Week 3 Reflection
CHAPTER Three
“Perceptual Processes II:
Attention and Consciousness”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Summarize the reading in a few sentences:
Chapter 3 discusses attention and the 3 interrelated cognitive tasks of divided attention, selective attention, and saccadic eye movements. This chapter also examines both biological and theoretical explanations for attention. The end of the chapter discusses consciousness and our awareness about the external world.
2. How does it fit into what I have already learned in this course?
The information discussed in Chapter 3 does support what we have learned in the previous chapters. The previous chapters discussed auditory and visual processes and Chapter 3 continues by discussing how our various attention processes can support or hurt our cognitive development.
3. What am I still not clear on?
I thought that this chapter was fairly easy to understand the concepts and theories that were discussed. There is really nothing that I am not clear on at this point.
4. How would I apply this to my own teaching?
Chapter 3 really made me think about different students in my classes and how their different attention processes may affect their work and their focus on material in class. It made me realize how I, as an adult, also struggle when multi-tasking and handling various distractions and how easy it is to be distracted by other thoughts within our head. Every student is different and struggles in different areas. Attention is something that every teacher should be aware of and find ways to keep each student focused on tasks within class.
5. What proof does the author offer that makes me believe this is valid? Do I believe it? Why?
Chapter 3 offers us an explanation of three types of attention processes and several theories behind these processes that help to explain different students and the difficulties that they have with staying on task and other attention capabilities. I do believe these because of the proof behind the theories and the fact that I can see these proven in myself and my students.
6. Why is this important? What does it help improve or explain or predict?
It is very important for teachers to understand their students and their various levels of attention in order to have compassion and understanding for students that struggle to stay on task. It is more than just their will to work. It can actually be just an attention issue that the students struggle with. Knowing and understanding attention problems can help improve our teaching in that we can find ways to adjust our teaching strategies in order to keep all of our students on task.
7. When would I actually use this-under what circumstances and for what kind of students?
I would use the ideas presented in Chapter 3 when working with many of my students in class and trying to understand why some of them struggle to keep their attention and maintain their focus even on the most simple tasks in the classroom. I
8. Are there other ways to accomplish the same thing that are faster, cheaper, or better?
This question is not relevant when discussing the processes and theories behind attention and consciousness.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Chapter 2 Reflection
Chapter 2 Reflection
“Perceptual Processes I: Visual and Auditory Recognition”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2 discusses the Perceptual Processes of Visual and Auditory Recognition. Perception is a broad description of how we use our previous knowledge to interpret stimuli from our senses. The chapter specifically focuses in on how we recognize letters, objects, faces, and speech patterns and how our brain organizes the stimuli we receive in order to find recognition. Several different theories and studies were provided in the chapter to help explain some of the ideas behind our Process of Recognition. Each one provided insight into various recognition tasks that we encounter every day.
The reading in Chapter 2 was like a beginning to the journey that we began in Chapter One on Cognitive Psychology, which introduced us to the ideas of not only the mental activities that occur in our brains in order for us to engage in our daily lives, but also the theories and beliefs behind why we do the things we do. Chapter one discussed the history of cognitive psychology and how it has developed over the years. In Chapter Two we begin to study different neurological processes, such as the visual and auditory processing. and the cognitive theories and mental activities behind these processes.
I am still not clear on the special mechanism approach to speech. This theory states that “humans are born with a specialized device that allows us to decode speech stimuli”. It is argued that our brain has a special neural mechanism that facilitates speech perception, but not other kinds of auditory perception". I do not see how the brain would not have to rely on other cognitive functions to assist in speech patterns. It just seems to me that all functions work best when they work together. And I do not support that there is a special module in the brain that works for speech but not for any other sounds.
I can apply this chapter to my own teaching in many ways. One of the characteristics of Speech Perception states that Visual Cues act as an Aide in Speech Perception. As a teacher of foreign language, I know how important it is for students to see my lips move in order to have a better understanding of what I am saying. I also know that visual cues, such as pictures of objects and labeling the room are some of the best approaches to assist in language and vocabulary retention.
One of the Theories behind Speech Perception that I believe is valid is the General Mechanism Approach. This theory explains that speech perception is possible without proposing any special phonetic module in the brain. Humans use the same neural mechanisms to process both speech sounds and non-speech sounds. Speech Perception is a learned ability. I agree that our speech is influenced by visual cues, such as reading lips and other visual stimuli. Speech perception is utilized by more than just a special portion of the brain that controls it all.
