Since being an undergraduate in the college of education at Valdosta State University, it has been impressed upon me the importance of establishing an educational philosophy. This will guide my instruction and guide my interactions with my students, my coworkers, and any other stakeholders. Equally as important as my educational philosophy is how I view students learning. In fact, my vision and perspective on learning theory should fit into my educational philosophy.
As unique as the population is, the learning styles of individuals are just as unique. When one explores the different learning theories that have developed since the 19th century, he or she will find numerous learning theories that describe various ways that humans interact with stimuli. This is important because it shows that there are multiple paths to learning and no one theory is best for every individual. It is impossible to identify a learning theory that can be used across a vast majority of students. How students learn best is something that has to be figured out and is the key to unlocking the potential that all students have within.
More specifically, learning theory and has huge implications on educational technology as it opens up a wealth of opportunities for students to display their knowledge in various ways. The video below from "The School of Rock" displays multiple ways of reaching students in the way that they learn best, and it also displays ways that students can adapt their learning to find the way they learn best. While it is not likely that this video will find its way into mainstream college classrooms as a means to teach learning styles and theories, I found it beneficial as I search for new and innovative ways to teach all my students in a way that will maximize their learning.
I very much enjoyed reading your blog and strongly agree with your position that students have different learning styles and therefore part of our role as teachers is to help uncover the best way each student learns. I thought the “School of Rock” video you presented was an excellent illustration of the importance of using multiple learning modalities and a variety of instructional strategies within each lesson. I believe as you that this is the best way to accommodate the learning styles of the majority of learners, and maximize their engagement and achievement. I agree with you also that each of the major learning theories can and should be used for instruction depending on the learning objectives and goals. Behaviorism is an appropriate learning theory for some learning goals, as are cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism. I think using only one of any of these theories is ineffective. On a side note, I was curious about why you didn’t think the School of Rock video would be used in School of Education classrooms.
ReplyDeleteHello Margaret! Thanks for sharing that video, it was an excellent illustration of the different learning styles. Definitely something I could see using with my fellow co-workers in a professional development course. Your post was well thought out and really made me think differently about my own post.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret,
ReplyDeleteInteresting blog, so interesting that I am up at midnight when I need to be up at 5AM. What is it about music, learning styles, out-of-the-box stars that make the person sit up and listen? I am so excited to be back into looking at technology and how to use it when we need to convey a message. In my course, I believe I have gotten stuck in a rut simply because the same assignments are due term after term, with no variation in the work. However, there must be variation in delivery of content, or those on the receiving end may just not be in the receiving mode to gain the most from the message. I appreciate your work!