Benjamin Ayres
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY COACH
A Discovery on How People Learn
By Benjamin Ayres
Introduction
This is a picture of me resting next to a temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.
(Photo credit: Phillip West)
Understanding Learning
"Learning should be a joy and full of excitement. It is life's greatest adventure; it is an illustrated excursion into the minds of the noble and the learned."
Taylor Caldwell
Learning is an adventure. The quest for knowledge and understanding has led me to areas where I never thought I would go. The nature of learning has always been a fascinating subject for me. I see the brain as and the philosophy of learning to be an uncharted land full of fascinating new discoveries around every corner. Through the past week I have trekked into the jungle of the mind and have discovered the secrets to the fascinating science of learning. Throughout this journey we will take a look at the foundations of learning, understanding new ideas, the keys to being an expert, why it is important as a technologist, and finally teaching methods that support learning.
My first destination was to the understanding of learning. Learning is the ability to understand a topic in a functional and dynamic way. I often thought memory and understanding is not the same. True understanding builds upon preexisting knowledge. Its functional understanding comes from conditioned thinking. Experts have not only acquired knowledge, but are also good at retrieving the knowledge that is relevant to a particular task. (Donovan, S., Bransford, J., & Pellegrino, J., 2000, p. 43)
This is a picture of prayer mountain on a missions trip in the Phillipines.
(Photo credit: Andre Jackson)
Expertise
One cannot travel without first consulting an expert; but where does expertise come from? Experts condition their thinking by accessing only relative knowledge. Experts can see patterns of information. Experts have varied pools of knowledge. “Experts’ abilities to reason and solve problems depend on well-organized knowledge that affects what they notice and how they represent problems. (Donovan, S., et al., 2000, p. 48) Experts can retrieve knowledge with fluidity. We must train our students to become experts at assimilating and retrieving relative information.
This is a picture of me testing my camera during a photo retreat.
(Photo credit: Trevor Anderson)
Using Knowledge
Just as in traveling we must choose the best mode of transportation to get to our destination; as teachers we also must understand the best methods in which to support learning in our classrooms. Student centered learning focuses on the student’s needs and learning styles. Knowledge centered learning focuses on building knowledge base so that understanding and functional knowledge flourish. Social motivation provides structure for motivating students by creating a social link for learning. Challenging students also motivates then as long as the stages are achievable. There also must be a use for the learning goal otherwise students fail to see the relevance and lack the motivation.
Feeding the monkeys at the Bali Temples.
(Photo credit: Jeanadette Ayres)
Making Connections
In our trip around the concept of learning we must visit how people understand new ideas. People understand new ideas by making connections to previous knowledge. Learning is an active process where the learner is involved in the process. It takes time to get a firm grasp of complex problems. People learn in stages of difficulties. It takes a period of reflection in order to fully absorb new ideas. “Formative assessments ongoing assessments designed to make students thinking visible to both teachers and students are essential. They permit the teacher to grasp the students preconceptions understand where the students are in the “developmental corridor” from informal to formal thinking, and design instruction accordingly. In the assessment-centered classroom environment, formative assessments help both teachers and students monitor progress.” (Donovan, S.,et al., 2000, p. 24)
This is a picture of a few students exploring the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) robots.
(Photo credit: Benjamin Ayres)
Shaping Instruction
As adventurers into the field of technology we need to consider the outcomes of how people learn for many reasons. The way students learn should shape the technologies and format of our instruction. There are many different learning styles and educational technology provides only tools to reach understanding. Every student is different. As educators we need to become student centered so we can make adventurers for the future.
This is a picture of me in Norway on the top of a Fyjord.
(Photo credit: Cindy Ayres)
Conclusion
Directed by the sun, we have trekked through ebbs and flows of learning. Learning is dynamic and exciting. Creating experts in learning and understanding takes time. It come in stages and needs to be catered to each individual’s passions. It is not an easy path to tread but treasures wait for the adventurer of learning.
This is a picture of me facing my fears and parasailing in Pokarah.
(Photo credit: Benjamin Ayres)