My Learning Philosophy

“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things but learning another way to think about things.”

Flore Lewis

Since I was a kid, I have known Spanish and English but did not know how and where to use them.  I would mix both languages. It was not a problem because I knew what I wanted to communicate with others. If I didn’t see the word in English, I would substitute it in Spanish. The problem came when asked to translate for adults in my family or when people spoke to me in public. If someone talked to me in Spanish, I would respond in English or vice versa. Even Though my family would tell me which language to speak, I could not tell the difference; to me, both languages interwind as one. I attended school knowing both languages, but the instruction was only in Spanish. I struggled with vocabulary, reading, and expressing myself. I thought I was not smart enough. Now that I am older and understand language development, knowing words in Spanish and English is extraordinary. I needed the appropriate help to thrive in my environment.

I believe we are a bit of everything behaviorist, cognitivist, and constructivist in our lifetime. We start as a behaviorist when we learn how to do things while observing others. We know everything about our language from watching our family. Students first learn to speak, then to read and write. As students learn new concepts in school, they must express them verbally. When learning new things we usually observe other people like teachers modeling or looking at exemplary work. Then learners can apply their own knowledge to create their own.

Vygotsky’s Proximal Zone of Development is what a learner can accomplish independently. We start using our past experiences to form our ideas and opinions as we age. Teachers start having developmentally appropriate activities for us to participate in at school. Our language keeps growing, and we even learn to write and express ourselves creatively with literary devices. Some students know the content but lack the confidence to get their gears going and take the initiative to collaborate. With collaboration, they can process the information. As learners become more aware of the world around them, they begin to connect the dots to the bigger picture. I relate more to constructivism because I want my students to develop their learning.

Constructivism is the idea that people build on their experiences and make new connections. Students build on the knowledge they already have based on experiences, their learning path is unique to them. Their learning experience is like a fingerprint, distinctive.  As a learner myself and being around exceptional individual learners, I find ways to engage and motivate their learning. Connecting the learning to something real around them helps them remember and build new knowledge for the future. “Problems are resolved, and incongruities sorted out, through strategies such as seeking relationships between what was known and what is new, identifying similarities and differences, and testing hypotheses or assumptions” (Bates). Scholars should actively engage in their learning by doing different activities like collaboration, discussions, reading, writing and making inferences. Students must be enthusiastic about their education. With all of this combined, students will enjoy learning.

“The essence of creativity is figuring out how to use what you already know in order to go beyond what you already think.”

Jerome Bruner

The world of education is changing and new theories will surface, currently, I relate the most with Constructivist theorist Jerome Burner, whose ideas are closely related to  Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey, Vico, Rorty, and Jonassen.

Learning is everywhere, and I constantly learn from my students and peers daily. When planning lessons and activities, I think of the misconceptions and how I can address them. I go in with an open mind. I let students explain what they understand, and then I go from there. If other students have a better explanation, I let them explain I do not stand in the way. I do not allow students to settle; I instill in them that they can achieve endless possibilities with collaboration, the willingness to work, and a growth mindset. Schools are for learning, and teachers are there to facilitate learning.

The world is constantly changing around us, and my teaching is responsible for meeting their learning needs. It is my due diligence to incorporate 21st-century skills students will use in the future; technology, collaboration, and innovation, to name a few. My innovation plan is Blending Learning, which includes giving students Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authentic Learning.

References

Bates, T., & here, P. enter your name. (2019, March 17). Learning theories and online learning: Tony Bates. Tony Bates |. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/07/29/learning-theories-and-online-learning/ 

Education Bureau and The University of Hong Kong. (n.d.). Theories_constructivism. KB. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://kb.edu.hku.hk/theory_constructivism/ 

Last Updated November 30th, 2018 06:43 pm. (2018, November 30). Learning theories. InstructionalDesign.org. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/