Activity 3.4 Bart the Genius: Constructivism applied?

Eleanor Duckworth would say in Bart’s new classroom children are free to have wonderful ideas.  The teacher accepts the risk associated with providing Bart the opportunity to explore in chemistry.  The classroom environment is one in which the teacher provides “matter to think about” and students interact and explore to construct meaning, but Bart lacks the knowledge (his "personal repetoire of thoughts, actions, predictions and feelings") needed.  Airasian and Walsh would caution that constructivist instruction should not constitute the only instructional process and that pursuing constructivist methods of instruction does not mean accepting anything and everything as evidence of learning.

Activity 3.3 Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism

Vygotsky emphasizes the importance of language in learning and states that “learning and development are interrelated from the first day of life”.  Through obuchenie the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is activated and awakens “developmental processes that are able to operate only when the child is interacting with people in his environment”.  In the ZPD a child may understand what a variable is, but not be able to articulate the process for identifying variables in a word problem.  Through instruction and learning the child interacts with the teacher or more capable peers to learn.  Development results from this learning.  James acknowledges the centrality of language in human learning when he says “verbal material is the vehicle by which the mind thinks”.  He describes language as increasingly important in adolescence, when “”words, words, words” must constitute …an always larger part …of what the human being has to learn”.

Activity 3.2 Cognitive Development

This video demonstrates a conservation problem that Piaget explains in one of four stages of development, the Preoperational Thinking stage that spans the age of 2 to 7.  A characteristic of this age, Piaget explains, is to think perceptively.  This is described as intuitive thinking, and in this instance the younger child perceives the taller, thinner glass as holding more liquid.  Children at this age lack “some specific logical abilities” and thus cannot reason that the amount of liquid has remained the same.  James describes a “native tendency to assimilate certain kinds of conception at one age, and other kinds of conception at a later age”.  In the first seven or eight years constructiveness is the instinct most active in children; children accumulate knowledge when they physically experience the world.  In adolescence they exhibit more abstract thought, and in late adolescence they ponder abstract human relations. 

Activity 3.1 Piaget’s Cognitive Constructivism

Learning occurs within individuals through an active process of intrigue, investigation, reasoning and decision-making, and discovery.  All humans are born without knowledge and begin the process of building their own understanding of the world around them.  Interest spurs individuals to investigation, leading them to explore and experiment to answer self-generated questions.  Considering the outcomes of their investigation, individuals reason and make connections to previously constructed knowledge, categorizing new information and sorting it into knowledge constructions that associate and organize information in schemas that are retrieved and considered when individuals encounter new information.  All individuals are biologically motivated to adapt to their environments and organize their knowledge in order to achieve homeostasis.  When individuals feel unbalanced, out of the natural state of homeostasis, they are intrinsically motivated to investigate, and thus begin the process of meaning-making anew.  Individuals learn in qualitatively different ways and their paths of learning will be unique. Despite this, there are biological constraints that govern individuals’ abilities to make decisions about their discoveries; these are four distinct stages of learning.  The educator as facilitator considers the developmental stage of the students and provides as many opportunities for discovery and exploration as possible.   

I would assume that Piaget would not favor a system of standards-based instruction and summative assessment.  I wonder what he would suggest for assessment.  I also wonder what his suggestions for college and career readiness would be.  How would a prospective employer know that a student was adequately prepared to carry out job duties or even exceed expectations?  What would a transition from such an individualized learning style to the demands of the work place feel like for the student?  It seems that some positions would accommodate this learning style readily, and others would not.  If there was a sweeping and comprehensive movement of social constructivism, how would Piaget suggest the workplace prepare for these students?  Or is the goal, despite individualized discovery learning, for students to emerge from HS or college with roughly the same knowledge base?

Activity 2.5 Automaticity and Implicit Associations

I took the 2012 IAT, which asked about preferences for Barak O'Bama vs. Mitt Romney and preferences for either blacks or whites.

