The human brain specializes in information processing by scanning information through the senses, processing and storing it, and retrieving it when called for. The educational psychology and the teaching/learning process perspectives recognizing the vital role of physical sensation as a starting point for human learning is key to allow processing within the brain and learning.
Humans learn the best when we are challenged and optimistic belief in success, and we learn the least when threats are presented and we feel powerless and helpless. Students experience academic and social threats and can be influenced by teachers, authority figures, and peers. The self-efficacy of students can influence if they feel challenged or threatened. Stress can also come from personal problems and family dilemmas. Students can also come to school stressed out because of family or personal problems. For a higher rate of effective learning teachers and administrators need to create a low threat and high challenge environment.
Also learning should be are thick with context. Contextual elements help get learning into the brain.
Overall, teaching should stimulate the brains natural learning processes by helping the student build meaningful, eternal memories and make connections between knowledge and skills.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Focus of Educational Psychology
Educational psychology focuses on the improving the mind and making long-term memory more efficient. Psychology can thus be thought of as a Venn diagram, with these units both distinct and overlapping. Educational psychology contributes to “academic psychology studies people, and clinical psychology helps people if they are injured or otherwise hurt, but only educational psychology delivers broad-based tools to improve what typical people know, what they do, and how they do it.”( http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/02/20/why-educational-psychology.html)
Monday, April 11, 2011
From A Teacher's Point Of View
A few weeks back, I was given the opportunity to interview some of my old high school teachers. It occurred to me that many people talk about what it is like to be in the educational field of work, but no one can give you the real depth of it except for the teachers themselves.
I interviewed three different teachers at the Canandaigua Academy, but I would like to share with you only one of the interviews from that day. My old Film teacher, Mrs. Sutherland, had some insightful information to share with me about what it takes to be a teacher. The following are the questions I asked and her responses to each:
Marissa: Why did you decide become a teacher?
Sutherland: Well, I was a copy righter for ad agencies and a freelancer for many, many years. I found myself being less and less satisfied personally and professionally, and I wanted something more meaningful. So I took my passion for films and began teaching with that.
M: So you thought that teaching would be meaningful; do you still feel this way? Do you enjoy teaching?
S: I really honestly love doing what I am doing. The fact that I am teaching something that I am passionate about, film, really makes me love my job even more. In my small way, I am keeping these films alive for future generations in a noble way. The thing I enjoy most is that I am finding more and more kids who have a hardcore passion for what I am teaching them.
M: I can see you love your job. So what would you say are the benefits of teaching?
S: Seeing young people really grow and become more aware of all the choices that they have and all the ways that they can see things in life. Particularly in film, when they see things that I haven't even considered, I just love it!
M: So how do you keep you students interested and wanting to learn more?
S: I think it is very important to scaffold what you teach to students, not just try and teach them everything at once. We cannot just throw them into a whole new level where they will be uncomfortable, we have to teach to where they are at and take them somewhere else with their level in mind - that keeps them interested.
M: Do you have a specific teaching method that goes along with your idea of keeping students interested?
S: Yes, by developing relationships with them, I am able to see what kind of student they really are and reach out to provide them with the teaching they need. If they know I care about them, then I ensure that they will do what I ask of them in the class because they know they are being asked by someone who cares about them and their futures.
M: You obviously care a great deal about your students and their futures, so what type of students do you like teaching the most?
S: There are really a mixture of qualities. All teachers like a student who is honest; even if they did something wrong, coming forward and telling the truth really says something about their character. The students who have self-honesty get far in classes and in life because they are the ones who are willing to look at themselves accurately and take judgement for the better. I also love having students with a sense of humor, I really do. I think that's a sign of intelligence, of individuality, and of a healthy rebelliousness. Oh, I also love having students with an imagination, those who are willing to look at things differently from everyone else and share their thoughts; those kids will get far in life.
M: I have already taken up a lot of your time, so I will leave you with one more question. We have heard a lot of talk about budget cuts, so how do you feel about teaching with the economy the way it is today?
