Reflection

During the course of the class, I have learned a lot material that I can use as an instructional designer and as an aspiring teacher.  What surprised me was that one learning theory or style applies to one person. It’s a mixture that best describes some learning style.  I will take what I learned about learning styles and theories and apply them to teaching in my classroom. I realize that everyone does not learn the same and as a teacher I have to do as much as I can to make sure each student can take something from the lesson. I was also introduced to other learning theories such as social learning theory, constructivism, and connectivism. There is a theory for just about every type of learning.  I also learned more about myself as a learner. I furthered my understanding of how I learn. By understanding how I learn, I can study better and become a better teacher. I’m the type of learner that has to read it, write it, and then repeat. I also learned by moving or being kinetic. My learning style could never fit into one category.  The same is true for everyone. The learning theories and style are to be used as blueprints to teach or understand how learning takes place.

The most important thing I learned from this course is the importance of motivation.  A student’s the motivation can make or break them in a course they are taking. Motivation is a two way street. Motivation can come from the students and their life or from the instructor. Motivation can also determine the outcome of the class and the students’ attitude about the class and the instructor. As an instructional designer we have to take motivation into account when design a curriculum or a class.  The use of the ARCS model can provide help when trying to analyze what motivates learners to learn.  As an instructional designer we can use ARCS model to design a class and to fix motivation for success within the class. Motivation can also be encouraged within a class. An example would be instructors sending their students encouraging words in an email or students interacting together through a blog. A student can have self-motivation. The desire to succeed can motivate a student to strive to do their absolute best in the class and ultimately strive to be the best in their field. Motivation is like the secret weapon for a success classroom environment.

What I learn in this course will help me in the field of instructional design because it provided me with knowledge of learning styles and theories. By being aware of learning styles and theories, I will be able to bring those into play when design curriculums and classes to make sure I reach every student or provide them with a way that they can comprehend the material. The knowledge of how important motivation is essential to designing a successful class or curriculum. Motivation with understanding learning is a recipe for success.  I enjoy what I learned in this class and I am looking forward to what else I will learn on the road to becoming an instructional designer.

Fitting The Pieces Together

Throughout these past weeks I have been learning a lot about learn theories and the way the mind works. To be completely honest its a lot to digest. It really has me thinking about how important learning processes are. My views on learning has changed completely. I always knew everyone learned differently but it never crossed my mind how complex  the learning process could be. There is not one learning theory that is the correct way to learn. Most people, myself included can take bits and pieces from multiple theories and make up our own unique learning process. I don't think one learning theory or style is for anyone.  For my own learning process I can draw from the behaviorist, cognitive, social learning, connectivism, and adult learning theories to create my learning process. From the behaviorism theory I can used modeling to encourage learning. In some subject like math, I learn by observing then trying to solve the problem exactly like I observed. In the cognitive theory, encoding, storage, and retrieval is my key to success. If I can master breaking down the material (encoding), storing it, and then retrieving its smooth sailing. I do this my making up songs or trying to relate the material to something in my everyday life, Social learning and adult learning can be linked together. I learn by posting and reading the discussions of my classmates. Through adult learning I can learn some what at my own pace and organize my learning according to my schedule. Finally, from the connectivism theory the use of networking is essential. Our networking system is our blogs and other educational blogs dealing with instructional design. As far as technology goes, technology is the building block of my learning. Without it I could not participate in online learning or do research. Through technology, I can record my information in PowerPoint or one note, I can do research, and create something as simple as this blog. What I have learned about learning theories and styles will help me as an instructional designer and a future teacher. I will be able to relate to all my students and design way to reach all of them.

Connectivism

Here is my learning network. This network has a tremendous impact on my learning and my education. My network influence the way I think and how I complete my work. Online learning it a new experience for me and at times I have a hard time keeping afloat. Working can be both an hindrance and a learning tool. At both my jobs I learn leadership skills that will help me in my future career.
As far as gaining knowledge and trying to search for answers I rely on the internet. I use search engines such as google and online databases. I look for ways to connect what I am learning to everyday life.
My learning style reflects connectivism because my learning focus on how to code and retrieve the information I am learning. Also with connectivism my learning has the... "ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill." (Davis, C, Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008).) I can connect my learning with my job and everyday life. I use my support system to encourage me to keep learning and pursuing my degree. The map reflects how I learn and what can be my potential hindrance. 

References

Davis, C, Edmunds, E, & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <November 29, 2012>, fromhttp://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Memory and the Brain

We all rely on memory to get us through life. Whether we are learning or trying to remember a simple grocery list, memory is something we rely heavily on. Tied to memory is the information processing theory. The are many theories about information processing. One that I found interesting was levels of processing theory. Levels of process theory says "...learners utilize different levels of elaboration as they process information."(Huitt, W 2003)  The way we process information depends on how we receive the information. It is kind of like the light bulb effect. Something stimulates learning and we began to process it. Something else I found interesting was the assumption of a limited capacity. It the thought that we have a capacity to how much information we can process. Honesty, I do feel sometimes my brain has met its capacity because I'm trying to retain so much information. There is a difference in between remembering something short term and processing it into long term memory.
Memory and learning is very important in the classroom. As a teacher, I would have to find way to help my student retain the information they are learning. I have to plan my lessons to play on their emotions. "Information is easiest to digest when there is emotional "seasoning" — humor, empathy, sadness, and fear all make "dry" facts easier to swallow." (Dr. Bruce Perry) Also want my students to be able to connect the lesson to something they can remember to allow retrieval to be easier.
Both article I read very very informative. I learn a lot of information I can use in the future. I would refer to these sources again.

References

 

Huitt, W. (2003).The Information Processing Approah to Cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [ November 9, 2012], from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/infoproc.htm

 

Perry, B. (2012). How the brain learns best. Scholastic Journal. Retrieved [November 9, 2012] from http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/brainlearns.htm  

Week 1 Post

I read 3blogs related to instructional design and the education field. The articles I read gave some insight on instructional design and the changes it can make to the education field. In the blog "10 Qualities of the Ideal Instructional Designer," describes characteristics of an instructional designer. Out of the top 10 list of instructional designers qualities the ones that stood out to me are 1. conceptually and intuitively understand how people learn, 4. be obsessed with learning everything, 5. brainstorm creative treatments and innovative instructional designers. These are characteristics things we are currently learning in our program. http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/10-qualities-of-the-ideal-instructional-designer/
The second I read was about 3 fairly new trends in higher education. The article talks about different schools and the programs that are using in their curriculum. The three new trends took innovation and instructional design. The 3 new trends are competency learning, personalized student learning, and changing the role of the instructor. Competency learning is fast pace learning that does not require attendance. Basically when the student feels ready they take the test to determine whether they passed or not. Personalized student learning is choose what learning style is best for them and customize their program. This allows the student to be flexible and learn to their best abilities. The final trend is changing the role of the professor. The role of the professor is now a mentor. Students use peer to peer learning and study groups. "The professor is not the only source of knowledge." The professor is now an advisor. http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/three-trends-in-higher-education-that-defy-the-status-quo/
The final blog i read was about using instructional model for e-learning. The blog discussed topics we read about this week (behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism). The blog also attached a copy of the paper he wrote about instructional design and e-learning. http://reflectivereading.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/an-instructional-model-for-web-based-e-learning-education-with-a-blended-learning-process-approach-alonso-et-al/ I think all the blogs I read were well written. I will refer back to these blogs throughout my course work.