My Learning Philosophy
There is No One-Size-Fits-All Solution
“Philosophy is a kind of journey, ever learning yet never arriving at the ideal perfection of truth” (Pike, n.d). When it comes to learning philosophies, this quote rings true. For centuries, many trail blazers in Education have been searching for the “perfect truth” to teaching and learning; a solution that will never be realized due to an ever-changing world and the constant evolution of the people who inhabit it. Over the years, the look, behavior, societal expectations, and needs of our students have changed dramatically leaving us scrambling to find the ideal formula for meeting their needs in the classroom. Due to the differences in each learner, their individual circumstances, and the conditions of the time, there is not one learning philosophy that is right for every teacher in every situation. Based on this discovery and the needs of my own students, I have come to realize that several different learning theories will need to come together to best serve the learners in my organization.
Needs of My Learners
The students in my learning environment are a representation of the diversity most often found in today’s schools. My classroom represents a mix of different groups from the struggling learners, to the ones from educated households, to the ones who are driven by agricultural hobbies, to the musicians, to the Non-English speakers, to the jocks and the cheerleaders, to the artists, to the gamers, and last but not least, the students who are best labeled as freethinkers and isolated, either by choice or through circumstance, from the general student population. I’m sure many educators can identify and even visualize my kids from the description above, and this rendition often makes it difficult to design an ideal solution for all who are represented. Additionally, the need to integrate 21st Century skills into the mix further complicates the creation of a magic formula. Where does a teacher even begin to start? How do we avoid the feeling we are failing everyone? Fortunately, many educators around the world are trying to answer the same questions, and this has generated a wealth of research for exploration and experimentation. Some of it is even conducive to 21st Century environments and skills.
9 Characteristics of 21st Century Learning
Thanks to researchers like Terry Heick, educators may connect with a basic framework of student needs and proceed from there. Heick concluded that the 9 characteristics of 21st Century learning are: learner-centered, media-driven, personalized, transfer-by-design, visibly relevant, data-rich, adaptable, interdependent, and diverse (2012). While considering these attributes along with all the faces in my classroom, I found that it seems to fit the varying needs of everyone I serve. For example, the interdependent piece of the puzzle is true for all teenagers. They are just beginning to figure out who they are and experiment with life situations, and they often depend on their self-selected group of supporters to get them through the good and the bad. Why not establish similar support groups in the classroom? Another characteristic that spoke to me was the student-centered aspect of the equation. Students in the age group I serve are growing and changing so quickly that is hard to find one that isn’t focused on themselves and the people surrounding them. Why not use these same circumstances to enhance the learning environment? Last but not least, the personalization piece seems to be an essential tool. After all, who doesn’t love to take their work and make it their own? Heick has created a fantastic framework here; one that I can definitely build on. The next item necessary for penning my learning philosophy is the adoption of the meat of my ideology, but first the exploration of the multitude of theories out there will be necessary to fully develop my course of action.
Learning Theories
According to Berkeley Graduate Division, “there are three basic types of learning theory: behaviorism, cognitive constructivism, and social constructivism” (2016). Behaviorism, founded in 1913 by John Watson, by definition is, “a psychological approach which emphasizes scientific and objective methods of investigation”(McLeod, 2016). McLeod concluded that the ideals behind behaviorism can best be described as follows:
All behavior is learned from the environment, behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable behavior, as opposed to internal events like thinking and emotion, there is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and that in other animals, and behavior is the result of stimulus – response” (2016).
While considering McLeod’s assertion that learning comes exclusively from the environment and ignores internal happenings, I was initially led to the decision that behaviorism is not the approach for me since personalization of the learning WILL require the consideration of the internal motivations of each individual. Additionally, I feel that humans and animals are distinctly different in both behavior and intelligence, so, their learning patterns cannot be matched this simply. However, just as I was about to toss this theory aside, the stimulus-response piece stood out to me. Humans often react based on stimulus; this is true of old and young alike. The stimulus in my classroom will be freedom, choice, and interdependence among students. The result of their learning will be their individual responses to each of these stimuli; thus, this small snippet of behaviorism fits within my learning philosophy. Keep in mind it is a very small part of it, and the bulk of my credo will be based on constructivism and its two main facets: cognitive and social.
