Running head: MID-TERM EXAM

Unit 3 Mid-term Exam

Lauren E. Lee

EDUC 5302 Educational Psychology and Learning Theory

Professor Dr. Kristy Duckworth

East Texas Baptist University

June 25, 2017

Version 1.0
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Teachers need to be prepared to experience all types of students in their careers. If you

were to ask an experienced teacher to list all of the problems and types of students she had ever

had, you might be there for a while. While teachers cannot be prepared for everything, there are

many resources to help prepare them for some. Teachers may experience students struggling

with learning a new concept to students who have learning disorders. Being prepared can make a

world of difference in the education field.

The seventh grader, Trip, that is having trouble learning the principles of fractions can be

described as being in the concrete-operational stage of Piagets stages of cognitive development.

Trip has a hard time following the examples of fractions that are provided in the textbook, and

feels overwhelmed and confused by them. He is good at other subjects, but has hard a hard time

this year with math. Students that are in the concrete-operational stage of learning are able to

recognize the logical stability of the physical world, but cannot understand when something

hypothetically is changed, such as fractions. It is easy to think of objects as being whole, but

trying to add and divide one-eighth of an object can be difficult for students in this stage.

According to Piaget, the ability to solve problems depends on having an understanding of three

basic aspects of reasoning: identity, compensation, and reversibility. (Woolfolk, 2016.)

Teachers encounter children who are not able to grasp the content of the lesson on a daily

basis. There are many ways to teach the principles of fractions in order to make them more

understandable for students like Trip. The use of concrete props and visual aids to help teaching

fractions is an excellent way to help students in the concrete-operational stage understand better.

(Woolfolk, 2016.) For example, a teacher can use a pizza as a concrete prop. A pizza is an object

that can divided up into fractions very easily. By showing the students that a pizza can be divided

into different fractions, they are more likely to grasp the sophisticated subject. Drawing lots of
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pictures can also help students understand the topic clearer. Have a designated space on the paper

for students to show their thought process on how they answered each question. This gives

students who have a hard time understanding fractions a visual of how they can solve the

problem.

A study was conducted in three public school districts on the effect of teaching fractions.

This study showed that some teachers used a constructivist approach on learning and used two-

way questioning, discussion, KWL charts, and problem-solving learning techniques. (Bhutto

Muhammad, 2014.) All of these different teaching strategies can be successful in making the

principle of fractions more understandable to students like Trip.

Every student has different approaches to understanding new concepts. For example, my

younger brother prefers to have visuals and hands-on activities to learn new subjects. However, I

am more of an auditory learner and can take in the information and understand it pretty easily.

The way Trip thinks about mathematics is most likely the way he will approach other subjects.

According to Piagets learning theory, students can remain at the concrete-operational stage

throughout their school years, and even life. The text also suggests that not all high school aged

students can perform Piagets formal-operational tasks. (Woolfolk, 2016.) Vygotskys

sociocultural learning process suggests that cultural tools might be beneficial for a student who is

supposedly in the concrete-operational stage. Technical tools might be a good approach to

helping students understand complex ideas such as fractions. Students that have a more hands-on

learning approach are likely to think that way across the board for all subjects.

Teachers encounter students from all backgrounds and walks of life. Micah is a first

grader who has earned a score of 116 on the Stanford-Binet Ability Test. According to the text,

only 16% of the population will score above 115 on an IQ test. (Woolfolk, 2016.) However, he
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is having a hard time staying focused in class and is uncontrollably physically active. His

academics are suffering from this problem. Micah is up wandering around the classroom for

most of the day and when his is in his seat he is usually fidgeting or moving.

Micah has an average score in the IQ test, but struggles academically. It appears that

Micah is having a hard time staying focused in class. Micah is showing symptoms of attention-

deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to the text this disorder is a persistent or

ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that gets is the way of an

individuals daily life or typical development. (Woolfolk, 2016.) The indicators that Micah may

have this disorder are inattention in class, and hyperactivity and impulsivity, fidgeting and

excessive physical activity in the classroom. If Micah is not treated for ADHD, the both his

academic and social development will suffer. The inattention problem will hinder Micah from

being able to focus and participate in class work. Social development could be affected by the

lack of learning in the classroom. Most of the time when a student is not completing work during

class, they can be taken out of physical education class to try and make up for the missed work.

This could potentially affect the social development of Micah. The longevity of ADHD can

persist through adulthood. However, with the proper treatment ADHD can be easily managed.

Micahs parents recently took him to a psychiatrist who suggested drug therapy. Drug

therapy has been shown to be effective in treating children with ADHD. Short-term effects of

taking drugs include possible improvements in social behaviors such as cooperation, attention

and compliance. Research shows that 70% to 80% of children with ADHD are more manageable

when on medication. (Woolfolk, 2016.) However, drug therapy should not be the first option

when looking to treat children with ADHD. There are many negative side effects when taking
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these drugs such as: increases heart rate, higher blood pressure, interference with growth rate,

insomnia, weight loss, and nausea. (Woolfolk, 2016.)

If the parents opt to try other methods than drug therapy to help their child there are many

other ways to help. Behavioral treatments can be effective in helping children with ADHD.

Teachers can also lend a hand in helping children with ADHD. For example, a student such as

Micah that has a problem focusing might be intimidated by a long worksheet. By giving the child

problems in smaller amounts it makes it easier for the child to try and complete the work. As a

teacher, we can also see when our students are engaged. If they are having a hard time focusing

on the lesson then adjustments to our teaching style can be made. Changing the seats of students

can also be a helpful intervention for students with ADHD. According to an intervention

performed by the U.S. Department of Education, organizational skills are another way to help

students with ADHD. Giving students an order to do things could help in the completion of

assignments. In fact, students who were given organizational skills through this intervention

made significant improvements in homework problems. (U.S. Department, 2017.)

As a future teacher, there is a probable chance that I will one day encounter a student

with some type of disorder or disability. Teachers in any classroom with students who have

certain disorders or disabilities find themselves in situations that may require classroom

management systems. Rules can play a vital role in the success of students. Rules not only help

the students stay on task, but allow the teacher to give more freely demanding activities. Students

with disabilities or disorders need to be reminded of the rules more often. However, students

may respond with an increase in rule-following behavior, assisting them to fulfill the social and

academic demands of a classroom. (Kostewicz, 2008)

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After reviewing these two students with such different problems, it just furthers my need

to be equipped to handle all situations. Teachers can experience vastly different problems over

the course of their career. Being prepared and having good resources to help them through it is

very important. These two scenarios prove that multiple things can be done to assist a child in

need.
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References

Woolfolk, A., (2016). Educational Psychology. [DX Reader version]. Retrieved from

https://shelf.brytewave.com/#/books/9780133550047/cfi/6/6!/4/2/40/2/2@0:10

U.S. Department of, E. (2017). Efficacy of an Organizational Skills Intervention for Middle

School Students with ADHD.

Bhutto Muhammad, I., Qazi, W., & Rawat, K. J. (2014). Effect of Teaching Fractions through

Constructivist Approach on Learning Outcomes of Public Sector Primary Schools

Teacher. Bulletin of Education & Research, 36(1), 15-35.

Kostewicz, D., & Ruhl, K. L. (2008). Creating Classroom Rules for Students with Emotional and

Behavioral Disorders: A Decision Making Guide. Retrieved from:

http://www.pent.ca.gov/cdr/f10/classroomrules.pdf