Category Archives: edushare

Can animals really count?!

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It seems that many pet owners claim that their animal can count. This is not a new idea, it seems the idea of animals counting goes back centuries. In the late 1800’s Wilhelm Von Osten came forward with the proposal that his horse, later named ‘Clever Hans’ had the innate ability to count. When Osten spoke a number, for example, the number seven, Hans was able to tap his hoof seven times, seemingly without any guidance. People were in awe of the animal’s ability to count out numbers up to ten and the horse travelled country to country showing off

Clever Hans: Image from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Osten_und_Hans.jpg

Clever Hans: Image from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Osten_und_Hans.jpg

his apparently extremely rare talent. However when animal experts and psychologists analysed both the horse and owner’s behaviour it soon became apparent that the horse wasn’t counting, merely just tapping until receiving some sort of signal from his owner as to when to stop tapping. Leaving the question still unanswered, can animals really count?

 

 

Clever Hans is just one example of an animal associating a word with an action. When Hans heard certain words (1-10) he knew to tap his foot, just like most dogs associate the word “sit” with the action of sitting. All of this training is done through positive reinforcement.

More recently however the question of whether animals can count or not seemed to be answered when ‘Maggie the Counting Dog’ appeared on American TV screens in 2008. To me it seems crazy that a Jack Russell can count as I can barely get my five-year-old Jack Russell to sit or roll over. Nevertheless, owner Jesse had every confidence in her seven-year-old dog’s ability to count she pits her against a class of seven-year-old children for a maths test. (As seen in the attached clip)

Like Hans the clever horse, Maggie seems to have the ability to tap out the correct answer to a number of questions. Not only can Maggie seemingly add two numbers together, she can multiply, subtract and divide! She left the class stunned as she got over ten questions correct, however, left me slightly sceptical. As with Hans, Maggie’s behaviour conveyed the idea that her owner was giving a subtle signal as to when to stop tapping.

Jesse and Maggie also featured on an episode of Oprah (an American talk show) where Jesse claims that Maggie did not need taught any maths. In fact, she claims   that Maggie was born with an innate ability to count and just needed some positive reinforcement. Like Hans, animal behaviour experts were sceptical of Maggie’s supposed counting ability so conducted several experiments to test this claim. The scientist used white sound to blur out any possible secret sound signals that Maggie was receiving, this proved that there were no sound signals so the theory that Maggie could count still seemed possible. The owner was then asked to hide her hands and covered her eyes with sunglasses, again, Maggie the counting dog answered the equation correctly. Questions were then raised when Jesse left the room and Maggie was unable to give a correct answer to several questions. It was then concluded that Jesse was infact giving Maggie some sort of clue as to when to stop tapping and although the dog couldn’t count she was deemed extremely clever with her ability to pick up subtle clues.

Several other experiments exist where scientists try to prove and disprove whether or not animals can count. Some argue it is simply a memory test for some animals, or the ability to associate and action with a word, while others argue and try to prove that animals do have an innate ability to count. it does seem that certain animals have some understanding of numbers, such as mothers counting their young, this could also be disputed as to an animals ability to smell, sense or estimate how many young surround them. Although I am slightly torn on the answer to this question it does seem that animals are extremely clever individuals and their list of talents seem to be endless. Whether or not we will ever get a conclusion to the answer remains to be seen.

Full clip of Maggie’s interview with Oprah available at:  http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/maggie-the-dog-does-math

Stand and Deliver

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Stand and Deliver is an American drama filmed in 1988 based on the non-fictional story of a mathematics teacher named Jaime Escalante. Escalante becomes a mathematics teacher at Garfield High School where he faces the daily challenge of teaching an uninspired class. The pupils face many difficulties in their learning, they are well below the average grades and are deemed incapable by many of the teachers in the school. During a staff meeting Escalante confronts the other teachers’ low expectations of their pupils and sets an ultimate goal of getting his pupils through the AP Calculus Exam. Other teachers think he is crazy however his undying determination and commitment sees all eighteen of his pupils pass the calculus exam despite allegations of cheating by the Educational Testing Service. Yet again Escalante shows sheer grit and determination by defending his hardworking pupils by challenging the exam board and allowing all eighteen pupils to re-sit the exam with every pupil passing with top grades. The story is extremely inspirational as it demonstrates the ability of a strong-minded, dedicated teacher to challenge and change not only pupils’, but teachers’ perceptions of mathematics and the ability of lower-class children to succeed.

