Well, I have been negligent about this site and I've only posted 4 articles. Let's get back to it. I would like to extol the virtues of the open source class creation tool called Moodle. Most colleges and many high schools are using online class organizers for their students. The University of Missouri St. Louis uses Blackboard CT. Teachers can post important messages, articles, videos, and anything else related to class functioning.
Moodle is an excellent tool for alternative education especially for students who want to work from home. This is important in alternative education because in many instances students are trying to regain lost credits. I already have a music appreciation class set up in Moodle and I am planning to eventually post many of my social studies classes onto Moodle.
Even if you don't have an all inclusive class in Moodle you can use it to post the syllabus and important assignments. I am hoping that posting assignments and various materials I can cut down on my copying. Moreover, when I want to change or update an assignment I can have it posted in minutes without having an excess of copies that are no longer valid.
Here is the link for Moodle if you are interested. http://moodle.org/
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Best Practices and Functional Assessment
I have been commenting on the article posted on this site titled "Alternative Education Programs for At Risk Youth: Issues, Best Practices, and Recommendations". In the last article I highlighted the article's list of best practices. One of the best practices is to perform a functional assessment. The authors state that evidence has shown some success with this behavioral tool. It is stated that the main idea is to replace the problematic behavior as demonstrated in the educational setting and replace said behavior with prosocial behavior. "...replace the problem behavior with an alternate behavior that meets the same function for the student as the problem behavior but is more socially accepted." This process involves the student, teachers, parents, and community members.
The article does not really elaborate on functional assessment. In theory the idea seems valid and I do not doubt that research shows positive results from this process. However, this is not a simple plan that can be implemented easily. At my school the students only attend each day for a total of 3 hours. It is my professional opinion that it is very difficult to change or replace someone's behavior when you only see that person 15 hours a week. The school will certainly not be successful if the family and community are not engaged in the behavior or support plan as well.
Moreover, it seems a bit pretentious for individuals who are not psychologists and even those who are to assume that they can pinpoint the function of a behavior by filling out a few forms and then observing the student for a couple hours in the classroom. No doubt this process will yield some obvious clues as to the function of a behavior but behavior is often more complicated than the obvious short term "benefits" one receives from it. One example is that the brain may have a chemical imbalance thereby complicating any rational form of exchange theory. In other words, the student may derive no benefits from the antisocial behavior.
The idea assumes that every person is engaged in rational forms of thought. It is assumed that behavior is merely the result of actions that satisfy an individual. The person has to be rational if they can clearly derive a function from their behavior. I guess it could be counter argued that behavior serves a function whether the person is rational or not. In the end, the support team must micro manage the student and provide situations where the problem behavior can be managed and or replaced.
However, this is my main point; are the professionals changing the behavior or manipulating the environment to elicit different responses? Thus, you are essentially not changing behavior you're changing the environment and or circumstances where the behavior occurs. When the student moves into another environment outside of the school will these techniques transfer? I say no unless every component of the student's life is receiving the same intervention.
I have never seen these interventions work at my school for a variety of reasons. The most important one is the amount of time that the student spends in the school. The second is the micro management part. It is very difficult to get every team member to carry out the support plan in the same way. Again, let me reiterate that the environment is being manipulated not the student.
Am I way off in my assessment or am I merely deriving some satisfaction from critiquing another form of behaviorism?
The article does not really elaborate on functional assessment. In theory the idea seems valid and I do not doubt that research shows positive results from this process. However, this is not a simple plan that can be implemented easily. At my school the students only attend each day for a total of 3 hours. It is my professional opinion that it is very difficult to change or replace someone's behavior when you only see that person 15 hours a week. The school will certainly not be successful if the family and community are not engaged in the behavior or support plan as well.
Moreover, it seems a bit pretentious for individuals who are not psychologists and even those who are to assume that they can pinpoint the function of a behavior by filling out a few forms and then observing the student for a couple hours in the classroom. No doubt this process will yield some obvious clues as to the function of a behavior but behavior is often more complicated than the obvious short term "benefits" one receives from it. One example is that the brain may have a chemical imbalance thereby complicating any rational form of exchange theory. In other words, the student may derive no benefits from the antisocial behavior.
