“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country. Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.”

Abraham Lincoln’s December 1862 Annual Address to Congress.

My Learning Background

Behaviorism is the theory that the learner’s mind is a “blank slate” ready to absorb knowledge — and children learn by observing the behavior of others and through consistent repetition and reinforcement of content (Tprestianni, 2022). Growing up in the eighties, Behaviorists such as Watson, Pavlov, and Snikker dominated the educational landscape. Maintaining classroom discipline and student complacency was vital to learning. Teachers would use either negative or positive reinforcement in order to reinforce the desired behavior or discourage an undesired behavior (Tprestianni, 2022). As Daniel Pink’s speech on motivation (2010) mentioned, once the task called for even rudimentary cognitive skill, also known as the carrot and stick model, more significant rewards led to poorer performance.

Teaching vs. Learning

Teaching and learning are interdependent and must work together for successful outcomes. A good teacher creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment allowing learners to take ownership of their learning.

The teacher's role is to facilitate and guide the learning process, “a guide on the side,” so the learner can come to know, acquire knowledge or make meaningful connections rather than dictate what the learner should know, “sage on the stage” (Harapnuik, 2021).

A teacher needs to put themselves in the “shoes” of the learner in considering what knowledge the learner should be able to use as a scaffold. They must reflect on their experiences as learners. They need to ask probing questions such as: What are common misconceptions regarding this concept? Are any current-day/simpler analogies that can be used to explain the topics? Do I, the teacher, have any personal experience with this topic that I can share with the class? Can I interject humor based on what I know about my students' personalities? Are there any real-world applications? How can this knowledge benefit students in the future? The teachers’ philosophical beliefs guide these questions about making engaging content that is meaningful and leads to a deeper understanding and application of knowledge.

The learner’s responsibility is to participate and construct knowledge actively. Learners must understand that learning is not just about school but a lifelong process that can take place through experiences. A learner’s philosophy reflects their motivation and strategies for learning.

Leading Learning Theories

American psychologist Carl Rogers stated that: ‘every individual exists in a continually changing world of experience in which he is the center.’ (Bates, 2019)

As an educator, I identify with the learning theory of Constructivism. Unlike the passive learning model I experienced as a child, constructivism believes in the personal construction of meaning by the learner through experience, and the interaction of prior knowledge and new events influences that meaning (Arends, 1998). In other words, students learn by doing.

As an avid technology user, I appreciate that Constructivist sees technology as a way to enhance the social learning process by using technology to increase and improve communication between teachers and learners. Educators can provide an online collaborative learning (OCL) environment that offers structures to ‘scaffold’ learning by assisting with the construction of knowledge in ways that are guided by the instructor, that reflect the norms or values of the discipline, and that also respect or take into consideration the prior knowledge within the discipline (Bates, 2019).

According to Corbett and Spinello (2020), modern society has seen an exponential rise in accessible knowledge and continuously changing and emerging technologies. As an educator who is passionate about moving schools into the 21st century, I have an affinity for the connectivist learning theory. Many underlying principles of connectivism are taken from constructivist theories. “Connectivism asserts that knowledge … consists of networks of connections formed from experience and interactions between individuals, societies, organizations, and the technologies that link them.” As citizens of the 21st century, the need for students to access relevant information and harness resources containing the views and opinions of others in society has become an essential skill, particularly in the realm of formal and informal lifelong learning. Despite its untested theories and some unexplained postulates (e.g., learning may reside in non-human appliances), connectivism provides a practical outlook as to how learning might occur in the digitally connected world we live in (Goldie, 2016)

Others Who Have Inspired My Learning Philosophy

In his famous TED Talk, Sir Ken Robinson (n.d.) discussed the need for a learning revolution. He asserted the importance of diversity of talent in communities. He argued that the current education system does not allow for the full expression of talent and is not conducive to students flourishing. In her TED Talk, Margaret Heffernan (2015) stated that social capital is important for creativity and innovation. She discusses how accepting everybody has value “will liberate the energy, imagination, and momentum needed to create the best beyond measure.” Each TED Talk reinforced the constructivist's principles of active learning that are unique to each student's prior knowledge and experience.

