Free Essay

Paradigm Evaluation of Learning Environment

In:

Submitted By strickh
Words 1133
Pages 5
Paradigm Evaluation of Learning Environment

XXXXXXXX

EDA-534

October 1, 2014

Paradigm Evaluation of Learning Environments
Thomas Kuhn suggested that a paradigm defines “the practices that define a scientific discipline at certain point in time.” He also postulated that paradigms are discrete and culturally based (Shuttleworth, 2008). Sergiovanni identified the cultural leader is one who can focus the minds of the membership of a school organization on collectively held values, symbols, and beliefs (Razik & Swanson, 2010). Paradigms are beliefs that one has because of many internal and external influences. In an educational setting, or any common setting, people share the similar beliefs that shape paradigms of the institution. In an educational setting, it means that a paradigm is the framework used in the day to day operations of the school and its leaders. Every individual’s paradigm is solely based on the ideals and beliefs of that person. These beliefs are what shape and drive the success or Following are the paradigms used to evaluate the learning environment of Day Spring Elementary School. Belief (Paradigm) | Opposite Belief(Opposite Paradigm) | All students possess some form of intelligence.This paradigm is practiced through differentiated instruction, and exercises to discover students’ strengths | Students possess no form of intelligence.This opposite paradigm is practiced through failure to teach, or any attempt to engage students in learning | Students learn best in a safe environment.This paradigm is practiced through school security, and firm discipline that is fair and equal to all students. | Students learn best when in a dangerous environment.This opposite paradigm is practiced through lack of security, discipline and structure where it is not the same for all students. | Communication is essential to a successful school. This paradigm is practiced when communication is open and in the form of surveys, staff discussion at meetings and an open door policy is had by the site administrator. | Communication is not essential to a successful school. This opposite paradigm is practiced when communication is not encouraged by the administration. | Administrators have the best interest of children at heart.This paradigm is practiced through the behaviors and attitudes of the school leader. All decisions made are based on putting the students first to improve their success in all areas. | No administrator has the general interest of children at heart.This opposite paradigm is practiced through the leader of the school not putting students first in decision making, but putting only the needs of staff and community at the forefront. | Teachers should be role models for students. This paradigm is practiced when teachers present themselves with a high moral character and demonstrate these attributes through their day to day action. | Teachers should not be role models for students. This opposite paradigm is practiced when teachers do not portray themselves as persons with high moral character. | Student success should be the primary goal of all learning institutions.This paradigm is practiced through teachers working together as a team to find the various needs of students and figuring out how to meet those needs. | Student success should be the last goal of all learning institutions.This opposite paradigm is practiced by not focusing on student needs and not practicing appropriate classroom instruction. Focus is on the needs and wants of staff and administration. | Parent involvement is essential to the education of a child. This paradigm is practiced when parents are encouraged to be an active part of the day to day educational process of their child. This is encouraged by parent conferences, parent/teacher communication via phone calls, emails, or notes home. Also parents are encouraged to volunteer to help with school extracurricular activities. | Parent involvement is not essential to the education of a child. This opposite paradigm is practiced when parents are not encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and there is no parental communication. |

Based on this paradigm, I chose the items above to form a rubric for Day Spring Elementary School. This is a very small school located in Lee County, Virginia. The reputation of the school is getting better each year. The rubric below is based on a scale of 42 points, with each criterion worth a maximum of 6 points.

Criteria | Score | Do the teachers believe that all students possess some form of intelligence? | 4Most teachers attempt to reach every student and feel that all can be helped to some degree, but could use some help in terms of differentiated instruction. | Do the students have a safe learning environment? | 4There is a full time resource officer and other staff members to cease injustice; mostly a safe community. | Is communication a common place in the school? | 6Communication occurs in the form of email, face to face, phone calls, and conferences on a daily basis. The administration is constantly reinforcing with the teachers the need to communicate. | Do the administrators have the best interest of children at heart? | 6Administration is very concerned with the well-being of students, putting the needs of the children at the top of the priority list. When making any kind of decision, it is based on the students’ needs. | Do the teachers at the school exhibit characteristics of a role model? | 6Teachers are very professional in their actions and dress. | Is student success the primary goal of Stewart Heights Elementary School? | 6The staff is constantly finding new ways to engage the students, and the majority, if not all of the teachers, have a passion for watching students learn. | Are parents involved in the education process? | 3Parents are included and encouraged to become involved by the school. Although there is not a lot of participation from parents. Much of this is due to the fault of the parents, and not the school and administration. |

Based on the evaluation of Day Spring Elementary School using the above rubric, I found that the school was missing 7 points, giving a 35 out of 42 points. The school has some improvements to make. The rubric indicates that the area of improvement to be made is in instruction and parental involvement. Teachers can improve instruction by tailoring it to the needs of the individual student with professional development. Also, parental involvement could be improved. The school has tried to do its part in this, but sometimes parents fall short when living in a small, poor rural district. In time, Day Spring Elementary can make the needed changes to promote the success of all students.

