Week 9: "What is learning?" and "How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher/trainer?"

This week's reading reemphasized to me the reality that students must crawl out of their unmotivated shells to seek help, which enables learning. It demonstrated to me that students are the ones who decide what, if anything, they learn. The best teachers in the world will have students that don't learn from them.
With that said, it's time for a little story. Throughout my entire junior high and high school career, I can think of two teachers that I actually respected. One was a History teacher, the other an English teacher (as a side note, in college I majored in English and minored in History). These teachers were good at what they taught, but I respected them for more than that. These were teachers I never even considered making fun of, or intentionally trying to make their job tougher. I sought learning from them, and it was mastery based, not performance. I still can't pinpoint a simple answer as to why they earned my trust, that I could learn from them and could seek their help when needed. I just share this to admit that while it is dependent on the student to find the motivation to learn, teachers can make a difference in helping them acquire that motivation.

Week 8: "What is learning?" and "How can learning be best effectuated by a teacher/trainer?"

Learning is the process through which Understanding replaces ignorance. Something Piaget said in his article from this week concerning the term operation struck a chord with my definition of learning. He mentioned that "to know an object is to act on it." (Piaget, Cognitive Development in Children, S8). I agree that a physical action or operation demonstrates the acquisition of some form of development, which explains learning, according to Piaget. I might understand a concept concerning making cookies, but until I actually make cookies, I don't have confidence in knowing that concept. Confidence seems to result from some form of action regarding a concept. It doesn't mean that I have to experience a broken arm to know it hurts. I know it hurts because I have experienced other bodily pain and I can make the connection. Some form of action has occurred.
Therefore, teachers will do well to remember the value of action in their lessons, or student participation. Participation allows student to act, which allows students demonstrate knowledge, and gain confidence in their ability to perform that learning again and again.