Personal Learning Theory

My Personal Learning Theory

Different people believe that a formal education has diverse purposes. Some believe that a formal education is to create a rich environment full of social interaction, which is conducive to the social learning theory. Some believe that the only tool a formal education provides the student with is the idea of how to “get ahead” and by this I mean graduate, get a job, and become “successful” in life. I believe that the main purpose of a formal education should be to educate; to teach, encourage, and foster learning as well as an intrinsic motivation to learn.

As teachers, it is important to realize that people have different learning preferences so that we can reach every student in the classroom. Although one person may be a kinesthetic learner, another may be a visual learner. One way I believe that learning can be enhanced regardless of these differences is by increasing self-efficacy in every student. I believe this is the groundwork for learning. If students believe in themselves and feel competent in a particular situation, they are more likely to succeed. If they feel confident, they will want to learn more. There is an opposite side of this spectrum. If a student acquires a learned helplessness, the desire to learn will diminish. In this case, we need to amplify the student’s self-efficacy thereby decreasing that feeling of learned helplessness.

Another way to foster this intrinsic motivation to learn is perfectly aligned with Piaget’s theory and the state of disequilibrium. One way that we can be led to this disequilibrium is by using co-constructed processes as a form of learning. As students discuss their preconceived schemas with each other they may become unsatisfied with their, and a feeling of discomfort may arise. This discomfort then motivates the students to continue searching for a state of equilibrium. By using these co-constructed processes, learners can find that state of disequilibrium and become motivated to find a balance. This is a great way to encourage learning.

I feel that engagement is another excellent way of fostering a desire to learn. The more engaged time the learner has, the more likely they will want to learn the information being taught. A learner is engaged when they can relate the material to themselves or their prior knowledge. One way that this can be done is by using the KWL strategy. This helps students access prior knowledge, figure out what they want to learn from the lesson, and then evaluate what they did learn. By having this at the beginning of the lesson, students become engaged in the topic and want to see what else they can learn about the topic. Engagement is a key to learning.

As mentioned before, the one main purpose of a formal education should be to educate. In order to achieve this end, students must learn to become critical thinkers. In order to ensure this learning, students need to truly learn the materials being taught. One way that students can learn the materials so that the concepts stay with them throughout the years is by using distributed practice. Practicing concepts several times over a long period of time using rest intervals is a great way to instill these concepts. This in turn adds to the conditional knowledge of the learner. If someone is truly learning, they are retaining the information being taught and using it several years into the future. Distributed practice demonstrates a true desire to learn.

One final way to foster this learning and intrinsic motivation to learn is by having an educationally sound classroom. The learner must be immersed in a learning environment. Classroom management is the key to creating this learning rich environment. One technique is to have behavioral objectives set so that there are no distractions to the learning process. Also, using positive and negative reinforcements are an excellent way to maintain a healthy learning environment, free of behavioral problems. By creating an environment like this, students are able to become more engaged in the lessons and become intrinsically motivated to learn.

Students need to love learning. They need to be intrinsically motivated to learn. By achieving these very difficult tasks, real learning will take place. The main purpose of a formal education should be to educate. Likewise the student’s main responsibility should be to learn.