#conditions of learning

[gravitascivics]

AN “INCREMENTAL” ETHOS

Of late, this blog reported on a distinction that psychologist Carol S. Dweck has made in how people view intelligence.  People tend to see intelligence as a given trait in terms of how much they have – entity theory – or as a malleable trait one can work on and increase – incremental theory.[1]  The last posting suggested that this basic distinction – how people see intelligence – can and does influence how people approach civic concerns.

          That posting, in passing, suggested that people who adopt an entity view might very easily attribute intelligence levels to inherited biological factors and further be attributed to such conditions of birth such as race, nationality, gender, or similar factors.  One should be clear here; there is no evidence to support such general attributions people make in their efforts to cast people they don’t like as “them” as opposed to “us.”  And included in such castigation is that “they” are not smart enough.

            This sort of thinking, in whatever guise it takes, hits directly, in a negative way, on federation theory in that it questions equality.  Here is a definition one can use for equality:  Equality is a social quality based on the belief that despite inequality in talent, wealth, health or other assets, it calls for equal consideration of all persons’ well-being, that all have an equal right to maintain their dignity and integrity as individual persons.  

What Dweck offers is an argument that varying levels of intelligence are mostly not determinant.  Sure, some people are blessed with exceptional intelligence.  Surely this blogger is not in Albert Einstein’s league when it comes to physics, or Pablo Picasso’s when it comes to art, or Chris Rock’s when it comes to humor, etc.  But he and most people are within ranges of intelligence that allow for meaningful interaction when it comes to governance and politics.

And this would be further enhanced by a population that believes intelligence is not a given trait in terms of how much one has, but a trait that one can improve on to meet the challenges one faces either individually or as a member of a political association.  The trick is to find out how that improvement occurs. 

Unfortunately, for the purposes here, those “hows” vary according to the challenges one faces.  Therefore, there is no set pattern in how to approach these efforts, but there are general modes of problem solving or investigation one can learn that, given the challenge, can be utilized to advance one’s intelligence given a particular area of concern.

So, for example, such instructional models, usually denoted as inquiry models, can be employed and they lend themselves to an incremental approach to intelligence.  These models are usually forms of the scientific method[2] or some process in which students apply a more logic-based activity such as the jurisprudential inquiry approach.[3] 

But short of those models, essentialist instruction (usually associated with recall objectives) can also be more friendly to this incremental view.  For example, Robert M. Gagne’s model, while essentialist in nature, strives for students to reflect on the material teachers present.

This deserves a bit more explanation.  In summary, here is what Robert Gagne called conditions of learning – five of them – and nine progressive levels or “steps” in which students can advance and engage with school subject content.  The conditions are: 

Verbal information which consists of knowledge claims one finds among various sources of subject information and can be interrelated with other information in meaningful ways. 

Intellectual skills are those abilities students can develop by which they process knowledge such as forming hierarchies, contextualizing relevant, new information, or acquiring information that adds distinctive attributes to what is being studied among other skills. 

Cognitive strategies consist of analytic abilities in which students can break down sets of information that assist in exposing problems, the problems themselves, or the information needed to solve those problems. 

Motor skills are those behavioral steps that students develop and, through practice, improve upon in which they tackle challenging academic issues. 

Attitudes are those sentiments students need to motivate themselves to address the material that classroom instruction presents to them.

Hopefully, readers can appreciate how these concerns draw educators beyond just seeing teaching as presenting content for the sake of students to recall that content.

And as for the levels or steps, they are: 

Level 1:  Reception (or capturing the attention of students),

Level 2:  Setting expectations (or students being informed about what they are to learn and why they are to learn it),

Level 3:  Relevant retrieval (or calling on students to recall what they know and is helpful in meeting a lesson’s objectives),

Level 4:  Targeted or selective perception (or presenting new information that students are to learn with an array of aids such as visuals, examples, discussions),

Level 5:  Verbal encoding (or presentation of the new information in a variety of language presentations such as graphics or case studies),

Level 6:  Responding (or student presentation of new information in various communicative approaches such as tests, demonstrations, interpretations – perhaps artistic productions),

Level 7:  Evaluative reinforcement (or teaching agents providing students with feedback as to the proficiency students demonstrate with the goal to improve on student performance),

Level 8:  Evaluative assessment (or determination of how well students have learned the content), and

Level 9:  Enriching the retained information (or have students transfer learned content to novel or real-life situations that do not totally match information learned but need to be adjusted or nuanced to be applicable).[4]

This is a far cry from a teacher presenting information and students committing information to memory, which is how essentialist instruction usually transpires.

