Using Psychology to Save You From Yourself

This article Using Psychology to Save You From Yourself was very interesting. I learned about behavioral economics, defined as "a school of economic thought greatly influenced by psychological research — which argues that the human animal is hard-wired to make errors when it comes to decision-making, and therefore people need a little 'nudge' to make decisions that are in their own best interests." Apparently obscure psychological research into human decision-making back in 1955 later revolutionized economics. Daniel Kahneman, an Israeli psychologist, won a Nobel Prize in economics for his work on the subject of the "illusion of validity," a phrase he coined. "From stockbrokers to baseball scouts, people have a huge amount of confidence in their own judgment, even in the face of evidence that their judgment is wrong," according to the article.

Kahneman worked with psychologist Amos Tversky cataloging the ways the human mind systematically misjudges the world around it. Enter economist Richard Thaler, now a well-respected professor at the University of Chicago, who was intrigued by the idea of integrating psychological research and economics. The three of them began to publish their ideas, and initially, mainstream economists largely rejected the work. Economists had been working under the assumption that rational human beings can be counted on to make the best choice for themselves. The new research countered that notion and presented evidence (through research, of course) that flawed decision-making occurs more often than not.

Cass Sunstein and Thaler wrote a book titled Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness. Sunstein, a Harvard Law professor, is President Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and apparently there are a number of high-level appointees now working in the Obama administration who favor this kind of approach. There is also a blog called Nudge which I found interesting.

Looking back at how many times in my lifetime my judgment turned out to be WRONG - big-time - I am glad to know research backs up this judgment about my judgment.

My Personal Learning Network #3

Since my brain seems to be completely occupied with research (a result of taking a research course in grad school), I find myself drawn to articles written about the “R” word. Amazing how many there are, when you start paying attention. Research really IS everywhere I look these days, and as I learn more about it, I look at it all a little bit differently.

For PLN #3, I will focus on what my Google Reader found to further fill my brain with research topics. Here’s one for my brain ABOUT my brain. What educators can learn from brain research: Breakthroughs in neuroscience are measuring brain response to stimuli and beginning to alter classroom practices. “Enriching and informing classroom practices,” to be exact, which sounds interesting to me. Researchers are using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to scan the brain and measure neural activity in response to stimuli. This has led to a concept called neuroplasticity, meaning the brain's structure is more flexible than previously thought. The article mentions studies that measure reading aptitudes, the causes of and workings of attention-deficit disorder, and the way the brain processes mathematics.

Michael Atherton, a researcher in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota, describes a methodological framework to assess how applicable a study might be for classroom implementation. There are three progressive stages to this framework: Discovery, Functional analysis, and Pedagogical evaluation. According to Atherton, studies that answer the question "Which pedagogical method results in students achieving higher levels of performance?" fit into this last category and can be used to guide instructional design. To me, that just seems like such common sense.

This article came to me from eSchool News, to which I used to subscribe, but now have added to my feed in Google Reader. eSchool News also gave me this interesting article. It tells about Project RED (for Revolutionizing EDucation) which will “examine the outcomes of educational technology initiatives using a cost-benefit analysis to determine which ed-tech programs and devices are having the most cost-effective impact for schools, parents, and states.” According to Jeanne Hayes of the Hayes Connection, one of the consulting firms leading the project, very little research has been done to show the connection between educational technology and cost savings. This does not surprise me.

After identifying and selecting schools that have implemented “ubiquitous technology initiatives,” data gathering will begin. The data will be used to develop a framework for determining which programs and services are most effective in raising achievement. In the next phase, several partner states will join with Project RED to examine larger factors that may be influenced by ed-tech initiatives, and how much money can be saved by using virtual learning. The final phase will deliver data and findings to stakeholders. The project is expected to take about a year. I will be very interested to see the results.

My Personal Learning Network #2

I went to college as an undergraduate in the 1970s. I went to class and the library on campus. I typed my papers on a typewriter. Now, in college as a graduate student, I do none of the above. I have not visited campus, or the library, and I have never even printed a copy of anything I have produced. I have met some of my professors and a few of my fellow students, but only because I went to a couple of social events. Yet I feel like I have a more personal relationship with all of my professors and classmates than I ever did as an undergraduate. This is because I am an online learner. Mostly I learn when and where I want. Sometimes I take my laptop with me on an airplane and keep up with my assignments while visiting with my grandchildren. Other times I am working from home in my pajamas.

For PLN #2, I will focus on online learning. The California K12 High Speed Network feed gives me an article about online learning from eSchool News: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59508 which refers to a report titled "Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update," released June 30 at the 2009 National Educational Computing Conference and jointly sponsored by Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc.

According to the report, students want more online learning, and the supply has outpaced the demand. This research study found that “…more than 40 percent of sixth through 12th graders have researched or demonstrated interest in taking a course online, but only 10 percent have actually taken an online course through their school.” Lack of funding and teacher preparation were given by school administrators as key barriers to offering expanded access to online courses in their districts.

