Discipline for Smart People    

The University of Manchester in England set up a “Babylab” to investigate how babies think. The laboratory measures the diameter of the pupils in eyes 50 times a second as a 9-month-old follows a train that performs the improbable: The train enters a tunnel in one color and comes out another color.

The pioneer in child development was the Swiss, Jean Piaget, who started his experiments in the 1920’s. They led him to conclude that infants younger than 9 months have no innate knowledge of how the world works. For example, infants do not comprehend that things actually exist when they are not seen. Babies must, Piaget concluded, gradually construct knowledge from experience.

In recent years, however, “nativist” psychologists have come to believe that infants arrive already equipped with some knowledge of the physical world. The Babylab’s director, Sylvan Sirois, has been putting these theories through rigorous tests and his conclusions tend to be more Piagetian. “Babies,” he says, “know squat.”

Infants as young as 3.5 months reliably look longer at an impossible event than at a normal one. His experiments indicate that a baby’s fascination with physically impossible events merely reflects a response to stimuli that are novel. When the 9-month-old sees the blue train come out of the tunnel green a few times, he gets as bored as when the train comes out of the tunnel in the same color it entered. So rather than conclude that infants can understand the concept of an impossibility, the fact may be that they are simply able to perceive some novelty in it. THE CHILD GETS BORED BECAUSE THE BRAIN GETS HABITUATED AND THE ATTENTION LEVEL STEADILY DROPS.

We know that the brain is always active. Stimuli that is constant and familiar to the brain habituates it. You know this from your own experience of really being impressed by something—such as your new home or new car. However, after living in the abode for awhile or driving the car for a few weeks, your awareness of the first thrill you experienced diminishes.

The same is true for the chip made when the heavy pot was accidentally dropped in the kitchen sink. The chipped sink really bothered you at first. Now you hardly notice it.

How does this relate to learning? Novelty drives attention—regardless of age. Teachers who continually create new and novel approaches keep the attention of their students.

In addition, these teachers reap one of the joys from both the profession and from living; they receive the satisfaction that accrues from their own growth.

More information on this topic is available at http://www.marvinmarshall.com.

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Posted In: Promoting Learning On: February 6, 2008: 9:26 am: By Marvin Marshall

The brain and body are an integrated system. Feelings and cognition are interrelated and have a significant effect upon learning. If you are a parent, you know this. When your child returns home after the FIRST day of school, you may ask, “How was school?” You also may ask, “What did you learn?” And you most certainly ask, “Do you like your teacher?”

We know from our personal experiences and through research on the workings of the brain that how we feel has a significant effect upon what and how we think and behave. Therefore, IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IS ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL REFORMS THAT SCHOOLS CAN INITIATE.

The three practices of self-talking and communicating in positive terms, of empowering by choice, and of using the skill of asking reflective questions are universal and enduring approaches that improve relationships. Examples are in Part II of the teaching model.

Also, more information on this topic is available at http://www.marvinmarshall.com.

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Posted In: Improving Relationships On: February 5, 2008: 8:20 am: By Marvin Marshall

The following is a series of statements sent to me and my responses to them.

STATEMENT:
I’m an elementary character education/physical education teacher and I wanted to share somewhat of a different twist on your system. My biggest struggle was using the letters A, B, C, and D as it is so ingrained in our students that A is “best” and D is “worst.”

RESPONSE:
The “difficulty” is with perception. There have been numerous posts at the yahoo support group/forum by people who originally were apprehensive but found that STUDENTS OF ALL AGES had no difficulty understanding the concepts and did not confuse a grading system with levels of social development.

Letters and vocabulary are always used in context. For example, when do you spell “to”? or is it “two”? or is it “too”? Of course, it depends on the context.

Some people don’t like the term “anarchy”—but they miss the power of the vocabulary when they do not use it. The impact of the word is felt when applied to school and life’s situations. IT IS THE SPECIFIC VOCABULARY BECAUSE OF THE CONCEPTS BEHIND THEM THAT PROMPTS GROWTH AND MATURITY.

STATEMENT:
So…..I converted to a 1-5 system and use it in various ways.

RESPONSE:
I’m delighted that you are proactive by teaching a hierarchy. This is good, but you can do even better. The power of differentiating and clearly understanding the difference between external and internal motivation seems to be lacking in a numbering system. For example, after reading A Letter Worth Reading,you will quickly conclude that numbers lack the power of words.