          The point is that incremental approaches are out there and Dweck offers data that supports the belief that this view of intelligence is the more accurate way to view student potential.  Hopefully, for the sake of students and for the sake of approaching governance and politics from a federalist perspective, teachers will opt for strategies reflecting incremental understanding of intelligence, leaving behind strategies that entity theory encourages.

[1] Carol S. Dweck, Self-Theories:  Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development (Philadelphia, PA:  Psychology Press, 2000).

[2] For example, see Molly S. Bolger, Jordan B. Osness, Julia S. Gouvea, and Alexandra C. Cooper, Jennifer Momsen, “Supporting Scientific Practice through Model-Based Inquiry:  A Students’-Eye View of Grappling with Data, Uncertainty, and Community in a Laboratory Experience,” ASCB/Life Science Education, October 22, 2021, accessed February 7, 2024, URL:  https://www.lifescied.org/doi/10.1187/cbe.21-05-0128.

[3] For example, see Muhammad Japar and Dimi Nur Fadhillah, “Do We Need to Learn about Human Rights Values?,” Atlantis Press, 2018, accessed February 7, 2024, URL:  25891038.pdf.

[4] For example, see “Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction,” Information Technology/University of Florida (n.d.), accessed February 7, 2024, URL:  https://citt.ufl.edu/resources/the-learning-process/designing-the-learning-experience/gagnes-9-events-of-instruction/.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Just your average male living space.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[y-elleven]

i dont think sae would ever fall out of love with you once he gets serious. neither time nor routine could ever dull his affections, because loving you meant clawing his own chest open to get to the battered and vulnerable heart he'd kept hidden behind walls of sea-rotted boards for years. he fought for that softness, for the ease and surety of having a love that's returned, brittle edges and all. there's no way in hell his heart would ever stop bleeding with want and pure affection for you. that's just not how he's built

to begin, being in a relationship with him isn't easy. he knows this. he's made you cry enough times in the beginning to carve a resolve to never make you cry ever again for the rest of your lives together now. sae will always be grateful for your patience and persistence, for not giving up on the two of you (on him) when he already had so many times. for all his effortless cool and nonchalance, he's a messy adult with even messier feelings and a tongue sharp enough to keep almost everyone right where he wants them: at arm's length. his words cut like burred steel and the hurt that comes with them always fade into scars people resent him for, but the fact that you still persevered and met him where he stood, even when he refused to meet you halfway, means so much to him. he'd never be able to put into words even if he tried, so he shows it by doing his best to be a better man for you every day instead

he loves your routine. loves the life the two of you have begun building together. loves the simple reassurance of being able to kiss you goodbye in the morning and kiss you hello in the evening. loves the press of your body against when he goes to sleep and the warmth of breath against his collarbone when he wakes up. loves brushing his teeth next to you and running his fingers through your bedhead to try and tame it. loves having you sit with him in the kitchen while he fixes a quick snack for both of you. loves when you're chatty. loves when you're quiet. loves you when you're sweet on him. loves you when you're pissed to hell. loves when you're all cleaned up and gorgeous, dressed like you're his to show off and adore. loves when you've got sauce stains on your shirt and dressed for a night-in of crappy reality tv and gossip where you talk and he just listens

he loves that simple life. even when you stress him out with your antics sometimes and your own messy feelings make you listen to your insecurities instead of him, he wouldn't trade it for the world. not when you've looked at him and all his mess and decided he was still worth the effort. you've met him where he refused to budge so many times, so he has no problem pushing against his own anxieties and fears to find you when you get too lost in your own head

he's come so far from who he was in the beginning of your relationship and he's proud of that. sae's still a little difficult sometimes, especially when it comes to your health and comfort (two things he refuses to compromise on; he wants a future with you and won't let anything, not even your self-destructive habits, get in the way of that), but he doesn't hide from you anymore. when you've seen the worst of him and still offered the best you could in return, how can he ever do anything but love you forever?

