Class Reflections

     Overall, I have enjoyed my learning experience in our Learning and Assessment class.  I'm not going to lie, the title of the class sounds extremely boring.  And when we first walked in and had to find our way to our tables using the weird directions we got I definitely thought it would be a class where we participated in annoying activities that none of us really enjoyed.  Basically, I thought it would be one of those classes where all students want to do is take the notes and get out.  However, when we started talking about why we went back to the same seats the second day I was intrigued, and from that point on I found the class to be extremely different from what I had expected.  I love how the lessons we are taught about the different learning theories are taught incorporating ideas from the learning theories-- it makes the theories much easier to understand!  And I also love the example lessons, such as the lesson on moon phases-- this is the example I refer to when thinking about DLT.  One other thing I enjoy is the amount of connecting that we do in class-- for example, instead of sending us home to think about how the different learning theories connect and writing them into a paper Professor Kruse had us draw up maps connecting the theories-- this visual representation and group work really helped me to better understand the concept.  

     There aren't many thing about the class I don't like.  I still feel a little uncomfortable with the idea of how we are graded because I'm not used to it, but I'm hoping to get more acquainted with it as the class goes on.  Other than that I have found the class to be extremely interesting, partly because of the content and partly because of how it is being taught.  The one thing I would possibly request more of would be more group activities, like creating web maps, because sometimes simply talking with a group about a subject doesn't connect with me as well as performing tasks together that visually pop into my head and help me remember-- DLT anyone?

Reflection on DLT and SLT

Reflecting on what I have learned about the Developmental Learning Theory, I feel I am really beginning to understand the concept of breaking things down into their most concrete forms.  This doesn’t simply mean their most basic forms, it means their most familiar and real forms.  The way I view it, it is a process of taking difficult concepts, finding their most relatable parts, and having students work with those parts because they can best identify with them.  I am beginning to see how Professor Kruse uses it in class every day, and I definitely felt like I was strongly grasping the concept after we had our lesson on the phases of the moon.  I have also found that I really love the idea of going from concrete to abstract, then back to concrete, and so on.  I am someone who loves being pushed to think outside the box and if the entire lesson was concrete I don’t think I would be very interested (if it was entirely abstract I wouldn’t know what was going on)! 

            Today we learned about the Social Learning Theory.  I’m glad we’re starting work on another theory so I can learn how to intertwine multiple ones!  The part of the Social Learning Theory that I found the most interesting was the term “most knowledgeable peer.”  I think this is a very accurate term and it is probably not widespread enough throughout the realm of education.  The term doesn’t sound demeaning and is completely correct in it’s definition—it is simply a peer who has the most knowledge in the area.  I can also understand why language is such an important part of the Social Learning Theory since language is a social construct.  How we word things is extremely important when teaching!

How DLT can inform all aspects of teaching

            I strongly feel that most of my education has been presented to me in a behaviorist manner.  Even in college I find I am still subject to classes that operate on a rewards-system basis, and I am unsure as to how my teachers feel this method is effective.  After all, are the correct answers on a test a sure sign I have fully understood the required material?

            The answer is no, and I find it ridiculous that throughout most of my life I have been subjected to reinforced and rewards-based learning.  When has this truly proven effective?  After all, when Professor Kruse asked about the phases of the moon I found I had almost no idea as to what that encompassed, and I have been taught about moon phases in at least 3 different grades throughout my schooling!  After we learned about the phases of the moon in Learning and Assessment I realized I had never understood them fully, and that example really showed me how important and influential the Developmental Learning Theory is.

            When asked how the Developmental Learning Theory can inform all aspects of teaching I was confused.  Are we being asked how it can inform every subject?  If so, then the basics of it are simple—if we take the most concrete, relatable aspects of the subject and start teaching from them, we are going to be able to connect with the learners on a higher, more efficient level.  However, I also see the question applying to different teaching methods.  Any teaching method can benefit from breaking concepts down into their most relatable parts!  It helps learners to identify with the concept and grasp it in a way that they can understand and hopefully retain the information that goes along with the concept.  What better way to help students understand their education?