"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Albert Einstein
Learning:
I believe that we are meant to learn forever; there is always something that we seek to understand. After moving to a high school classroom from an elementary classroom, it is evident that the students are continually learning, however, as they grow, the fear of failure grows with them. I always tell my students that I will never be disappointed in them for trying. I feel that learning should not have so many rules and limitations on how someone is learning, but guide each student as an aid to reach their full potential.
Teaching and Learning:
When I think of teaching, I think of teachers researching, preparing, and constantly adjusting how they facilitate their classroom so that their students retain important information. Dr. Harapunik refers to teachers as facilitators who are simply there to guide and provide feedback so that learners take ownership of their learning and work. (Harapnuik et al., 2018) When I think of learning, I think of an ongoing and ever-changing process that requires constant thought and an open mind. Honestly, this graduate program has changed so much of how I view both teaching and learning. I probably wouldn’t have had these thoughts regarding both of these topics a few months ago. A prime example of always learning.
The Learner in Me
It has been an ongoing inside joke with my family that I am a “professional student.” Every time I accomplish a goal/skill or complete a task, I am always looking at what else I can learn. Although I was very determined to learn new things, I was also an extreme people pleaser. I wrote about this journey as a recovering people pleaser in my blog. When I decided to enroll in this program, I realized how much I was stuck to one way of learning when learning about COVA. COVA stands for choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning. I was extremely uncomfortable at the beginning of this program…I still have my moments. I remember wanting Dr. H to just tell me what I needed to do so that I could just get an A in the class. I had always been so focused on the grade that I didn’t realize how much of my creativity I was suppressing! This is one of the main issues I want to address in my classroom. As a learner, I am still a person who can hear about a topic over and over again, but it will not matter until I slowly break it down and do it myself. I learn by actually doing. I would have benefited from having my teachers simply act as a facilitator and guide me to take ownership of my learning. I find myself taking every opportunity to implement this in my classroom today.
Learning Theories
I find that my learning philosophy is influenced by Lev Vygotsky, a constructivist. Although my philosophy isn’t only influenced by constructivism, the belief that a constructivism classroom is that the students concentrate on problem-solving, and deep understanding, rather than memorization and that the role of the teacher is to nurture students’ natural curiosity and promote their motivation, and self-regulation seem to align with my innovation plan of using e-portfolios in the dance classroom the best. “Different people, when presented with the same information in the same way, will learn different things. As a result, teaching tends to focus on eliminating the source of the problem: the student’s imagination.”(Thomas & Brown, 2011). Instead of getting rid of creativity because there is no longer one answer, we can embrace that in the dance classroom. My classroom is a place of reflection, problem-solving, collaboration, and confidence while documenting their successes and growth. These skills align with the principles of constructivism.
Annotated Bibliography
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Thomas and Brown break down how technology changed the way people learn and how we may need to think about moving from the traditional way of teaching to better support the learners of today. The authors suggest that the traditional educational model is not suited to today’s culture.
Dweck, C. S. (2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Publishing Group.
Dweck discusses the two primary mindsets, fixed and growth. A growth mindset would be focused on trying new things. On the contrary, is the idea of a fixed mindset. Fixed mindset is when people believe that you were either born with abilities to do things or not. Dweck explores how these two mindsets impact individuals on a personal and professional level.
Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). Choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning. Creative Commons License.
Student-centered learning is the focus of this book. Providing authentic experiences that promote choice, ownership, and voice will create a significant learning environment where learners are engaged. This book has been the most influential to me because it has changed, not only the way I look/approach learning for my students, but also for myself.
Harapnuik, D. (2021, November 10). Four keys to understanding learning theories. https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6344
Harapnuik uses four key points to reveal the importance of understanding learning theories: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The video and table helped me understand the differences between the theories.
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