| Educational practices are incredibly diverse not only | | | | about it?", like one of the teachers at Komatsudani |
| around the world, but even within a given school. What | | | | was quoted saying when told about another child's |
| some might view as the best approach to educating | | | | misbehavior. |
| children, others might see as a mediocre attempt to do | | | | Behaviorism is the theory that states that people can |
| so. | | | | be taught through the use of reward and/or |
| The video "Pre-school in Three Different Cultures" | | | | punishment. The theory is also seen as the more |
| illustrates this diversity in educational styles to the | | | | repetitive of the two theories because it often involves |
| viewer. The documentary consists of the filming of | | | | the use of drill-and-practice as the main form of |
| three different pre-schools in different countries during | | | | instruction. In behaviorism the teacher is the main focus |
| the span of a normal day. The summaries of the day's | | | | of the class and all the students must often follow the |
| activities given in the video for each of the pre-schools | | | | directions exactly as they are given. |
| let the viewer analyze both the social and academic | | | | The school that most resembles the ideals of the |
| aspects of the children's experience throughout the | | | | behaviorist theory in the video was Dong-feng from |
| day. The pre-schools included in the video are | | | | China. One of the first examples of this is when the |
| Komatsudani from Japan, Dong-feng from China, and | | | | 4:2:1 phenomenon is explained. The 4:2:1 phenomenon |
| St.Timothy from the U.S. (Hawaii). The following paper | | | | occurs due to the attempts of lowering China's |
| will shed light on what is known as constructivism and | | | | population. According to the school officials, the |
| behaviorism, and describe which one of the schools | | | | problem is that now more than ever a lot of children |
| falls under each category. | | | | are single children that are showered with attention |
| Constructivism is the theory that views children as little | | | | from two parents and four grandparents. Behaviorism |
| individual scientists. When following the theory of | | | | is shown when the school staff claims that they must |
| constructivism, students are allowed to explore their | | | | correct the mistakes done by the parents and |
| environment, interact with it, and learn from it. The | | | | grandparents regarding the children's behavior due to |
| constructivist teacher acts as a support pillar for | | | | excessive attention and spoiling. |
| students to lean on when they are in need, not the | | | | Another instance in which the school's behaviorist |
| leader that everyone must follow. Constructivism also | | | | approach was obvious was the bathroom usage. The |
| sees differences amongst the children and the things | | | | school's bathroom usage approach was weird to say |
| they learn from their interactions; not everyone learns | | | | the least, all students were to go to the bathroom at |
| the same things at the same rate or with the same | | | | the same time and in the same place. The teachers |
| ease. | | | | claimed that if a student really needed to use the |
| After watching the video, the school that seems to | | | | facilities he or she was allowed to go at another time |
| have the most constructivist approach is St.Timothy. | | | | than the one scheduled, but that it was good for |
| When it came time for the students to partake on an | | | | students to become familiar with the concept of |
| activity, the teacher gave them the opportunity to | | | | scheduling and should try their best to become |
| choose the activity they preferred instead of assigning | | | | accustomed to the time guidelines. |
| them one or making the whole class do the same | | | | The school's behaviorist approach was also evident |
| thing. This approach allows the students to participate | | | | during formal instruction and before meals. Before |
| on an activity that they find stimulating, which tends to | | | | every meal, the students must always participate in |
| let students learn much more than an activity that they | | | | giving thanks for their food by reciting a chant in unison |
| find boring. It is also worth mentioning that when the | | | | that goes something like "this food sure smells good, I |
| students chose an activity by pointing at the | | | | bet it's delicious, I am so thankful for my dad and |
| representative objects the teacher would let the | | | | mom". The repetition of this chant serves as a way to |
| student know that she wanted them to indicate it by | | | | reinforce the idea that the students should be thankful |
| using spoken language. The teacher used a | | | | for their parents and whatever their parents were able |
| constructivist approach when doing this since she did | | | | to give them as a meal. |
| not guide the student on how to form the sentence, | | | | When it comes to formal instruction their approach is |
| but rather let them construct their own sentences and | | | | very behaviorist and completely different from the |
| correcting them if necessary. | | | | approach taken by St.Timothy. In Dong-feng the |
| One of the activities, and the teacher's comment | | | | students are given specific instructions on how to |
| regarding the activity, shows the constructivist ideal | | | | work with the wooden blocks and must set up the |