References
Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D. (2010). Fundamental Concepts of Educational Leadership and Management (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon
Green, R. L. (2013). Practicing the Art of Leadership: A Problem-Based Approach to Implementing the ISLCC Standards (4th Ed.). Pears
Martyn Shuttleworth (Oct 24, 2008). What Is A Paradigm?. Retrieved Oct 01, 2014 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/what-is-a-paradigm

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Paradigm Evaluation of Learning Environments

...update teaching methods. Student competencies are developed and improved. All students assumed capable. | Assessment is linked to proof of knowledge: Students are tested to prove knowledge of content and are classified according to scores. Some are weeded out, not allowed to graduate or have to re-take the test or entire course. | Classroom Environment | The classroom environment is important to teaching and learning: The physical space is adjusted to meet learner diversity. Desk and classroom arrangement promotes interactivity, active learning, and positive interaction. The climate is flexible and meets the diversity of all learner needs. Cooperation and active learning is emphasized through a variety of student-centered activities. | The environment is not a consideration for teaching and learning: The physical space is not orderly or organized and does not promote active learning and positive interaction. No thought of learner interaction considered for classroom arrangement. The rigid climate is not flexible or responsive to learners. May promotes strong competitiveness and does not sufficiently foster cooperation and/or active learning. | Responsibilities | Professionalism is an important attribute in education: The instructor must be...

Words: 1563 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Paradigms Belief

...Running head: PARADIGM EVALUATION OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Paradigm Evaluation of Learning Environments Carolyn Gantt EDA-575 Educational Leadership in a Changing World September 25, 2013 | |Paradigms Belief |Opposite Paradigms Belief | | 1. Planning strategically |Education is important because it provides |Due to limited finances schools are force to work | | |learning, structure and safe environment |with a Skelton staff forcing teachers to take various| | |for students. |job responsibility decreasing the ability to effetely| | | |protect the school environment. | |2. Managing conflict |Administrator who assess whether or not |An environment of conflict is administrated with the | | |they give credibility to individuals and |lack of respect of staff and stakeholders. | | |groups whose values an opinion may conflict| | | |with staff effectiveness in working with ...

Words: 1023 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Technology

...Article published in Education Today, issue 2 of 2005, Aries Publishing Company, Thames, New Zealand. Article by: Dr Tom H Brown Deputy Director Department of Telematic Learning & Education Innovation University of Pretoria South Africa 0002 +27 12 420-3884 (Tel) +27 12 420-3828 (Fax) +27 82 908-3884 (Cell) eMail: tom.brown@up.ac.za Beyond constructivism: Exploring future learning paradigms Abstract Educational practice is continually subjected to renewal, due to developments in information and communication technology (ICT), the commercialisation and globalisation of education, social changes and the pursuit of quality. Of these, the impact of ICT and the new knowledge economy are the most significant. Changes in our educational practice lead, in turn, to changes in our approaches to teaching and learning. These changes also impact on our teaching and learning paradigms. Currently, as over the past few decades, we teach and learn in a constructivist learning paradigm. This article discusses past and present paradigm shifts in education and then explores possible future learning paradigms in the light of the knowledge explosion in the knowledge era that we are currently entering. 1. The impact of ICT on education The electronic information revolution currently experienced in the world can be compared to and reveals the same characteristics as the first information revolution started by Gutenberg’s printing press. This means that, just as present-day society accepts...

Words: 4227 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Interrelated Realms

...challenges of replacing assessment of learning (mark and grade) which emphasizes on what the students learn with the assessment for learning (metacognitive skills) which underscores how students learn and their involvement in the assessment process through self- and peer assessment. To meet these challenges, the three interrelated realms, that is, student self-regulated learning, lecturer personality and discipline (hard-pure, hard-applied, soft-pure and soft-applied) will be presented. That is, the discussion shall focus on the six practices of assessment for learning in the context of student self-regulated learning and lecturer personality in different discipline environments. Where necessary, educational technologies will be introduced to...

