Why Can’t We Just Behave? Social Learning Theory in the K-12 Classroom

Description

PEDC 9113 Why Can’t We Just Behave? Social Learning Theory in the K-12 Classroom
3 Graduate Level or In-service Credits/ 45 hours Instructor Janice McLachlan August 1-30, March 1-30, May 1-30

University of the Pacific

Have you ever wondered why your students behave in certain ways? Are there times behavior gets in the way of teaching and learning? Orshould we ask how many times and why? Albert Bandura believed people learn from each other through observation, imitation and modeling. He called this Social Learning Theory. Bandura’s Social Learning Theory bridges behavior, cognitive learning and one’s environment because it encompasses attention, motivation and memory through Reciprocal Determinism. Why do some students exhibit deviant behavior and some exhibit acceptable behaviors? How can you answer these questions and foster social learning in your program? Bandura believed most human behavior is observed from the modeling of others, the idea of the behavior is formed, remembered, coded and then performed at a later time. Behavior is the effect of the environment and the environment is affected by behavior. Educators will study Bandura’s work and make connections to their individual classroom. This course will look at cognitive, social and environmental classroom conditions and conditioning to help provide the necessary means for effective modeling from the early formative years through adolescence. Deviant delinquent behaviors, social structures, social norms, teen aggression and differential association will be explored. Research on attention, retention, reproduction and motivation will be analyzed. Educators will study models such as Vigotsky’s Social Development Theory and Lave’s Situated Learning, create meaningful classroom resources and lesson plans that help create an effective teaching and learning environment for your individual classroom. This course is appropriate for all teachers N-12, in all curriculum areas such as ELA, Social Studies, Science, Foreign Language, Math, the Arts, and Special Education, Social Workers, School Psychologists and Guidance Counselors.