I was not surprised by the results of the IAT, but given my group's reactions I was surprised that I wasn't surprised. 
Your data suggest a slight implicit preference for Barack Obama compared to Mitt Romney.
Your data suggest little to no difference in implicit preference between Black People and White People.
I think these results are particularly good for me, as I would not have wanted to discover a hidden prejudice.  I would be sad to think that my subconcious preferences might influence my behavior toward people in my life in a negative way.

The question of what this has to do with both learning and associations is very complex and important for me with respect to this topic.  Interestingly, I didn't specifically choose this topic, I just took what the site said it would like me to take.  It turned out to be a very relevant survey.

I grew up in NE Ohio during the bussing era.  I changed schools several times and was bussed all over the place.  In my senior year in HS my school was closed three times as a result of race rioting.  My father was a bigot and up until my years in HS I was too.  At some point I began to form my own opinion and over time my life changed dramatically.  I now have four wonderful, biracial children and a wonderful african american husband.  So, I wonder now if the question of reflection is again the source of deviation from the expected or anticipated behavior that one may have expected in my case.  I certainly was taught to associate African Americans with crime, violence, theivery, and many other negative characteristics.  In terms of Jame's point of the power of associations, I had powerful associations that definitely shaped my attitudes and behavior for a good part of my youth.  Even when my concious thoughts and perceptions began to change, I would still be more frightened when passing a black man on the street then when passing a white man on the street.  So, how did those powerful associations shape my future behavior as a child, and when did they begin to lose their power over my future behavior as an adult? 

James says in his discussion of what native reactions are that "Each of us is in fact what he is almost exclusively by virtue of his imitativeness." and also "Emulation is the impulse to imitate what you see another doing, in order not to appear inferior; and it is hard to draw a sharp line betwen the manifestations of the two impulses, so inextricably do they mix their effects."  This would seem to offer a very strong reason for my childhood behavior.  James goes on to say "the proper pedagogic moment to work skill in, and to clench the useful habit, is when the native impulse is most acutely present."  and he refers to the ripening of our impulsive tendencies and the law of transitoriness.  So, is it a question of this particular training in my life coming after the perfect moment (at least from my father's perspective) had already come and gone?  Or is it a question of native tendencies, and the fact that there maybe was no native tendency to which this teaching could be attached?  Or is it the fact that in this case there really would be no "useful actions" to make automatic and habitual.  OR, does this all come back to the question of what it means to be educated?  James also says, at the end of chapter VIII when he discusses good and bad, "Silently, between all the details of his business, the power of judging in all that class of matter will have builte itself up withing him as a possession that will never pass away."  Perhaps this is the effect of knowledge and differential reinforcement.  Perhaps there were stronger reinforcers attached to other associations and behaviors.

I found this video very interesting because it not only is an example of shaping behavior in a goldfish (if there was ever any doubt that that behavior can be shaped I have only to think of the fish I have had) but also because the video includes an example of discrimination.  Discrimination, in my mind, is one step closer to being reflective, which is a human trait that I consider differentiating.  That is, I feel that humans' ability to be reflective is the reason we are able to demonstrate behaviors that are not expected and predictable.  So, although discrimination may be more complex than a simple conditioned response, clearly it is not the only component or defining factor in reflection.  Do you think a goldfish is capable of drawing conclusions? (i.e. "The light is not on so I know I won't get any food.")

Activity 2.3 Corrected Post

Three Main Points: 

·         Cognitive psychology does not directly address the real problem in American education, which is inefficiency in teaching.

·         Educators must be schooled in effective teaching methodology, which includes the consistent use of reinforcement.

·         Individualized, programmed instruction which offers many opportunities for success, clearly states objectives and effectively schedules reinforcement will lead to a much higher rate of learning in the same number of school hours.

Skinner would still be ashamed of American education.  Instructional programming has not kept pace with growth and innovation in technology.  Instruction is infrequently differentiated and individualized and large scale standardized tests perpetuate uniformity across classrooms and schools within a state.  Instructional programming is not designed to provide “abundant reinforcement” (Skinner, 1984), but rather uniform performance.

