Learning Philosophy
Preparing students to be lifelong learners and critical thinkers remains the main focus of my teaching philosophy. It is important for me to design an exciting, encouraging, and positive learning environment where students feel comfortable expressing their ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Students should not fear being looked down upon when they make mistakes, express their thoughts, or ask naive questions. This will only hurt students' self-esteem, which will damage their confidence.
A relaxed and calm environment will help students be more productive and willing to participate, and learning will come more naturally to them. It will also help them build stronger relationships with their peers and motivate them when they face challenges in school or in their lives. Developing self-confidence and self-esteem goes hand in hand with academic learning.
Learning is the process by which we acquire new knowledge and understanding. Everyone has an inherent need to learn, but learning is different for everyone. Each of us brings our preconceptions and previous experiences. Therefore, each of us should have individual opportunities that allow us to see patterns, relationships, and discrepancies between the new information and our previous knowledge (Donovan, Bransford & Pellegrino, 1999).
Teachers must develop strategies that allow students to make these connections between their previous experiences and newly gained information. Learning with understanding is often harder to accomplish than simply memorizing, and it takes more time (Donovan et al, 1999).
Growing up, I remember that my only goal was to get good grades, never thinking about really understanding what I was being taught or how I could apply it. Most of my teachers followed primarily a behavioral approach, using positive and negative reinforcement and punishment in response to good or bad behavior. They didn't care if we understood, but only if we knew what they were teaching us.
Now I am aware of the difference between the two terms, knowing and understanding. I try to focus more on really understanding what I am learning, what connections I can make with the experiences I already have, and how I can apply what I am learning. I learn by observing others and doing things myself.
I consider myself constructivist and cognitivist. I believe that people learn by doing things themselves, and I also believe that well-presented and organized material helps students to remember it, understand it better, and achieve their learning goals. I believe that by enabling problem-based learning, students will have a better sense of how to use and apply what they learn.
My goal is to design classes that build on what my students already know and provide opportunities for them to put what they learn into practice. I want to encourage them to be persistent when faced with challenging tasks and to become self-regulated learners so that they can take an active role in their education.
By using an electronic portfolio (e-portfolio), students can better assess their learning. Through its use, students will be able to express their thoughts while monitoring their knowledge and understanding (Donovan, et al, 1999). In addition, this metacognition activity will help them develop their ability to learn independently, as it is more meaningful for students when they are involved in what they are learning.
​
​
References
​
Donovan, S., Bransford, J., Pellegrino, J. (1999). How People Learn: Bridging Research and Practice. Committee on
Learning Research and Educational Practice, National Research Council. Retrieved from How People Learn.pdf
​
Harapnuik, D. (2021). Learner Mindset Explained. It's About Learning. Retrieved from
https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=8705
​
Harapnuik, D. (2021). Reignite the Learner's Mindset. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/view/WNrNvvkVm9HnRi9jnsAj/
​
What teachers should know about learning theories. The Education Bureau (HK), and the University of Hong Kong.
Retrieved from https://kb.edu.hku.hk/learning_theory_history/
​
Wheeler S. (2020). Learning theories for the Digital Age. Learning with ‘e’s.
Retrieved from http://www.steve-wheeler.co.uk/2013/05/learning-theories-for-digital-age.html