SWOT STRATEGIES- referred to as SWOT ("Study without Tears"), Flemings provide advice on how
students can use their learning modalities and skills to their advantage when studying for an upcoming
test or assignment.
Visual SWOT Strategies
 Utilize graphic organizers such as charts, graphs and diagrams.
 Redraw your pages from memory.
 Replace important words with symbols or initials. Highlight important Keywords in
corresponding colors.
Aural SWOT Strategies
 Record your summarized notes and listen to them on tape.
 Talk it out. Have a discussion with others to expand upon your understanding of a topic.
 Reread your notes and/or assignment out loud.
 Explain your notes to your peers/fellow "aural" learners.
Read/Write SWOT Strategies
 Write, write and rewrite your words and notes.
 Reword main ideas and principles to gain a deeper understanding.
 Organize diagrams, charts, and graphic organizers into statements.
Kinesthetic SWOT Strategies
 Use real life examples, applications and case studies in your summary to help with abstract
concepts.
 Redo lab experiments or projects.
 Utilize pictures and photographs that illustrate your idea.
DIFFERENT EDUCATORS AND THEIR VIEW OF EDUCATION
John Amos Comenius- “Father of Modern Education” -was born on, March 28, 1592 in Moravia.He
was a Protestant Bishop who reformed educational system. He spent his life serving as a bishop,
teaching school and writing textbook.
The first picture book for children, written by John Amos was Orbis Pictus and He also wrote. “The
Great Didactic”
View of Education:
1. He believed that humans are born in the image of God.
2. He also believed that education should follow the order of nature w/c implies a timetable for
growth and learning.
3. He believed that books with illustrations/pictures are necessary for learning.
4. He also believed that learning is best achieved when the senses are involved, and that sensory
education forms the basis for all learning.
John Locke- postulated that the mind was a “blank slate or tabula rasa”. The mind at birth possesses
no innate ideas.
- The mind of man is a “tabula rasa” or blank slate at birth.
View of education:
1. He developed the theory of environmentalism.
2. He believed that environment exerts the primary influence on intellectual growth and cultural
development.
3. All knowledge comes from experiences of environment. It is through experience of the world
around us, that gives us knowledge.
4. Only environment influence what the child learns.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau- published his famous book “Emile” that outlines his ideas about how
children should be reared from birth to adolescence.
View of education:
He advocated a return to nature and an approach to educating children called naturalism.
Naturalism- education that follows the natural development of children and does not force the
educational process on them.
Johann Pestalozzi- he promoted the idea that mother could best teach children. He believed all
education is based on sensory impressions.
Contributions to Education:
1. Saw need for activity program.
2. Started first outdoor education.
3. Founded demonstration school-Yverdun
4. Wrote “How Gertrude Teaches Her Children”
Friedrich Froebel- is known as the “father of the kindergarten”
- Founded the kindergarten- “Garden of Children”
- He developed a curriculum and educational methodology and he decided to
open a school and put his ideas into practice.
- Froebel’s primary contributions to educational thought and practice are in the
areas of learning, curriculum, methodology and teacher training.
- He compared children to growing plants.
- He believed children develop through unfolding.
Unfolding – the teacher’s role is to observe children’s natural unfolding and provide activities that
enable them to learn.
John Dewey- his theory of education that emphasizes the importance of focusing on the needs and
interest of children rather than teachers is called progressivism.
Dewey’s ideas, children are involved in physical activities, utilization of things. Physical activities include
running, jumping and being actively involved with materials. In this phase the child begins the process
of education and develops other interest areas that form the basis for doing and learning.
Contributions to Education:
1. Applied pragmatism to education
2. Advocated progressive education
3. Wrote school and society
Maria Montessori- devoted her life to developing a system for educating young children, and her
system has influenced virtually all subsequent early childhood programs.
Her first school, named Casa Dei Bambini or Children’s House, she tested her ideas and gained insights
into children and teaching that led to the perfection of her system.
Montessori Method- a system of early childhood education founded on the ideas and practices of
Maria Montessori.
- The Montessori Approach- is designed to support the natural development
of children in a well-prepared environment.
Five Basic Principles of the Montessori Method
1. Respect for the child- is the cornerstone on which all other Montessori principles rest. As
Montessori said,
“As a rule, however, we do not respect for children. We try to force them to follow us without
regard to their special needs. We are overbearing with them, and above all, rude; and then we
expect them to be submissive and well-behaved, knowing all the time how strong is their instinct
of imitation and how touching their faith in and admiration of us. They will imitate us in any case.
Let us treat them, therefore, with all the kindness which we would wish to help to develop in
them”
- Teachers show respect for children when they help them do things and learn
for themselves. When children have choices, they are able to develop the skills
and abilities necessary for effective learning autonomy, and positive selfesteem.
2. Absorbent mind- the idea that the minds of young children are receptive to and capable of
learning. The child learns unconsciously by taking in information from the environment.
3. Sensitive periods- a relatively brief time during which learning is most likely to occur. Also
called critical period.
4. The prepared environment- a classroom or other space that is arranged and organized to
support learning in general and/ or special knowledge and skills.
5. Auto education- also known as self- education. The idea that children teach themselves
through appropriate materials and activities.
Jean Piaget- his theory is about cognitive development; it explains how individuals perceive, think,
understand and learn. His theory is basically a logic mathematical theory; that is, cognitive development
is perceived as consisting primarily of logical and mathematical abilities. Active involvement is basic to
Piaget’s cognitive theory; through direct experiences with the physical world, children develop
intelligence. Other basic concepts include adaptation, schemes, assimilation and accommodation.
Adaptation- the process of building schemes through interaction with the environment.
Schemes- refer to organized units of knowledge that children develop through the adaptation
process.
Assimilation- the process of fitting new information into existing schemes.
- Is the taking in of sensory data through experiences and impressions and
incorporating this information into existing knowledge of people and objects
that has resulted from previous experiences.
Accommodation- changing/ or altering existing schemes or creating new ones in response
to new information.
Equilibrium- a balance between existing and new schemes, developed through assimilation
and accommodation of new information.
Stages of Intellectual Development
1. Sensorimotor stage- begins at birth and last about two years. During this period children use
their senses and motor reflexes-seeing, sucking grasping to build their knowledge of the world
and to develop intellectually.
2. Preoperational stage- begins at age 2-7; one of the major accomplishments is the ability to
use symbols to represent objects and events.
3. Concrete operational stage- children in this stage, from about age seven to about age 12
begin to use mental images and symbols during the thinking process.
4. Formal operations- (11-15 years) is characterized by sophisticated, abstract thinking and
logical reasoning abilities applied to physical as well as social and moral problems.
Lev. Vygotsky- he believed that children’s mental, language and social development is supported by
and enhanced through social interaction. Learning awakens only when the child is interacting with
people in his environment and in collaboration with his peers.
He also believed that children seek out adults for social interaction.
One of Vygotsky’s most important concepts is the Zone of Proximal Development.
Zone of Proximal Development- the range of tasks that are too difficult to master alone but
that can be learned with guidance and assistance.
- Represents the range of tasks that children cannot do independently but can
do when helped by a more competent person.
- Assistance in the ZPD is called Scaffolding.
Scaffolding- is a major component of teaching the process of providing various types of support,
guidance or direction, during the course of an activity.