reflection due in 14 hours

Running head:  IDEAL

IDEAL 6

IDEAL Strategy

Catherine Baulkman

EDU372: Educational Psychology

November 28, 2020

The IDEAL problem-solving strategy was suggested by Bransford and Stein. The strategy is defined by five steps including identifying the problems and opportunities, defining goals, and representing the problem, exploring possible strategies, anticipating the outcomes, and act and looking back and learning. The five steps of the IDEAL problem-solving strategy can help come up with a solution to Bobby's problem (LeFrançois et al, 2018). Bobby is an autistic child who faces difficulty working with other students. Autistic children have difficulty in forming relationships and communicating with other students.

The first step of the IDEAL problem-solving strategy would be identifying the problem and opportunities. Bobby is a student in a fifth-grade class who has autism. He is extremely bright and can engage in assignments; however, he does not seem to engage in activities involving group work. He has difficulty working with others and is likely to get angry when the students do not listen to him (Pratama et al, 2019. He is often found in the room’s corner pouting. The problem with Bobby is performing activities that involve group work. He does not perform such activities well and gets angry if other students do not listen to him.

The second step would be defining the goals and representing the problem. The goal is to ensure that Bobby can interact with other students such that they listen to him and he does not get angry. Bobby has to become comfortable doing group activities (LeFrançois et al, 2018). That is because the class has to work together through brainstorming and Bobby should also develop teamwork skills. Bobby has to interact with the group members and avoid going to the corner to spout.

The possible strategies have to be explored. One of the possible strategies is explaining to Bobby and the other group members that is it important to listen to each other and work in a group to perform various activities. Before giving instructions or asking a question, one must gain the attention of a student if he/she is autistic (Pratama et al, 2019). Bobby and the other group members can be given instructions and then hand-made signs that indicate it is one’s turn to speak and others should keep quiet and listen. The sign should include the name and picture of the person expected to speak. That can ensure all students speak in turns and everyone has a chance.

The fourth step would be to anticipate the outcomes and acts. One could anticipate that the strategy will work if it will be implemented effectively. Bobby gets the attention he has been seeking and all students have a chance to speak. Bobby can be listened to by the students when his turn to speak comes. He will not get angry and leave the group because the students will listen to him.

The last step will be to look back and learn. One can determine whether additional strategies for solving the problem might be needed if he/she looks back. One can reflect on the previous steps to know whether more strategies are needed. Looking back and learning is vital especially in inclusive environments (Pratama et al, 2019). Many students could be facing the same problem, and it is important to be able to apply the IDEAL strategy and solve their problems too.

The IDEAL problem-solving strategy was helpful in solving a particular classroom dilemma. That is because it allowed one to explore various strategies that could be used to solve the dilemma. One could identify the solutions to various problems. The problems faced by students can easily be resolved especially when the parents and school psychologists are involved.

The IDEAL strategy can be taught to my students by using real scenarios. The students would have to apply the IDEAL strategy in various scenarios. Every student would have to explain the solution they have come up with after using the IDEAL strategy (LeFrançois et al, 2018). It would be good to explain to the students that they could use the IDEAL strategy to resolve any problem. The strategy could also be taught to the students by explaining how a particular problem was solved using the same strategy and giving the students another problem to solve.

Teaching the students on the IDEAL strategy would be beneficial because they would be able to solve the various problems they face. The IDEAL strategy can be used to determine how various information will be presented to a class. What could reasonably go wrong is choosing the wrong strategy to solve the problem (Pratama et al, 2019). During the process of exploring possible strategies, one might not be effective in identifying the best strategies that could be used to solve a particular problem.

When dealing with students with disabilities, educators are likely to identify the challenges faced by such students and solve them when they use the IDEAL strategy. Educators should be keen to identify the problem that is faced by the children and think about the strategies that can be used to solve the problem. They should also be able to solve similar problems that are faced by other students using the IDEAL strategy.

References

LeFrançois, G. R. (2018).  Psychology for teaching  (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu

Pratama, R., Wartono, W., & Kusairi, S. (2019). The effect of ideal strategy with formative feedback on conceptual understanding and physics processing skill of XI graders senior high school. Momentum: Physics Education Journal, 1-12.