As far as my viewe on learning theories and how they are implemented it really has not changed too excessively thanks to my time in this course. But I can say for certain that I can now put names with many of the concepts that I have used during my teaching careeer thus far. I've also learned more of the nuts and bolts of how these theories work and I've found this part extremely interesting. When looking at the way that I personally learn I still see it in much the same way, but with more understanding of the why of it in some cases.
I've learned that some individuals learn through auditory means while some others learn visually, but others can still learn in other ways depending on the subject. This has been explained more fully through the readings and discussions we've had in this course, I think. I know understand why I learn let's say math visually while I best get English in a lecture setting with required readings, some of which are done aloud in class.
Technology plays a huge way in the way that I learn today. I take classes on my laptop, check my e-mail from those courses on my Blackberry, I do research on the internet, and I type papers on said laptop with Microsoft Word, as well as many other educational tasks. Without technology none of this would be possible and so I feel that technology has truly revolutionized the ways in which we teach and learn in the world today. Without most of these technical advances the way that I now take classes and learn would be utterly impossible.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thpoughts on this week and my assignment
Connectivism and mind mapping are very interesting subjects that we;ve covered in my class thios week. As far as Connectivism goes I can see hopw it is an important learning theory, but as far as the mind mapping soites I checked out went I found them useless and very difficult to navigate. many would not allow me to download and so part of my assignment for this week could not be done.
This Week's Assignment
Connectivism is a good way to look at learning as whole. By looking at it in thiws manner one can see how different aspects of one's process can come to together to either hinder or facilitate opne learning experiences. Just like with the mind mapping, which I tried many times to download, Connectivism is about the joint connectedness that is found in any good learning environment. Especially as was stated in "Connectivism" the video "It is a learnig theory that integrates theory and technology". I feel that this is extremely important as much learninhg will be done hand in hamd with technology in the classrooms of this century and beyond.
As far as the way that my connections facilitate learning is that if I'm stuck on a thought or question then I have several options from around the globe who are awake at different times thanks to their geopgraphical location so as I may ask them a question or two. Also i can type my wquestion into Google or Yahoo search engines.
I find that yahoo is one of my best tools, but I've found blogs and other online resources just as helpful. Also I feel that this goes deeper as we all learn and use technologhy each day. For example, a few monthes ago I got my first BNlacvkberry and thus then I went on the learning adventure that is required out of one to understand and use properly all that one is capable of. Somedays I still have to ask a few wquestions about or why I do what.
I feel that my personal learning network goes hand in hand with many of the tenets of Connectivism as I find that many parts of it are inerconnected in different ways so as each helps the other, in my opinion. But these syustems are catered on a personal basis and the interconnections that work for me maty not work for another who th8inks even slightly differently than I do.
This Week's Assignment
Connectivism is a good way to look at learning as whole. By looking at it in thiws manner one can see how different aspects of one's process can come to together to either hinder or facilitate opne learning experiences. Just like with the mind mapping, which I tried many times to download, Connectivism is about the joint connectedness that is found in any good learning environment. Especially as was stated in "Connectivism" the video "It is a learnig theory that integrates theory and technology". I feel that this is extremely important as much learninhg will be done hand in hamd with technology in the classrooms of this century and beyond.
As far as the way that my connections facilitate learning is that if I'm stuck on a thought or question then I have several options from around the globe who are awake at different times thanks to their geopgraphical location so as I may ask them a question or two. Also i can type my wquestion into Google or Yahoo search engines.
I find that yahoo is one of my best tools, but I've found blogs and other online resources just as helpful. Also I feel that this goes deeper as we all learn and use technologhy each day. For example, a few monthes ago I got my first BNlacvkberry and thus then I went on the learning adventure that is required out of one to understand and use properly all that one is capable of. Somedays I still have to ask a few wquestions about or why I do what.
I feel that my personal learning network goes hand in hand with many of the tenets of Connectivism as I find that many parts of it are inerconnected in different ways so as each helps the other, in my opinion. But these syustems are catered on a personal basis and the interconnections that work for me maty not work for another who th8inks even slightly differently than I do.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Posting on the brain and learning
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/zull.htm
This is a site that I like as it discusses the art of teaching and how it is really up to the students as to determine how they learn.
Also it discusses how science plays a role in this process as well as it splits the brain into four segments of learning: sensory cortex, back integrative cortex, front integrative cortex, and motor cortex. I found this site insightful and educational and I think it could be helpful with further inspection of this subject matter.
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/diamond_brain_response.htm
This site was interesting as it talked of changes that occurred within the brain during the lifetime of the subject animals. It talked about morphological changes that occured with in the brain and the result.
I found this interesting because if transferred to human brains it can help explain how our brains change over time and thus how our learning processes can morph as well. I also found interesting the section on changes to the cerebral cortex. In it there was a section on how the experiment was conducted and how newness was brought into the equation at a variabnle rate to see how it affected the subjects of the study. This is an important variable, I believe, as if transferred to the classroom this can show how new stimuli can affect a student's learning as well.
This is a site that I like as it discusses the art of teaching and how it is really up to the students as to determine how they learn.
Also it discusses how science plays a role in this process as well as it splits the brain into four segments of learning: sensory cortex, back integrative cortex, front integrative cortex, and motor cortex. I found this site insightful and educational and I think it could be helpful with further inspection of this subject matter.
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/diamond_brain_response.htm
This site was interesting as it talked of changes that occurred within the brain during the lifetime of the subject animals. It talked about morphological changes that occured with in the brain and the result.