[divorcedtom]

gretchen sees dylan g as a version of her husband who is motivated and competent while her husband has never been able to hold down a job. but dylan g was literally created to do that job and only exists to do that job. he isn’t a version of her husband who has managed to “find his thing”— he just never had a choice in what his thing would be. he’s been robbed of the freedom to try to find something he’d be passionate about, even if it would’ve meant failing a bunch along the way

[detentiontrack]

A lot of people think my autism is “getting better” but I think a lot of it has to do with being an adult and being able to make my own decisions. I used to have frequent meltdowns and shutdowns and on the outside seemed more “obviously” autistic. But I’m 19 now, so I have a lot more say in my life. I only buy one brand of socks. I only own 2 types of shoes. All of my clothes are the exact same. I only eat what *I* want to eat and think feels safe. I can drive and can choose when to leave for appointments and obligations. If I were still a child and forced to wear socks with seams in the toes or clothes that fit me wrong or foods that trigger my sensory issues or have my routine thrown off by other people, I would have A LOT more issues. But since I’m an adult, I have control over most aspects of my life. I’m not “less autistic” now, I just have more free will and know myself well enough to avoid triggers.

[a-study-in-bullshit]

[bees-pees]

this is all snufmin related i am so sorry

[starrynightarchive]

i think it's fucked up and foul that during situations he feels trapped or unsafe, oikawa doesn't have a fight or flight or freeze reflex. to be specific, he does have a fight reflex, but it doesn't involve fighting by himself. if he thinks he's unsafe or trapped or in danger, he turns to iwaizumi.

during the last set of the second seijoh v karasuno official match, you can see oikawa beginning to crack when karasuno bridges the gap and makes the score 16-16. his next toss goes to iwaizumi, because he knows his iwa-chan will be there. he knows his palm will connect with the ball. when he loses his footing, he reaches out his hand, blindly trusting iwaizumi will pick him up. and he does. everytime, he does.

kageyama mentions once that iwaizumi and oikawa are always in sync, both by body and mind. and it's true because even when they're on the court, they're not the ace and the setter. they are iwaizumi and oikawa. iwa-chan and shittykawa. oikawa knows iwaizumi's favorite beetle and the flex of his wrist when he spikes. iwaizumi knows oikawa's real smile from his fake one and he knows the number of milk bread packets he eats per week (too many) and that's just the thing, isn't it? even in court, they're not just players. this is a dance that only they know the steps to, a kingdom that has always been theirs to rule. how beautiful it is, to know the sound of his footfalls without looking, to know the exact place he's going to set to in a court of 6 players without hesitation, with full certainty.

during the final point, oikawa sets the ball to iwaizumi. he could've chosen the person closest to him. he could've crafted his toss so masterfully that no one can see whats coming. but he chose to get it to iwaizumi at the other end of the court. it doesn't matter if his set isn't perfect or clean. it doesn't matter, because it's set to iwaizumi and that's enough. he knows he will take care if the rest.

and the thing is, the thing is, right, i firmly believe that in that moment if he chose to set to someone else, it wouldn't have been as beautiful and perfect as it was when he set to iwaizumi. there's something about knowing someone like the back of your hand and being aware of the beat of their heart more than your own that brings that kind of perfection. when oikawa reaches out, iwaizumi always reaches back. he knows iwaizumi will do everything he can to spike the ball.

and just like that he is 7 again with a scratched knee crying for iwa-chan to carry him even when he's not by his side. but he screams for him because he knows with absolute certainty that he will come. he will help. he is not alone.

the final set of his official high school career goes to iwaizumi, loud and proud. he points to him before he sets. he tells the court to watch. watch me. because he is certain that when it's him and iwaizumi, they're invincible. he wants the world to know of his worthless pride. he wants the world to know who he is proud of.

and just like that he is 7 again, screaming "iwa-chan!" in hopes his best friend will find him.

and he does. he does.

[lizbethborden]

I'm trying to be REALLY REALLY GOOD and not start another direct fight.

Anyway.

