Perspectives on Learning
Learning is a lifelong process. I find it difficult to divide any experience from learning, and I do not think that any day passes that I do not learn something. Life is experience, and experience is learning.
We learn by example. When I taught and translate IT terminology into laymen terms to NASA scientist and management, I have been able to overcome their difficulty in understanding the terminology by simply being patient and focusing on something they can relate to and quickly learned the power of providing examples for them. Too often, instructors assume that students have learned the basics (or even more complex topics).
We learn by doing. People learn to read by reading, people learn how to use computers by interaction with hands on experience. In essence, we internalize new experiences by performing those exact tasks. This reminds me of an ancient proverb:
Tell me, I forget.
Show me, I remember.
Involve me, I understand.
We learn by creating our own meaning. There are so many factors, including our own past experiences that influence our learning. No matter how we attempt to assess student learning, or how much we impose our ideas upon students they will create their own meaning and understanding of the material. Learning is situated in the past and present interactions that the students have experienced, over which instructors have no control. I have a Autistic son, he only receives instruction like a computer, but I have been able to teach who they said was unreachable. Now he uses a IPAQ and can use windows on it to talk and express himself. A Good teacher always expands the scope of the student.
We learn through discovery. Especially in regards to using new technologies, I find that we learn best through exploration and by trying new things. It would be easy (and boring) for me to explain to students step-by-step how to create a database, but it is more fun and interesting for them to discover on their own how to create one (with some guidance).
We learn from our mistakes. Some of my best learning experiences were gleaned from my mistakes. In several cases, I learned that a particular strategy was not effective, and should not be used again; in others, I learned that it should be repeated. For example, when teaching a science methods class to teachers, I learned that few of the teachers knew how to write effective objectives. Unfortunately, this happened towards the end of the class, but I have learned not to assume that even experienced teachers have been taught all of the basics.
Look at my teaching philosophy! |
