Learning is a hands-on, participatory activity. A student needs to do more than just “learn” a piece of information only to forget it hours after the test. I have heard this referred to as “renting” knowledge. The student is only using it for a short period of time and then casting it aside. The true goal in learning should be in “owning” the knowledge. Owning knowledge requires effort from both the learner and the teacher. The teacher needs to provide an environment that is conducive to learning. One part of creating a conducive environment is for the teacher to relinquish control of the learning process to the student. The student has to do the work. The teacher is there to make sure that the learning is taking place and to support the student when needed. At the same time the learner must be willing to tap in to his or her passions to fully engage in the learning process. Providing that the teacher has set up an environment conducive to learning, then the student has to understand that the responsibility for learning is their own. When given a proper learning environment, a failure to learn is a failure on the student’s part. The teacher is just one of many tools to aid in learning. Granted, teachers are a very important part of the process, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the student. In other words, you get out what you put in. In light of this, I would have to say that I tend toward being a constructivist in my educational philosophy. I see it within myself and in my classroom every day. As the “learning facilitator”, my job is to plan out where the student needs to ultimately arrive in their learning journey. I can’t take the journey for them. As much as I want to, I cannot transfer my experiences and learning to my students. They have to make those discoveries for themselves. I think back on the joy I had in learning a new skill or figuring out how to finally solve a challenge in front of me. Through the process, I learned so many other skills and pieces of information. It is an empowering feeling to know that I persevered and was eventually successful. There are times that a short lecture or direct instruction is necessary. This is usually to give a piece of necessary information that the student is missing. Without this critical information the learner would be overly frustrated in their efforts. I think of it as providing a key to open a drawer of tools. Over time, students learn how to determine which drawers to open and how to find the key to unlock them. To understand the background on this thinking, you must look at theorists such as John Dewey and Jean Piaget. Glassman et al (2000) explained that in order for students to build or construct their learning, Dewey maintained that students must engage in activities more consistent with adult life. This construction of knowledge through practical applications in real-world activities would better teach children than traditional methods. Wells (2010) further explained that rote memorization created a disdain for learning and encouraged shallow thinking. In light of the philosophy that learning was a social activity, Dewey believed learning was enhanced when students collaborated in the process (Glassman & Whaley, 2000; Wells, 2010). By the mid-1900s, researcher Ralph Tyler’s work and cognition, education, and literacy, supported Dewey’s belief in learning through inquiry (Wells, 2010). Further work by Lev Vygotsky, expanded on the importance of the social aspect of learning (Glassman & Whaley, 2000; Wells, 2010). The work of both researchers demonstrated the impact that collaboration and social interaction had in the learning process. As students worked together to solve a challenge, they internalized what they were learning and gave it more meaning. This meaning was then able to be transferred to new situations (Powell & Kalina, 2009). In the middle of the 20thCentury Jean Piaget developed the concept of schema and cognitive development (McLeod, 2018). He defined schema as, “a cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning” (McLeod, 2018). In essence, these were a way of building knowledge. Schemas were building blocks of knowledge that students could use in constructing different ways to make meaning of the world around them. According to Piaget learning was either when a student developed a new schema or used the schema in a different context. In my Innovation Project (https://stemtoolkit.weebly.com/innovation-plan.html), I am working with teachers to implement computational thinking and coding activities into their current lessons and activities. These activities will be very challenging for students. Instead of making a quick video or writing an essay, they will have to delve deeper into a challenge. The challenge might be to implement a robot into the demonstration of learning or create a completely new artifact. Regardless of the vehicle, students will be taking a new journey toward their learning target. Along the way, they will have new experiences and collaborations that will lead to deeper and more meaningful learning. Learning is how we prepare ourselves for the world around us. The learning might be used immediately or later in the future. Either way, learning is most effective when we are actively participating in the experience through practical applications. To sum up my thoughts, “education” is something that one person does to another. On the other hand, learning is something a person chooses for themselves. Annotated References Capon, N., & Kuhn, D. (2004). What's so good about problem-based learning? Cognition and Instruction, 22(1), 61-79. Retreived from https://www.jstor.org/stable/323385
Glassman, M., & Whaley, K. (2000). Dynamic aims: The use of long-term projects in early childhood classrooms in light of dewey's educational philosophy. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 2(1), 19. http://ecrp.illinois.edu/v2n1/glassman.htm
Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/piaget.html
McLeod, S. (2018, June 6). Jean piaget's theory of cognitive development. Retrieved from SimplyPsychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
Powell, K., & Kalina, C. (2009). Cognitive and social constructivism: Developing tools for an effective classroom. Education, 130(2), 241-250. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA216181184&v=2.1&u=monash&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w&asid=28e2938c957e0b4e3191ff89e7607558
Savery, J. & Duffy, T. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and Its constructivist framework. Educational Technology, 35(5), 31-38. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44428296
Wells, A. (2010). An investigation of inquiry-based learning in the inclusive classroom.Manitoba: University of Manitoba. https://umanitoba.ca/faculties/education/media/Wells-10.pdf
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About 5313This is my fourth course in the Lamar University Digital Leading and Learning program. From here, I will be working on creating an environment conducive to the successful completion and longevity of my project. ArchivesCategories |