The idea assumes that every person is engaged in rational forms of thought. It is assumed that behavior is merely the result of actions that satisfy an individual. The person has to be rational if they can clearly derive a function from their behavior. I guess it could be counter argued that behavior serves a function whether the person is rational or not. In the end, the support team must micro manage the student and provide situations where the problem behavior can be managed and or replaced.
However, this is my main point; are the professionals changing the behavior or manipulating the environment to elicit different responses? Thus, you are essentially not changing behavior you're changing the environment and or circumstances where the behavior occurs. When the student moves into another environment outside of the school will these techniques transfer? I say no unless every component of the student's life is receiving the same intervention.
I have never seen these interventions work at my school for a variety of reasons. The most important one is the amount of time that the student spends in the school. The second is the micro management part. It is very difficult to get every team member to carry out the support plan in the same way. Again, let me reiterate that the environment is being manipulated not the student.
Am I way off in my assessment or am I merely deriving some satisfaction from critiquing another form of behaviorism?
Friday, July 3, 2009
Best Practices and Behaviorism
The next section of the article, "Alternative Education Programs for At Risk Youth: Issues, Best Practices, and Recommendations" defines the population characteristics of students in alternative programs. What we can conclude here is that there are a variety of reasons why students need alternative programs. One of the growing segments of student populations to enter alternative schools are those students with special education needs. Here in St. Louis this would involve students with an Individualized Education Plan or IEP. At my school IEP students comprise nearly half of the school's population. I will comment on this issue in another post.
The article next list some best practices of research based alternative education strategies. Of course, the low student to teacher ratio is at the top of the list. I think anyone would agree that students with poor impulse control do better in smaller environments many times for the simple reason that there are fewer distractions. Following small class size is a class management system based on behavior management techniques like a level system. It is highly recommended that the school emphasize positive behavior management rather that punitive. Coupled with positive behavior management is "clear and direct" instruction of rules. Naturally, reinforcement fades over time.
Behavior management techniques which are grounded in behaviorism is the method of choice for most behavior management programs and especially for those involved in special education. I am not a proponent of many of the tenets of behaviorism. I believe behaviorism has valid points and even agree that it is useful in some situations. I, for one, would not like living in the type of world described in Walden Two by B.F. Skinner. I fully understand that we all in engage in behavior that has been learned from reinforcement but my ability to think in abstraction allows me to envision behavior that contradicts what I have been conditioned to do. I have again become sidetracked and will have to re-visit behaviorism in another post.
However, I cannot get away from behaviorism yet because the next best practice on the list is to perform a functional behavioral assessment. I am all too familiar with this technique and will comment further in my post about behaviorism. Rounding out the list for the best practices of alternative education programs is social skills instruction which includes problem solving and empathy training and high quality academic training which include direct instruction, difficulty with material controls, and small, interactive groups.
My philosophy for blogging is to keep it short and sweet or at least short, so I will conclude by stating that this list of best practices are components of the schools where I have worked. However, the level of implementation and the long term use of many of these components seem to vary from school to school and within each school from year to year.
Which of these practices are most important for alternative schools and what do these practices look like? The last part of this question is a favorite line for behaviorists, "what does the behavior look like?"
The article next list some best practices of research based alternative education strategies. Of course, the low student to teacher ratio is at the top of the list. I think anyone would agree that students with poor impulse control do better in smaller environments many times for the simple reason that there are fewer distractions. Following small class size is a class management system based on behavior management techniques like a level system. It is highly recommended that the school emphasize positive behavior management rather that punitive. Coupled with positive behavior management is "clear and direct" instruction of rules. Naturally, reinforcement fades over time.
Behavior management techniques which are grounded in behaviorism is the method of choice for most behavior management programs and especially for those involved in special education. I am not a proponent of many of the tenets of behaviorism. I believe behaviorism has valid points and even agree that it is useful in some situations. I, for one, would not like living in the type of world described in Walden Two by B.F. Skinner. I fully understand that we all in engage in behavior that has been learned from reinforcement but my ability to think in abstraction allows me to envision behavior that contradicts what I have been conditioned to do. I have again become sidetracked and will have to re-visit behaviorism in another post.
