JOT2 Task 2

Lynette di Stasio
Student ID: 0013200334
Program Mentor: Lizett Jacobo
Assessment Code: JOT2 Task 2
February 6, 2020
A. Three Learning Theories
Constructivism
Behaviorism
Cognitivism

What do they mean?

Examples of how they are

appropriate and beneficial for
learners
Constructivism:
Meaning/Definition: A learning theory based on the idea that the
learner “constructs” their own learning by participating in various
activities and experiences.

Examples of how this is appropriate and beneficial for learners:

• At the completion of reading the story, “Author’s Pet Business,”
second grade students work in groups to make an advertisement
Author can use to advertise his business.

• Students attend a field trip in which they are able to pan for gold.
When they return, students create and present an instruction
guide on how to pan for gold.

• Students use blocks, boxes and tubes to build a marble track. They
adjust different variables in order to get their marble to travel
farther after exiting the track.
 Behaviorism:
Meaning/Definition: A learning theory centered on reinforcing
learned behaviors through positive and negative consequences or
reinforcements

Examples of how this is appropriate and beneficial for

learners:
• Second grade students are given a “Dojo Point” for following
directions during class transitions; thus they learn the proper
way to transition within the classroom appropriately.
Conversely, if they do not transition appropriately they lose a
“Dojo Point.”

• Elementary students do not complete their in-class seatwork or

homework; therefore, they must attend a lunch recess work
completion group. From this they learn that if they do their
work, they can use their recess time for recess.

• Students must get 100% on an AR Reading Comprehension Quiz.

If they do not, they must retake the quiz until they do while also
explaining their mistakes.
 Cognitivism:
Meaning/Definition: A learning theory centered on receiving,
organizing, storing, memorizing and retrieval of knowledge

Examples of how this is appropriate and beneficial for

learners:
• Ask students “Who can tell me what they learned today?” at
the end of a math lesson. The students then respond orally
to the class or with an elbow partner, verbalizing
information they learned in their own words which furthers
their retention.

• Students learn the mnemonic ”Never Eat Soggy Wheat” in

order to remember the correct order of directions
clockwise on a compass rose

• First grade students memorize the ”Doubles Rap” song in

order to remember doubles addition facts
• B. Lesson Plan
Rev Them Up (link to lesson plan)
Lesson objective: Solve addition facts fluently

When the above lesson is analyzed, we can see that it currently

aligns with the Cognitivism Learning Theory

*The author of the lesson justifies the activity by creating a

meaningful way through the use of mnemonics (rap) in order to
help the learners remember the content

*Students are being taught a “cognitive reference to use when

working with doubles facts” in order to memorize them

*Students will sing the doubles rap

*The completion of the lesson involved a verbal review of all

the addition doubles facts in the lesson

(Moon, J. (2014, June 18). Addition Doubles. Retrieved from https://betterlesson.com/lesson/533744/addition-doubles)

C. Explain how you would adapt the original lesson
plan (e.g., activities, assessment) to reflect a
different learning theory.

This lesson could be adapted from

Cognitivism to Behaviorism

Explanation:
Instead of having students memorize a mnemonic, the
students could be broken up into two random teams.
The two teams would compete in fact races. The
teacher would have the teams stand in single file lines
next to each other. The students will compete against
another student from the other team. The student
who says the correct answer to the doubles fact
flashcard first goes to the end of the line. The
student who did not, is out. Play until only one team
has players left in the game. The winning team wins a
piece of candy.?)
D. Justify which version of the lesson plan
would be most beneficial in your
instructional setting.

The original Cognitivism lesson would work best in my

classroom. I consistently work towards every student
achieving mastery in a skill set. If my primary objective
is to teach mastery of doubles addition facts, the use
of the rap allows student to make a mind connection
or memory of the rap (mnemonic) to the answer of the
addition fact. Eventually, the desired outcome would
be that the student would know the doubles fact with
fluency and automaticity, thus more supported by the
Cognitivism approach to the lesson.
E. Explain how theories of design can help in
the adaptation and development of
effective instruction.

When a teacher has knowledge of learning theories,

the teacher is better suited and equipped to deliver,
adapt and develop lessons and instruction. This
includes employing and implementing the proper
learning theory to effectively meet lesson
objectives, deliver content material and meet the
individual need of leaners in the classroom.

Furthermore, the needs of a class can vary from

year to year. Having a knowledge base of different
learning theories and how to adjust your practice of
teaching to meet this needs is essential.
F. What are the strengths and limitations of
Backwards Design?

Strengths:

 Desired results are identified and clearly stated

 Students perform better knowing their goal (Wiggins, et al.,
2001)
 As Wiggins and McTighe, state “greater coherence among
desired. results, key performances, and teacher and learning
experiences lead to better student performance.” (2001).
 When the end result is in mind, a teacher can better plan and
guide purposeful lessons to achieve desired results.

Limitations:

 Modifications and flexibility can be limited

 Not typical or traditional way of planning for many educators
 Backwards Design units can be time consuming to create
 Importance focused primarily on end result
F. What are the strengths and limitations to
Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction?
Strengths:
• Clearly defined protocol for daily instruction
• Opportunity to connect prior learning and build upon a foundation
through scaffolded instruction
• Provides a systematic and sequential approach to achieve a desired
result within a lesson on content topic
• Flexibility to accommodate and provide modifications for diverse
learners, especially learners who thrive in routine based instruction
and classroom environments.
• Learner is supported throughout instruction with reinforcement,
feedback, and guided practice
Limitations:
• Limited inquiry or independent approach available to learners
• Learners may become dependent on guided or modeled approach to
content and learning
• Some teachers may view this type of instruction as overly teacher
centered
F. What are the strengths and limitations of
Elements of Teaching for Understanding?
Strengths:
• Allows for creativity and flexibility within the set
curriculum
• Goal and checks for understanding are address
frequently
• Easily allows for differentiation, modification and
accommodations as needed to meet the needs for individual
learners
• Focus is on the entirety of the learning process, not just
end goal

Limitations:
• End goal may be hard to define or reach
• Previously learned material may differ substantially in
each learner
• May prove to be time-consuming
G. Most Appropriate Design Theory for My
Instructional Setting and Justification

The most appropriate design theory for my second grade

classroom is Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction. I work
diligently to provide learning opportunities in which
students can use prior learning to help achieve
proficiency and mastery in content areas. Innately, I am
also a very structured teacher. My classroom consists
of very consistent, systematic and routine based
management system. This instruction theory marries
itself perfectly to my already established classroom
design and practice. My students are supported to meet
their individual needs. I provide learning objectives on a
daily basis, model, support and check for understanding in
a very systemic approach, very similar to Gagne’s Nine
Events of Instruction. This approach has proven to be
highly successful for me in analyzing student
achievement over a prolonged period of time.
 H. References
● Dick, W., Carey, L, & Carey, J. O. (2015). The systematic design of
instruction (8th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson. ISBN: 978-0-13-
282485-9

● Moon, J. (2014, June 18). Addition Doubles. Retrieved from

https://betterlesson.com/lesson/533744/addition-doubles

● Roblyer, J. E. (2001). Learning theories and integration

models. In Integrating educational technology into
teaching (3rd ed.) (pp. 51–82). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

● Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2001). Understanding by design.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.