Words: 599 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Digital Blended Classroom Learning

...Running header: DIGITAL BLENDED CLASSROOM LEARNING Lloyd Wayne Murphy Digital Blended Classroom Learning the New Dawn of Learning for All Strayer University Professor Randi Fass SUMMER 2011 EDU500 August 7, 2011 The intended purpose of this thesis is to illustrate how the ensuing commencement of a new dawn of student instruction, the digital-blended-classroom-learning (DBCL) discipline is upon the academic world. The advent of the innovative blending of computers within classroom instruction referred to as digital learning by some, and by others in academic world refer the discipline as blended learning posit the possession the qualities thereof, exceptionally enhance both SDL and SRL disciplines. A wide variety of DBCL discipline programs exhibit signs of incurring the utmost in achieving efficaciously successful method of instruction with both the age of majority and minority age student proficiency, in a plethora of educational institutions, where the DBCL discipline is employed. DBCL involves the integration of computer and the Internet and Intranet into the classroom, thus allowing the communication technology as a teacher/student instruction tool, along the classroom instruction tools employed in the student’s core curriculum. DBCL disciplines demonstrate signs of the improvement of teacher/student interest, student participation, student aptitude, and of the utmost import is student academic proficiency. DBCL further reveal, when, computers...

Words: 1514 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Research Methodology

...CHAPTER 4 Research Methodology and Design 4.1 Introduction All research is based on some underlying philosophical assumptions about what constitutes 'valid' research and which research method(s) is/are appropriate for the development of knowledge in a given study. In order to conduct and evaluate any research, it is therefore important to know what these assumptions are. This chapter discusses the philosophical assumptions and also the design strategies underpinning this research study. Common philosophical assumptions were reviewed and presented; the interpretive paradigm was identified for the framework of the study. In addition, the chapter discusses the research methodologies, and design used in the study including strategies, instruments, and data collection and analysis methods, while explaining the stages and processes involved in the study. The research design for this study is a descriptive and interpretive case study that is analysed through qualitative methods. Questionnaires were used to evaluate participants’ WebCT skills (before the course starts) and to determine their levels of satisfaction in the course (at the end of the case study). A descriptive statistical method was used to analyze the student satisfaction survey. Participant observation, face-to-face interviews, focus-group interviews, questionnaires, and member checking were used as data collection methods. Furthermore, the justification for each of the data collection methods used in the study...

Words: 14381 - Pages: 58

Premium Essay

Change an Culture Case Study Ii: Job Redesign

...Change and Culture Case Study II: Job Redesign Duane S. Goggins-Week#5 Assignment HCS/514 January 9, 2012 Sara Brown Change and Culture Case Study II: Job Redesign To adjust to greater competition and pressures of obtaining increased organizational efficiency and cost containment, many organizations have begun to examine strategies related to restructuring and downsizing to maintain organizational viability. These processes have included mergers and acquisitions, and redefining occupational roles of workers within the organization. Consequently, successful management of the structural change process can be daunting and overwhelming if not handled in an organized and thoughtful process. Those who are responsible for the process must recognize the barrier that may be hindrances to conception and implementation of the change process These barriers include: (a) lack of concise and coordinated planning/goals, (b) resistance to change within the organizational workforce, (c) failure to consistently evaluate the progress of the proposed change within context of the entire system, and adjust methodology as necessary. Thus, in order to achieve a balance between achieving organizational goals and addressing the uncertainty that may occur in the workforce, organizational leaders are tasked with the responsibilities of finding creative means to facilitate the mandated objectives while at the same time finding vehicles to maintain adequate levels of employee satisfaction and productivity...

Words: 2133 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Learning Environment in Constructivist Class Room

...Learning Environment in Constructivist Classroom Kulamani sahoo & Anita Behera M.phil scholar Ravenshaw university,Cuttack Email: klmnsahoo@gmail.com/ anitabehera44@gmail.com Phone.no-9853555132 In this paper the author had described about the constructivist classroom and how it differs from the traditional classroom. Knowledge is not attained but constructed. This statement is a new challenge in the present classroom. Construction of understanding is a core element in the highly complex process of teaching and learning underpinned by constructivist teaching. Constructivism is the latest buzzword among the teaching community across the world and National curriculum framework (2005) has shown the direction to nit in Indian classroom situation. Constructivism basically a theory based on observation and scientific study about how people learn .the basic idea about constructivism is that the learner must construct knowledge; the teacher cannot supply it. In the constructivist classroom the teacher must encourage students to use active techniques ,e.g. experiments, real world, problem solving , to create more knowledge and then to reflect on and talk about what they are doing and how their understanding is changing. In constructivist classroom focus shifts from the teacher to the students. In constructivist classroom learning is interactive; teachers have dialogue with students. Knowledge is dynamic and changing with experience in constructivist classroom. Students...

