Module 1-How do people learn best?

People learn best in various ways. According to Driscoll (2005), learning is defined by several things. First is the changing of an individual's performance. Next is that the change comes as a result of the individual's experience and dealings with others. Determining what experiences and relationships affect learning is the basis of a learning theory.

In my opinion, people learn best by being involved with the process. For example, when I want to teach my students how to access a new program on a computer, I don't give them a handout or show them with a projector and expect them to learn it. I give them the computer, show them, and let them do it. They will learn by doing, then that learning will be firmly acquired for more than a short term when they are actually able to apply the knowledge often and in different ways. Currently, my students are involved in a novel study. Each class has read a different novel with an emphasis on theme, characterization, plot, summary, and mood. They have discussed it, written it, proven it, and now they are applying it through the online projects they are creating. These projects involve collaboration through technology as well as through personal interactions. Before beginning, I determined what it is I wanted them to be able to do. Quite simply, I want them to be able to recognize character traits, identify theme and differentiate between theme and topic. I want them to read - not just what the words say - but the meanings that are deeper and will allow them to transfer this knowledge to other works of literature and texts. I want them to be able to think critically about what they read.

Learning will occur when the information is transformed into knowledge. In other words, when the information is discovered, applied, relevant, and meaningful it will be learned. Learning requires more than just a list of facts, it requires an interaction between the learner and everything else. The teacher should talk less and listen more. The students need the time to process what they have learned through activity and sharing with each other.



Technology can provide a tool for the educational revolution some are declaring we need.

As a tool, technology can help educators find ways to help students be more creative, to think, to plan, to solve problems, to collaborate - all those skills our kids will need in the future (Wagner, 2008).



Learning theory in education can provide a guideline to creating ways to teach with technology and involve students more in their own learning. A strong basis in theory will help the teacher to teach what is needed in the way it is needed. Without theory even the wonders of technology cannot be helpful to the instruction of a student. Theory provides the backbone of instruction. Working to understand how people learn will help us to understand the right way to teach. I believe everyone learns differently. This blending of ideas and tools will create a learning environment that is geared toward the students' needs.



References:

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Wagner, T. (2008) The global achievement gap. New York, NY: Basic Books.