Behaviorism and Cognitivism - Post 4

When I began reading about behaviorism and cognitivism, I had no idea that I practiced some of the parts of those theories in my classroom. Although I do not agree with all aspects of both of the theories, I do agree that all the theories we have learned about have a place in the classroom depending on the time and situation. In dealing with behaviorism, we do this in my class through a school-mandated program called Fast Math. Students use this program to practice their multiplication and division facts, although I do not know how much it actually helps because I have kids that the program says are profiecient that are no where near proficient. It is not connecting over into their long term memory because it is not meaningful. Although they can do it during that specific time because they get positive reinforcement of playing a game if they get a certain number correct. On the other hand, I like to use more cognitivism strategies in learning multiplication. I want my kids to think and know why something works rather than it just does because growing up I knew my multiplication facts but I had no clue how I knew! I had no concept of how multiplication works, how it was opposite division, and that their were strategies to find answers until I began teaching school and learned it during a workshop.
All in all, I do believe that students need positive reinforcement for doing good work, I do not believe that learning only happens from that. Learning happens when we use our background knowledge and schema from previous experiences in order to make connections within our brain and really understand the why instead of just because.
I also remember learning about these theories in college, but I have enjoyed learning how they fit in with technology and the proper uses of them in my classroom next year.