Hi Shrey,
The story you tell in your blog about your difficulties in math class being turned on their head is so familiar. It’s not that the exact same scenario happened to me, but the way that you and your dad changed a once difficult task into being relatable and therefore more digestible, is a trick I can remember from my own high school learning, specifically in the the maths and sciences. This technique, in a sense, shifts the learning from being behaviourist to more cognitivist or constructivist, by taking the information you’re expected to know and creating connections to make sense of it. From the example you gave, and from personal experience, it’s pretty incredible the power that these kinds of connections can have in creating that “Aha!” moment!
Hi Breanne,
You wrote, “I think it is hard to break away from a behaviorist learning theory completely, but I believe it should only be used at appropriate times” and I could not agree more. The example you gave of the colour card system in your class was on par with the type of behavioristic approaches I remember from elementary school, and often still see in schools today. Your link between this approach and discipline is spot on and, circling back to the quote above, is the reason I agree it should be used so selectively.
While there is a place for behaviorism in teaching and learning, I like your justifications and connections to personal experiences for why you feel more drawn to the other two approaches.