Blog Post 2, Teacher Control vs. Student Centered

In the first video, the teacher is more student centered rather than controlling. The video begins with the classroom split into groups, discussing the material. Then, the teacher brings the class together, and begins asking them questions. This is a good tactic, because the teacher is asking questions that will help them to understand the material, but the students are still able to answer what they think and feel about the material - she's not controlling what their responses are. She's also walking around, not just standing in one place. This helps create a less controlling atmosphere: the teacher isn't just watching the student's every move, but instead, she's creating a more free, comfortable environment.

The second teacher, on the other hand, is much more controlling. She's stating everything that she wants: for the students to be quiet, look at her, move quietly, sit in the exact right spot, etc. Also, she calls out when any student is doing something wrong - even things as simple as having their books open too soon. She's not necessarily a bad teacher, she's just very controlling: she knows exactly what she wants out of each lesson, and how to do it in a way where there's little chance of something going not according to plan.

I definitely can see the first video's students learning more from the classroom. Instead of focusing on how they're sitting or whether or not their books are open, they're focusing on the material. In the second video, the students are probably so nervous about getting called out that they aren't paying as much attention to the lesson, or thinking any more deeply about the material. I also think that the first class is more likely to have intrinsic motivation than the second - because, the second class is more focused on the award (or punishment) of being called out for either good or bad behavior, whereas the first class doesn't have to worry about that as much, and can spend more time really learning.