Reading the materials from this course led me to discover new information on how I learn. In week 1, based on the readings from Ertmer and Newby and from past experiences, I wrote that my primary learning mode is behaviorism. Although I still utilize the simplicity of observable behaviors and the effectiveness of reinforcements for my own learning and benefits, I realized that I also learn, and have learned, from other theories. Reading about the Constructivist and Social Learning Theories gave me my "a-ha" moment for this course.
According to Ertmer and Newby, the constructivist theory "equates learning with creating meaning from experience, "(pg. 62). The journal article also mentioned that what's true for an individual may not be true to others. These two elements of the constructivist theory, previously unknown to me, explain specific learning I have experienced before. Part of my multiple subject credential program introduced me to strategies on how to teach and reach students with special needs. Although the information presented made sense, I was not able to internalize the meaning and the importance of the strategies until I was experiencing it. Even though I learned the information about a year before my experience, the meaning wasn't constructed until I was put in that situation. My experience working in a Title I school also led me to believe the point of view that working in a low income community is more difficult than working for a more affluent community true. Teachers on the opposite end might see my statement false, but in reality we are all correct...an example of constructivist theory.
According to Beaumie Kim, in social learning theory the learners build knowledge during social process and when participants are engaged in social activities. This learning was especially true for me during my two years in BTSA. The after school sessions that were conducted once a month provided the participants the opportunities to learn from support providers through small groups, informal, and formal conversations. Such social activities also gave me the chance to extend my skills by interacting with more knowledgeable members of that particular environment, an important element of the social learning theory.
Technology plays an important role in my learning due to the fact that it is a part of my professional, educational, and personal life. For my learning, the primary role of technology is to search for the most useful and reliable information, anywhere and anytime, without wasting valuable time. According to Lim "Internet technologies allow learners to access up to date information anywhere and anytime" (pg. 16), and this statement is highly applicable to me. I find myself constantly searching for information through my phone, or connecting to a wi-fi in a coffee shop, in able to do so, and with the goal of accomplishing it in acceptable time. The main key is for the information to be useful and reliable, and I believe that such efficiency comes with time, practice, and guidance from knowledgeable peers and professors.
Technology also assists me to store my learning. Being able to access a library without worrying about getting there, or closing time, led me to search and use more information for my learning. Having the ability to store huge amount of outputs from the internet, and take the information with me where ever I go without carrying a single piece of paper, has impacted my learning significantly. 21st century technology also enables me to manipulate the stored information by organizing them in a manner that would allow me to retrieve them in seconds.
Ruther Romey
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