While watching the video, “Teaching and Learning,” Dr. Alexander includes a sociocultural base in her list of learning theories (Laureate Education, 2010c). This is the first inevitably comes to mind thing when I am asked to reflect on myself as a teacher: the environment of my classroom. Once I made the decision to become a teacher I knew one of my priorities in my classroom would be to make it a friendly, welcoming place where students felt safe to learn and discover new things. My great-grandmother was the type of person who was able to make everyone feel welcome in her home immediately, as a teacher I try to embody her spirit and open my heart to every student I encounter with the hope that I make them feel welcome and at home in my classroom. Part of my MISSION STATEMENT is … The teacher has the biggest impact in a student’s education (Laureate Education, 2010a). Creating a welcoming environment that fosters learning is part of the teacher’s impact and can lead to more effective teaching. Connect to student led rules and meetings/ problem solving? As sociocultural factors? The two main learning theories presented in the video “Research on Learning” are behaviorism and constructivism (Laureate Education, 2010b). Behaviorism focuses on students as a passive learner and uses positive and negative reinforcement to receive a desired outcome (Learning Theories, 2011). While I believe that these practices work very well for classroom management techniques, such as quiet transitions and appropriate classroom behavior. I do not use them to stimulate learning. I believe students need authentic experiences and learn more from practicing skills hands-on and with real-world applications. These practices fall under the idea of constructivism learning (Laureate Education, 2010b). One example of a constructivist learning assignment I completed in my student teaching was my lesson called “Toys in Space,” which was based on a lesson provided by NASA (NASA). At the conclusion of our study of forces in science, students had to apply what we had learned about forces on earth and transfer this knowledge to what might happen on space at the International Space Station. Students were split into groups and were given a toy. They had present to the class how the toy worked on earth and predict how it worked on space. They had time to play with the toy and experiment with different ideas about how it worked. After their presentation, we were able to watch a video called “Toys in Space II” and see if our prediction was correct, as astronauts did our same experiments on the International Space Station (NASA). This lesson was hands-on, used real objects and had students construct ideas on their own based from their observations. All of these elements are also elements of a constructivist learning style. Explain why having a theory or model of learning is an important prerequisite for effective curriculum design Set at least one goal for each KASAB area related to the key responsibilities of a highly effective teacher and what teachers should know and be able to do, as presented in this week’s Learning Resources. One or more of your KASAB goals should address a component of the Instructional Plan Template on which you want to concentrate for continual improvement, such as the incorporation of Bloom’s Taxonomy, collaboration, or differentiation. Knowledge Conceptual understanding of information, theories, principles, and research Attitude beliefs about value of particular info or strategies Skills ability to use strategies and processes to apply knowledge Aspirations desires or internal motivation to engage in a particular practice Behaviors consistent application of knowledge and skills