B. F. Skinner would be very pleased with the school of one concept.  It uses an algorithm to implement successful teaching strategies and frees up the teachers.  Programmed learning gives each student what they need to be successful through individual technology-based instruction, and does not require that students advance at the same pace as their classmates.  Instruction is determined by student needs. The responsibility for effective teaching in the School of One Model rests with the teacher. 

Activity 2.3 Videos on Behaviorism

I believe that Skinner would still be ashamed of American education for several reasons.  Instructional programming has not kept pace with growth and innovation in technology.  Effective instructional design is a young field with possibilities such as distance learning relatively unexplored and under-researched.  Instruction is infrequently differentiated and individualized and large scale standardized tests perpetuate uniformity across classrooms and schools within a state.  All students are expected to learn the same things at the same time and demonstrate their knowledge in the same way.  Instructional programming is not designed to provide “abundant reinforcement” (Skinner, 1984), but rather uniform performance.

B. F. Skinner would be very pleased with the school of one concept.  It uses an algorithm to implement successful teaching strategies and frees up the teachers.  School of one uses programmed learning to give each student what they need to be successful through individual technology-based instruction, and does not require that students follow a prescribed course; advancing at the same pace as their classmates.  The responsibility for effective teaching in the School of One Model (enabled by New York schools or other contributing organizations or bodies) rests with the teacher.  These are all solutions Skinner offered in his 1984 article

Activity 2.2 Behaviorism as a Theory of Learning

Behaviorism assumes that man is born a blank slate and that all behavior is a response to a specified antecedent condition.  Thus man is not autonomous, but rather his behavior can be anticipated and predicted through careful observation of the conditions in his environment.  Reinforcement strengthens behavior and thus, through the use of differential reinforcement, human behavior can be shaped and with successive approximations learning can be directed toward a desired outcome.

Activity 2.1 A Philosophical Question

Make a graph

Activity 2.1 A Philosophical Question

<a href="http://www.chartgo.com/linkshare.do?id=4c6ec08daa"> <img src="http://www.chartgo.com/link.do?id=4c6ec08daa" title="ChartGo.com" alt="Online Graphing" border="0" /></a><br /> <a href="http://www.ChartGo.com" >Make a graph</a>

Activity 2.1 A Philosophical Question

Activity 1.5 William James' Talks to Teachers, Preface through Chapter IV

The Preface

In his talks to teachers William James hopes to inspire teachers to think of their students as their students think of themselves.  He hopes to offer them insightful and practical methods for assessing a student’s mental life and using that to teach effectively.

Connection:  I believe that frequently when I have an instructional goal I begin to think of task analyzing, or breaking down the goal, to try to present the instruction in a way that seems logical to me.  Although I try to think of the way the content might make sense to a student, I am not always sure that I take a student’s perspective.  I am not sure that I always learn enough, or understand well enough, who the learners are.

Psychology and the Teaching Art

Psychology and teaching are two distinctly different lenses for observing and working with students and the art of teaching does not grow out of the field of psychology.  The teacher’s work is much more concrete and practical than that of the psychologist and involves a practice that that evolves as the teacher learns to engage the student and engender interest in the content being delivered.

Connection:  I think in my experience with training and instruction those who are delivering instruction are often attributing psychological underpinnings to lack of progress in instruction.  Perhaps some individuals feel they do not understand the psychology of teaching to the degree that they should, but I more often find that as trainers we assume we know more about how the minds of our students work than we do.  This is a reminder to me to consider my instruction as the root determinant of engagement.

The Stream of Consciousness

Within each of us, in all our waking moments, there occurs a constant series of sensations and thought that are associated via our own unique experiences.  It is not reasonable to chop up or delineate instruction into separate units that are seen as independent of each other because all that we experience is affected by our steady stream of concrete focal points and marginal thoughts that exist in each dynamic stream of consciousness, unique to the individual.