I found this interesting because if transferred to human brains it can help explain how our brains change over time and thus how our learning processes can morph as well. I also found interesting the section on changes to the cerebral cortex. In it there was a section on how the experiment was conducted and how newness was brought into the equation at a variabnle rate to see how it affected the subjects of the study. This is an important variable, I believe, as if transferred to the classroom this can show how new stimuli can affect a student's learning as well.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Blog APP 2
I am commenting today on http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html
I feel that design is prevalent in everyday life, whether we are the one's engineering some new type of thing or merely experiencing something in the everyday world that surrounds us. I agree that art symbolizes the one that designed it in many ways, but on the other hand art, much like writing or any other creative pursuit, comes from a place deep inside us and thus it may not reflect who we are on the outside at all.
But I think that the exact opposite is true as we venture into Instructional Design. I feel that we should focus on adding a part of who we are to the diverse classroom experiences that we, as educators, create to help our students, and possibly colleagues, to get certain learning principles and ideas. I feel that if we do not give this part of us to our teaching then our students will see that it lacks some part of the thing that would make it truly successful and thus it would be flawed at a primordial level.
Secondly, while I agree with the sentiment that less is more I can't help but wonder why we think this is so. Certainly, it is better to be concise rather than verbose, but what if those extra ten words are needed to get exactly what we are trying to say across to the audience that we wish to inform, educate, or entertain.
One size fits all does not work with education as we have seen over the past two weeks in both our readings and electronic resources. Different individuals learn in different manners and so they must be taught in different ways so as to get the full effect of the eduycation that they seek. We must adapt to overcome the differences between the ways in which we teach and the ways in which our students do learn.
I feel that design is prevalent in everyday life, whether we are the one's engineering some new type of thing or merely experiencing something in the everyday world that surrounds us. I agree that art symbolizes the one that designed it in many ways, but on the other hand art, much like writing or any other creative pursuit, comes from a place deep inside us and thus it may not reflect who we are on the outside at all.
But I think that the exact opposite is true as we venture into Instructional Design. I feel that we should focus on adding a part of who we are to the diverse classroom experiences that we, as educators, create to help our students, and possibly colleagues, to get certain learning principles and ideas. I feel that if we do not give this part of us to our teaching then our students will see that it lacks some part of the thing that would make it truly successful and thus it would be flawed at a primordial level.
Secondly, while I agree with the sentiment that less is more I can't help but wonder why we think this is so. Certainly, it is better to be concise rather than verbose, but what if those extra ten words are needed to get exactly what we are trying to say across to the audience that we wish to inform, educate, or entertain.
One size fits all does not work with education as we have seen over the past two weeks in both our readings and electronic resources. Different individuals learn in different manners and so they must be taught in different ways so as to get the full effect of the eduycation that they seek. We must adapt to overcome the differences between the ways in which we teach and the ways in which our students do learn.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
EDU 6115 1st Blog
This is my first Blog for EDU 6115 at Walden University. I haven't Blogged in years, so it's nice to be back out in the Blogosphere once more. The course I'm taking is based on Learning Theories and Instruction and this Blog will be devoted to doing work for this class.
I am working on my MS in Instructional Design.
Blog: Instructional Design for eLearning Approaches: http://ideas.blogs.com/
This Blog was good for some of its points on the difference in business learners and traditional learners. I feel that the information contained could help with some of the technical, shall we say, aspects of Instructional Design, at least for me. Also it speaks, with references, to the benefits of on-line learning, and as an on-line student this is something I always like to learn more about.
Streaming Video: Blogs in Plain English by Common Craft: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI
I liked the way that this Blog explained Blogs and their power. I think that while this is a great history lesson for all who might be interested in Blogging it also has the power to push one to use the power of the Blog to get their message out and to possibly meet like-minded individuals out in the Blogosphere. I feel that if nothing else this would be a positive, motivating Blog that might push me to write a Blog even if I didn't feel like it. I liked the way that each aspect of Blogging was laid out so as anyone could understand them.
http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html
I liked how this Blog discussed the principles of Design. I think that many of these can be translated into the area of Instructional Design. I like this site because it has so much on it. There are links to many places where the different aspects of Design as a theory are talked about. It also gives all the principles of Design, which I found interesting as well. I liked its lists on the keys to good design and many other of the informational lists that were available here.
I am working on my MS in Instructional Design.
Blog: Instructional Design for eLearning Approaches: http://ideas.blogs.com/
This Blog was good for some of its points on the difference in business learners and traditional learners. I feel that the information contained could help with some of the technical, shall we say, aspects of Instructional Design, at least for me. Also it speaks, with references, to the benefits of on-line learning, and as an on-line student this is something I always like to learn more about.
Streaming Video: Blogs in Plain English by Common Craft: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI
I liked the way that this Blog explained Blogs and their power. I think that while this is a great history lesson for all who might be interested in Blogging it also has the power to push one to use the power of the Blog to get their message out and to possibly meet like-minded individuals out in the Blogosphere. I feel that if nothing else this would be a positive, motivating Blog that might push me to write a Blog even if I didn't feel like it. I liked the way that each aspect of Blogging was laid out so as anyone could understand them.
http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html
I liked how this Blog discussed the principles of Design. I think that many of these can be translated into the area of Instructional Design. I like this site because it has so much on it. There are links to many places where the different aspects of Design as a theory are talked about. It also gives all the principles of Design, which I found interesting as well. I liked its lists on the keys to good design and many other of the informational lists that were available here.
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