Learning+Theories

After reading and re-reading about constructivism, connectivism, and cyborg learning theories, I was finally able to make connections with the staff development we have been doing as a district for the past three years. As a balanced literacy trainer on my campus, I can see that we are heading in the right direction. The purpose of balanced literacy is to get our students to become independent learners. We want our students to learn how to learn. We emphasis the metacognitive strategies: making connections, visualizing, questioning, inferring, determining importance, monitoring comprehension, and synthesizing. In the constructivism learning theory, students solve problems and gather new knowledge by making connections, searching for new information by asking questions, and discuss and collaborating with others. Learning is problem-based rather than drill-and-practice. Students synthesize new experiences with old to gain new understandings and solve problems. Technology is a tool that can be used to help students solve problems. Connectivism also considers technology as an important tool. Students need to understand where to find knowledge needed, many times that tool is technology based. In connectivism, learning is a continual process. Making connections facilitates continual learning. The cyborg theory is the one I least understood and, definitely, will need to research more. It is founded on the way humans and machines interact. Technology use is growing and changing just as humans are evolving. Education focuses on preparing students to adapt to the rapid changes they will face. We are preparing our students for a future that is uncertain.