However, I cannot get away from behaviorism yet because the next best practice on the list is to perform a functional behavioral assessment. I am all too familiar with this technique and will comment further in my post about behaviorism. Rounding out the list for the best practices of alternative education programs is social skills instruction which includes problem solving and empathy training and high quality academic training which include direct instruction, difficulty with material controls, and small, interactive groups.
My philosophy for blogging is to keep it short and sweet or at least short, so I will conclude by stating that this list of best practices are components of the schools where I have worked. However, the level of implementation and the long term use of many of these components seem to vary from school to school and within each school from year to year.
Which of these practices are most important for alternative schools and what do these practices look like? The last part of this question is a favorite line for behaviorists, "what does the behavior look like?"
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Defining At Risk
One of the things that I'd like to do with this blog is to comment on various literature that is out there surrounding the concept of alternative schools. For reference, I linked an article called "Alternative Education for At Risk Youth: Issues, Best Practice, and Recommendations".
First, the term "at risk youth" has often been criticized as having a negative connotation. There may be some merit to this belief but essentially the term merely indicates that the student may slip through the traditional education system. Indeed, alternative schools were created to catch these students by offering a service that varies from the practices in traditional schools. These practices can be varied and disparate but they are all alternative.
This article begins with a fact that I have been stressing for the last few years; "although vocational training...may be in the best interest of students, schools tend to focus on the college preparatory track." Why is this I ask when according to the U.S. Census only 27% of the public has a bachelor's degree or higher. Yet, everyone is on the college track.
Schools need to get with it. Just as going green is one of the components of the major shift that Americans must adapt to in the new "flat earth" economy, schools must adapt to the new structure of the economy. Preparing everybody for college is a disservice to the 70 plus percent who have other plans. Moreover, college waste time when for the first two years you take the same classes that you took in high school. It is an inefficient system for the majority.
Ha! you thought alternative schools are for the small percentage of students who can't make it in the traditional school. I'm saying here that the majority don't fit in with the model of traditional school. Most of these students have just learned how to work through the system. Americans have built a system of education that allows us to reach the age of 22 and say I don't really know what I want to do. Adolescence has been gradually moving upward. What I mean is that kids tend to rely on their parents for a longer period of time.
Students should be made aware of what kinds of professions are available and subsequently design their knowledge base around these areas. High school should be a place where you start developing you profession or interest rather than preparing to be a good college student.
Well, I didn't get very far on the article but I guess I can examine this article over many posts. My aim above is not to say that schools have everything wrong, merely, that they need to update and become flexible. In essence we must stop recycling the 19th century delivery model. It is time to enter a brave new world.
What would a flexible and modern school look like?
First, the term "at risk youth" has often been criticized as having a negative connotation. There may be some merit to this belief but essentially the term merely indicates that the student may slip through the traditional education system. Indeed, alternative schools were created to catch these students by offering a service that varies from the practices in traditional schools. These practices can be varied and disparate but they are all alternative.
This article begins with a fact that I have been stressing for the last few years; "although vocational training...may be in the best interest of students, schools tend to focus on the college preparatory track." Why is this I ask when according to the U.S. Census only 27% of the public has a bachelor's degree or higher. Yet, everyone is on the college track.
Schools need to get with it. Just as going green is one of the components of the major shift that Americans must adapt to in the new "flat earth" economy, schools must adapt to the new structure of the economy. Preparing everybody for college is a disservice to the 70 plus percent who have other plans. Moreover, college waste time when for the first two years you take the same classes that you took in high school. It is an inefficient system for the majority.
Ha! you thought alternative schools are for the small percentage of students who can't make it in the traditional school. I'm saying here that the majority don't fit in with the model of traditional school. Most of these students have just learned how to work through the system. Americans have built a system of education that allows us to reach the age of 22 and say I don't really know what I want to do. Adolescence has been gradually moving upward. What I mean is that kids tend to rely on their parents for a longer period of time.
Students should be made aware of what kinds of professions are available and subsequently design their knowledge base around these areas. High school should be a place where you start developing you profession or interest rather than preparing to be a good college student.
Well, I didn't get very far on the article but I guess I can examine this article over many posts. My aim above is not to say that schools have everything wrong, merely, that they need to update and become flexible. In essence we must stop recycling the 19th century delivery model. It is time to enter a brave new world.
What would a flexible and modern school look like?
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