What I've Learned

The end of the first week of a course I am taking at Walden University relating to learning theories and instruction prompted me to reflect on a discussion about how I learn best based on the overview of the explored learning theories here’s what I came up with:

“The learning style which best describes me would be cognitivisim, the theory which attempts to answer how and why people learn by attributing the process to cognitive activity or in other words explains what is occurring in the mind during learning. The cognitive theory focuses on the conceptualization of students’ learning processes, not so much with what learners do but with what they know and how they come to acquire it (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). I’m more of a “show me” type person and I need constant feedback.
I believe it is very important to understand your own learning process which is a primary reason I enroll in on-line courses. On-line courses are aligned with my learning preferences and that allows me to be successful.
In addition, at the beginning of every school year I administer some form of learning style survey to my students. As a teacher, and the one responsible for their learning, I find that understanding how my students learn best allows me to align my curriculum and perceived student outcomes with ease.
One theory I believe is best aligned with my views on learning would be constructivism, or learning by creating meaning from experience (Ertmer & Newby, 1993). The ability to identify real world events and by constructing our own understanding of the world we live in while allowing for the opportunity to become critical thinkers.”

Now that I have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, I can say that I have discovered in-depth why I prefer on-line learning and how it allows me to be a successful learner.

The on-line learning environment allows me to have control over what I am learning therefore I am a motivated learner. Various strategies used in on-line learning are engaging and produce interpretive transactions, in other words I am to happy to be collaborate and share with others which are paramount to successful learning. The use of scaffolding, problem solving activities and simulations provide excellent opportunities to access new information appraise it critically and apply it as I convert “raw knowledge into professional wisdom” (Dixon, 2000, p.41).

I have learned that the various learning theories and learning styles overlap and that my own personal learning preferences have not changed over time. I am a constructivist, hands-on all the way...real world relevancy is important to me and part of the reason I continue my education as an adult learner I am goal oriented and practicality is important. This will not change!

The reasons why I continue my education as an adult learner are goal oriented, practical.

The role technology plays in my learning is as multifaceted as there are available programs. I use technology to search for information (google, Dogpile, Yahoo, Bing, Wikipedia, webcrawler, Lycos, etc...), record information (Excel, Word, audacity, Youtube, video cam, Voki, etc...), and to create information (Myspace, Facebook, Webbuilder, moonfruit.com, blogs, etc…).