272EDUCATOR

Who am I as a learner?

Before becoming a parent, my learning philosophy was primarily shaped by my educational struggles and success. I was a student who struggled in reading and math until middle school. I recall several parent-teacher meetings where the discussion on retaining me occurred. During middle school, my parents hired a tutor and forced me to go to the library during the summer months to read and work on math. As a result, my summers became an intense reading and math intervention. My summers were full of many tears and regrets on my end. Eventually, my reading improved, and I became a much better student who enjoyed school and learning. My struggles were the bases of my views and philosophy on learning. However, reflecting on this period when education was challenging, I realized that the spark for me was reading about things I was interested in. I was obsessed with personal finance and the stock market, and investments. As I became more comfortable with the subject, I participated in several investment challenges where I placed in the top 100 in the nation. My sixth-grade math teacher Ms. Roberts learned that I was interested in the stock market and allowed me to do a math project connected to the stock market. I recall being excited about school for the first time. Here was my chance to work on something that I was interested in. This experience shaped my understanding of learning and accessing a student's passion. We learn by doing and making connections.

What is learning? 

Textbooks typically describe learning as changes in behavior due to experiences. However, the meaning of learning can be challenging to describe in one definition. De Houwer makes the argument that describing learning as a change in behavior is limited because the cause of the difference could be due to various factors not connected to the learning. Behavior change is not necessary or sufficient for learning to occur. (Houwer, 2013)  However, a definition that I align with is "Learning is an active and dynamic process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge." (Bergeron, n.d.) But, for authentic learning to take place, it is the role of the teacher to facilitate learning by creating an environment that is conducive to learning. The role of the teacher is also critical in creating a culture where learners can feel free to take risks in their learning. 

Why am I a constructivist?

I'm primarily a constructivist based on my belief that the role of the teacher should operate as a guide to learning, not a gatekeeper of knowledge. Instruction should also connect with what the learner already knows about the world. Constructivists emphasize the importance of consciousness, free will, and social influences on learning (Bates, 2014) The principles of constructivist are: 

1. Instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the student willing and able to learn (readiness).

2. Instruction must be structured so the student can quickly grasp it (spiral organization).

3. Instruction should be designed to facilitate extrapolation and fill in the gaps (going beyond the information given). (Bruner, 2018)

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Conclusion

Students are not data points where information is produced based on the results of the student's performance. Instead, learning in the classroom should engage with real-life connections that matter to our students. Learning should also be experimental, where students naturally challenge themselves due to their interest in the topic. These are the goals for the learning environment I hope to create as a constructivist.

References

Bates, T. (2014, July 29). Learning theories and online learning. Tony Bates. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/07/29/learning-theories-and-online-learning/

Making comparisons of various learning styles will also give simple examples of the ones covered. Discusses behaviorism and the contributions of Skinner in the 1950’s using teaching machines. 

Bergeron, A. (n.d.). Learning Philosophy. It's About Learning. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=95

Personal journey into learning while also sharing information on the learning process and the definition of learning. 

Bruner, J. (2018, November 30). Constructivist Theory (Jerome Bruner). InstructionalDesign.org. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/constructivist/

Detailed overview of the constructivist learning theory along with application of how to implement the theory in the classroom.

De Houwer, J., Barnes-Holmes, D. & Moors, A. What is learning? On the nature and merits of a functional definition of learning. Psychon Bull Rev 20, 631–642 (2013). https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-013-0386-3

Technical overview of the field of psychology and the challenges of defining learning. Gives history context of the field and the transition in defining learning. Also identifies and describes  the problems with various definitions. Concludes with a new definition that involves three elements to meet the requirement of learning.