How do people learn?

From my experience as a teacher, I find it extremely difficult to narrow down the ways people learn to one method or theory. Even as we are creating our lesson in the Discussion Board I find myself thinking “How can I alter this activity to meet the needs of all of my students?” (differentiation). I think there is something useful in most of the theories, but ultimately feel you need a combination of more than one theory to really meet the needs of all learners. I also feel that the theories are more interconnected than they may appear.

From my introduction, it seems I support aspects of Behaviorism (like the later years which proposed the idea that lessons should not be planned for “whole class” instruction); however my view would also be tied to Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences since I feel people learn in different ways.

I also agree with Cognitivism in the sense that interaction between the learner and the environment are important to learning. I use this concept a lot in Science. I try not to just tell students the information I want them to know-but have them interact with the concepts as well. In my Force and Motion unit, we discuss gravity, velocity, friction, etc. As part of the unit, I have the students create a “roller coaster” –we use pipe insulation and marbles-They have to find a way to use what they have learned to find a way to make the marble stay on the track but still have a “fun factor” in their coaster design. Some students seem to learn more from my direct instruction of the concepts, others seem to learn more from “getting their hands dirty” and testing the concepts on their own. This also goes right along with the Dual Coding Theory of Cognitivism that states, “Students learn more effectively with more than one source of information.” (Dr. Sugar’s lesson on Behavior Theories). I think one could argue this is also an example of Constructivism since it is basing some learning on the students’ experiences.

Ultimately, I feel people learn differently, and as the instructor, it is your job to do all that you can to meet the needs of all learners. In my room, I try to differentiate instruction as much as possible. I always present information verbally and visually. I try to relate concepts to real life as often as possible, and have the kids get involved with learning as much as I can. In Math, for example, I have the students do some work with paper and pencil. I also try to have an activity that has them use the information in a different way (like a game or problem solving activity), and we always talk about how the concept would be used in real life. Often we make up a silly song or rap to help the students remember a concept (again, Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences). I can see/hear some of my students mouthing the songs to themselves on assignments and assessments. I also try to provide time to share answers, and am very open to new ways of doing things. In conclusion, I don’t rely solely on one theory of learning and think it would be hard to do so and still meet the needs of all learners.