Connection:  In thinking about teaching I must recognize and accept the fact that the minds of the students will each be engaged in their own stream of consciousness.  Although initially this may seem like a frustrating lack of attention, it is actually just a state of being.  Thus, in delivering instruction I must endeavor to provide channels or possible directions of exploration that might lend themselves to an improved understanding of the topic.  I must also accept that each student brings their own building blocks to the construction of meaning.

The Child as a Behaving Organism

The stream of consciousness may be determined to serve two functions:  to lead to action and to lead to knowledge.  Most of what we perceive to be abstract thought is actually tied to our behavior which in turn is determined in large part by our adaptation to our environment; behavior has a pragmatic base.

Connection:  When I am teaching I must consider how learning does not occur independent of the environment in which we learn, or the environment in which the students experience their lives.  I might think about trying to integrate naturally occurring behaviors or adaptations in the instruction.  I might also think of ways to encourage students to share the connections they are making to our learning.  Also, I should keep in mind that behaviors we engage in, in our classrooms, will lead to learning, and further encourage students to share the learning that occurs through our activities.

Education and Behavior

Education is the organization of behaviors of an individual that comprise a series of acquired habits that the learner has acquired through external impressions and factors in their environment.  Teachers must be aware that all that they do makes an impression on a student and will therefore lead to the acquisition of a habit that will be incorporated in their behavioral schema.

Connection:   This makes me think of parenting and the fact that when you are in an environment with learners they are constantly observing.  As parents, I think that we might be more mindful of this.  I see behaviors in my children that I feel have been engendered by the impressions I have made on them.  This is very powerful.  I have an opportunity to teach when the learner does not realize that I am teaching and I should always monitor the response to my behaviors and change my behaviors when I feel like they are making the wrong impression.

Activity 1.4 What does it mean to be educated?

To be educated is to be exposed to a plethora of perspectives, or lenses, for seeing and thinking about the world and life experiences.  It is often focused, but it always involves a problem-solving and thoughtful, reflective process.  Being educated implies recognition of complexity and a willingness to consider all sources of information and typically a broad based superficial understanding of varied topics.  Being educated means you have identified yourself at some point as a learner.

Activity 1.3 Metaphor for Learning

Learning is like a hike in the Cascade Mountains; it’s a great adventure.  The landscape is diverse and there are many paths to take.  One begins the journey with an expectation of what will be learned, but along the way you happen upon many unexpected pleasures and struggles.  Occasionally you must rethink your choices and maybe even double back to take a different path.  At other times you round a corner and there is an unexpected panoramic vista that is breathtaking; and you suddenly know just where you are, and just where you’ve been.  In some instances an effective guide accompanies you on your journey and shares with you the wisdom they have garnered on their personal journey, information about the landscape and directions for navigation.  In others, you must go it alone and discern what works best for you.  There is often a goal for your learning, the pinnacle at the top that you strive to obtain.  When you finally arrive at your destination you have a chain of memories, a sense of accomplishment, and you know that you have achieved a worthwhile goal that will be yours forever. You are satisfied and confident that you are where you want to be.  You pause and reflect whilst you sit and eat and drink.  You stand on the peak, look around, and realize that there are so many mountains yet to be climbed, so many things yet to be learned.  Your body nourished, you rise for the next journey.