By the way, there are a number of examples at MarvinMarshall.com/hierarchy showing how the levels can be used in various situations, including physical education and character education.

You may want to experiment. Use the vocabulary this year, and then at the end of the year compare which is more effective—or, better yet, ask your students which they believe would be more effective: numbers or vocabulary.

STATEMENT:
Here are some of the ways I use it: I use it as a tool for the kids to answer “reflection questions” to start class, during and at the end. For instance I will ask them upon entering, “How’s your life going?” and they simply answer me by raising their fingers 1..2…3…4….5 with 1 being the worst and 5 best. This really works great for the kids who may be a little shy about talking in front of the class.

Some of the other questions might be: How hard have you worked today?” How’s your self/impulse control been today? How much did you like the game we were playing?

RESPONSE:
Posing reflective questions is great. It’s the third principle to practice.

STATEMENT:
I use it for behavior issues where I can simply look at a student and show him how I feel his self-control is or respect, etc.

RESPONSE:
You—rather than the student—have taken the responsibility here because you are doing the “doing.” To promote responsibility and reduce any stress on your part, the “doing” should come from the student. What you are doing is O.k., but it’s using your authority—and thereby depriving the student of the opportunity initiate the change. A more effective and longer lasting approach would be to put put the responsibility on the student by having the student reflect without the student’s relying on the the teacher to initiate a change.

STATEMENT:
Or I may ask them how they think they are doing on a 1-5 and then ask them if they can possibly get to a level 4 or even a 5.

RESPONSE:
You are using the power of a hierarchy and prompting reflection on behavior. Excellent! But remember, the hierarchy can be used even more effectively by increasing academic performance (Part IV) of the teaching model at http://www.marvinmarshall.com/teaching_model.html.

STATEMENT:
We’re using this system with our Rookie Success League this summer for economically disadvantaged kids as well.

RESPONSE:
Commendations! This is Stephen Covey’s first habit of highly effective people. You are proactive in that you are teaching something first—in contrast to being “reactive” by waiting until something happens and then trying to rectify it.

STATEMENT:
So…..just wanted to share that and get your thoughts and say “Thanks” for “inspiring” me.

Kim

RESPONSE:
I wish you the best and thank you for sharing.

Marv Marshall

More information on this topic is available at http://www.marvinmarshall.com.

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Posted In: Increasing Effectiveness On: February 4, 2008: 9:01 am: By Marvin Marshall

I was recently asked whether or not I am a behaviorist.

My response:

Behaviorism usually refers to approaches of Pavlov (classical conditioning of stimulus/response) and Skinner (behavior modification by reinforcing behavior AFTER an act occurs).

Behavior modification is popular in schools, especially with special education teachers. Unfortunately, MANY RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE APPROACH TO BE INEFFECTIVE. However, its staying power is attested to by an increasing number of states mandating that schools use “positive behavior support” that is based on a behavior modification model.

The essence of behavior modification is to REWARD DESIRED BEHAVIOR AND IGNORE UNDESIRED BEHAVIOR. The fact that inappropriate behavior is ignored can send the message that nothing is wrong with the behavior, and so there may be little incentive to stop doing it. Therefore, a major problem with the approach is that, when undesired behavior is not addressed, such behavior can become “reinforced.”

Since all behavior modification RELIES ON AN EXTERNAL STIMULUS—something or someone external or outside the person—in a certain sense, this can be related to Level C in that the motivation is external.

The RAISE RESPONSIBILITY SYSTEM encourages INTERNAL motivation (Level D). External motivation (Level C) is acceptable, but it is not the highest or most effective approach for changing behavior.

People who rely on behavior modification believe that rewarding behavior influences the person to change. But in reality, only the MOTIVATION CHANGES. This can be witnessed in young people who ask, “What will I get if I do it?” The motivation lasts only as long as the reward lasts; when the reward is gone, so is the motivation.

External sources prompt us to act, but the behavior itself is not automatic; nor does one’s BEHAVIOR ever come from outside the person. Behavior is a person’s own choice. The actions may be habitual and/or nonconscious, but the behavior ALWAYS comes from that person. Therefore, it would be misleading if I classified myself as a behaviorist in the traditional sense of the word. I could classify myself as an INternalist, a word that perhaps I have just coined.

For a practical example of the difference in effect between internal and external motivation, read “A Letter Worth Reading.”

More information on this topic is available at http://www.marvinmarshall.com.

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Posted In: Promoting Learning On: February 1, 2008: 9:38 am: By Marvin Marshall