It could be argued that Jaime Escalante is different due to his unwillingness to give up on a class of ‘less abled’ pupils. He shows that he is unlike other teachers at Garfield High School by challenging their opinions of the pupils’ abilities. He uses controversial teaching points (such as making one pupil sit at the front of the class for not cooperating in the class test) to control his class. Although debateable, his techniques provide him with the capability to break down barriers and build relationships with each of his pupils. His commitment to his class was inspiring, dedicating over sixty hours a week to improving his class’ knowledge on the subject, running extra classes after school, throughout holidays and on weekends. He was determined not to let his pupils down despite facing ill health through exhaustion. Through providing his pupils with insight as to the relevance of mathematics in the real world the teacher further encouraged the students’ willingness to learn. Despite facing several challenges Escalante never gives up. He gains the respect of his pupils and their families and even goes to great lengths to keep several of the pupils in school on the prospect of them passing the exam and furthering their education. After the exam, Escalante’s hard work is rewarded through every pupil passing the exam. Not only did his hard work benefit each and every one of the pupils’ in his class, he showed the school that negative teacher mind-set and low expectations only prevents achievement. Garfield High School’s grades rose each year after Escalante’s success. His sheer grit and resolve makes him a true inspiration.

Reference:

Stand And Deliver. Ramón Menéndez, 1998. DVD.

Professional Values Workshop

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I found today’s workshop really interesting. I think what we learned today will be very beneficial for our teaching placement. During the workshop we were split into “home groups”, each group was made up of four people. We were then split into “expert groups”, where we discussed one topic in the GTCS Standards Section 1. After ten minutes of discussion we then went back into our “home group” and shared our thought with the rest of the group. I found this very useful as we had the opportunity to share our own ideas but to also learn from others in our group.

My expert group discussed the “Social Justice” section. We began by deciding to break each bullet point down and share our view one by one.

  • “Embracing locally and globally the educational and social values of sustainability, equality and justice and recognising the rights and responsibilities of future as well as current generations.” As a group, we decided this could mean talking about the environment and how important recycling is to create a sustainable world. Another idea lead us to think about fair-trade and how purchasing these products can do good for struggling communities. Teaching children about how their recycling habits not only impact their future, but the future of generations to come is also important.
  • “Committing to the principles of democracy and social justice through fair, transparent, inclusive and sustainable policies and practices in relation to: age, disability, gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion and belief and sexual orientation.” It is important as a teacher not to have any prejudice when entering a classroom. School councils should be age inclusive allowing children of ay age to voice their opinion. Resources should be available for everyone, no matter what their background. This is important as if a child does not have equal access to resources they may feel excluded. This point may also consider the benefits of teaching children about differences and how to cope with differences tactically.
  • “Valuing as well as respecting social, cultural and ecological diversity and promoting the principles and practices of local and global citizenship for all learners.” As teachers we need to appreciate how social class may or may not affect a child’s achievement. It could also be a good idea to raise awareness of the need for local fundraising. We were all shocked when third years told us that there are children in Dundee sleeping without beds. Children should be aware of what is happening inside their community and the wider world. Upon discussion we think that twinned towns create great opportunities to have pen pals but to also compare the differences between whats happening in your town and your twinned town.
  • “Demonstrating a commitment to engaging learners in real world issues to enhance learning, experiences and outcomes, and to encourage learning our way to a better future.” Learners need to have an awareness of current issues in the world. Talking about what is happening in the news, being able to explain and discuss in an age appropriate manner will be more beneficial to a child than hearing a story in the playground and having no-one to talk about it with. It is also important to relate issues in the classroom to the wider world.
  • “Respecting the rights of all learners as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and their entitlement to be included in decisions regarding their learning experiences and have all aspects of their well-being developed and supported.” We feel that GIRFEC should be applied at all times in the classroom. Allowing children to have a choice of topic, but making sure you are including everything you find important, is important within the classroom environment. You must treat each child as an individual in order to create a trusting relationship.

