EL 652

a.      Learning, as a concept, really has multiple facets that need to be considered. From a behaviorist perspective I do think that learning needs to provide some type of change in the learner. However, unlike the behaviorist, I do not think that this change needs to be 100% visible. In many cases learning can cause a shift or change in one’s values or perspectives which would be considered just as valuable. Learning also needs to be applicable to the world around us. A series of memorized facts don’t do the individual any good if there is no arena in which to apply them. In this way my definition would also include aspects of the cognitive and social cognitive theories. b.      With this new concept of learning I would have two learning goals/objectives for my participants in the Response to Intervention training. The first would be one that is less visible, unless the participant is willing to share. I would hope that parti...

The training in Response to Intervention has been interesting. And now there will be some practicality that I get in the coming week. My school will be having a short two-day professional development where myself and the other RTI members will be putting together a short Q&A for the staff. It is nothing as formal as what I am creating here but it has been a great place to try different ideas. a.      Participants in this workshop will need to bring real problems they have faced with students, either currently or in the past, to the training. In doing this I hope that the training will be immediately more applicable to what the teachers are going through and would be useful to them when they leave. b.      In order to understand the learner’s relevant knowledge of RTI or other intervention strategies I would like to start in one of two ways, or maybe both. I could have a quick questionnaire for everyone to fill out before ...

In order to motivate the participants of my workshop I would like them to start with a small group discussion about why they are attending in the first place. Before they begin I will share a short bit about myself and why I am so motivated in Response to Intervention. The hope, is that in their small group discussions participants will begin to realize their own motivations. With enough forethought I could create a more individualized experience for the groups (Merriam & Bierema, pp.149). Getting participants to be more self-directed will be an easy enough exercise if I am prepared enough and can contact people before the actual training. It would be best for the teachers involved to bring in current, or past, student issues that can be developed and hopefully solutions can be developed. These “breakout” sessions with real-world applications will help make the program feel more useful to everyone. Technology will be used during the workshop as a means to ...