Learning Theory Free Essay Example, 2250 words

Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the principle that, by reflecting on experiences, a person can construct his own knowledge of the world in which he lives. Each person generates his own "rules" and "mental models, " which he will use to comprehend his experiences. Learning then becomes a process of adjusting mental models to accommodate new experiences (Constructivism 2001). Constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts based on current and past knowledge. In other words, "learning involves constructing one's own knowledge from one's own experiences". Constructivist learning, therefore, is a very personal endeavor, whereby internalized concepts, rules, and general principles may consequently be applied in a practical real-world context (Learning Theory 2005). Constructivism itself has many variations, such as Generative Learning, Cognitive Apprenticeship, Problem-based learning, Discovery Lear ning, situated learning, and knowledge building. Regardless of the variety, constructivism promotes a student's free exploration within a given framework or structure. The methods of constructivism emphasize a person s ability to solve real-life, practical problems. In school, Students typically work in cooperative groups rather than individually; they tend to focus on projects that require solutions to problems rather than on instructional sequences that require learning of certain content skills (Conway 1997). We will write a custom essay sample on Learning Theory or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The job of the teacher in constructivist models is to arrange for required resources and act as a guide to students while they set their own goals and 'teach themselves'(Roblyer, Edwards, and Havriluk, 1997, p. 70). However, many educational psychologists found the behavioral approach unsatisfying. In the areas of problem-solving and learning strategies, they became more concerned with what was unobservable - what was going on inside the brain (Conway 1997).