When we went back to our home group we were extremely pushed for time and only managed to discuss the Integrity section. However I feel that this discussion was very valuable. The integrity standards include:

  • “Demonstrating openness, honesty, courage and wisdom.” When sharing their ideas the group discussed the importance of seeking help if you are unsure about how to do something. It is also important not to brush off any questions you are asked, if you do not know the answer you should be honest and tell the children. You should use your own life experiences to teach and have the ability to admit where you were right and wrong. As a teacher you must also be open to change.
  • “Critically examining personal and professional attitudes and beliefs and challenging assumption and professional practice.” After discussion I learnt that at times giving your personal opinion may not always be appropriate. As a teacher you must get rid of preconceived thoughts and ideas. It is also important to combat children’s assumptions.
  • “Critically examining the connections between personal and professional attitudes and believes, values and practices to effect improvement and, when appropriate, bring about transformative change in practice.” Being openminded is another important aspect linked to teaching. Children should be given different perspectives. There is sometimes more than one answer and it is important children know this. Use personal beliefs to modify the way topics are taught to allow them to be fully understood.

 

5 Professional Attributes

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Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. I believe that integrity is an attribute of a profession because it is important for teachers to uphold moral values as their behavior influences the children they teach. Having good/strong moral values is important in my eyes as you have the ability to teach what is right or wrong. As a teacher our behavior directly influences children so therefore being honest could also be regarded as key. We need to be honest in the way we teach, learn and reflect. A sense of honesty is needed for self-reflection and self-criticism in order to improve. Integrity is also in the GTCS standards for registration.

Another attribute a professional requires is a sense of fairness. Fairness is defined as the state, condition, or quality of being fair, or free from bias or injustice; evenhandedness. This is important to being professional as showing signs of preference towards one person over the other, or perhaps letting one child behave in a certain way that others would not get away with can create tension and animosity. Being fair is also a crucial way to build trust, respect and good relationships. Fairness could also mean equality. I think that being professional means you must treat everyone equally. Discrimination for any reason would simply be unacceptable in any work place, and especially in a classroom.

Justice helps create a safe-environment for us to work and live in and therefore could be seen as a vital attribute of being a professional. Justice is the punishment of the wrong and the upholding of the good. Through justice we can improve our morals. I believe that justice creates a better sense of togetherness and can improve people’s self-discipline. Justice in the workplace is important as it shows unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated and anyone who has felt a victim (through actions such as bullying) can gain more self-esteem knowing that justice has worked in their favour. I believe justice is important in the classroom as it can stop unruly behaviour and teach children that certain behaviour won’t be tolerated.

In my eyes respect is treating others how you would like to be treated. The dictionary defines respect as a due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others. Respect in a profession can help create strong working relationships. Having mutual respect shows that you acknowledge someone’s talents, skills or attributes. This can be helpful as it can broaden opportunities. By showing you respect someone’s skills they will be more willing to show or demonstrate how to do certain things you may be struggling with. Lack of respect creates workplace tension and an atmosphere that can be hard to work or learn in. Respect towards pupils in the classroom is important not only because pupils will then begin to respect you back, but it shows them that they must respect each other and understand the consequences of showing no respect.

Patience is an important aspect in any profession. Having patience means you are less likely to make unrational decisions. Patience is important in building relationships as it provides us time to process other people’s views, tolerate any behaviours we do not agree with and allow us to stay calm in situations. Patient is important for overcoming anger and frustration. Professionals deal with many frustrating situations on a day-to-day basis and through patience we no only tolerate them more, but we can make them more enjoyable. Children can sometimes be unpredictable and behave in ways in which we do not agree with. Patience is key in all classrooms, not all children will understand your explanation the first, second or maybe even third time. Through patience and by keeping calm we can enhance children’s learning experience, being able to repeat ourselves and tolerate persistent mischief is part of the job and without patience frustration would set in much quicker and the learning environment would subsequently suffer.

