Application 2

This week we have been looking at the behaviorism theory and how it relates to instructional strategies in the classroom with technology. This theory states that behaviors can be learned in the classroom with either positive or negative reinforcement and can be measured in the classroom (www.msu.edu). There are two different ways that our school uses technology in my school that relates to the behaviorism theory. They are an online homework site called kids college and a remote response system.

Homework online or using a computer can seem more fun to a student compared to the typical pencil and paper homework assignment. At the school where I teach, we use an online program that quizzes students on math and language arts. This program also lets us track when the students log in and how they do. The students are constantly being asked questions. This is a great example of the behaviorist theory since they are constantly being asked questions and new information is being learned and is constantly repeated.

Another example of using software while looking at the behaviorism theory is using classroom remotes. With the remotes there is a software program that lets the teacher put questions onto the board and the students can choose the correct answer. The questions can be answered in A,B,C and D format or answered by punching in numbers. This lets the students and the teachers get instant feedback on who answered the question correctly and who answered the question incorrectly. The software also allows the teacher to graph the answers that were answered instantly on the board and, if the student answered correctly and sees it on the board, this would act as a reward for the student and is positive reinforcement. If the student sees that he or she answered the question incorrectly, the student will see this on the board and will want to answer the question correctly like the other students.
Overall, technology can be used in many different ways to have the students learn new concepts. These concepts can be reinforced with positive or negative reinforcement. The technology used in our school helps reinforce these concepts.

References
https://www.msu.edu/~purcelll/behaviorism%20theory.htm