No, it is NOT actually crazy that this has escalated to this point. Jews aren't surprised at all. We have been talking about this since the Oct 7 attack.

It is a demonstrated phenomenon that antisemitic violence spikes any time that Israel is in the news. We pointed out the extremely violent rhetoric in the movement over and over again. We got repeatedly told that we were exaggerating, fearmongering, and centering ourselves in the conversation, and that we were making it all up, even after, for example, the attack on Jews in Amsterdam, framed as antizionist, was revealed to be an organized "Jew hunt" planned through WhatsApp.

No matter how many times we clarified our positions regarding Palestine and the horrific war crimes being perpetrated there, we were automatically suspect and distrusted.

And this flippant way you are talking about these events ("Jeez guys, don't START with setting Jews on fire, throw things at them first!"), on top of your argument that people (not even fucking Palestinians!) feel like they have "no choice" but to throw Molotovs at elderly Holocaust survivors or to shoot a random Jewish couple to death, because that's SO understandable, demonstrate that despite reblogging this post in apparent solidarity, you haven't learned much.

[beccawise7]

Love This. 💜

So many people do all the work in relationships. They care the most & do the majority of everything.

It's not supposed to be that way.

You matter. Your time is just as important as the other person. You are no less valuable than the other person is.

It doesn't take long to see who cares & who doesn't. Pay attention and make decisions that allow you to value yourself & choose the people who choose you.

Stop teaching people that it's okay to take you for granted.

You are wonderful & deserve to be valued equally. ✌️

~beccawise7💜🖤

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Stargazing, at the edge of the unknown.

[senseearly]

For a moment, imagine yourself in Mithrun's brother shoes.

Your brother - stronger, prettier, more charismatic, but also distrustful and disdainful of everyone especially you - is to be sent to the Canaries. It is the rule, it is the duty of all noble houses. But you know what goes on there, Mithrun knows what happens there. Yet you see him off, bidding a temporary farewell as you do, because someone from the House has to go and it won't be definitely you. Mithrun knows this, you know this. And you wonder, very briefly, if Mithrun hates you now more than he does already.

Your brother - powerful, agile, a good soldier just as he is as an heir, if he could only be an heir - suddenly disappears. The unit he belonged to suddenly disappeared. And you're speechless because - how? why? No one wants to answer you; they will instead try to bring back a body, they promise to you. But that is not what you want. You grieve for your brother. but your own family doesn't grieve with you. Wasn't Mithrun family too?

Then you found out: MIthrun is alive.

Your brother - now weak, despondent, his eyes always looking for something that is not here nor there - is to be sent home where people can take care of him. It is not your first choice, you want him home. But he is - sick. Not quite there. He needs someone who can look after him and you look at yourself - your gait, your constitution - and you know it can't be you. So, you follow the advice of your family and pour out all your resources to find him the best of healers and caretakers. You ask yourself, almost daily, if Mithrun would ever return to who he once was.

Your brother - strong, pretty, uninterested of anything and anyone else aside from what he calls 'the demon' - is now better. He can walk on his own now, eats without throwing up on himself. The color on his skin is back and the scars of his injuries have faded into thick bumps and discolored skin. But he still isn't quite there; still needs help and probably will for the rest of his life. And you can live with that. You can provide that. Just as long as he comes home.

But doesn't. Your brother - now a husk of his former self, and you hate thinking of him that way, but you can't help yourself, the Mithrun you knew is gone - runs straight back to the Canaries. His mission is not over, he says. He doesn't care how long it takes, he says. And you see him off, again, because someone from the House has to go and it still can't be you. Mithrun knows this, you know this, and you can't help but wish, very briefly, if things would've been different if you went instead of him.

[camakkuma]

A date can be checking the best price for coffee pudding ( ＾ω＾ )

[machaeraaster]

Sickness during my investigation? Not on my watch!

Of course it was out of question to stay, so they leave

Narumitsu prompt requested by @mlgwolves ✨

[heckitall]

God, I Have Some Questions

Back - Next

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;w;

so it begins...

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masterpost

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

favourite Irish phrase I've learned from reading books is "beidh ár bport seinnte" (or tá, depending on how hypothetical the situation is). our tune is played, lads. it's over.