Philosophy

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Before our lectures with John, I had never learnt or really thought about philosophy. I found many of the concepts in our lectures extrememly interesting but at the same time very confusing. It has taken me a while to get my head around some of the key concepts.

In one of the lectures we were introduced to Plato’s theory of forms. John used a chair as an example and we discussed what makes a chair, a chair. Upon further reading I have found out that Plato believes we can get answers to the questions “what is virtue? And what is justice?” To answer these questions he came up with the theory of the forms. Plato believes that if you can find the true being of virtue and of true justice, you can find its true form. He implies that all things have a true being. The world we live in is a poor imitation of the real world. Our world is constantly changing and we rely on our senses to understand what is going on. We as humans are in a constant state of flux. Plato is sure the real world is outside the world we live in. The world is unchanging and eternal.

Another concept of Plato’s I cam across what that the world is divided into two worlds, the visible and the intelligible. We can only grasp the intelligible with our minds. Furthermore, the soul does not change, it is eternal. It is connected with the real world of the forms. The world of the forms is the philosophers world. Only the person who investigates and questions learns the truth of the illusion and normal people are ruled by senses cannot see past the illusion. The material world is simply a shadow of the real world of the forms. It is the job of the philosopher to break away from the real world and find the world of the forms.

We were introduced to many other philosophers in John’s lectures such as, Dewey, Gramsci, Greene and Aristotle. Each have different beliefs and views on education. I hope that by further research I can broaden my understanding of their concepts and philosophy as a whole. I feel that these lectures will be extremely valuable when it comes to our VIVAS. I was not looking forward to the philosophy section as I felt totally clueless, however I know feel slightly more at ease and wish to improve my knowledge through further reading and research.

Spelling, Puctuation and Grammar – The Study Skills Book

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After reading pages 236 – 280, I have realised that my standard of English may not be as high as I would ideally like. On reflection these few chapters of ‘The study skills book’ have taught me many things which I would’ve classed as basic, however do not remember from higher English two years ago. One of the main things I took from these sections was that whe writing in an academic style you need to avoid the impersonal tone. I am quite prone to writing in this way and realise now that I will have to move away from this when writing my assignments. I also learnt that it is imporant to use words such as “those, these, this and that” followed by a noun.

I think that discovering another way to plan a paragraph will be useful when it comes to writing our essays. I have never used a paragraph plan which is set out as: Topic sentence – Developer Sentence – Modulator Sentence – Terminator Sentence. I prefer this plan to the one I have used previously and hope that it will enhance my writing.

One key tip I took from the book was that spellchecker can often change words, or make mistakes. I normally always rely on my microsoft spellchecker and when proof-reading rarely look out for spelling mistakes. McMillan highlights the importance of spelling and punctuation in conveying a message clearly. In future I think that it would be of best interest to not only proof-read my essay myself, but to get others to also proof-read.

I hope that through further reading of ‘the study skills book’ I gain further knowledge of how to improve and develop my writing style and language.

Why teaching?

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I didn’t always want to be a primary school teacher, when I was younger I wanted to teach music. I started learning to play the violin in Primary 3, and then began learning the piano in P6. After a while I really began to enjoy music and could see myself teaching it. When I started high school music remained my favourite subject and up until the end of 4th year I wanted to study to be a secondary music teacher. However my mind was changed when I passed my grade 8 piano, I realised that teaching music everyday would take away the enjoyment of my hobby. In 5th year I began a sports leadership course through the P.E. department. After 6 weeks of learning one sport we would then teach local primary school children what we had learned. I really enjoyed this and decided that although I didn’t want to be a music teacher, I still enjoyed teaching but preferred primary teaching. I completed a ten week placement for 2 hours every Friday at my local primary school and enjoyed being able to help children develop their skills and found seeing their progress week by week was really rewarding.

At this point I find it hard to say what kind of teacher I’d want to be. Although I’d like to think that when I do start teaching I would be supportive and make learning as enjoyable as possible for my class. I think that finding ways to enhance each individual child’s learning is important too and hope that overtime I can develop skills to do this.