This is important because it helps explain how “our speech perception proceeds in stages” and depends upon familiar cognitive processes such as feature recognition, learning, and decision making. As a foreign language teacher, I appreciate that there is more to speech than just a special mechanism in the brain. I believe all students have the ability to learn and speak language and can utilize many of their cognitive abilities to do so.
I can apply this theory to my own foreign language instruction. My Spanish classes include a wide variety of students with different cultural backgrounds and different academic levels. I also have special education students in my classes. All of these students are able to learn because I utilize many different strategies in order to teach them. They all have the capability to learn the language. It is up to me to provide a variety of learning experiences that can reach each student's areas of strength.
There are several ways to accomplish teaching foreign language to students of all academic levels. It can be time consuming to create lesson plans that utilize many different teaching strategies. Especially since on of the most influential strategies in teaching foreign languge is providing visual cues. It takes time and money to print pictures and other visual text for students. But it is worth it in the end when your students are learning and retaining everything that you are teaching them.
“Perceptual Processes I: Visual and Auditory Recognition”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2 discusses the Perceptual Processes of Visual and Auditory Recognition. Perception is a broad description of how we use our previous knowledge to interpret stimuli from our senses. The chapter specifically focuses in on how we recognize letters, objects, faces, and speech patterns and how our brain organizes the stimuli we receive in order to find recognition. Several different theories and studies were provided in the chapter to help explain some of the ideas behind our Process of Recognition. Each one provided insight into various recognition tasks that we encounter every day.
The reading in Chapter 2 was like a beginning to the journey that we began in Chapter One on Cognitive Psychology, which introduced us to the ideas of not only the mental activities that occur in our brains in order for us to engage in our daily lives, but also the theories and beliefs behind why we do the things we do. Chapter one discussed the history of cognitive psychology and how it has developed over the years. In Chapter Two we begin to study different neurological processes, such as the visual and auditory processing. and the cognitive theories and mental activities behind these processes.
I am still not clear on the special mechanism approach to speech. This theory states that “humans are born with a specialized device that allows us to decode speech stimuli”. It is argued that our brain has a special neural mechanism that facilitates speech perception, but not other kinds of auditory perception". I do not see how the brain would not have to rely on other cognitive functions to assist in speech patterns. It just seems to me that all functions work best when they work together. And I do not support that there is a special module in the brain that works for speech but not for any other sounds.
I can apply this chapter to my own teaching in many ways. One of the characteristics of Speech Perception states that Visual Cues act as an Aide in Speech Perception. As a teacher of foreign language, I know how important it is for students to see my lips move in order to have a better understanding of what I am saying. I also know that visual cues, such as pictures of objects and labeling the room are some of the best approaches to assist in language and vocabulary retention.
One of the Theories behind Speech Perception that I believe is valid is the General Mechanism Approach. This theory explains that speech perception is possible without proposing any special phonetic module in the brain. Humans use the same neural mechanisms to process both speech sounds and non-speech sounds. Speech Perception is a learned ability. I agree that our speech is influenced by visual cues, such as reading lips and other visual stimuli. Speech perception is utilized by more than just a special portion of the brain that controls it all.
This is important because it helps explain how “our speech perception proceeds in stages” and depends upon familiar cognitive processes such as feature recognition, learning, and decision making. As a foreign language teacher, I appreciate that there is more to speech than just a special mechanism in the brain. I believe all students have the ability to learn and speak language and can utilize many of their cognitive abilities to do so.
I can apply this theory to my own foreign language instruction. My Spanish classes include a wide variety of students with different cultural backgrounds and different academic levels. I also have special education students in my classes. All of these students are able to learn because I utilize many different strategies in order to teach them. They all have the capability to learn the language. It is up to me to provide a variety of learning experiences that can reach each student's areas of strength.
There are several ways to accomplish teaching foreign language to students of all academic levels. It can be time consuming to create lesson plans that utilize many different teaching strategies. Especially since on of the most influential strategies in teaching foreign languge is providing visual cues. It takes time and money to print pictures and other visual text for students. But it is worth it in the end when your students are learning and retaining everything that you are teaching them.
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