Learning Theories and Instruction Reflection

Learning theories and instruction was a great class that challenged me to think about the way my future learners will acquire knowledge.  Multiple intelligences always impress me because it is extremely helpful to know that not everyone learns the same way and therefore having different projects and tactics in my classes will keep everyone motivated and I will keep this at the forefront of my mind.  This course has reminded me of the ways in which I prefer to learn and challenged me to think through my lesson planning to include other types of learning techniques so that I can grow as well as the people I teach.  I have learned that there is a myriad of technological advancements that I was unaware of and when I harness the power of technology this will motivate my learners as well as help me challenge my students with using various learning theories and learning styles.  This course serves as a refresher and helps me remember to be diverse in my approach and consider multiple viewpoints, learning theories and styles in order to be the most successful.

Multiple Intelligences are always striking to me as an educator because of the vastness of the way people think and process information.  As an instructional designer I feel it is essential to keep this in mind in the way that I plan to introduce new knowledge, the questions that I ask the class and the projects that I plan for the class.  By using more than one multiple intelligences I have the power to help students retain the most information.  While being in this class I have been able to reflect on the ways in which I learn and how that affects the lessons that I create.  I have realized that I make a lot of hands on projects, mapping and drawing assignments because I enjoy those types of assignments more and I tend to remember things better once I have interacted with them physically.  However, this class has helped me to remember that not everyone likes doing those things and many prefer not to.  Therefore, I should add other types of projects like debates and essays because those types of assignments are important too for other types of learners and to help people like me expand their own learning styles.  One way I can harness the power of multiple intelligences is to use technology.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the new types of technologies and thinking about how I can use them in my own lesson planning.  The technologies I liked the most included the Geotagging and creating personal webs partially because I am a history teacher and I love geography but I think this could really help my high school students understand how geography and history applies to their own lives.  Every time I have used technology in the past many of my students became more motivated that previously so by using these technologies and others like blogging my students could retain knowledge longer.   The learning styles and theories that I could use with these technologies vary from behaviorism to provide immediate feedback to constructivism that would enable students to be more connected to their learning and enable them to transfer the knowledge more affectively.

Multiple Intelligences and various learning theories and styles are a necessity in instructional design and should always be kept in mind.  Successful instructional designer that use these theories and styles with their learners will help their students retain the information for a longer period of time.  I have been a teacher for five years and this class has expanded on my previous knowledge and aided me in keeping in mind the fundamentals of good teaching. 

Fitting the Learning Theory Puzzle Pieces Together

I have a deeper understanding of the multitude of learning theories and multiple intelligences, I now clearly understand why I learn more when I participate in the learning and I why I enjoy hands on learning and visuals more (Gilbert, 2008, Foley [Fenwick & Tennant], 2004).  As I have aged I have grown as a learner as well and have changed how I enjoy learning.  In elementary and high school I liked to learn by myself because the group work generally meant that I was doing a lot of the work as I cared more about my grade.  As I have grown I have come to learn from my colleagues in-group situations and found out that perfectionism is not necessarily always the best way to do things and that it is necessary to delegate and ask others for help and then depend on them to do the work. As an adult, I believe it is easier to delegate tasks and expect co-workers to complete the work. Before learning all these different styles I knew I enjoyed learning with technology, but never linked that to an actual learning theory like Connectivism.  Now I more readily understand why Connectivism is a great way for me to learn.

Technology is at the center of my adult learning and thus Connectivism is the theory that best suits me (Davis, Edmunds & Kelly-Bateman, 2008).  I use technology at work to learn and refresh myself on design aspects and terminology while at the same time I use technology to better understand how my children are growing and what they might need to further their development.  I use Adobe  InDesign, Photoshop and illustrator on a daily basis to design marketing materials for an array of customers.  I use Google often to search for blogs and tutorials to help with my personal and professional life.  While at the same time I utilize Facebook and LinkedIn to keep connected with former colleagues and find out what they are doing both professionally and personally and at times I utilize that connection to better understand my own profession. 

References: 

Davis, C. Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivisim. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved November 30, 2011, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Foley, G. (Ed.). (2004). Dimensions of adult learning: Adult education and training in a global era. McGraw-Hill Education. Chapter 4, “Understanding Adult Learners” by Tara Fenwick and Mark Tennant. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from Walden Library.

Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning Styles Journal [Vol. l]. Retrieved December 4, 2011  from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf

Image Citation:

Author unknown. Steel Puzzle Sphere 1. Retreived December 18, 2011 from http://alxa.ru/2008/11/20/steel_puzzle_sphere_1.html