Words: 2078 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Forex Analyst

...2015. ABSTRACT This is a survey on the programming languages paradigm: Imperative, Scripting, logic, Functional, object oriented and Markup. Our survey work involves a comparative study of these six programming languages with respect to the above programming paradigm using the following criteria: secure programming practices, web application development, OOP-based abstractions, reflection, Reusability, Portability, Reliability, Readability, Availability of compilers and tools, Familiarity, Expressiveness We study these languages in the context of the above mentioned criteria and the level of support they provide for each one of them. TABLE OF CONTENT 1. OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE PARADIGMS 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1.2 CRITERIA OF LANGUAGE COMPARISON 2. IMPERATIVE LANGUAGES 2.1 Imperative Paradigm 2.1.2 Java as an Imperative Paradigm 2.1.3 Criteria 3. SCRIPTING LANGUAGES 3.1 Scripting Paradigm 3.2 Php as an Scripting Paradigm 3.3 Criteria 4. FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGES 4.1 Functional Paradigm 3.2 Php as an Scripting Paradigm 3.3 Criteria 5.1 LOGIC LANGUAGES 5.1.1 Readability 5.1.2 Ease of Learning 5.1.3 Ease of Maintenance 5.1.4 Extensibility 5.1.5 Pedagogy 5.1.6 Portability 6.1 OBJECT ORIENTED LANGUAGES (OOL) 6.1.1 Readability 6.1.2 Ease of Learning 6.1.3 Ease of Maintenance 6.1.4 Extensibility 6.1.5 Pedagogy 6.1.6 Portability 7.1 MARKUP LANGUAGES 7.1.1 Readability 7.1.2 Ease of Learning 7.1 REFERENCES LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER ONE 1.1 INTRODUCTION...

Words: 4013 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

A Comparative and Contrastive Study of Uk and Germany from the View of Higher Vocational Education

...A Comparative and Contrastive Study of UK and Germany from the View of Higher Vocational Education Introduction With the advent of knowledge economy and information age, research and development of technology has become the driving force of knowledge economy industry and the motivation to push forward information society which calls for corresponding technicians. However, as is reported, in the 1980s, it was apparently clear that the workforce in the UK was less well prepared for employment than in many of the countries of its competitors and only 40% of the workforce in the UK held qualifications relevant to their jobs, compared with 85% in Germany (Zuo et al. 2004). Thus, “Educational law” in 1988 confirmed that vocational education must train the applied technician for the local industrial and commercial enterprises; school running mode, combine management mode and course setting with enterprises; and highlight technical education, becoming the new type of the British vocational technical education. Therefore, for now and future, more emphases are needed to put on those technical sciences subjects which are between basic sciences and practical courses. Based on that, a safe conclusion can be drawn that higher vocational education is vital. Throughout the world, UK and Germany are two most typical countries in applied science and technology education. This essay will be stated in three main aspects: course pattern, curriculum arrangement and assessment. Course Patterns ...

Words: 1444 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Study Habits of the Top Performing Class of Senior Students of Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila

...maximize the capacitance of learning in which it became a demand to our society. It does not only limit itself to students often going to school to master and memorize the concepts/lessons he/she has acquired from their teachers, but it does apply on every field of work. However, the problem that several universities have in common with their students is that almost 1/2 of the total population from different departments suffer from failure and repetition of grades indicating lack of proper training and communication. This phenomenon until now continues to be the number one dilemma for students especially when confronting their worse, feared, or even so-called “hated” subjects. Students are also more likely to fear and feel more anxiety when it comes to quizzes and examinations regardless of a subject’s difficulty. Failing grades either indicate the laziness of a student, poor study habit, or the environment that usually affects his/her mental state. Another factor that emphasizes the importance of study habits is the stress levels of the students depending on whether they can handle demanding or strict teachers and loads of assignments along with quizzes. Studies have shown that giving too much assignments or quizzes is not healthy for learning due to stress leading to confusion, focal distraction and short attention span. Nowadays, there are several ways on how to cope up with good study habits and fight out stress and problems that may pave the way to learning. Also, due to...

