Module 10: Blog Post 1

- From the reading, I am a bit confused about the self-regulation process. I understand it is harder for young children to develop than older children, which makes sense. I guess I am just confused about how children develop self-regulation if there is no model to observe? Or do they not develop self-regulation?

- A model can be live or symbolic. Live models are individuals who can be observed: friends, siblings, parents, teachers, etc. Symbolic models are individuals who do not live within the same environment as the observer; these models can be observed through books, TV, CD's, movies, and other media sources. Both types of models provide the opportunity for an individual to observe behaviors of others. Models support learning in a variety of ways. The behavior of models and environment in which the observer is in, depends on whether the observer will learn and imitate the model. Being aware of certain characteristics (relevance, competence, high status, gender, attention, retention, production, etc) helps determine whether observational learning will occur by the observer. The model needs to capture the attention of the observer, using relevant information that the observer can relate to. This helps engage the observer and facilitate learning. Personal factors can contribute to whether learning occurs by the observer. If a child has a good model, they are more likely to learn through observation. Although a child can learn from a good model, there is an opportunity for them to not perform the behaviors. If they are not interested in the subject or the model is of a different age group, the observer is more likely to not model the behavior. Also, the child having low self-efficacy can play an important role in the learning process. In all, models support learning by (hopefully) setting a good example for observers. Though a good example is set, there are factors that can keep learning from occurring.

- Recently, models that are important in teaching my content area are my professors. Most hold doctorates of nutrition and dietetics, which has allowed them to teach me the information needed to prepare me for my career. My didactic director has been one of the biggest models for me, as she has taught me the steps needed to compete for an internship and/or graduate school. Apart from teachers, there are also Registered Dietitians (RD's) who have been important models in my content area. From my experiences in working with RD's, their behaviors and professionalism has inspired me to do the same when volunteering my time. They have provided me with many great tips as well as feedback that have helped me learn more about my field of work. I have learned a great deal from both RD’s and my professors, that have prepared me for the next step after graduation.