trapezium

2.....self initiated, active learning...children centers....child
discover the knowledge...t provide activities or post a real life
question....eg for bearing...(angle bet teacher and safwah)
problem solving...ask st how to do, how to solve...
teach something new, must teach them to link to something knew....some
know to unknown
(though children and parents may think it is not real teach)
t acknowledgement of st effort, give st support...(step by step guide)....
prepare st of learn...to find knowledge...

3.....many t think can we can speed up....but sometime it cannot be speed up....
premature teacher can b worst than no teaching at all
better to take proper steps, than fed all together
parents should understand child development too....

4....acceptance of individual developmental progress....include
parents in...dun make comparison betw child & siblings...
t break class into smaller group...different lesson plan for different class
different example...abstract example in A class while concrete example
in E class

st are there only physically....not mentally...or his soul has fly away...

view and write what u think about it....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yhXjJVFA14&feature=related

the mathematics learning exercise is which stages.???