As a teacher it is important to
know the different ways in which students learn as well as looking at our own
ways of learning. I have
found that I learn better by a combination of different methods. I enjoy
reading and have found that by doing so, I am able to absorb information on
various subjects that interest me. Additionally, I really enjoy discussing a
subject with people who have more knowledge about it and I have found that the
combination of the two really helps me learn new material. An example of this
that I remember can be found when I was learning about the circulatory system
in elementary school. I read about it in our textbook and then our teacher
discussed it with us. To reinforce it however, my father who loves biology
explained it to me in a different way that made the information solidify and
stay with me. Another way in, which I learn, is by having a hands-on approach.
In music as well as in dance the teacher will demonstrate how to do a
particular thing and then the class will repeat it afterwards. By having our
teacher model it and then us trying to repeat it, the new learned skill becomes
our own and through a series of trial and error the students are able to master
it. During a choral rehearsal, our conductor will ask us to sing a particular
passage in a particular way, after he or she demonstrates it, the choir will
then try it and tweak it until it is perfect.
I I grew up in an environment that valued knowledge for its
own sake. Children and adults alike are constantly encouraged and expected to
be cultured, well rounded individuals. As part of this foreign languages,
music, history, literature, etc are regarded as valuable and integral parts of
personal growth and development. I believe that being brought up in this type
of environment helped me be intrinsically motivated. I have also adopted the
love for knowledge that permeated my environment.
For me
grades and other extrinsic motivators are more of a byproduct of what is
actually important. I do not want to learn in order to do well on a test, but
rather for the joy that learning and its process bring me.
After
analyzing the way in which I learn, I believe that both social cognitive theory
and the constructivist theory are both crucial to the ways in which I acquire
knowledge and grow.
This is really great insight into your personal learning theory. Growing up, besides being encouraged to be cultured, were you allowed to explore your interests to their fullest extent? That sounds like a very constructivist environment, and I think that having your father there to explain things to do positions him as the more knowledgeable other. These are just some thoughts - it sounds like you grew up in an environment that really valued learning for learning's sake, and that's very neat.
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