# data[].attributes.body
In thinking of the question of “How does learning happen?” Children start to learn right when they are born. Piaget describes the stages of cognitive development in which described the stages that children go through in their childhood which is full of learning and new experiences. Cognition can be described as behavior witnessed and can change that person’s behavior. Memory is the information you can hold and remember.

Theorists influence teaching as they describe learning to be more engaged when they are personally relevant and meaningful and teachers look toward theorists and their ideas. Mentioned in the text, it explains how a teacher’s role is to facilitate learning by providing experiences. Hands-on experiences tend to help children learn.

The sensorimotor stage which begins at birth and lasts until 2 years of age describes infants learning the use of motor activity without learning about physical objects. This stage is based on experiences and physical interactions with trial and error.  The preoperational stage occurs between toddlerhood (18-24 months) to 7 years old. This is where memory along with imagination is formed. The concrete operational stage from 7-11 years of age allows intellectual development and the use of concrete objects with increased awareness of external events.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Importance of Cognition in Determining Who We Are

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cognition refers to all of the cognitive processes that are involved in learning, remembering, and using knowledge. Learn more about how these processes work.

# data[].attributes.body
The brain is the main part of the body, acting as the command center of the nervous system which virtually controls all functions of the body. It weighs about three pounds on average and fills up over half the skull. The brain can be separated into separate regions with each having very different functions which are described in the photo above.

So the question is, how does the brain work? Communicating with each other constantly, the brain is divided up into two hemispheres and are connected by a large bundle of nerve fibers which is called the corpus callosum. The right hemisphere processes spatial information, visual processing, and facial recognition, while the left hemisphere plays a role in the ability to form words. The cerebellum is in the back of the brainstem which helps us maintain posture and balance while coordinating movements. The limbic system is made up of interconnected brain regions which plays a role in our emotions or even flight or fight response. The brainstem connects the spinal cord and automatic functions of the body.

While the brain consists of 100 billion nerve cells, they can also be called neurons which play a huge role in receiving and transmitting information. Each neuron collects information from the environment which is information detected by the sensory system along with from other cells while transmitting the information to other neurons or other cells. Purkinje cells are large neurons that serve as an essential link that regulates the body’s muscle tone and movement.  Neurons communicate by sending signals along axons.

# data[].attributes.body
The Developmental Stages describe the milestones that children experience and the stages in which children develop and grow at. Piaget first developed a theory aout the phases of development from infancy to childhood which includes knowledge, thought, and judgement.

To describe the different stages of development we can start with Piaget's first stage of development which is the sensorimotor stage.  It starts at age 0-2 where infants are only aware of what is right in front of them. At this stage, they learn motor skills and senses while they focus on what they are doing and seeing within their environment. Object permanence, which is experienced at ages 5-8 months,  shows first signs that a child is developing memory like looking for a toy even if it is not there as they remember it still exists. Infants start to crawl or stand, or even walk which leads to cognitive development (18-24 months). In the preoperational stage which is ages 2-7 years children start to use symbols to represent words, pictures, people, things and ideas being able to think critically. They may mimic different behaviors that they observe, play pretend or make-believe with an object pretending it is something else, develop mental imagery being able to ask the names of things to better understand what they are thinking about and be able to visualize it. While doing that, they are also able to describe events verbally.

The next stage of Piaget’s developmental theory is the concrete operational stage. Children aged 7-11 at this stage show logical and concrete reasoning. They become more aware of their surroundings and realize their thoughts and feelings are not shared by others but are unique to their own. Children at these ages are able to group objects that are based on shape and type and also use logic to organize and perceive changing items like arranging different items by size. The last stage is the formal operational stage which is 11 and older. Children are able to use symbols and think in systematic ways, to come up with theories and consider possibilities. They may become more self-conscious while comparing experiences with others. Piaget described that intellectual development happens lifelong and also can be debated on the buildup of knowledge an adult has.

Schemes: Thought processes that are building blocks of knowledge like when a baby knows that it takes a sucking motion to eat.

Assimilation: How you use existing schemas to interpret a new object or situation. Like when a child sees a dog and calls it a cat, or a baby putting everything in their mouth.

Accommodation: This happens when you change a schema or create a new one to fit new information you may learn. Like when a child learns and understands that a dog is not called a cat.

These three terms can be used in describing how a learners developmental changes inform instruction and assessment of that learner as they are constantly learning and being able to learn from previous experiences to then bring that to present and future experiences.

# data[].attributes.body
Adverse Childhood Experiences: Potentially traumatic events that may have occurred in childhoods in children ages 0-17. They may have been experiences things like violence, abuse, and neglect or have witnessed those things in their childhood. They also could have experienced growing up in a household with substance use or mental health problems.