Words: 1315 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Hahahaha

...Academic Exchange Quarterly Spring 2001: Volume 5, Issue 1     Assessing the Effectiveness of ProblemBased Learning in Higher Education: Lessons from the Literature   Claire H. Major, University of Alabama Betsy Palmer, University of Iowa   Major is an assistant professor of higher education administration. <cmajor@bamaed.ua.edu>. Palmer is an assistant professor in the Counseling, Rehabilitation and Student Development department <betsypalmer@uiowa.edu>.   Abstract ProblemBased Learning (PBL) is an innovative educational approach that is gaining prominence in higher education. A review of the literature of PBL outcomes summarizes, across multiple studies, the positive effects of problembased learning. Since PBL brings with it unique challenges to traditional assessment, however, this study suggests alternative approaches. Alternative assessment may provide additional insight into the effectiveness of PBL and other alternative pedagogies.   Introduction Traditional instruction, such as the typical lecturebased session that developed before textbooks were massproduced, often involves delivering as much information as possible as quickly as possible. The lecture method was one of the most effective and efficient ways to disseminate information and has often been used for this end. Because many faculty members are poor lecturers, and because students are often poor participants in the lecture, this type of instruction has often allowed...

Words: 3305 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Product Quality Inspector Training Development

...Lloyd Wayne Murphy Product Quality Inspector Training Development Strayer University September 9, 2012 Abstract March 10, 2008, a group of four IT students: J. Group, L. Elect, K. Tronic, and M. Gadget incurred the involvement of a IT final exam studying session together on the student’s home J. Group, and during the studying session, when J. Group complained of hot the laptop felt. A heated discussion soon ensued regarding J. Group’s concern, whereof the group initiated a concept of the students forming an accord between the students to construct an electronic gadget, which would resolve the issue. Indeed, not only did the gadget soon incur construction in a reduction of the operational heat of the laptop or computer produced: the gadget, as well, enhanced a laptop’s or any computer’s speed, wherein, the gadget incurred attachment. Therefore, the students found a financial backer, N. Merchandise, to initiate the implementation of the construction of Automated Gadget and promptly filed for a LLC to form company: thereof titled Group Automated Gadget, LLC (GAG) on June 8, 2008. Product Quality Inspector Training Development The GAG board is comprised of five individuals: the four students and the financial backer, whom the board elected as President of the board, devised a stratagem of opening a small plant. The GAG board averred the organizations mission to highlight the firm’s goals: GAG product performance excellence equals customer satisfaction. The board of...

Words: 5418 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Different Teaching Methods

...The world as we know it, we have witnessed profound, unprecedented changes in the physical environment, social environment, population changes, attitudes and values, education (learning to know) and technological factors. Learning is the act of obtaining new, or modifying and reinforcing, existing knowledge, behaviors, morals and abilities and involves amalgamating different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Learning is not obligatory, it is circumstantial and it does not happened all at once, but builds upon and is formed by previous knowledge. Bostrom and Lassen (2002) notes, “every child is born with an innate ability to learn and it is a pre requisite for the survival and development. Learners learn in order to know something, which this something is called knowledge.” Driver (1989) learning does not take place in a vacuum, it is an active process in which the learner uses sensory inputs and constructs meaning out of the information being passed across. The knowledge that learners need to have is fundamental to make sense of the world in which he or she lives. Therefore human knowledge is human construct as humans have constructed and amassed knowledge about the world in which they live through. The primary knowledge construct is to secure their survival as far as possible. As we human begin become more sophisticated we are cable of constructing knowledge beyond the purpose of pure survival. According to...

Words: 2125 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Chapter 2 Related Literature Ans Studies Local

...AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction Every educator’s goal is to provide a learning environment that enables the students to perform their best and to attain a high grades. But in many schools, students find difficulties and obstacles to their studies, the school building itself. Some facilities have inadequate ventilation, inefficient heating and cooling systems and other can create conditions that impairs their ability to learn. Students become uncomfortable of what they are doing, the learning environment is very important factor in attaining a good academic performance. Motivated students and teachers can overcome deficient school facilities, but few would dispute the assentation that learning occurs more easily for more students, in a well-designed, well-functioning building, .Learning environment plays a very important role in teaching and learning process in such a way, that in this place, teaching and learning process occurs .Every learner is aware that they need a peaceful, quiet and clean environment so that their concentration in studying are focused only for studying alone. Students become irritated when their learning environment is untidy and noisy. More educators, architects and community workers are working to see that students and teachers have facilities to achieve their high performance. High performance schools are having facilities that enhance the learning environment for students while saving energy resources and PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MUNTINLUPA ...

Words: 1446 - Pages: 6