Cognitive constructivism, developed by Jean Piaget, “proposes that humans cannot be given information, in which they immediately understand and use. Instead, learners must construct their own knowledge” (Clark, 2010). As modern educators know, the transfer of knowledge from teacher to student represents the lowest level of learning and isn’t typically meaningful. The notion of independent knowledge construction aligns perfectly with the direction all classrooms should be moving, along with the added benefit of 21st Century skills. Since the Internet provides an abundance of research opportunities at our students’ fingertips, each learner should become accustomed to combing the Web for information and answers to both teacher-directed questions and ones that are self-generated. Another important characteristic of cognitive constructivism is, “The teacher [facilitates] learning by providing an environment that promotes discovery and assimilation/accommodation” (GSI Teaching and Resource Center, 2016). The above statement accurately represents our learning goal for EDLD 5313, and one of the goals I have for the transformation of my classroom, “providing an environment that promotes discovery” (GSI Teaching and Resource Center, 2016). Although cognitive constructivism has several redeeming qualities, and I can appreciate most of its attributes, it is lacking one critical element that needs to be a central component of a 21st Century learning environment: collaboration. This is the point where I find it necessary to cross over into the exploration of the next learning theory: social constructivism.
Social constructivism, “emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning” (GSI Teaching and Resource Center, 2016). Through this method, learning is assimilated through the exploration, dialogue, and sharing of knowledge among members of a group of learners. One could even put a modern spin on it by labeling these groups “collectives” (Thomas and Brown, 2011). No matter how these groups are referred to, the simple truth remains; learning MUST be a social event. Since all individuals have a unique schema, students will typically learn more through collaboration by way of knowledge acquisition from contributing members. In addition, those who struggle to understand will receive clarification from peers, and the ones who are teaching others will solidify their skillset through repetition and reinforcement. In addition to the benefit of enhanced learning, working in groups with peers is fun, and engagement will be elevated by the inclusion of play. Finally, the ability to conquer projects through the collaboration of groups is necessary for future successes in life. Since the evolution of the Internet and the instantaneous human contact it enables, individuals in the business world rarely work on projects and initiatives independently. Outside of business, there are few occupations where people work alone. For example, when you visit the ER at the hospital, you are never served by a single person in isolation. Groups of professionals must collaborate as a team, create a plan of action, and initiate it rapidly in life or death situations. Given the need for students to learn to function productively in a group in almost any occupation that comes to mind, I feel convicted to make collaboration an integral part of my learning theory, and the addition of this all-important piece of the puzzle leads me to the next step in the creation of my learning theory: the compilation of my beliefs
General Beliefs About Learning
To summarize my findings during this process of exploring learning theories, I find that my own learning theory will be a marriage of behaviorism, cognitive constructivism, and social constructivism. I believe my students need to be immersed in an environment chocked full of stimuli, self-discovery, and collaboration. The discussions will be student-led, but sometimes the questions will be provided by the teacher. My students will compile their discoveries electronically through the use of PBLs, digital tools, collaborative blogs, and ePortfolios. Low-level instructional methods led by the teacher such as note taking will be eliminated, students will be provided the topic, they will research, and they will construct their findings as they see fit. Student will not be told what they need to learn; they will make those determinations on their own. A learning environment such as this will yield independence, free-thinkers, creativity, play, and the ability to make valuable contributions as a member of a group. To help provide readers a visual of my classroom environment, I have included the photo below. Observers who monitor my students will see a similar landscape to the one in this photo.
Beliefs About the Relationship Between Teaching and Learning
The relationship between teaching and learning should be a delicate balance. Although learning needs to be a system of self-discovery through individual and peer interactions, a teacher still needs to remain accountable and actively involved throughout the process. Since we should never tell students the information they need to learn, we can easily ask the question or assign a topic and monitor the process electronically. The use of Google Apps. is an excellent way to be hands off yet still in control at the same time. For example, teachers can require students to share collaborative documents with them and monitor the changes they are making in real time. If a teacher finds that few changes have been made to the document, he/she can redirect the groups either face-to-face or electronically through the commenting feature in Google. In addition, the electronic documentation makes an excellent resource for conferencing with parents when students aren’t participating. The ability to monitor students remotely is an option we have never had before, and it further allows the instruction to shift to a student-centered approach. Remote monitoring is also a useful tool when the project reaches the assessment portion of the assignment since it is easy to measure each students’ individual contribution to the group. In addition, the facilitation of the teaching and learning process helps each individual educator solidify their own beliefs about their own individual learning needs.