S: It's tough, it really is. Everyone thinks that they can do this job and that they know what it takes to be in this field of work, but they don't even realize what teachers should do and how they should teach. It's just ridiculous, and the people making this decisions to cut certain classes and courses have no idea how they are effecting the students education. My class is in risk of being cut, and though I really want this class to continue, it is tough to be hopeful during this time period. Yes, English and Science classes are important to a student's education, but that does not make what I am doing any less important; film is a major part of the media today. This class is allowing kids to be more creative and use their imaginations more. If we get rid of all of the classes similar to my film course like art and music classes, the generation below us will not know how to express themselves and that will come back to bite us in the future. Along with that, I think it is important for the parents of children to know what their children are learning and the importance of what they are doing in class whether it is English, Art, Science, Film, or any other class. So if I were queen of the universe, I would make it so parents had to come in with the students at least twice a year, that way they would actually know what is going on with the education system and the importance of it all. It is sad that the future education of our students is being run by a bunch of people who haven't been to school in twenty plus years. They have no idea what school is like nowadays; it is much different than when they attended, I can guarantee you that.
We can take away a lot of information about Educational Psychology from what Mrs. Sutherland has stated. She spoke about all the details that make up Educational Psychology, which is how students learn and develop, and analysed each area carefully. The aspects she talked, like about her passion for teaching, what it takes to be a good teacher, what a teacher must deal with everyday, and even what makes up a good student, are key factors that are important to always keep in mind whether you are teaching now, five years from now, or ten years from now. For a teacher, it is important to know about this concept and to understand how to deal with different personalities of students. Even though teaching may change over time with the growing amount of technology, it will be important to know the basics of teaching; the simplest method like merely showing you care about your students is the best way of reaching out and getting a student to take interest in his/her studies. Those who are working to become a teacher in the future can learn from people like Mrs. Sutherland by considering all of the aspects of what teachers must go through everyday and what it takes to successfully help a student develop.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Kids with Goals reach higher expectations
This research article was very interesting because it talks about how students with plans and goals about their future had usually reached those goals or had reached a high form of education. This relates to the self-fulfilling prophecy that had been recently taught in class. For those who are not familiar with the self-fulfilling prophecy, it is when someone makes something true about themselves or something around them because they believe that it is true, even if it was false at first.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101102164004.htm
Careers in Educational Psychology
There are numerous positions one may hold with degrees in Educational Psychology. Below is a list of careers one can expect to have with either a Master's degree or a Ph.D.
Careers
Master's degree: Income for 2008 for the Education field ranged from $35,000 - $60,000. This depends on experience and the institution.
Educational Research - This career generally focuses on conducting research relative to learning methods for students at Universities or children at lower grade schools. Those who pursue this path with an Master's degree can expect to work mostly at K-12 schools.
School Counselor - To be a school counselor one must also become licensed as a counselor, the requirements for licensure in various states can be found here. School Counselors are one of the more common careers and almost everyone has had an experience with one at some point in their lives. As a Counselor with an Master's degree, you can work at almost any K- 12 schools and some colleges.
Ph.D: Income for 2008 for the Education field ranged from $45,000 - $90,000. Again, this depends on experience and the institution.
The range of careers one can choose from with a Ph.D degree is rather wide, including School Psychologists (who play a larger role in implementing programs and coordinating services than Counselors), development and implementation of special education techniques at various grade schools, focusing on development and learning theories, developing effective techniques to improve the teaching styles of schools and universities, multicultural awareness in education and of course teaching psychology, usually at colleges.
This link describes the licensure information for New York.
Getting the degrees
The following are some of the more popular colleges that offer a Master's and/or a Ph.D in educational psychology within New York state. In addition, certification is also offered at some colleges and is required for many careers.
- M.A in Applied Educational Psychology (Cognitive, Behavioural and developmental analysis).
- M.A in School Psychology.