Activity 1.2 Monty

1.  How should the owners respond?

• call an emergency verterninary hospital/call line or the veterinarian who examined Monty and prescribed his medicine to make sure he doesn't need to seek emergency services
• ask if the behavior Monty is exhibiting can be attributed to a progression of his condition or heart disease
• ask if Monty's behavior could be a side effect of the medication (tell the emergency contact the medication Monty is taking and the dosage and directions of dosing)
• return Monty to the verterniary hospital or office for a follow up examination
• bring samples of the vegetation in the yard and any other item that Monty may have eaten to the veterinarian
• describe Monty's previous behavior to the veterinarian to ascertain if the changes in his behavior and health are identified with any particular condition or support the suspected cause of heart disease
• create a safe place for Monty to rest, attempt to structure it in such a way that he is able to stay somewhat upright or is supported by pillows or other supports on his sides
• cover Monty's space/place with towels or blankets that can be easily removed and cleaned 
• ask all the family members if they have seen Monty eating anything or if they have noticed anything happening to Monty that was unusual
• take samples of Monty's stool and vomit to the vet for analysis
• make sure Monty doesn't come into contact with any other pets at home
• make sure there's no possibility that Monty has something contagious that can be transmitted to or infect humans
• keep a journal over the three days of all observations of Monty (what he eats, when he sleeps, coughing, sneezing, behavior, etc.)
• try to determine what makes Monty comfortable and provide that for him (food, water, attention from adults)
• caution the children to stay clear of Monty until he feels better (no touching)
• reward Monty for good behavior
• clean the carpet

Monty's owners should gather as much information as they can to determine the cause of Monty's illness.  They should ask the veterinarian to explain or interpret any medical results or descriptions that they do not understand so they are able to make informed decisions about Monty's treatment.  The recent changes in behavior can most likely be attributed to Monty's illness or the medication, and so Monty shouldn't be punished, rather the owners should follow the directions of the experts for Monty's treatment.  The owners' observations and intuitions should inform their decisions about making Monty comfortable and if they perceive his behavior or symptoms to indicate an emergency they should call immediately to see if it's recommended that they bring Monty into the verterninary hospital.  The owners should provide as much information as possible to Monty's caregivers, including any samples they can obtain and bring into the office, and a description of Monty's behaviors and routines prior to his illness so the doctors treating him have as much information as possible.  Until the cause of Monty's illness is known his owners should be very careful not to let him have contact with other family pets or the children since they don't know for sure if what is causing his illness is contagious and because he has displayed agressive behavior.  Monty's owners should be diligent in observing Monty (as the vet requested) over the three days of treatment.  They should keep a journal or notes of their observations so they can be sure to mention everything they have observed when they return to the veterinarian (they may not know what is significant and/or of interest to the veterinarian).  Monty's owners should make him as comfortable as they can whenever there is anything they can do and keep the environment as clean as possible to make everyone more comfortable and combat the spread of disease or bacteria.  Monty's owners should reward his good behavior and let him know through their words and actions that they care about him and are there to help him.

Activity 1.2 Why Johnny Can't Learn

1.  What should Johnny's parents do?

• talk to Johnny
• review the school curriculum and expectations and compare them to those of Johnny's previous school(s)
• talk to Johnny's friends (anyone they can identify who had a friendly relationship with Johnny before his behavior changed and anyone who they can identify who spends time with Johnny that they have access to, such as neighbor's children, bus drivers, etc.; all of the above if given parent permission)
• take Johnny to see a physician (and based on their own research and the response of Johnny's general practitioner to specialists such as allergists, neurophysiologists, etc.)
• research counselors who specialize in adolescent behavior and talk with Johnny about visiting a counselor, consider the availability of an "art therapist"
• provide Johnny with whatever art supplies they can afford at home and give him a safe and private place in the home
• ask Johnny to respond to their questions through his art, and interpret his response for them
• take Johnny to see a counselor
• talk with Johnny's teachers and school administrators (be sure to include, of course, the art teacher)
• test Johnny for drugs
• try to identify the point at which Johnny's behavior changed and begin a dialogue with Johnny about one incident at a time
• ask Johnny why he is different in art, and what art means to him
• search Johnny's room, personal belongings, and any and all computer records that are related to Johnny and/or any of his activities
• respond positively or reward steps that Johnny takes to change his behavior to what is accepted in a specific environment or to communicate what he is thinking or feeling
• determine to the best of their ability to determine if Johnny is doing anything, or involved with anyone, that they don't know about