Juvenile Crime and Violence in Schools Essay - 640 Words

All Americans remember too well the morning of April 12, 1999, when two enraged students opened fire at Columbine High School. This act of violence resulted in not only their own deaths but the deaths of many other innocent students and one teacher. However, this was not the first instance of violence in schools. There have been many other occasions of violent behavior among school age children, some as young as eleven years old, the past few years. We should carefully consider some possible causes of these tragedies, so we can seek a way to end them. Promotion of violence, neglect of troubled children, and lack of parental involvement in their childrens lives are all factors that could lead to violence in schools. First, we must look†¦show more content†¦Also, video games have gotten so violent that some have been rated MA for mature audiences only. In addition to these, the media promote role models for children who have histories of violent behavior. Professional athletes, movie stars, and rock stars, whom children look up to, are in the news daily for illegal, violent behavior. So the constant barrage of the media promoting violence has definitely played a part in making our society more callous to human life, and thus more susceptible to violent acts. Another factor influencing violence in schools is the neglect of troubled children. There are so many children crying out for help, and no one notices. Patterns of anger, raging tempers, and aggressive behavior in children should be caught at an early age and dealt with before they become serious problems. Children that exhibit signs of emotional disturbance should be sent to counseling and taught how to control their anger and behavior. Also, threats made by children should be taken seriously. If people had not ignored the signs given by those two boys at Columbine, that tragedy could have been averted. So we should not neglect troubled children if we hope to quell violence in schools. Finally, the decrease in parental involvement in their childrens lives has led to violence in schools. In our society, too many parents doShow MoreRelatedCriminological Theories Of Juvenile Violence845 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout time, society has seen its fair share of crime from miniscule crimes to the most serious types of offenses like murder and rape. Violence can come from all shape and sizes from women, men, children, mentally ill, etc. An increasing problem in recent decades include juvenile violence. Juveniles can commit violence for an infinite amount of reasons like parental abuse, being bullied in school or peers, mental illness, and other outside factors. Juvenile are in a period in their lives where countlessRead MoreYouth And School Violence : The Center For Disease Control858 Words   |  4 Pages Youth and School Violence The Center for Disease Control (CDC) describes youth violence as â€Å"harmful behaviors that can start early and continue into young adulthood† (Center for Disease Control, 2016, para. 1). It includes bullying, robbery, assaults, or even acts that include the victim, the offender, and the witness. School violence is a sub-section of youth violence that exists on the school grounds during a school sponsored event or on the way to or from school. It can also involve an adultRead MoreJuvenile Crime and the Influence of Media Violence1463 Words   |  6 PagesJuvenile Crime and the Influence of Media Violence With several arguments for both sides can we truly determine if there is only one main role in juvenile crime? There are many statistics that show there is a higher aggression level formed in people who watched a great deal of violent television or played violent video games as a child. People must begin to consider that there are several contributors to youth crime and violence. Youth crime is often fueled by media violence and can depend on howRead More Juvenile Crime Essay528 Words   |  3 Pageswith is juvenile crime. The reason experts feel juvenile’s commit crimes is because of risk factors when they were younger but experts still have not found the main reason why juvenile’s commit crimes. Some risk factors associated with juvenile crime are poverty, repeated exposure to violence, drugs, easy access to firearms, unstable family life and family violence, delinquent peer groups, and media violence. Especially the demise of family life, the effect of the media on the juveniles today, andRead More No Prison Time for Juvenile Crime and Violence Essay882 Words   |  4 Pages No Prison Time for Juvenile Crime nbsp; Students are shooting up schools across the country. Kids as young as twelve and thirteen are being convicted of murdering their peers. Right here in Hanover, two teens have been charged with the murders of Dartmouth professors. Although juvenile crime across the country may not be on the rise, high publicity, headline-grabbing juvenile-perpetrated homicides certainly are. nbsp; Prosecutors, attempting to satiate public demand for justice, haveRead MoreProblems and Solutions to Violence in Schools Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesViolence is a very important issue that is coming to the front in todays school systems. School violence is a `complex social policy problem and is considered very complicated and hard to define. My paper is on school violence and the methods in which the government and schools can provide support and/or programs to help stem the recent rash of incidents. These steps include: use of `less violent materials, peer mediation interventions, police presence and action, individualizing of the troublemaker(s)Read MoreJuvenile Crimes1247 Words   |  5 PagesJuvenile crime is a growing problem that endangers virtually every American. Juvenile delinquency is enormously damaging to the health and well-being of the nations families and communities. A juvenile crime can consist of DUI, robbery, rape, minor in possession, weapon in possession a nything an adult can be charged with. Individuals under the age of eighteen who commit these crimes can be charged as a juvenile delinquent. Statistics show that most juveniles that commit crimes are in a gang; weatherRead MoreJuvenile Delinquent Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesJuvenile delinquents are minors usually between the ages of 10 and 18. They are those minors that have committed some type of act that violates the law. Juveniles are not given the same sentences as adults when it comes to the punishment part. The argument for juvenile delinquents is, if they are born evil or is it part of the environment and or society. Are juveniles who commit a crime really naturally evil as many suggest, or are they their own products of the environment/society they live in?Read MoreCauses and Solution of Juvenile Delinquency in America Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pagesmore than 3300 young adults under the age of 18† (Khan).Juvenile delinquency can be caused by the influence gangs,b ullying, and bad parenting. This topic caught my attention because there a lot of kids getting arrested each year for crimes committed and kids getting involved in gangs, also kids getting access to weapons,drugs, or getting bully by other people. However juvenile delinquency can be prevented by offering bullying prevention, violence prevention curriculums and mentoring programs. â€Å"If gangsRead MorePoverty and a Lack of Education are Fueling Juvenile Crime A 6 page essay arguing that juvenile crime is directly related to poverty and poor education.1698 Words   |  7 PagesPoverty and a Lack of Education are Fueling Juvenile Crime In the early 1960s, the epidemic of juvenile crime began to take shape. The problem of juvenile crime is becoming an increasingly pressing matter in America. Anyone who watches the news on television or reads the newspapers is well aware of the urgency and intensity of Americas juvenile crime problem. Effectively establishing the causes of juvenile crime may help to deter it in the future. A proper solution cannot be executed until the

