"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 7 Sep 2005 21:44:41 -0400, "Morgans"
wrote:


I had got a puppy, long ago, and at the time was riding a motorcycle,
perhaps 10,000 miles per year or more, with 3 to 6 hour trips not being
uncommon. I knew I needed my dog to be comfortable riding with me, on
the
bike, or in the car.

How does a dog ride a bike? How does it keep from being thrown off?

I had a backpack, with an A-frame slot, that would fit right over the sissy
bar on the back seat. The dog sat in the backpack with a drawstring around
her neck, like a collar. All that was outside was her neck and head.
Still, she had enough room to turn around, look off the back and either
side, or to lie down. I caught her sleeping a few times, on longer trips.
I did get a lot of looks!

As a recent education graduate, I used positive reinforcement
extensively....

I infer from that statement that you were taught to "use positive
redinforcement extensively."

Yes, and no. In the psyc class, I just learned about it, and how it could
be used to advantage.

Is that at least inpart responsible for the outrageous grade inflation
we see in the schools, including "elite" colleges?

I don't think so.

As a college prof, I had many students who could not write
grammatical Egnlish. When I corected their errors, they protested
that their teachers had always told them there were good writers.

In the first place, if you take what they say as the truth, then, .....

Naturally, they preferred to believe they were good writers, and that
I was being unfair to them. The teachers who lied to them, to "give
them positive reinforcement" did NOT do them any favors.

I would not call being told they are good writers a use of positive
reinforcement, or a good thing to do, but it is possible they were never
told that. They will say anything to play you.

The use of pure positive reinforcement, in my opinion, is to shape behavior
to a desired outcome. If a teacher praises a student, saying that their
thoughts in a paper are good, but the application to a written paper needs
work, then that is shaping. Go on to fix the problems.

Positive reinforcement can be used to motivate students. It can be used to
improve behavior, and make the bad behaviors dissappear. Positive
reinforcement is best used in steps, as I did with my dog, to work toward
the outcome of not being afraid of bikes, or loud noises. Most importantly,
it can be used to teach obediance, as I did with this dog. She was said to
be the best behaved and smartest dog, by many people who had known her. She
was a real special dog, who I will always remember, that is for sure.

This could quickly go down the paths of "what is wrong with education," but
I don't want to take it there, so let's let it quit here.
--
Jim in NC