Lecture 7Teaching for Self-Regulation, Creativity,and Tolerance

Main questions in this chapter:

• What are the factors that facilitate self-regulated learning?

• How would you define creativity, and what are sources and some ideas about creativity?

• What is emotional intelligence, and what are social and emotional learning?

• Why is compassion and tolerance important in schools?

• How can you create a learning community in your classroom?

• How can cooperative learning strategies promote academic and social development?

Self-Regulation and Agency

• How are you studying right now? What goals have you set for your reading today? What is your plan for learning, and what strategies are you using right now to learn? How did you learn those strategies?

Self-regulation • Barry Zimmerman (2002) defines self-regulation as the

process we use to activate and sustain our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in order to reach our goals.When the goals involve learning, we talk aboutself-regulated learning.

• Self-regulated learners have a combination of academic learning skills and self-control that makes learning easier, so they are more motivated; in other words, they have the skill and the will to learn (McCombs & Marzano, 1990; Murphy & Alexander, 2000).

• Self-regulated learners transform their mental abilities, whatever they are, into academic skills (Zimmerman, 2002).

What Influences Self-Regulation?• Knowledge. To be self-regulated learners, student

s need knowledge about themselves, the subject, the task, strategies for learning, and the contexts in which they will apply their learning.

• Motivation. Self-regulated learners are motivated to learn .

• . Volition is an oldfashioned word for will-power. Self-regulated learners know how to protect themselves from distractions—where to study .

• Family Influences.

Self-Regulation Processesaccording to the follow case, How to process self-regulation? Tracy, a high-school student who is devoted to MTV: An important mid-

term math exam is two weeks away, and she had begun to study while listening to popular music “to relax her.” Tracy has not set any study goals for herself—instead she simply tells herself to do as well as she can on the test. She uses no specific learning strategies for condensing and memorizing important material and does not plan out her study time, so she ends up cramming for a few hours before the test. She has only vague self-evaluative standards and cannot gauge her academic preparation accurately. Tracy attributes her learning difficulties to an inherent lack of mathematical ability and is very defensive about her poor study methods. However, she does not ask for help from others because she is afraid of “looking stupid,” or seek out supplementary materials from the library because she “already has too much to learn.” She finds studying to be anxiety-provoking, has little self-confidence in achieving success, and sees little intrinsic value in acquiring mathematical skill.Clearly, Tracy is unlikely to do well on the test.What would help?

Creativity

• Defining Creativity• The creative individual as “a person who regularl

y solves problems, fashions products, or defines new questions in a domain in a way that is initially considered novel but that ultimately becomes accepted in a particular cultural setting” (Gardner, 1993a, p. 35).

• Creativity is the ability to produce work that is original, but still appropriate and useful (Berk, 2002).

What Is the Source of Creativity?• 1. Domain-relevant skills including talents and co

mpetencies that are valuable for working in the domain. An example would be Michelangelo’s skills in shaping stone, developed when he lived with a stonecutter’s family as a child.

• 2. Creativity-relevant processes including work habits and personality traits such as a John Irving’s habits of working 10-hour days to write and rewrite and rewriteuntil he perfected his stories.

• 3. Intrinsic task motivation or a deep curiosity and fascination with the task.

Think about the difference?

• Creativity and Cognition.• Creativity and Diversity.

Assessing Creativity

• Divergent thinking E. P. Torrance has developed two types

of creativity tests:• Convergent thinking

Creativity in the Classroom

• How can teachers promote creative thinking?

• Brainstorming!!

Social and Emotional Learning

• Emotional Intelligence• What Is EQ? • EQ Goes to School.

Social Skills

• Many social skills are important for learning as well.For example, listening is valuable

• in relationships, in classes, and on the job.

• Example:

• Jeanine, a student in the class, has just practiced these• listening skills in front of the class by role-playing the part of• a student who is talking to her teacher about an assignment.• In the role-play, Ms. Perez played herself. The class is now• giving Jeanine feedback on her performance.• Ms: Perez: First, did Jeanine look at me when I was talking?• Before you answer, can someone tell me why it’s important• to look at the person who is talking?• Lorna: You don’t want the other person to think you’re not• listening even though you are. So you really have to show• them you are listening.• Ms. Perez: That’s right, Lorna.Well, how did Jeanine do on• this one?• Charles:Well, she looked at you at first but while you were• explaining the assignment she looked down at her feet. It• kind of looked like she wasn’t listening.• Jeanine: I was listening, but I guess I should have kept good• eye contact all the way through.• Ms. Perez: Yes, Jeanine.To be honest, if I didn’t know you• better, I would have thought that you didn’t care about what• I was saying.You need to work harder on that• step.The next step is to remember to sit quietly.• How did Jeanine do with this one?

• Milton: I think she did well. She remembered• not to laugh, fidget, or play with anything while• you were talking.• Ms. Perez: I agree, Milton.Nice work, Jeanine.• Now, can someone tell me what the next listening• step is?• Kyrie: It’s to think about what the person is saying.• Ms. Perez: Right,Kyrie. Let’s let Jeanine evaluate herself on• this one.• Jeanine:Well, I tried to think about what you were saying. Once• I felt my mind start to wander, but I followed your suggestion• and started thinking about a question that I could ask you.• Ms. Perez: Good, Jeanine.Trying to think of a question to ask can• be very helpful.How did you think you did on the next step? Did• you nod your head or say yes to show you were following me?• Jeanine: I think I did.• Ms. Perez:What do the rest of you think? Did Jeanine nod her• head or say yes?• Tara:Well, I saw her nod a little, but it was hard to tell.Maybe• she needs to nod more clearly.• Ms. Perez: Jeanine, you need to nod more strongly or the• teacher won’t realize you are doing it.

Learning to Listen

• Ms. Perez and her fourth-grade class are working on a unit on social skills in social studies. They are learning the skill of listening to someone who

• is talking by doing the following:• 1. Look at the person who is talking.• 2. Remember to sit quietly.• 3. Think about what is being said.• 4. Say yes or nod your head.• 5. Ask a question about the topic to find out more.

Compassion and Tolerance• Using Cooperative Learning Assign appropriate roles.Make sure you assume a supporting role as the tea

cher.Move around the room and monitor the groups Start small and simple until you and the studentsknow how to use cooperative methods.• Creating a Learning Communitywww.ablongman.com/woolfolk