John Watson and B.F. Skinner Essay Example for Free

John Watson and B.F. Skinner Essay There are several theories out there on child development, but I’d like to share with you the theory that I believe in and connect with the most. This theory is called Behaviorism and Social- Learning and can be attributed to a psychologist named John Watson (1878-1958) and B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) Watson using classical conditioning which means the learning that takes place based on an association of a stimulus that does not ordinarily elicit a response with another stimulus that does elicit response. It is important to note that in classical conditioning, the stimulus comes before the behavior or response. Skinner using operant conditioning which is defined as a process in which a response is gradually learned via reinforcement or punishment. John Watson and B.F. Skinner introduced this theory and felt that children learned through a system of stimulus/ response events. Watson and Skinner use nurture approach. Development is based upon learned behaviors which are based upon a child’s interactions with their environment and influenced by positive or negative reinforcement. Reinforcement can be both positive and negative. Positive reinforcement is something good for children, whereas negative reinforcement is something unpleasant, but remember this is not to be confused with punishment. One knows there are some drawbacks is that it does not account for children’s culture, their values, and their social influences such as the special relationship between them and their parent or peers. Social learning theory addresses these concerns. As child growing up with my brother my parents used  positive and negative reinforcement. When we did not receive a passing grade we would have to stay inside and work extra hard to pass the next test, or if the gave credit. But if we received a passing grade we would be rewarded by going out to dinner of our choice or getting ice cream. If we did chores around the house we had a choice between the prize or money. If we did not complete the chore we would not receive anything. Most of the time when we did not complete the chore we would get upset, so my parents would explain that when you do a chore you get rewarded, but if you do not do your chores you will not receive anything. I use Behaviorism and Social Learning theory while working with children. If the child had a good day at school I would give them something from the prize box when someone came to get them from school. When they did not have a good day at school and they receive nothing from the prize box, and when someone come to get them I would explain why happened at school, and that is why the child cant receive anything from the prize box today. I am not a parent yet, but when I do become a parent I will be use John Watson and B.F. Skinner theory in teaching my children.

The Growing Threat to Civil Liberties Essay -- Rights Freedom Essays

The Growing Threat To Civil Liberties The United States has long been respected for the principled thoroughness with which it has upheld the right to freedom of speech embodied in the first amendment to the constitution. We owe part of our own freedom of speech to the Americans who have upheld freedom of speech on the Internet against pressure from other countries who are angry that their citizens can call up forms of speech banned at home. The US consistently refuses to sign international agreements that would infringe the purity of its own constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech. It is thus distressing to read in David Bernstein’s excellent book how anti-discrimination laws are being used to undermine civil liberties, such as the freedom of speech, in the very home of liberty itself. The US courts have in the past upheld freedom of speech, even where it might seem to encourage crime or subversion, but they have allowed anti-discrimination laws to over-rule freedom of speech. Once again the drive for equality is revealed as the greatest enemy of individual freedom. One of the most striking examples of this is the substantial numbers of individuals who have been sacked (and also in consequence lost their medical care) because their employer’s lawyers were afraid that remarks that these individuals had made might lead to some other indignant and affronted employee suing the employer for allowing them to be subjected to a ‘hostile work environment’. A member of a legally privileged ‘minority’ might well then be awarded vast damages for some trivial remark. In consequence employers now even snoop on conversations and e-mails between two friendly consenting employees lest they contain a comment which might be unco... ...ights, but she was only awarded one dollar plus her costs. It sums up the priorities of PC AmSoc America. A trivial anti- discrimination claim is worth a million times as much as freedom of speech and expression. David Bernstein is to be congratulated on so clearly, vividly, analytically and accurately showing seriousness of these new threats to free speech and civil liberties in the US. The Cato Institute also deserves credit for publishing the book since in Bernstein’s words ‘authors who take politically incorrect positions . . . face a particularly difficult time finding publishers among leading trade presses’ (p. ix). Cato at least is still the land of the free and the home of the brave. You Can't Say That: The Growing Threat To Civil Liberties From Antidiscrimination Laws Washington, DC: Cato Institute, 180pp., ISBN: 1 930 865 538, $20.00 (hb), 2003

