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Hierarchy of Needs

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 * Abraham Maslow**

Born on April 1, 1908, Maslow was the oldest child of seven. They were all raised in Brooklyn, NY by their uneducated, Jewish parents. Maslow stated that "[He] was the little Jewish boy in the non-Jewish neighborhood. It was a little like being the first Negro enrolled in the all-white school. I was isolated and unhappy. I grew up in libraries and among books." Maslow's career in Psychology started when he went to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, where he met Harry Harlow who became his doctoral advisor and mentor. He eventually became interested in the behaviors of humans after meeting Ruth Benedict and Max Wertherimer. He used ideas from all different psychologists and greatly expanded on the concepts until he was able to create the Hierarchy of Needs:



There are five main characteristics of Maslow's hierarchy that you can see from the pyramid above. You cannot move to the next level until you have achieved the one below it. So you have to first start off with the physiological needs. If you don't get enough food, water, rest, etc... there is no way that you can live. After satisfying those needs, you are able to step to the next level which is safety. You want to feel safe and secure about your life and everything that is involved with it. You need to know that your home is safe, you have job security, and that you can feel safe around your family. Once you have mastered those feelings, you will be able to feel the love from your family and friends because you know you can trust them. Once you know that people love you and care for you, your self-esteem will rise. If you don't feel loved, then you won't be able to feel confident with yourself, which allows you to be stuck trying to satisfy the third level. But if you are able to move on, then you will feel confident with yourself and be able to respect others and they will respect you. The last level is very difficult for some people to achieve, and in some cases, they will not achieve it. You must be able to be creative, spontaneous, and accept the facts. As you can see, it can be very difficult for some people to do such a thing. So, as you can see you must build up the pyramid, you can't have safety, skip love, and move onto esteem, it doesn't work like that. Everything is a building block for the next level. You can imagine this pyramid to help: media type="custom" key="7220467"
 * Characteristics**

Maslow's hierarchy not only has several strengths but has several weak points as well. One of the hierarchy's strengths is that it covers the main essentials of life. The hierarchy also breaks down how each essential of life is fulfilled. All five of the levels, physiological, safety, love/belonging, e﻿steem, and actualization are seen also as stages of life. The heirarchy shows how and why we need one essential in order to reach the next. Generally in life we would all like to reach self actualization which is where you have reached the highest potential, and you are satisfied with yourself. A weakness of Maslow's heirarchy is that it is possible to be stuck in a block of the pyramid for quite some time. Everyone moves up the pyramid at their own pace based on their life experiences. In order to move up the pyramid you have to completely fulfill the previous block. Another weakness is that even though self actualization is at the top of the pyramid, some people may never reach it.
 * Strengths & Weaknesses**

= = Whether you are looking at Maslow's hierarchy from a constructivist perspective or a traditional teaching perspective, the characteristic/level or the needs pyramid that you will be focusing on is self-actualization. In order to focus on this characteristic, however, the rest of the needs and levels in the heirarchy must be met at the same time. A student cannot work on problem-solving if his or her physical needs have not been met or if he or she doesn't feel safe. Self-actualization only happens when all four lower levels have been met. The teacher must try and provide the fifth level, a kind of life/mind enrichment, by creating an efficient learning environment. Maslow's theory promotes neither constructivism nor traditional teaching methods; it is neutral. With either pedagogy, the main focus is going to be on that top level of the hierarchy, self-actualization.
 * Hierarchy of Needs and Teaching**

In order to teach in relation to Maslow's theory, the basic pyramid of needs must be addressed from the bottom up. It can be assumed that the most basic needs of the students, their physiological needs, are being adequately met if they are attending class. It can also be assumed that the students feel some sort of safety in school, again because they attending class. In order to teach using Maslow's theory, the top three tiers of the pyramid must be addressed. The third tier (Love and Belonging) is the first that a teacher must actively respond to. This could be addressed by proving a number of group assignments to allow students the ability to find their place within their group, class, grade etc. The same activity may also relate to the fourth tier, Esteem. Working in a group provides the opportunity for a student to receive feedback for the work they have accomplished. The peer evaluation that takes place during a group assignment allows a student to gain a feeling of respect from other students. Similarly, a teacher has the ability to grade the additions of individual students. A student can gain the same feeling of accomplishment from a teacher as they can from their peers. In addition to tiers three and four of Maslow's theory, the fifth and final tier (Self Actualization) can be addressed using the same assignment. Any component of the assignment that includes some sort of creative expression could assist in meeting this final tier.
 * How Could a Teacher Instruct Using Maslow's Theory?**

Simple technologies can be used to teach in a way that meets Maslow's hierarchy of needs. A computer connected to the internet is the most obvious option. High school students could use computers to create artwork, access feedback from other students and teachers, and become involved in social networks. With the addition of computer to the classroom, the top three tiers of the Maslow's pyramid could be well on their way to being met for the students.
 * Hierarchy of Needs and Technology**

A classroom organized specifically to meet the needs of Maslow's hierarchy would not be difficult to produce. The classroom itself should feel comfortable, with comfortable chairs and potentially a small area with couches. The desks would be organized in relatively small groups of about five or six, in order to develop a sense of belonging with other students. The work of students would have an area of its own to be displayed. Tools allowing students to express themselves creatively must also be present. This could include numerous tools : computers, colored pencils, paper, chalk, arts and craft materials, and whatever else the students would prefer to use.
 * Maslow's Classroom**

A teacher employing Maslow's theory should be striving to meet the needs of all five tiers of the pyramid for each and every student. As the pyramid shape suggests, a teacher must begin at the bottom and progress through the pyramid in order. If each need in not at least partially met in the appropriate succession, it is impossible for a teacher to meet the needs of the higher tiers.
 * Goals**

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 * Websites Used:**

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@http://www.teacherstoolbox.co.uk/maslow.html