ProfessionalDevelopment

__**Content of Professional Development**__
The following content will be taught as a mastery learning system consisting of four units.

Unit 1: Introduction to Behaviorism
The first unit of this lesson will provide an overview of behaviorist principles, including classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning.

1. Overview of behaviorist principles
 * Theories behind classical conditioning-stimulus and response:
 * Neutral stimulus combines with unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned response. Eventually the neutral stimulus becomes the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned response becomes the conditioned response.
 * Theories behind instrumental conditioning-punishment and reward
 * I nstrumental conditioning: Humans and non-humans tend to behave in ways that bring them desirable consequences or enable them to avoid unpleasant ones.
 * Law of effect-responses to a situation that are followed by a satisfaction are strengthened, whereas, responses that are followed by discomfort are weakened.

** Unit 2: Applying Behaviorist Principles in the Classroom **
The second unit of the lesson will focus on applying the principles learned in Unit 1 to the classroom environment. This unit will cover specific techniques and strategies.


 * How to develop and use a Mastery Learning System
 * Each lesson is broken up into small units covering a small amount of material.
 * Units start with basic concepts first and progressively build to become more complex and provide a to deeper knowledge of the curriculum.Task analysis: The process through which the component parts of the subject matter are identified and sequenced, going from simple to more complex.
 * Example: Unit 1 teaches addition on one-digit numbers (2+2). Unit 2 teaches addition with two-digit numbers (11+2). Unit 3 teaches carrying when adding two numbers (11+9)
 * Demonstration of mastery at the end of each unit (Differentiated product to show mastery of material-teacher choice) Examples:
 * Tests
 * Demonstrations or presentations
 * Diagram
 * Write a song
 * Concrete, observable criterion for mastery of each unit
 * Students may NOT move on to the next unit until mastery of previous units is shown
 * Example: In order to move on to the next chapter, students must score a 9/10 on the quiz
 * Students may need multiple attempts.
 * Remedial help for students who do not pass the first time.
 * Workbooks
 * Extra practice
 * Different methods of instruction
 * Online learning websites
 * Tutors
 * Student groups
 * Instructional strategies that help strengthen the stimulus-response connection that can help lead to mastery learning.
 * Flash cards
 * Experiments
 * Demonstrations/Presentations
 * Writing instructional objectives
 * All objectives should be clear and observable.
 * Be purposeful with the verbs used. Examples:
 * Unclear verbs-understand, know, remember
 * Clear verbs-demonstrate, describe, list
 * Refer to Bloom's Taxonomy
 * All objectives should identify the conditions under which the behavior/learning will occur.
 * Give specifics as to what tools the student may use to obtain the objectives
 * All objectives should give specific criteria that will be measured.

Unit 3: Using Rewards
The third unit of the lesson will focus on using rewards to reinforce positive behaviors.


 * Rewards and reinforcement
 * Students are to be rewarded/reinforced when desirable behaviors are exhibited.
 * Teachers are to use "Big Bucks" as an extrinsic reinforcement
 * "Big Bucks" can be used once a month at the school store during lunch
 * Teachers may not take away "Big Bucks" as punishment.
 * Teachers also may continue to use other techniques at their discretion, including:
 * Praise
 * Allowing student to participate in a favorite activity
 * Students are to be rewarded/reinforced first at a fixed interval schedule.
 * Depending on the goal (behavioral or instructional), the reward schedule will be obvious and known to the students. (For example-if you pass unit one with a mastery grade on the first time, then you will receive 5 Big Bucks.)
 * After the desirable behavior is consistently exhibited, most rewards/reinforcement are to be done at a variable interval schedule.
 * Token Economy
 * The "Big Bucks" system of rewards will apply to the entire school.
 * The "Big Buck" Store will be stocked using the principal's account, however donations for the store are always accepted.
 * Parent volunteers will run the store at least once a month during lunchtime.
 * Students are responsible for keeping track of their "Big Bucks." Teachers of students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade can determine to keep track of each student's "Big Buck" money through the teacher's choice of method (i.e. a chart, envelopes, mailboxes, etc).

Unit 4: Effective Punishment Techniques
The fourth unit of the lesson will cover effective punishment techniques, like reprimands and time-out, and also discuss ineffective or harmful punishment techniques.


 * Punishing Bad Behavior
 * Modeling of appropriate behavior will occur at the beginning of the term by the teacher.
 * Consequences for inappropriate behavior will be consistent.
 * Teachers should use the follow punishment sequence for repeat offenses:
 * Verbal warning - a quiet reprimand away from other students
 * Time out for younger students/Removal from classroom for older students
 * Loss of privilege - student is removed from activity and placed in a quiet area
 * Parent call/conference
 * In-house suspension for older students
 * Student taken out of the classroom for half a day or a full day
 * Completes academic work in silence
 * Offers students who are falling behind an opportunity to catch up
 * Eats lunch in in-house suspension room
 * Misses out on opportunities to socialize with classmates
 * Ineffective punishment techniques
 * Humiliation, such as publicly scolding the student
 * Physical punishment
 * Name calling ("stupid", "failure")
 * Breaking bad habits
 * Teachers will use the following methods to break bad habits like test anxiety.
 * Exhaustion method
 * The teacher will present the stimulus repeatedly until the student is too tired to respond in the old way and learns a new response.
 * Example: A student continues to misspell the word "controlled" with one The teacher responds by making the student write the word until he learns how to spell it correctly.
 * Threshold method
 * The teacher presents the stimulus gradually so that students do not respond with the wrong response.
 * Example: If a student has test anxiety, the teacher starts by introducing exercises so that students can practice the test material. Then, the teacher introduces sample test questions. After that, the teacher gives students a full length practice test. Finally, students take a test on the material.
 * Incompatibility method
 * The teacher presents the stimulus in an environment where the incorrect response is incompatible. Students are forced to respond with the correct response.
 * Example: If a group of students is very competitive, the teacher can assign a group project where they must collaborate. The students are graded on their collaboration, so the competitiveness actually would harm their grade (Ormrod, 2011).