Millersville University Matthew J.

Monahan
EDFN 545- Advanced Educational Psychology June 3, 2016

FIELD EXPERIENCE ASSIGNMENT- M.Ed. STUDENTS

Introduction:

Basic Demographic and Academic Information- Central York High School

Central York School District is a suburban school district located to the north and east of
the city of York, Pennsylvania. The District encompasses nearly 25 square miles of land
in South Central Pennsylvania, including Manchester Township, North York Borough
and parts of Springettsbury Township. Central York School District has a rich history
that spans more than 50 years and contains many proud traditions. Today, it has a
growing population, and provides more than 5,000 students in Grades K-12 with an
enriching and challenging educational experience.1

The racial demographic at Central York High School is 73% White, 11% African-
American, and 8% Hispanic. Highly qualified teachers facilitate all classes. Over 5% of
the 1,754 students are identified as gifted, and the dropout rate is 0.7%. Approximately
29% of students at CYHS are classified as economically disadvantaged, 2% are English
Language Learners, and 9% receive special education services.

Central York High Schools Building Level Academic Score is 79.3. A transition to a
skills-based, student-centered model for teaching social studies would likely improve this
school score by improving student performance on ELA/Literature Keystone
Examinations. Over 89% of students scored proficient on the exam in the 2014-2015
academic year. Over 96% of required students met the indicator for gap closure, and
over 82% of historically underperforming students met the required gap closure. Over
15% of CYHS test takers earned extra credit for Advanced Achievement. Only 66% of
students met annual academic growth expectations.

My educational vision, developed so far as a student in Millersville Universitys

Leadership for Teaching and Learning program, states:

The school community will engage in learning opportunities to help all learners
solve problems in a rapidly changing world. Success in the school community
will be measured by what learners produce and the value that learners place on
outcomes. This inclusive, diverse and democratic community relies on
participation from all stakeholders.

1
Central York School District Official Website, http://www.cysd.k12.pa.us/our_district/about_us

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Questions:

1. How does your instruction reflect what you know about how students learn?

Instructional Example:
One way in which my instruction reflects what I know about how my students
learn is through AGREE/DISAGREE debates, followed by online class discussion
boards. The debate format calls all students to the center of the classroom (we move all
of the desks to the periphery of the room). I read a statement, projected on my screen,
with which the students must agree or disagree. Based on their opinions, they physically
chose a side of the room. Once they have chosen, individual students from each side
make points and respond to each others points. We use a ball so that everyone
understands who currently has the floor, and the ball is passed from one side to the other.
This exercise helps me understand how students view concepts individually and
collectively based on the sides that they choose. It also gives students who feel
compelled to speak a forum to do so. If students opinions change based on the points
made in the conversation, they may switch sides.
When the debate is finished, students participate in an online discussion board.
The question that I typically ask students to address is what did someone say during our
conversation that made you think, and why? This compels them to consider a point
made by a classmate and use it as a departure point for their own comments. Students
may use comments with which they agree or disagree. I can gauge student learning
through the discussion boards whether or not the students choose to participate in the
debate verbally or not.

Research Findings:
Willingham, D. (2003). Ask the Cognitive Scientist: Students RememberWhat They
Think About. American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/summer-2003/ask-cognitive-
scientist
Willingham argues that a students memory is formed by what he/she thinks about
when encountering the material. This debate and discussion board model leads
students to think about the material in a higher-order manner so that they can
express verbal and written opinions.

Austin, K and Darling-Hammond, L. Building on What We Know: Cognitive

Processing.
Students learn with understanding when they can successfully apply what they
have learned in a new situation. Students express their opinions by choosing
sides, in the debate, and through verbal and written arguments. This builds on
their existing knowledge base and compels them to apply that knowledge base to
an opinion. Hopefully this makes the subject matter more relevant to students.

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2. Provide specific examples of activities that require social construction of
knowledge.

Instructional Example:
An example of an activity that requires my students to construct knowledge socially
is a group inquiry and presentation activity on landmark Supreme Court cases.
Depending on the class dynamic and needs of students I determine whether I assign
groups or allow student to chose their own groups. After a brief selection process, based
on group interests, each group is responsible for one Supreme Court case. The task is for
the group to construct knowledge of the Constitutional issue involved in the case, the
historical context surrounding the case, and an explanation of the Courts ruling in the
case.
To demonstrate learning students may chose to present a live skit, iMovie, or
illustration to the class. Each groups presentation becomes part of the instruction
because students are responsible for teaching each other through the presentations.