I am not knowledgable in the field of psychology, and I may be interpreting this question incorrectly, but because Johnny has a demonstrated history of acceptable and even commendable behavior in school, and because he also has a demonstrated history of successful academic performance in school, I would not expect his parents to interpret this as an inability to learn.  It would be a good idea, obviously, to first try to talk with Johnny again to see if he can be encouraged to share what he's feeling and why he's feeling it.  If he continues to respond angrily, his parents should try to determine what is triggering what appears to be a change in behavior with a fairly sudden onset.  Since Johnny has changed schools many times his parents should first examine the school environment to see if there was anything that could be at the root of his behavior, such as different and higher expectations that cause Johnny to be more and more embarrassed or feel a lack of success.  They should talk to any of Johnny's peers that they are permitted to speak with to see if any of them knew of any event in Johnny's life that had been painful or cataclysmic in some way.  They should seek medical advice as to a possible organic origin for his behavior.  They should also seek the advice of counselors and/or psychiatrists experienced in adolescent behavior, look for a counselor that specializes in "art therapy", and attempt to take Johnny to see one or both.  Johnny's parents should try to provide an outlet for Johnny, and possibly a way for communication, by providing him with art supplies and a creative space, since this seems to be what allows Johnny to express himself in a peaceful (and maybe constructive) fashion. Johnny's parents could ask Johnny questions about how he was feeling or what specific experineces were like for him and ask him to paint (or represent through art) his answer.  Obviously, I Johnny's parents should gather as much reconnaissance as possible, and that would include talking with the administrators and teachers at Johnny's school because the more they know the more complete the picture will be.  They should look through all of Johnny's personal belongings and anything they think might give them a clue as to what is going on with their son, including social network pages etc., in case Johnny is being abused, pressured, cyber-bullied, or in any way mistreated by someone in his life.  They should look for evidence of drug use (even though his behavior was different in Art, and thus this may be a possibility that some would exclude, drug use doesn't necessarily mean uniform response in all environments, so I would investigate this). They should get as much information as they can and encourage any steps Johnny takes toward communicating what the problem is, or changing his behavior.  I do think, though, that I would be nervous if the behavior just changed and I never knew what the source of the behavior was, so I don't think they should be comfortable with behavior change alone.


2.  What should Miss Jones do?

• try to talk with Johnny
• tell her administrator/principal what she has observed
• re-review Johnny's records and files
• consult the school guidance counselor and/or school psychologist
• talk with all of Johnny's teachers, with special attention or requests for many details from Johnny's art teacher
• see if there is a trained observer or diagnostician available to observe Johnny or talk with Johnny or both
• maintain very regular contact with Johnny's parents
• review Johnny's schoolwork and computer records
• talk to the teachers, counselors and administrators at Johnny's previous schools
• try to identify any peer that shares activities or interests with Johnny (i.e. an interest in art) and make interaction with that peer(s) possible
• discuss alternative ways in which Johnny can satisfy his class requirements temporarily so losing homework and books is not such a problem
• make after-school study and work time available to Johnny in a setting that may reduce his group anxiety
• request that Johnny's parents meet with a school team to come up with a plan of action
• request that Johnny's parents share any information they obtain outside of school with the team
• possibly write a behavior plan for school and school environments
• explore opportunities for Johnny to spend time doing what he enjoys (art clubs, etc.) and attempt to encourage or support relationships that revolve around these activities
• request that Johnny's parents share any relevant medical information or family medical information or history