| beyond any other thing seen in the video. The activity | | | | materials in a certain way before they are even |
| being referred to is the block building activity, during | | | | allowed to start. Once they start building their wooden |
| which the students are allowed to rearrange the | | | | structures, they must follow the guidelines, and will not |
| blocks in any way he choose to. This is a very | | | | be given any positive reinforcement if they deviate |
| different approach to the one used in one of the other | | | | from them by doing something different or creative. |
| schools in which students are given specific guidelines | | | | Instead of rewarding creativity like the staff in |
| to follow when using the blocks. When asked about | | | | St.Timothy, the staff at Dong-feng seems to only care |
| the difference in approaches, the teacher in St.Timothy | | | | about the students' ability to follow directions.When it |
| responded that she thought their approach was better | | | | comes to educating and teaching students with cultural |
| because when you let children build their own | | | | and linguistic diversity, one must always keep the |
| structures they will sometimes come up with things | | | | lessons interesting and original. As a future teacher, my |
| that the teacher would never even think of. This is a | | | | area of expertise will most probably be math. My |
| great example of the idea that children are like little | | | | lessons will contain as many visual components as |
| scientists with very different approaches to learning | | | | possible and as much student participation as the |
| through their environment. | | | | lesson allows. I will motivate the students to take risks |
| Another aspect in which St.Timothy's approaches | | | | by making a constructivism-behaviorism-constructivism |
| were very constructivists was behavior and discipline. | | | | sandwich. The students will be given a task to |
| There is an instance during the day during which a | | | | complete, which they don't yet have the skills for. |
| student refuses to clean up the materials even after | | | | During this time the students will be encouraged to |
| the teacher has asked him to do so directly. Instead of | | | | brainstorm ideas on how the task might be completed; |
| ordering the student to pick up the materials by using | | | | both right and wrong approaches will be celebrated as |
| her authority like many teachers tend to do, the | | | | achievements, the important thing is that they are |
| teacher talks to him at an equal level. She doesn't just | | | | willing to try new things. Once the brainstorming period |
| boss him into putting the things away, but rather tries to | | | | is done, I will instruct them on how the task is most |
| make the student think of the consequences that | | | | commonly completed. The students will then be given |
| might come about from not picking up the materials. | | | | some time to practice following the specific steps that |
| She explains to the student that if the materials are not | | | | allow them to complete the task. After they seem |
| picked up some of his fellow students might end up | | | | confident enough using these steps, they will be given |
| injured. After he refuses to comply once again, the | | | | the freedom to experiment with other approaches that |
| teacher gives him two choices. The student has to | | | | they might have thought of after being taught the |
| choose between spending time alone or picking up the | | | | steps. They will be encouraged to use any methods |
| materials. It does not take more than a minute before | | | | that make the task easier for them as long as it gets |
| the student decides to comply. | | | | them to the right answer. They will also be told that it is |
| Some people might dispute that the Japanese | | | | perfectly fine to use the steps taught by the teacher, |
| approach regarding behavior and discipline at | | | | but that the approach might not be the only or easiest |
| Komatsudani is more constructivists because it has | | | | one. |
| less teacher involvement, but the teacher's approach | | | | To conclude, I believe that in education neither |
| seems to be more negligence than constructivism. The | | | | constructivism nor behaviorism have all the answers. |
| principal of the school is quoted saying that it is normal | | | | As a teacher, one must find a midpoint, a way to |
| and even necessary for boys to fight because it is the | | | | combine the best aspects of the two in order to |
| way that they learn how to resolve problems that | | | | provide the best learning environment and results. It is |
| might arise later in life. The statement might have | | | | my opinion that St.Timothy was the better school |
| some truth to it, but as his own statement says, the | | | | among the three when it came to formal instruction |
| children are learning and therefore don't have the | | | | and correcting misbehavior. I also find it worth |
| required skills to resolve these problems yet. As a | | | | mentioning that both Komatsudani's staff's lack of |
| teacher, one can let them try to solve the problem by | | | | action disciplining the students and Dong-feng's |
| themselves but always keeping very close | | | | bathroom routine were somewhat disconcerting. |
| surveillance. It is not a good approach to simply ignore | | | | Copyright © F. Prida. All Rights Reserved. |
| the situation or tell a child "why don't you do something | | | | |