Research Findings:
Caskey, M. and Anfara, V (2014) Developmental Characteristics of Young
Adolescents. Association for Middle Level Education. Retrieved from
https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/A
rticleID/455/Developmental-Characteristics-of-Young-Adolescents.aspx
Students intellectual development prescribes that teachers should employ a
variety for educational approaches and materials because students cognitive
abilities vary. The social-emotional development of adolescents suggests that
students have a strong need to belong to a group. The activity mentioned above
benefits adolescent development in intellectual and social-emotional areas.

Wentzel, R. and Brophy J. (2014). Motivating Students to Learn: 4th Edition. New
York, NY: Routledge.
To piggyback on the assertions of Caskey and Anfara regarding the adolescent
need to belong to a group, Wentzel and Brophy also speak to the importance of
socialization in motivating students to learn. They state that young people
acquire most of their self-referenced attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and
dispositions to action through exposure to socializing influences. (Wentzel and
Brophy, 227). Teachers can use socialization to achieve student buy-in (i.e. some
students get excited when they know that they will work with others). Teachers
can also use socialization to shape student motivation and the ways in which they
learn as a result.

3. How do you address individual differences in student learning?

Instructional Example:
I try to address individual differences in student learning by approaching concepts
in ways that draw upon multiple intelligences. For example, in a lesson on the Holocaust
I introduce the concept by inviting the class to brainstorm what we already know about
the topic, creating a class word map on the white board. This activates prior knowledge

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and directs student thought. Next, I engage the class in a teacher-led discussion. In this
forum I speak about important concepts, and reference maps, photographs and organizers.
We also view a very brief video clip. During this teacher-led discussion I encourage
students to ask questions and make comments, which they typically do. Students then
receive excerpts from the writings of some Holocaust survivors as a reading and primary
source activity. They use those excerpts as the basis for the writing of journal entries in
which they reflect on some major concepts surrounding the Holocaust. This lesson
approaches the concept in ways that appeal to student differences in terms of auditory,
visual, social, and affective learning.

Research Findings:
Caskey, M. and Anfara, V (2014) Developmental Characteristics of Young
Adolescents. Association for Middle Level Education. Retrieved from
https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/A
rticleID/455/Developmental-Characteristics-of-Young-Adolescents.aspx
Adolescent development, in the area of moral development, deals with the ways
in which people treat each other. Young adolescents can analyze, reflect and
form opinions, and this lesson on the Holocaust calls upon to apply their moral
development.

Willingham, D. (2008). What Is Developmentally Appropriate Practice?. American

Educator. Retrieved from
http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/willingham_1.pdf
In debunking Jean Piagets Four Stages of Development, Willingham argues
that human development does not occur in clearly defined stages. Instead the
ability of children, individually and collectively, varies. That variation can be by
year, or even by task. Therefore, the argument that specific content is
developmentally inappropriate is quite weak.

Pashler, et. al. (2008) Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence. Psychological Science
in the Public Interest. December 2008, vol. 9, number 3.
Most literature on learning styles is not scientific, meaning that it has not been
designed using experimental methodology. This is problematic considering that
the consideration of varying learning styles has become influential in the field of
education. The assumed importance of instruction based on learning styles is not
supported by credible research-based evidence.

4. What type of motivation strategies do you primarily rely on? What are the
consequences that you have experienced as a result of these strategies?

Instructional Example:
An example of a motivational strategy that I use is the concept of PRIDE
Tickets for positive student behavior. PRIDE Tickets are a vestige from our school
wide PBIS program that has fizzled over the course of the past two years. The silver
lining is that there is an abundance of tickets available for use. Rather than using PRIDE

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tickets as a means by which students can win pens, iPad styluses, or candy I use the
tickets toward a students quarter grade. I enter a grade called PRIDE Ticket Bonus
into the grade book, and it is the only opportunity for extra credit that I offer. At the end
of each quarter (our school is on a semester schedule) I add the number of PRIDE Tickets
that students turn in to me to the numerator of their quarter grade. 3-6 PRIDE Tickets
can typically improve a students quarter grade by a point. I distribute PRIDE Tickets to
students whose participation is outstanding, especially if a student asks an insightful
question or offers an insightful opinion. PRIDE Tickets are also the prize for winning
class competition-style games.
A consequence of using PRIDE Tickets can be a lack of student buy-in. The idea
of receiving a small slip of paper for positive contributions to class can seem strange to
students, especially since our school wide PBIS program has faded. Once students
understand the positive impact that these small slips of paper can have on their class
grade, and the ways in which I use them to highlight positive behavior, they generally
tend to get on board.

Research Findings:
Kohn, A. (2010). How To Create Nonreaders. English Journal. Retrieved from
http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/create-nonreaders/?print=pdf
Kohn believes that teachers cannot motivate students because the only people that
we can motivate (maybe) are ourselves. He argues that rewards should not be
used for the completion of reading because the inherent message is that reading is
an activity to be disdained, necessitating a reward for doing it. Regarding
instruction, he contends that students should be part of the decision-making
process when possible. I do not use PRIDE Tickets as rewards for completing
unpopular tasks, but rather as an acknowledgement of positive behavior.

