I don’t really have any major confusion with this module, but I do wonder which kind of models influences younger students verses which kind of model influences adults more…whether it is negative or positive…live models or symbolic models?
Models are categorized into two groups: live and symbolic. Models are usually other people in the student’s life. Live models include people in the student’s lives that directly can influence the student after they observe those peoples’ behaviors, such as family and classmates. Symbolic models usually involve favorite celebrities, or other people that the student doesn’t actually interact in person with. Models support learning only when they perform appropriate behaviors for the student to model. There are several criteria in order for the student to actually have a desire to model the behavior. Celebrities are easily modeled because of their high standing and glamorous appearances. The model must be able to relate to the student and have similarities with the student, and the model has to be able to perform the behavior effortlessly and efficiently with skill. In the classroom, the teacher is being highly observed because of their authority, so every behavior counts! Teachers must make the subject at hand interesting and stay on task often. The teacher must also not let the behaved students model the bad students’ behavior, so the teacher must not allow themselves to be a push-over.
When it comes to models that have affected my LEARNING in particular most significantly, of course it was my motivating teachers throughout my past that made the subject fun and interesting. I learned the most by imitating their passion and interest in the subject they were teaching. I have become a music education major, simply from one extremely passionate music teacher from my middle school years, and how she so desired to have all of her students passionate about it also. Even if I was really good at my instrument anyway throughout high school, I probably wouldn’t have actually considered being a music major in any way at all if it wasn’t for that one teacher’s extreme passion.
To address you question/curiosity...
ReplyDeleteI think that both live and symbolic models influence adults and children. For young children, live models heavily influence a child's development. From their peers, to parents, to teachers, each have a major impact on their growth and development. At this same time, kids that watch television or listen to the radio develop symbolic models as well. Like the example given in the textbook, Hannah Montana has become such a symbolic model for this generation's young children.
As for adults, I think that it goes hand in hand as it does for young children. Co-workers, bosses, elders, etc. all influence an adult's life and many of the decisions they make. Although adults have more freedoms than young children, they still have live models that influence their choices and the way they live their lives. As for symbolic models, I feel that most adults that are exposed to the media have a symbolic model. They aspire to be someone or develop a characteristic of someone to "better" their lives or feel more satisfied. I think it is human nature to have a symbolic models; from a young age to adulthood.
I think this topic is very interesting too. I agree with Heather on children, that every model, whether negative or positive, live or symbolic, has the same capacity to influence an imitator. It just depends on how much the imitator relates to the model that determines which behaviors will get imitated. I think adults are the same way, but their imitator-model relationship is much more complicated. I think experiences compound and previous models determine which models individuals are more likely to follow later in life. If an individuals parents strictly adhered to religious beliefs when the individual was a child, the individual will look for/better relate to religious models when they grow up.
ReplyDeleteI feel like parents are little kid's biggest models, while celebrities and peers become more important for older kids.
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