I decided to check out what else was available through Google Reader regarding online learning. Finally I came across an interesting blog called Dangerously Irrelevant. I decided to add it to my subscriptions. I thought the author’s name looked familiar: Scott McLeod. Associate Professor, Iowa State University, Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. None of that rang a bell, but then I saw that he was a co-creator of the “wildly popular video,” Did You Know? (Shift Happens). Now that I remember: as technology coordinator at my school site, I wanted to show that video to the staff, but I was told it was too long. Here it is:

My search led me to a March 2009 post about online learning. http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/03/iowa-a-robust-system-of-online-learning.html Scott McLeod points out, “When most people think about online learning, they think about adults taking online university classes. Or they might think about the online training that occurs in many workplaces. But online learning opportunities occur in the K-12 sector as well and are increasingly popular with students and their families.” He cites some research and talks about efforts underway in different states to facilitate online learning. California is not mentioned. Somehow I am not surprised.

Value Added Analysis

This article in The New Yorker magazine was shared with me by a non-teaching friend. I found it absolutely fascinating. The article makes many comparisons with the process by which NFL scouts select promising quarterback candidates and the ability to predict teacher effectiveness. If you not are interested in professional football, you may want to skip over the lengthy analogy. On to the research...

According to the author, Malcolm Gladwell, “A group of researchers -- Thomas J. Kane, an economist at Harvard’s school of education; Douglas Staiger, an economist at Dartmouth; and Robert Gordon, a policy analyst at the Center for American Progress -- have investigated whether it helps to have a teacher who has earned a teaching certification or a master’s degree. Both are expensive, time-consuming credentials that almost every district expects teachers to acquire; neither makes a difference in the classroom.”

In answering the question of what actually does matter in making a great teacher, Gladwell refers us to the work of Jacob Kounin, an educational researcher. Kounin called that indefinable ability “withitness.” This quality is defined as “a teacher’s communicating to the children by her actual behavior (rather than by verbally announcing: ‘I know what’s going on’) that she knows what the children are doing, or has the proverbial ‘eyes in the back of her head.’” Of course, this ability cannot possibly be demonstrated until a teacher actually stands in front of a classroom.

"One of the most important tools in contemporary educational research is 'value added' analysis. It uses standardized test scores to look at how much the academic performance of students in a given teacher’s classroom changes between the beginning and the end of the school year." The conclusion drawn by the author (and supported by research) is that you simply can’t tell from a piece of paper who’ll be effective in a classroom.

This is an interesting point to consider as we all progress toward another one of those pieces of paper.

My Personal Learning Network #1

My readings in Google Reader this week had a recurring theme: money; thus, the images I have chosen. The state of the economy seems to deteriorate daily. The impact on educational programs, and especially expensive educational technology programs, is strongly felt. This is worrisome for anyone who cares about the future of our country and its children. As excited as I become about the potential for the utilization of all sorts of new-fangled technological tools in education, it is easy to become discouraged about the reality of the current situation.

The California K12 High Speed Network feed gives me an article from eSchool News. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59257 Apparently the federal stimulus money is going to help “staunch the bleeding,” but it simply is not going to be enough to offset drastic cuts to K-12 education. Another article contains what may be some better news: as a cost-cutting measure, Governor Schwarzenegger is proposing digital textbooks for California. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59180 I like this quote: “In the state that gave the world Facebook, Google, and the iPod, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says forcing California's students to rely on printed textbooks is so yesterday.”

Now it is rare for me to agree with Governor Schwarzenegger on anything, but I really could get behind this proposal. So for PLN #1, I will focus on digital textbooks as a technology I could see having an impact on what I do as a teacher. This topic appears in another of my Google Reader feeds, from a blog called “2¢ worth” (there’s that currency again), written by David Warlick, who spoke to a group of Texas School Board members. http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=1773 One of his suggestions is that education leaders “…seize ‘almost’ every opportunity to replace books with digital content (ouch).” I guess the “ouch” means that it is going to hurt, as in cost a lot. But our Governor feels that it will actually save money.

Whether it saves money or not, in my opinion it is time for textbooks to become digital. I already use a digital version of my Social Studies and Science texts with my students, but money was still spent for a printed version of both. This works out nicely when we use the textbook in class, and the students can go online at home to access the same material. But the superiority of the digital version is instantly apparent to the students. It has interactive multimedia features that are far more engaging. If they have a computer at home, their backpacks are lighter when I assign homework in those subjects. The whole thing makes them wonder why their literature and math textbooks are not available in digital form. I have been telling them “someday soon.” Now I will tell them the Governator is behind them 100%.

Deborah Lawson/PLN#1/EDTEC 570/Summer 2009

Grand Prize Winner

Click here for the announcement regarding the video contest prize.

We Won!

Regarding the previous post of my video project:

"Congratulations! I am writing to inform you that Gates Elementary School has been selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER in our ADS 4 THE ISLAND Contest! Thank you for your entry."

That was the email I received early one morning last week. Grand Prize: $2,500 toward our Study Island subscription, and a set of eInstruction clickers. Everyone is very excited!