Wentzel, R. and Brophy J. (2014). Motivating Students to Learn: 4th Edition. New
York, NY: Routledge.
The authors advocate that situational interest may be controlled by teachers more
than individual interest (Wentzel and Brophy, 102). A student may not be self-
motivated to engage in learning opportunities based on his/her own interests, but
teachers can use features of instruction to interest students in learning
opportunities. PRIDE Tickets reward positive behavior. Triggering students
situational interest is helpful in achieving buy-in on the front end of a lesson.

5. What type of goal orientations do you foster in your learners? Are there ways that
your instructional approaches influence your students goal orientations?

Instructional Example:
My goal orientations strive to help students learn to learn. I do not wish to teach
students what they should believe about particular historical events or political issues. I
do wish to help students acquire information, process it, and work with it. Ultimately I
would like students to see the relevance in my instruction and the curriculum and form
informed opinions. I attempt to do this by working to bring relevance of content and
skills to students lives as often as possible. For example, students in my classes are

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responsible for completing several current event assignments during each semester. The
goal of these assignments is to establish relevance and spark student interest. In some
cases I assign a topic, but in other cases students have that choice.
My goal orientations are formed by state standards and essential questions. These
essential questions are present on unit review sheets. I understand that traditional
assessments (i.e. multiple choice, matching and short answer tests) are not necessarily
indicative of student learning or skill. I certainly have some room for growth in this area
as our social studies department is transitioning to a more skills-based assessment model.
At any rate, the essential questions contained by the review sheets are valuable regardless
of the assessment because they are the heart of the courses.

Research Findings:
Willingham, D. (2003). Ask the Cognitive Scientist: Students RememberWhat They
Think About. American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/summer-2003/ask-cognitive-
scientist
Willingham warns that discovery learning can prove unproductive when not
structured appropriately. The goal orientation that I provide in the current events
assignments leads students to chose articles from at least two points of view,
explain why they have chosen a particular topic, and demonstrate three examples
of their own new learning. Hopefully this leads to students remembering correct
discoveries.

Wentzel, R. and Brophy J. (2014). Motivating Students to Learn: 4th Edition. New
York, NY: Routledge.
The authors discuss proximal and distal goals as important considerations for
teachers when planning and delivering instruction. A clear plan as to which
skills, concepts and content students must master in the short term to achieve
higher order learning in the long term is crucial. This requires teacher mastery of
his/her content area with appropriate foresight regarding scaffolding of instruction
for students of varying cognitive abilities.

6. How do you address individual differences in students motivational profiles? How

do you assist your slow learners or failure syndrome learners?

Instructional Example:
During this most recent school year I was assigned a large course load of honors
classes. One challenge that I experienced was to provide meaningful opportunities for
enrichment to honors students, many of whom have GIEPs. I attempted to do so through
supplementary readings related to the curricula, but considered non-essential
information. In addition I offered students the option to pursue learning goals further by
incorporating their GIEP goals into our instruction by giving more examples, or different
examples to demonstrate learning.
Aside from the measures that I personally take to assist slow learners or failure
syndrome learners, our school has several measures in place. Some students benefit
from co-taught classes which reduce the teacher-to-student ratio. The co-teachers with

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whom I have worked have had more intimate knowledge of students IEPs, as well as
personal relationships with students with whom I may not. Our school also assigns
paraprofessionals to work with students who have testing accommodations, and they stop
into classes regularly to offer assistance and monitor student progress. I assist students
by observing their work habits closely, changing groupings or seating arrangements as
necessary, keeping students on track, and checking for understanding. Our school also
has a flex period built into our schedule during which students may return to me and
get extra assistance.

Research Findings:
Willingham, D. (2005). Ask the Cognitive Scientist: Do Visual, Auditory, and
Kinesthetic Learners Need Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Instruction?.
American Federation of Teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.aft.org/ae/summer2005/willingham
Since Willingham strongly states that learning styles do not actually exist, there is
no cognitive advantage to instruction based on a students learning style, or best
modality. It is more effective to build instruction around the best modality for the
content being presented. If, for example, a visual learner would benefit from a
lesson that used visual cues, chances are that all students would benefit from
effective use of those visuals.

Kohn, A. (2010). How To Create Nonreaders. English Journal. Retrieved from

http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/create-nonreaders/?print=pdf
Kohn warns that excluding students from a role in shaping learning enforces
passivity. Teachers who control classrooms blame students for their lack of
critical thinking and creativity. This is important for me to consider so that my
supplemental materials do not flirt with busy work and that I allow students as
much choice as I can in their learning.