Beliefs About Myself as a Learner
When it comes to my personal learning experiences, looking back, I can see the flawed learning philosophies that shaped me into what I am today. During my K-12 education throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, behaviorism seemed to be the norm throughout every age and every stage of the process. Teachers told us what we needed to learn through note taking and drill and kill. We were not allowed to work in groups or even with partners unless we were completing a lab in science class, and our learning was never through self-discovery. The reason I believe it was a flawed methodology is due to the fact that I am not an effective collaborator to this day. I prefer to work alone when lesson planning, and group collaboration during PLCs is very uncomfortable for me. Since I was never trained to speak up in front of a group, I often find myself sitting quietly for fear of saying the wrong thing or making myself seem unintelligent. I fear stepping out of my comfortable bubble, and I worry that this makes me appear to not be a team player. It is even difficult for me to participate in online discussions, and this often takes me longer than completing my assignment each week. Based on the difficulties I experience both personally and professionally, I want to make sure my students never have to feel the way I do. For this reason, I knew collaboration had to be the cornerstone of the learning philosophy I create for my own students. After all, the strategies I adopt will make the difference between a classroom conducive to a learning philosophy verses one that is geared toward a teaching philosophy.
Beliefs on the Difference Between a Learning Philosophy vs. a Teaching Philosophy
I believe the difference between a teaching and learning philosophy is whether the classroom is student-centered or teacher-centered. In a teacher-centered classroom, the focus of the success or failure of the instruction is placed solely on the teacher, and as a result you will often find a teaching philosophy in connection with a scenario like this. This should never be the case. Classroom philosophies should be about the learning of the students, and the responsibility of achievement should be placed on their shoulders. After all, the students are the ones who will be responsible for their own future endeavors, and we can better prepare them by making sure we adopt a learning philosophy over a teaching philosophy. As educators, our time to shine has mostly passed, and it up to us to shift the focus in the classroom to our students and their learning.
Impact on Innovation Plan and Change
Whether it be independently or within a group, cognitive and social constructivism both require a student to shape their own learning through the gathering and compilation of knowledge. Based on this notion of self-directed learning, my learning philosophy perfectly complements my innovation plan since my students will be collaborating via their ePortfolios both through blogs and the sharing of group projects on their sites. In addition, students will be completing papers and independent projects using their ePortfolios to showcase the learning they have acquired through self-discovery. Finally, learners will master the art of 21st Century skills and collaborate and experiment with various digital tools as they compile their learning and post it to their individual sites. This last item is a strong basis for the innovation plan I chose and solidifies one of the ultimate learning goals I have for my students.
Once other teachers are exposed to my innovative ideas and constructivist learning theories, I believe I will be a strong change agent within my organization. A few weeks ago a colleague brought up the idea of going back to writing portfolios, and when I began talking about ePortfolios as a modern spin on them, she seemed excited about the idea and wants me to train her on the implementation of this initiative with her classes. I expect that my learning theory will bring out a similar reaction from those on my team, and I can’t wait to explore all the way I can make an impact on organization through ePortfolios and constructive learning.
Conclusion
The above research and exploration proves that behaviorism and most of the things it stands for needs to be eliminated from today’s classrooms. It provides little training for higher-education and jobs of the future. We need to prepare students to flourish in a digitally-connected globalized society, and this preparation cannot happen individually. Immersion in a collaborative environment of inquiry is the key to helping students succeed in both their K-12 endeavors and those they will face as adults, and it is my hope that most educators will adopt these strategies in the immediate future.
Annotated Bibliography
Clark, D. (2010, September 26). Constructivism. Retrieved November 24, 2016, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/constructivism.html
On this site, Clark explains the basics of constructivism and the overarching idea that
constructivism takes the instructional focus away from the teacher and places it on the students. He also discusses the psychologist who were influential in the development of these theories from Sophocles, to Vygotsky, to Piaget. Additionally, the two branches of constructivism: cognitive and social are discussed in detail. Piaget’s cognitive theory of constructivism asserts that learning cannot be given to the student; they much must construct their own knowledge. Vygotsky’s theory also centers on students constructing their own learning, but he focuses on the social aspect the is an essential part of the learning process. It was also interesting to read that constructivism was popular in the 1930’s and 40’s. It makes me wonder why the change was made and everything shifted toward behaviorism.
[Collaborative learning with the use of technology]. (2016). Retrieved November 24, 2016, from http://i.epochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2016/07/GettyImages-1611927-600x400.jpg
I chose this photo because it represents an accurate portrayal of the way learning is facilitated in my classroom. From the collaborative groups, to the new desks I am trying to order, to the technology being used in connection with the instruction, those who read my blog entry will have a snapshot of the environment I strive to create for my learners.