Innovation

My learning philosophy emphasizes the active role of the learner and the importance of creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences. As a change agent, my innovation plan cultivates social and interpersonal interactions and provides leadership opportunities through serving others. Social skills include being present to others, listening intently to their concerns and issues, and advancing the other person’s interests through dialogue (Bowman, 2013). Secondly, the student technology teams will draw from students' prior knowledge and experience by providing them with activities they care about, intellectually challenging real-world work tasks, and acknowledging their interests and talents in technology.

Annotated Bibliography

Arends, R. I. (1998). Resource handbook. Learning to teach (4th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw- Hill.

This best-selling textbook did an exceptional job of explaining constructivist theories in a way I could understand and internalize.

Bates, T. (2019, March 17). Learning theories and online learning: Tony Bates. Tony Bates |. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/07/29/learning-theories-and-online-learning/

Tony Bates is the author of eleven books on online learning and distance education and is a Research Associate with Contact North, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network. In this article, Dr. Bates briefly overviews how major learning theories have influenced teaching and online learning environments.

Bowman, R. F. (2013). Learning leadership skills in middle school. The Clearing House, 86(2), pp. 59–63. http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.lamar.edu/stable/43999318

Richard Bowman, Professor Emeritus at Winona State University, asserts that for middle school students, 21st-century leadership is about having an influence. He describes core leadership skills and creates opportunities for students to experience the dynamics of leadership development firsthand.

Corbett, F. & Spinello, E. (2020). Connectivism and leadership: harnessing a learning theory for the digital age to redefine leadership in the twenty-first century. Heliyon, 6(1) https://doi-org.libproxy.lamar.edu/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03250

Frederique Corbett and Elio Spinello provide a literature review of connectivism. I appreciated their description of the pervasiveness of social media and the explosion of new technologies in society.

Goldie, J. G. S. (2016). Connectivism: A knowledge learning theory for the digital age? Medical Teacher, 38(10), 1064–1069.

As medical educators begin recognizing connectivist learning theory, John Goldie, who specializes in the education of medical students at Glasgow University, examines the potential application of connectivism in medical education. He also examines some of the main criticisms of leading learning theorists.

Hefferman, M. (2015, June 16). Margaret Heffernan: Why it's time to forget the pecking order at work | TED Talk. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyn_xLrtZaY

Margaret Hefferman is a former CEO of five businesses and current Professor of Practice at the University of Bath School of Management. In this TED Talk, she describes how organizations are often run according to the super chicken model, where the value is placed on star employees who outperform others. She observes that social cohesion leads to great results over time.

Harapnuik, D. (2021, November). Learning Philosophy. Retrieved February 3, 2023, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=95

In this blog post, written by Dwayne Harapnuik, a professor at Lamar University, explains the differences between a teacher and a learning facilitator.

Lincoln, A. (2017, February 23). December 1, 1862: Second Annual message. Miller Center. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/december-1-1862-second-annual-message

Retrieved the full text of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Annual Message to Congress that Sir Ken Robinson referenced in his TED Talk.

Pink, D. H. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc

Daniel Pink discusses the research on what motivates people and suggests that people are motivated by focusing on autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Pink suggests that with proper motivation, employees are more engaged and productive. The study found that rewards, such as monetary rewards, can lower performance.

Robinson, S. K. (n.d.). Bring on the Learning Revolution! Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! | TED Talk. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://youtu.be/r9LelXa3U_I

Sir Ken Robinson discusses the need for an educational revolution that embraces all students' skills and diversity.

Tprestianni. (2022, October 25). Learning theories: Theories of learning in Education. National University. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.nu.edu/blog/theories-of-learning/

In this blog post, National University briefly overviews the five major learning theories.