Teachable moment of the day.
Concepts one needs to know in order to experience teachable moment:
par·a·ble 1. a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
2. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.
Operant conditioning
is the use of consequences to modify the occurrence and form of behavior.
Classical Conditioning (also Pavlovian or Respondent Conditioning) is a form of associative learning.
And there is more: "Operant conditioning is distinguished from classical conditioning (also called respondent conditioning, or Pavlovian conditioning) in that operant conditioning deals with the modification of "voluntary behavior" or operant behavior. Operant behavior "operates" on the environment and is maintained by its consequences, while classical conditioning deals with the conditioning of respondent behaviors which are elicited by antecedent conditions. Behaviors conditioned via a classical conditioning procedure are not maintained by consequences.[1]"
Regarding sex and drunk driving:
If the public school system wants to teach responsible social behavior, I am all for it. However, I think it would be best for the public school system to deal with behavior in a scientific method.
If the public school system can't tell kids that drinking is a sin, then how the hell do "they" get away with a flat out lie to the kids that their friends were killed in an alcohol related accident.
Which of those two scenarios is a "parable".
"Both" is an acceptable answer.
Understanding and dealing with behavior should be as professionally administered as possible.
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2 comments:
"Understanding and dealing with behavior should be as professionally administered as possible."
I don't understand what you are saying. The "lie" told by the cops and the school was "unprofessional"? If so, I would agree with you. We cant be effective id we lie to kids no matter what the reason.
Telling the truth can be problematical. The district ended the practice of requiring a passing grade the last 9 weeks in order to pass the class. In the past kids could get 3 "A"'s in a class first, second and third nine weeks but fail the class if they got an "F" the last nine weeks. Unfair, yes. I am glad the practice was ended but teachers all over my school told kids otherwise. Why? If a kid has all of their quality points and will pass no matter what they do the last nine weeks the fear was that kids would not do any work and perhaps become disruptive.
Yes folks, that is what we have come to. Lie to the kids to keep them in line. You think I am kidding?
By the way, kids know that they will move on to the next grade no matter what their actual letter grade is. They understand that the school system could not function if too many kids failed (ooops I mean retained).
Talk about conditioning....wow, we have conditioned the kids to not believe anything we say. Teaching them "acceptable social behavior" is kind of difficult when they know we lie to them.
Acceptable social behavior should not be taught in school. That is a parents function. Who is to say what "acceptable" is? Do you trust the school district to decide what that is? I sure don't. I teach acceptable social behavior by being myself in the class, but is that "acceptable" to you? You cant know. In 15 years of teaching, I have had exactly 5 parents come to class and see me at work.
Its parents job to inculcate character. Since when did schools become experts in character? It seems to me that its just easier for busy parents to send their kids to school and hope everything turns out right
I have read the thomas vaughan 9:30 am comment several times.
I surmise we are talking the same language.
When I say "Understanding and dealing with behavior should be as professionally administered as possible.", I am talking about the need for a more "scientific approach" as opposed to "aunt Helen's approach to kid's behavior".
Here is part of a Technical Assistance Paper written by the FDOE that could be used as a start:
12. What are the primary components of a functional behavioral assessment?
To maintain the integrity of the functional behavioral assessment process, the following components
should be included:
Identification and description of target behavior in observable, measurable terms
A review of events related to the onset, duration, and severity of the target behavior, asking questions
such as these:
– When is the behavior likely to occur?
– Where is the behavior likely to occur?
– With whom is the behavior likely to occur?
6
– What activities are most likely or least likely to cause the behavior to occur?
– Are there situations in which the behavior never occurs?
– What happens before and immediately after the behavior occurs?
Identification of environmental factors that may contribute to the behaviors, such as these:
– peer characteristics (e.g., peer group influences, bullying or taunting by peers)
– curriculum and teacher characteristics or conditions (e.g., difficulty of curriculum, length of
assignments, opportunity to practice skills, rate of teacher reinforcement, style of teaching)
– school system or classroom environment characteristics (e.g., classroom seating, school rules
and code of conduct, length of bus rides)
– family characteristics (e.g., discipline practices, parent expectations, parent/child relationships)
– community characteristics (cultural expectations, tolerance for violence, prevalence of gangs,
drug and alcohol abuse)
Identification of the strengths of the student; review of all characteristics of the student that may
indicate the need for professional evaluation, treatment, or therapy (diagnosed or suggested physical
or mental conditions)
Determination of what is reinforcing to the student
Development of hypotheses about what the student is gaining or avoiding through this behavior (the
function or purpose of the behavior).....
This would be the foundation of the start to a "professionally administered" behavioral program.
I would also like to comment on the statement: "Acceptable social behavior should not be taught in school."
My first response would be "there goes the student handbook". No need to have the hundreds of policies that address student behavior.
My second response would be that this mindset by a school system flies straight in the face of IDEA.
I have tried to make the point in other posts that while a "regular ed" student has very little protections (other than helicopter parents and wrong minded administration), a "special ed" student by definition has "a right", therefore "a responsibility" of the school system, to have manisfested behaviors of a disability to not only be addressed, but to be done so from a positive approach. In other words, an autistic kid whose behavior impedes their OR THEIR PEER'S access to the curriculum, then the District must, and that was the word "must", "explore the need for strategies and support systems to address any behavior..."
Wise people who have been well trained would recognize the districts out to addressing problem behavior. The quote, from IDEA, says "must explore the need....".
So, for all you teachers who are looking for behavioral supports, rest assured that the District has "explored the need...".
I have digressed to bitch and moan about ESE, but just put the shoe on the other foot for regular ed.
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