A teacher can effectively support students with high ACES by promoting caring relationships as well as social and emotional skills. They may also remove punitive or exclusionary disciplinary practices which can support the mental and physical needs of students. Being able to promote those caring relationships not only allows that to support their mental and physical needs but also can promote a better learning experience for them. Having a safe and healthy learning environment for students is important so overall for students that may have high ACES can be able to come and experience learning new things while also feeling safe from what they have or may have experienced

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Childhood Trauma

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that happen between the ages of 1 and 17. ACEs affect a person’s overall health.

# data[].attributes.body
Diversity: described a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences that students bring to the classroom whether that is race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs.

Equity: The idea that all students should have the support and resources they need in order to learn and succeed regardless of their circumstances.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding Equity in Education – Decorah Community School District

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To better understand equity in education, it is important to understand the difference between these two terms:

# data[].attributes.body
How can we take care of ourselves and our students?

-Self-efficacy: extent to which an individual believe they are able to master a certain skill. Function is an important set of proximal determinants of human motivation, affect, and ation-which operate on action through motivational, and affective intervening processes. Students are able to pay more attention and be more of a better learner when they percieve they have mastered a skill. Helping students ensure they have knowledge is important is taking care of students.

-Self-regulation: Is very important for both teachers and students and can overall improve student behaviors. This allows students to set a standard of performance for themsleves, then judging their behavior and determining if it meets the self-determined criteria for reward. This can also help teachers as they are able to create a set of standards for themselves.

Teachers should help students set realistic expectations while ensuring that expectations are realistically challenging.

# data[].attributes.body
How does language and language diversity impact teaching and learning?

Language and language diversity allows different cultures to be represented in schools and allows teachers to learn more about their students. It not only benefits teachers by learning more and getting to teach about different cultures, but allows children from different cultures to feel included in school and allow them to voice their own culture and traditions. According to Vugotsky, he believes that language makes thought possible along with being the basis of consciousness. It is a tool of culture which enables social interaction.

Through language, presentation and interpretation of history and attitudes, current affairs, beliefs and values of teachers, the thought patterns, and beliefs of students could be shaped.

# data[].attributes.body
What is good teaching?

Good teaching is being able to give students opportunities which benefit them and allow them to grow at the best of their ability. Create a classroom which is safe for every student no matter what. Foster a culture of respect to students to allow communication and understanding which is essentail for effective learning. Good teaching includes encouraging collaboration among students to enhance their learning experiences and help build a more strong support network within the classroom.

It is very important to provide opportunities for children to solve problem and develop critical thinking skills through interactive experiences while also engaging in play, which leads to creativity and allows children to express themselves and explore new ideas through imaginative play.

# data[].attributes.body
How do I assess learning? There are many ways to assess learning of students, using a variety of assessments which are listed below. These will showcase their learning and allow me as a teacher to see what direction to head next with the students when teaching.

Formative Assessments: conducted during the learning process to monitor student progress while providing ongoing feedback.

Summative Assessment: evaluates student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparison against a standard or benchmark.

Diagnostic Assessment: identifies students' strenghts and weaknesses in order to perform instruction and improve learning outcomes.

Performance-based Assessments: require students to demonstrate knowledge and skills through projects or practical tasks.

Criterion-referenced Assessments: focuses on skill mastery, evaluating if students have mastered predefined skills or certain knowledge areas. Learning objects are clearly defined which ensures students to understand what is expected of them. There is a direct feedback on performance which helps students identify areas for improvement. May not reflect overall performance compared to peers.

Norm-references Assessments: Rank students based on perfromaced which is compared to a normal group of peers. They focus on how a student performs in relates to others, rather than context mastery. It overall helps students' performance levels, highlighting their strengths and weaknessess relative to peers.

# data[].attributes.body
How do I manage my classroom?

There are many effective ways to manage a classroom which is benefical for students and the teachers.

-Maximize instructional time which allows students to engage and learn without interuptions.

-Ensure a safe environment which allows students to learn and particpate freely.

-Promote positive behavior which is crucial for a effective learning environment and ecourages collaboration among students.

-Promote social-emotional learning by helping students develop essential interpersonal skills.

-Responsive teaching which adapts to the needs of the students, which also enhances engagment and supporting their learning in a very meaningful way.

-Use PBIS: a framework that helps schools create a environment that encourages and reinforces positve behavior among students. It builds a supportive school which is essential for student engagement and their overall education. PBIS enhances overall student success and reduces disiplinary issues in schools.

-Use Bloom's Taxonomy: it allows teachers to design lessons which target various cognitive levels, which foster deeper engagement among students. It creates a diverse range of learning activities that promote maximum student learning. Overall it keeps students engaged and interesting in their learning process by addressing their cogntive needs.

-The Catalyst Approach: using this approach focuses on building strong relationship and overall promoting student agency in the classroom.