Cost: a lot.
- M.A in Educational Psychology.
Cost: a considerable amount.
- Ph.D in School Psychology.
- M.A in Educational Psychology.
- Certification for Psychologists.
Cost: too much, but nice campus and good rep.
- M.S (Master of Science) in Educational Psychology and Statistics.
- Ph.D in Educational Psychology.
- C.A.S (Certificate of Advanced Study) in Educational Research.
Cost: not so much.
And of course, SUNY New Paltz
- M.S in School Counseling.
Cost: not much/depends.
Note: although there is discussion of financial cuts to education and schools, a career in Educational Psychology remains lucrative and has a decent supply of demand, especially relative to other career choices.
Additional links providing information on Educational Psychology
Information on careers in the Educational Psychology field can be found here.
This site gives more in depth information on each of the sub-fields of Educational Psychology and offers descriptions of careers as well as what to expect in the job market. It is a wonderful site and worth a look for anyone considering this area of Psychology as a career.
Information on M.A and Ph.D degrees offered in the U.S can be found here.
This site is an amazing tool for finding graduate and Master's level degrees in different areas of study, and can narrow searches down to individual states. Not only does it list the degrees offered by each school, but often also provides additional information on each school and links to access each school's website for further information.
This link shows information on some of the salaries for Psychology careers.
It is dated for 2007 but the numbers have not changed much since then, and salary varies depending on where you are hired and your specific duties vary depending on the institution. For example, some jobs may require you to have experience or completed research in sub-fields before hiring you. Or your duties may vary from being employed as a School Counselor in a community college to a board member position at a traditional college.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Resilience in Psychology
In psychology "resilience" is the positive capability of people to deal with stress and adversity. Resilience contributes to the avoidance of psychology dysfunction, such as mental illness or persistent negative moods and the fulfillment of potential despite stressors that are presented. This can enhance learning and intelligence.
Tips to improve your resilience
Working on your mental well-being is just as important as working on your physical health. If you want to strengthen your resilience, try these tips:
* Get connected. Build strong, positive relationships with family and friends, who provide support and acceptance. Volunteer, get involved in your community, or join a faith or spiritual community.
* Find meaning. Develop a sense of purpose for your life. Having something meaningful to focus on can help you share emotions, feel gratitude and experience an enhanced sense of well-being.
* Start laughing. Finding humor in stressful situations doesn't mean you're in denial. Humor is a helpful coping mechanism. If you can't find any humor in a situation, turn to other sources for a laugh, such as a funny book or movie.
* Learn from experience. Think back on how you've coped with hardships in the past. Build on skills and strategies that helped you through the rough times, and don't repeat those that didn't help.
* Remain hopeful. You can't change what's happened in the past, but you can always look toward the future. Find something in each day that signals a change for the better. Expect good results.
* Take care of yourself. Tend to your own needs and feelings, both physically and emotionally. This includes participating in activities and hobbies you enjoy, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep and eating well.
* Keep a journal. Write about your experiences, thoughts and feelings. Journaling can help you experience strong emotions you may otherwise be afraid to unleash. It also can help you see situations in a new way and help you identify patterns in your behavior and reactions.
* Accept and anticipate change. Expecting changes to occur makes it easier to adapt to them, tolerate them and even welcome them. With practice, you can learn to be more flexible and not view change with as much anxiety.
* Work toward a goal. Do something every day that gives you a sense of accomplishment. Even small, everyday goals are important. Having goals helps you look toward the future.
* Take action. Don't just wish your problems would go away or try to ignore them. Instead, figure out what needs to be done, make a plan and take action.
* Maintain perspective. Look at your situation in the larger context of your own life and of the world. Keep a long-term perspective and know that your situation can improve if you actively work at it.
* Practice stress management and relaxation techniques. Restore an inner sense of peace and calm by practicing such stress-management and relaxation techniques as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, visualization, imagery, prayer or muscle relaxation.
(MayoClinc.com)
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