The Freedom Writers Diary

The Freedom Writers Essay- Chloe Taylor How are different cultures represented in Freedom Writers? What values and attitudes do we draw from the film and its background? Cultures are shown and exposed to us in various ways everyday. Different cultures are represented in different ways in the Western Society. In the movie Freedom Writers, we witness this cultural conflict on a first hand basis. Urban youths in Freedom Writers heavily rely on respect to judge others. They also judge based on each other’s cultural back ground.Later in the film, these same teenagers begin to value education and the sense of belonging in school, rather than belonging in gangs. Gangs and groups are a part of the Western Society that we have had to learn to accept in our lives. In the feature film Freedom Writers, we are shown gangs divided up into cultures and cultural backgrounds. This has built up a lot of tension between cultures and attitudes towards other gangs. The scene in which all the stude nts enter room 203 and take seats into their separate corners of the room divided into their certain corners of the room shows the division between students in a real life.We see a long shot of the whole classroom showing its layout and the segregation between gangs. Then multiple mid-shots are shown of the gang itself and its individual members to decipher the multiple gangs, their attitudes towards school and their way of life. Even though the students start their school year with an attitude of ignorance towards other cultures they begin to learn the value of each individual and change their point of view and their gangs and cooperate with their cultures. People may argue that respect is something that has to be earned, it is not automatic.In the 1992 Los Angeles’s race riots, respect was something that was taken for granted, as it was essential for their society. In Freedom Writers, Ms Gruwell demanded respect immediately. Not surprisingly the students refused to give it to her and why should they of, they didn’t know anything about Ms Gruwell. Towards the end of the film we see that Ms Gruwell has gradually gained the respect she wanted from her class. We are shown this in a first hand basis as Andre, a gang member, calls Ms Gruwell ‘Mam’.She takes this as an offence and claims she is not anyone’s mother; Eva soon corrects her and states that it was a ‘sign of respect to you’. This scene is shown to us by a series of close up shots of Andre, Ms Gruwell and Eva. This is purposely done to capture the changing emotion in the characters face. The students of room 203 value Ms Gruwell not only as a teacher and a person and this is reflected in their attitude and behaviour. We all know what racism is and have most likely been subjected to it or witnessed it at one time in our lives.Racism is more prominent in schools and work places although random attacks of racist acts can also be seen in the streets or at public places where the offender and the victim may not even know each other. In the feature film Freedom Writers, every student at Long Beach either dishes out racist comments or receives them. When all of the ‘unteachable’ students get integrated into the same class we see this clash of cultures collide. A racist caricature is drawn of one of the African-American students and the rest of the students find it amusing.Ms Gruwell takes the picture and compares it to the Jews during the holocaust. Erin was greeted with dumb-founded looks only to find out the kids didn’t know what the holocaust was yet they acted out their lives in a similar racist manner. This scene is shown by using close ups of Ms Gruwell and the victim of the caricature, Jamal. We see Ms Gruwell looking horrified and Jamal’s expression looking embarrassed. We are also shown mid-shots of the whole class to show their expressions and they seem amused and proud of themselves.Towards the end of the movie the students do not lash out any forms of racism at one another and instead treat each other as good friends. At the end of Freedom Writers, the students have accepted and value each other as individual people not of their cultural back ground. Ms Gruwell gained the respect she earned from devoting her life to teach these children. During this essay I have explored the movie Freedom Writers and how factors like gangs, respect and racism can have such an impact on peoples lives. It can change peoples values on life and their attitudes and behaviours towards things and that is what we draw from the film.

The Genius Of Rubrics Is A Coherent Set Of Criteria

A rubric is a coherent set of criteria for students work that includes descriptions of levels of performance quality on the criteria. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, this definition of rubric is rarely demonstrated in practice. The Internet, for example, offers many rubrics that do not, in fact, describe performance. I think I know why that might be and will explain that in Chapter 2, but for now let s start with the positive. It should be clear from the definition that rubrics have two major aspects: coherent sets of criteria and descriptions of levels of performance for these criteria. The genius of rubrics is that they are descriptive and not evaluative. Of course, rubrics can be used to evaluate, but the operating principle is you match the performance to the description rather than judge it. Thus rubrics are as good or bad as the criteria selected and the descriptions of the levels of performance under each. Effective rubrics have appropriate criteria and well-written descriptions of performance. Exemplars performance tasks in Math, Science and Writing are designed to improve assessment and instruction while meeting state, national and Common Core standards. Exemplars rubrics and anchor papers provide both teachers and administrators with a way of assessing students problem-solving skills, science-process skills, writing skills and communication skills. To assist our users as well as other interested parties, Exemplars has collected researchShow MoreRelatedMultiple Intelligences Seminar and Workshop14464 Words   |  58 Pagescognitive capacity people are born with. This capacity can be easily measured by short-answer tests. According to Howard Gardner, intelligence is: - The ability to create an effective product or offer a service that is valued in a culture; - A set of skills that make it possible for a person to solve problems in life; - The potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which involves gathering new knowledge. An educational system based on national standards and efficient, relativelyRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 PagesRastas, marijuana, which is illegal in Jamaica, is a sacrament for worship. 6. Rastas regard western society as part of Babylon—a system and a place that is the enemy of the blacks of the world. FOREWORD ix 7. There is still no organized set of doctrines and teachings that constitute Rastafarianism, and no organized Rastafarian church, temple, or worship space exists. 8. There are numerous sects and groupings of Rastafarians, each holding to its own belief system and structure. 9. RastafarianismRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesTransitions †¢ Richard P. Tucker 315 About the Contributors †¢ 343 _ IN TR OD UC TIO N Michael Adas B y any of the customary measures we deploy to demarcate historical epochs, the twentieth century does not appear to be a very coherent unit. The beginnings and ends of what we choose to call centuries are almost invariably years of little significance. But there is little agreement over when the twentieth century c.e. arrived, and there were several points both before the year