Consider your CSEL intervention case study. Are there tools from a behaviorist view for either encouraging productive behaviors or discouraging undesirable behaviors that you could apply to the case? What are they? Now, compare the interventions that you have identified above with what you think might work from a cognitive or constructivist viewpoint (you may need to Google for ideas but it's okay to just speculate based on your prior knowledge). How do they compare to behaviorist tools? What are the benefits of each theory, and what are the deficits? Which theory might play a larger role in how you determine classroom management?

Elementary Education Case Study

You engage your third grade students in cooperative learning activities at least twice a day, changing heterogeneous group members once every four weeks. You have agreed upon routine procedures that your classroom community uses within their small groups, including the roles and responsibilities of group members. Lately you have noticed that one small group always seems to have difficulty grasping material and completing their project in an acceptable manner.  You observe this group carefully and find that Lisa seems to be the catalyst for their problems.  She gets angry with others if she does not get the job she wants and refuses to do her part in contributing to the group’s learning.  She constantly interrupts others in her group.  She does not pay attention when her group prepares for class presentations.

From a behaviorist view point one way to decrease the undesired behavior from Lisa is by making a behavior chart when the students are in the cooperative learning groups. When the students are in their groups give the students who are on task  and behaving appropriately a sticker next to their name. Whenever a student fills up his/her chart with stickers next to their name they get a reward of their choosing. Whether that is reading a book, picking out of the treasure box, or a special treat at lunch. This should encourage Lisa to behave more correctly especially since she will be able to pick what her reward is.

From a constructivist viewpoint one way to help decrease the undesired behavior from Lisa is by having her go get life skills whenever she acts inappropriately in group settings. The life skills will be hung up in the classroom and will be skills such as respect, self-control, responsibility and honesty. Each student will get one warning when they act up and will be told why they got the warning. The second time the student will be told to go get a life skill. The student who is acting an unpleasant manner will go over to the life skill wall right down their behavior that caused them to get a life skill and the reason why it caused them to get a life skill. Then, they will write which life skill goes with that behavior and the definition of that particular life skill. That way the student will not only gain this knowledge for inside the classroom but can apply it outside the classroom as well.

The theory that I think would be most effective inside a classroom is the constructivist theory. For the behavorist theory the students are just getting conditioned to perfrom good behavior and reduce undesireable behavior. This does not teach them the reasoning behind why that behavior is appropriate or not, just the fact that they get rewarded or punished when they do certain things. For the constructivist theory on the other hand students actually understand why their behavior is not appropriate. The teacher talks to them letting them know why their behavior cannot be tolerated. Also it helps them take responsibility for their actions. They can also apply what they have learned about their actions to outside the classroom environment, such as the life skill example.

Some helpful resources I found while looking at this was a website that has a really good powerpoint on behavial issues in the classroom. http://www.slideshare.net/FebrianoArfiandi/classroom-interventions-for-chronic-behavior-problems

I also found this really useful article on constructivism. http://www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/resources/constructivistlearning.html