Dawson, J. (2014, September 30). Socially engaged instruction [Digital image]. Retrieved November 24, 2016, from http://jillericksondawson.blogspot.com/2014_09_01_archive.html
This image was selected since it is a very simple yet effective diagram of the components
of social learning in connection with social constructivism. Teachers need to be conscious
of the components mentioned here: connect, teach, notify, and curate.
GSI Teaching and Resource Center. (2016). Overview of Learning Theories. Retrieved from http://gsi.berkeley.edu/gsi-guide-contents/learning-theory-research/learning-overview/
Berkley Graduate School provides a summary of the three major learning theories, and the descriptions are brief yet clear and concise. Behaviorism focuses on,” Passive absorption of a predefined body of knowledge by the learner. Promoted by repetition and positive reinforcement.” Cognitive constructivism is defined as, “Passive absorption of a predefined body of knowledge by the learner. Promoted by repetition and positive reinforcement.” Finally, social constructivism is the most fun since it is an, “Integration of students into a knowledge community. Collaborative assimilation and accommodation of new information.” Additionally, Berkley provides “Implications for Teaching, “ for those students who aren’t sure what each theory looks like in a classroom or those who are new to teaching.
Heick, T. (2015, November 12). 9 Characteristics of 21st Century Learning. Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://www.teachthought.com/learning/learning-models/9-characteristics-of-21st-century-learning/
In the articles, Heick focuses on the essential skills all 21st Century learners need. He also notes that this particular write-up doesn’t focus on technology tools or devices; instead, it is based on good teaching. So even though students do need to be well-versed in technology, they also need to carry a certain skillset that is conducive to both 21st Century learning and to becoming a successful member of the work force when their K-12 educational experiences come to an end. His all-important list is as follows: 1. Learner-centered 2. Media-driven (this doesn’t have to mean digital media) 3. Personalized 4. Transfer-by-Design 5. Visibly Relevant 6. Data-Rich 7. Adaptable 8.Interdependent 9. Diverse. In order to adapt a learning philosophy that is relevant to today’s students, it is important to make a connection to 21st Century skills. This is my reasoning for including Heick’s resource.
McLeod, S. (1970, January 01). Behaviorist Approach. Retrieved November 23, 2016, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html
In this summary, McLeod describes all the key characteristics of behaviorism. For example, all behavior is learned from the environment, people learn in the same way as animals, and learning is usually connected to a stimulus response. I found many of the discussed attributes to be way off from the philosophy I wanted to adopt in my own learning environment, but the article was used to illustrate the examples that would not connect with my ideas. Once portion of the theory, the stimulus piece, was adopted into my philosophy since I think it is true that students who are stimulated will engage in the learning, and those who are not, will check out.
Pike, A. (n.d.). Philosophy is a kind of journey, ever learning yet never arriving at the idea... - Albert Pike at Lifehack Quotes. Retrieved from http://quotes.lifehack.org/quote/albert-pike/philosophy-is-a-kind-of-journey-ever/
I chose to introduce my blog entry with this quote since I wanted to highlight the thought
that goes into the philosophy of learning theories, and the way continual exploration will
never yield a definitive result in this area of Education.
Raising Hands. Digital image. Wix. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.
I chose this image for my main blog photo since I felt it was a good visual of the things that should be observed in today's classrooms.
The New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning. (2012, April 26). CTL Teaching Methods - Social Constructivism. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw_heqDF7CM
This video clip closely represents the way I want teaching and learning to look in my classroom. Students will collaborate with peers initially and ask for help from the teacher when the group cannot clarify questions for the learner. I like this approach since it teaches students to search for answers on their own and construct their own learning rather than expecting someone to tell them what they should know. As the teacher, I will guide the learning process by making sure students reach certain checkpoints, but I will only intervene to help when necessary. I feel it is extremely important for students to think outside the box and learn to problem solve on their own.
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.
Throughout this book, Thomas and Brown focus on the importance of socialized learning and constructivism and how students need to work in collective groups in order to get the most out of the learning. They illustrate some of their ideas through the use of examples of interactive gaming such as World of Warcraft, and illustrations such as this solidify their claim that social interaction is necessary to create an effective learning environment. I love the clear connection between the collective and my learning philosophy since I plan to facilitate group learning in my classroom.
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