Marginal Costs and Benefits Free Essays

Marginal analysis is a technique used in microeconomics by which very small changes in specific variables are studied in terms of the effect on related variables and the system as a whole. Marginal costs and benefits are a vital part of economics because they help to provide the relevant measurement of costs and benefits at a specific level of production and consumption (McCain, 2008). This is the reason why I’ve chosen this topic for my paper. We will write a custom essay sample on Marginal Costs and Benefits or any similar topic only for you Order Now We use economics in our daily lives without knowing it. It would be nice to have an unlimited source of income, where one doesn’t have to worry on how they spend. Of course to most cases, we don’t have that luxury so we must live on a budget. Analyzing the marginal costs will benefit us in the long run because when we live on a budget, we spend most of our lives trying to find the most out of our spending. Let’s say that one person who lives on a tight budget, but they would like to have a nice vacation in one point of their lives. They would work toward that point and find out how much they would need for the costs of the trip. Every dollar now becomes crucial to their spending because we must know how much we can afford and have to be wise about it. We cannot go out there and start spending like mad because in the end we’ll ask ourselves, â€Å"Now how are we going to pay this off? † So calculating within the budget is necessary, but keeping in mind that we should be able to actually enjoy the vacation without being tedious of every single cent that is coming out of our pocket. Let’s say that we have a budget of $2000 total to go on this trip. Looking at the prices of the airfare, transportation, food, lodging etc. , we have to see much this would all cost us so therefore we can know how much money is left to us to spend on certain material items we may come across to when we are on vacation. There’s always something that one could find that raises the question, â€Å"I should buy this because I wouldn’t be able to find it where I am currently living. † When we calculate all the costs, we will see how much it would benefit us in the long run. The benefits of this situation is that if we find deals and discount for the necessary factors of our trip, we have more spending money to enjoy our vacation, buying things without that guilt factor because we know it’s within our budget. How to cite Marginal Costs and Benefits, Papers

The Truth About Thanksgiving Essay Example For Students

The Truth About Thanksgiving Essay The truth behind the tradition is surprising. Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims seem to go together, but the truth is, the Pilgrims never held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast. However the Pilgrims did have a feast in 1621, after their first harvest, and it is this feast, which people often refer to as The First Thanksgiving. This feast was never repeated, though, so it cant be called the beginning of a tradition, nor was it termed by the colonists or Pilgrims a Thanksgiving Feast. In fact, a day of thanksgiving was a day of prayer and fasting, and would have been held any time that they felt an extra day of thanks was called for. Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model that we think of for our own Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims were not the first people to have a celebration of this kind. Many other civilizations held festivals to celebrate the harvest. The ancient Greeks and Romans prayed to the gods and goddesses of the harvest, and also originated the idea of the cornucopiathe horn of plenty. The Jews celebrate the holiday Sukkot, which honors the awards of the harvest, and the Chinese enjoy the celebration of the Harvest Moon. Even native New Yorkers commemorate the harvest long before Thanksgiving arrives. Pumpkins, apples and corn are abundant in the open-air markets of the city beginning in late September. The autumn of 1621 yielded a plentiful harvest and the Pilgrims, gathered together with the Massasoit Indians to reap the awards of hard work. Celebrating Thanksgiving is like celebrating an even that includes the dead of over 11,000 Wampanoag Indians died due to illnesses that they contracted from white settlers. The truth of the matter is, when the Pilgrims arrived, they found an abandoned Wampanoag village and moved right in. In 1618, a massive epidemic of an unknown disease left by English explorers swept across Wampanoag country and decimated many of the villages. This epidemic caused the death of ten to thirty percent of the total population and all but a few of the 2,000 people of the village of Patuxet. When the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, they landed at Patuxet with no idea of what had occurred. At this point, there were only about 2,000 members left in the Wampanoag tribe, down from 12,000 in 1600. Despite the incredible losses to his people, Wampanoag leader Massasoit and 90 of his men sat down for a harvest celebration offered by the white men. For three days the Wampanoag and Pilgrims feasted on deer, wild turkey, fish, beans, squash, corn and other foods native to North America. Although the celebration was good-natured, this event truly signifies the beginning of a drastic decline of native culture and Thanksgiving would be more fittingly observed as a day of mourning rather than a celebration. In the years that followed, skirmishes occurred and more Native Americans were killed. In 1637, English soldiers massacred 700 Pequot men, women and children as an example of the English way of war, yet we still celebrate Thanksgiving as a joyful event. So, as we sit down for our Thanksgiving dinner, let us consider the words of Frank James in his 1970 speech: Today is a time of celebrating for you. .. but it is not a time of celebrating for me. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my people. When the Pilgrims arrived, we, the Wampanoags, welcomed them with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end.American History