As a teacher I believe that Miss Jones's options are different, but they should still be centered at first on information gathering.  Miss Jones should try to talk with Johnny, trying to make him feel safe about responding.  Johnny has always been enthusiastic about learning and school interactions, so Miss Jones should consider that a point of departure for her discussions with Johnny.  When Miss Jones initially reviewed Johnny's records his problems at school hadn't yet manifest and so she should re-read his records with a more critical eye to see if there was any information that would shed light on Johnny's current behavior.  To help her in her review and information gathering, Miss Jones should also speak to personnel at Johnny's previous school to get more detail and personal response to Johnny and to ensure that there was nothing left out of the records or nothing pertinent that someone might not have wanted to put in writing.  Miss Jones should consult the school staff available to her including counselors, teachers and her school psychologist to see if their expertise might reveal known patterns of behavior (symptomatic of specific problems or feelings).  So, for instance, if Johnny is feeling alienated they have a plan for easing his transition.  Miss Jones should review Johnny's schoolwork and computer records to see if anything he has written (for instance in school journals or on a social network page, or class discussion board) gives them an indication of what might be bothering Johnny.  Miss Jones should attempt to pair Johnny with any peers who might work well with Johnny or who share a common interest to try to increase Johnny's comfort level.  Miss Jones could possibly offer alternative ways Johnny can meet his school requirements so he experiences success and avoids more serious consequences at school such as failing the sixth grade or being suspended.  If Johnny needs time alone to work then Miss Jones should try to provide him a space to do this.  There are after school programs available and assistance, but working with Johnny in a one-on-one situation at least a time or two might give him a chance to open up or share what is bothering him.  If it was possible Miss Jones could arrange for Johnny to help the art teacher or work with the art teacher on a special project (preparing for an art club meeting or project, etc.), also in the hopes that he would become more engaged in school or open up to the art teacher about the source of his anger or sense of isolation.  Throughout this entire process Miss Jones should stay in close contact with Johnny's parents and try to arrange a home visit.  I think because Johnny always comes to school (no truancy) it would be natural for Miss Jones to wonder if something might be going on at home, and so she should encourage exchange of information with Johnny's parents to the extent that she can.  If Miss Jones cannot discover the source of Johnny's behavior she should, nonetheless, work with a school team to write a behavior plan or educational plan of action for Johnny.  Normal discipline measures are not working and so while Miss Jones continues to work to help Johnny and to identify the source of his increasing isolation she will want to help him avoid more serious problems that result from his behavior.

3.  What is a likely explanation for Johnny's new problems?

I honestly don't know that I have any idea what is the most likely explanation.  I think that because of his apparent withdrawal from his peer group and defensive behaviors I would suspect bullying.  Johnny is in a new school and middle school is a big change from elementary.   Johnny has moved so frequently that it is unlikely that he has formed many strong and enduring friendships that can support him in this latest transition.  However, when school begins Johnny is friendly, responsive and apparently enthusiastic about school.  This would lead me to believe that there is some situation or an event that has precipitated Johnny's change in behavior.  So, I might suspect that Johnny was not being accepted by his peer group, that he was not being welcomed or included by his peers, and that he might even be the target of bullying.  He is small and new to the school (a likely target for bullies) and is involved in many fights.  If Johnny is being bullied, parents or teachers might be able to find evidence of this in computer records or interviews of Johnny's peers.  If none of the information gathering caused anyone to believe that Johnny was being bullied then other causes of behavior changes, such as drug use or peer pressure should be considered.  It's possible that Johnny's transition has been more difficult than those of previous moves and that he is angry and resentful because he has had to make another move.  It's also possible that there is a phsyiological reason for his behavior.  It could be that Johnny is being pressured by peers or a particular peer group to display confrontational and oppositional behavior.

Activity 1.1

Hi.  My name is Karen.  I live in Lexington, KY right now with my husband and four children.  I am originally from Northeast Ohio, but I spent 23 years living on the west coast before I moved to Lexington.  I am in the Instructional Systems Design program at UK.  I love to learn, and I love school, so I have a fairly broad background educationally.  I also love to swim, hike, and bike when I can make the time.  I have three sons and a daughter.  They keep me very busy, and are my true passion.  I enjoy being part of their activities and they are so much fun!!  I hope that I can continue learning and expanding my horizons and watch my children do the same.  Maybe when I grow up I will have learned to manage the ups and downs of lfe with grace and humor and empathy.