Ed 107 thus far

In the first two weeks of Education 107, we have examined a lot of concepts very briefly. So far, we have skimmed the surface for different learning theories and other important aspects of teaching. Even though what we have covered has many more layers to the ideas, we have still been able to make connections between the different learning theories in order to see how everything has it's part in meeting students needs and teaching them how to learn on top of just the content in the classroom.

The first thing that we jumped into was the concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). ZPD is the level that students are at based on how they are learning the material. If a student is learning without help, it is probably too easy and makes it more likely for them to get off task. If the material is too hard and the students are not grasping the concept, then they are likely to get frustrated and want to give up trying to learn. Teachers should search for the happy medium between these two extremes. ZPD falls under the classroom management aspect of teaching and is most often associated with social learning theory, but has connections to other learning theories as well. Each child may have a different ZPD.

The next ideas that we talked about all fit together very well. The idea of active mental engagement (AME), the processing of information, is a part of constructivist learning theory, but is affected by ZPD because it is more difficult to keep a student actively, mentally engaged when the material is too difficult or too easy. Teaching beginning with the concrete and moving to the abstract is part of the developmental learning theory. This is also related to ZPD because the ZPD can be lowered by making a lesson or a concept more concrete for the students, which can also increase their AME. One way to tie the development and constructivist learning theories is through a specific model of teaching. By first presenting a problem or some sort of idea in a concrete way, developmental learning theory comes into play. Next, constructivist learning theory has its place if you let children explore the idea and try and sort through it on their own through AME. Finally, if students are not grasping the idea correctly, the teacher can explain the idea, which has implications from both of those learning theories. This is just one example of how the different learning theories come together to create effective teaching. Everything seems to fit so neatly and I am looking forward to continuing on exploring and going into depth with the connections between all the different aspects of education.

Jack Black vs. Average Teacher

Many may claim that Jack Black is a below average teacher in The School of Rock, and those claims can be justified by his teaching methods at the very beginning of the film. However, as I continued to watch, I noticed a few things that made Black a more interesting and motivating teacher than many of those that we have encountered over our years in school. Because Black's motivation for teaching in the film is a bit skewed, it may have influenced his actions; however, no matter what his motivation was, he was still able to exhibit many characteristics of good teaching. 

When Black first enters the classroom as Mr. S, he says that the class will be having recess all the time. He says there will be no gold stars, demerits, or grades; instead, it will only be fun. At this point in time, he seemingly had no interest in the well being of the students. The average teacher would have lessons planned and follow the curriculum, hopefully having some of the students' interest at heart. So upon this first impression, Black is way below average on the teacher scale.

After a shift in motivation, however, Black begins to come alive in the classroom. Yes, he is more invested in the students' learning, but it is for his own selfish reasons. That aside, he tries to take what students are comfortable with and improve upon their knowledge. He assigns parts in the band based off of established student interests in their instruments. Later, he gives everyone a role whether they are in the band or not so that everyone feels important. Often times, the average teacher will simply call on those who know the answers or may even favor certain students. The average teacher may also simply assign roles randomly. Black is able to avoid this and give everyone in the class a purpose that they are interested in and can individually get excited about.

Black is able to motivate the students by drawing from their experiences in order to contribute to the class, or in this case, the song that he writes. He asks them what gets them really angry and adds those lyrics to the song. I think that this indirectly inspires the students to realize that their voices count in the classroom because he wants their input and to hear what they have to say. Black even transfers an average subject into something that applied to what they were doing in the classroom when he teaches the students music history. This motivates students by making it applicable to their lives and making the subject more interesting so that they want to learn. The average teacher usually just uses good grades as a motivator, which is not effective for those students who just don't care. Also, often times what students are learning in class does not seem to be relevant to life outside of school because average teachers may not make that connection for them.

I think that one aspect of education that Black was particularly strong in was supporting student learning. The average teacher may support student learning by giving supplementary materials or study guides as tools. They may also spend time one on one with individuals who are struggling in class. Black, on the other hand, puts in time to work with each student individually and to get to know a little bit about them. I found that Black encouraged creativity when he got particularly excited about the song that Zach wrote. This enthusiasm exhibited to the students that he encourages their personal learning and growth and that it is something to be shared with everyone.

Overall, Black shows great motivation and support for his students, even though he was doing so for purely selfish reasons. In the end, Black realizes that he truly cares about these kids and that he learned a lot from them. Because he brought music into the classroom, Black made the class memorable and relevant to the students' lives. The average teacher is a textbook teacher who plans lessons based on standards. Black may not have done this, but he taught the students a lot about life and he learned a lot in return, which is something that any good teacher should be able to do.