I am quite happy to learn about a constructivist theory where learning focus tends to shift from the teacher to the students. And the classroom is no longer a place where the teacher (“expert”) pours knowledge into passive students, who wait like empty vessels to be filled. In the constructivist model, the students are urged to be actively involved in their own process of learning.
I remember when I was in college, I thought studying nursing was easy. Before I knew it, we were given a lot of theories to learn from that need to be applied in our practice. We had to endure long hours of discussions, taking notes, watching a demonstration of our clinical instructors, and taking a lot of quizzes almost every day. But the part that I didn’t like the most was doing “return demonstrations” or we simply called it “return demo.” There were two parts: (1) reciting the step-by-step procedures, and (2) demonstrating the procedures. Our instructors were very strict to use our techniques in doing the procedures, even the minor ones, like simply bending your knees not your back during bed-making or lifting a patient or instruments. And if we missed something, they will instruct us to repeat all the steps. However, these lessons and techniques lead us, student nurses, to be confident and self-efficient in the clinical field. Their scaffolding techniques truly molded our knowledge, skills, and attitude. As a result, I was awarded “Best in Team Leadership” in the clinical setting.
However, there were times that our clinical instructors were very careful in the clinical setting/area. To avoid mistakes, instead of giving us the responsibility to assist with procedures, we, as student nurses, just became observers and watched our clinical instructors assist with all the procedures. Because of this, we could not apply and experience what we have learned from the school in the clinical setting.
As a future educator, constructivist learning theory is very interesting to be part of my journey. This theory will help me facilitates learning by encouraging my students, helping them to develop their fullest potential. And, I am compelled to view and asses learning styles so that I can meet every student needs within the classroom. I will allow them to learn gradually. I would want my students to thrive academically and socially in and out of the classroom.
When we say the word “learning”, we usually mean “to think using the brain”. Our brain is the most incredible network of information processing and interpretation in the body as we learn things. This basic concept of learning is the main viewpoint in the Cognitive Learning Theory (CLT).
Cognitive Learning Theory clearly plays an important factor in learning theory. It has been used to explain mental processes as they are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which eventually bring about learning in an individual. Without this theory, many discoveries about learning and the brain would have remained undiscovered and a mystery.
Cognitive learning theory implies that the different processes concerning learning can be explained by analyzing the mental processes first. It posits that with effective cognitive processes, learning is easier and new information can be stored in the memory for a long time. On the other hand, ineffective cognitive processes result in learning difficulties that can be seen anytime during the lifetime of an individual.
We have learned that cognitive came about as a rejection of the behaviorist views. According to Blanton (2007), there are many general assumptions of cognitive learning theories such as some learning processes being unique to human beings and cognitive processes are the focus of the study. Another assumption of the theories is that objective, systematic observations of people’s behavior should be the focus of scientific inquiry; however, inferences about unobservable mental processes can often be drawn from such behavior. Cognitive theorists believe that learners are actively involved in the learning process and learning involves the formation of mental associations that are not necessarily reflected in overt behavior changes. They also believe that knowledge is organized, and learning is a process of relating new information to previously learned information.
Furthermore, cognitive learning theory has general educational implications. Cognitive theorists believe that cognitive processes influence learning. They believe that as children grow, they become capable of increasingly more sophisticated thought. Another implication of this theory is that people organize things as they learn them, and new information is most easily acquired when people associate it with things they have already learned.
In this module, we gained to understand that learning occurs by watching others, and changes in our behavior are gained through our interactions with others and through our observation of the behavior of others. It’s remarkable how social learning theory has evolved and emerged to make learning more effective and meaningful to us educators and learners.
In connection with observation and modeling, my parents have been my role model in my entire life. Even though they’re not perfect beings still they never failed to amaze me. They’re always there to support me during my achievements and uplift me during my failures. Their love for me and my siblings is truly unconditional. When I was hospitalized last 2017, the doctor told them that I will not survive if I was not admitted early. I saw them how they cared for me and never left by my side. My dad was telling me, “Kaya mo yan, Anak. Pagaling ka.” His encouragement helped me believe in myself that I can be healed, and I was not alone during my battle. Because of the two them, I gained confidence that I can get back on track and improve my health by working hard and following my doctor’s recommendations.
My mom is a fighter herself. This early week of June 2019 has been very difficult for me and my family. My mom was diagnosed with primary thymoma, a rare tumor of the thymus, and an operation was suggested to remove it. My mom kept on telling us not to worry and it was fortunate that it was detected early. She showed bravery and optimism despite her situation, in returned we showed her love, care, and hopefulness. The operation was successful and we’re happy that it was done immediately before it got worst.
I really treasure the things that I have learned from them. As a future educator, I will carry their qualities in teaching others. As we all know, the learning environment has changed from a traditional four-wall classroom to a virtual online environment. Despite the change, social and cultural dimensions have always been a very crucial element to consider promoting better learning in any context. Our role as teachers is to deliver direct instruction to facilitating one’s learning. In this way, learners will emerge from passively receiving information to actively participating in their own learning.
Having positive role models and mentors can make an important difference in whether individuals develop optimally and reach their full potential. First, evaluate the role models and mentors who have played an important part in your life. Second, think about the type of role model you want to be for your students. Third, give some thought to how you will incorporate other models and mentors in your students’ lives. Fourth, explore who your education mentor might be.
The type of role model I want to be for others (other learners)
I want my future student to see me as:
Resilient to change
Dedicated to my field
Open-minded and eagerness to learn
Fair to everyone
Has commitment and passionate
Persistent
Works with integrity
How I will incorporate models and mentors in my profession (as an educator) Describe a systematic plan for bringing models and mentors into your students’ lives in one or more domain(s) you plan to teach, such as math, English, science, music, and so on.
At the start of my class, I want to know my students’ expectations and perceptions about the subject I will be teaching. From their point of view, I will provide my own expectations and goal for them that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. I will make an appropriate lesson plan that will be theory-based and how it can be applied in real life setting, these will include activities such as group discussion, one-on-one coaching or feedback, and evaluation.
Who will be my education mentor? What would my ideal education mentor be like? Do you have someone in mind who might serve as an education mentor when you become a teacher? If so, describe the person.
I always look up to my college Professor Mrs. Lorna Cano. She is a very nice, understanding, loving, perfectionist, calm and a strict clinical instructor. She was one of the first two graduates of nursing in our school that made her a very competent and knowledgeable of her craft. But what makes her more inspiring is her humanistic approach in dealing with her students and colleagues, along with her values that usually center on Christian living. She always reminded us to be grateful and thank God and always praise Him. As an educator and clinical instructor, she has instilled to us that learning encompasses broader aspects of understanding beyond achieving good grades in school. The most important is to successfully apply what you have learned to help others.
What would your ideal education mentor be like?
An ideal education mentor for me is dedicated, compassionate, and works with integrity. A person with immeasurable patience to deal with students in harnessing their strengths and helping improve their weaknesses. She/he is resilient to change and flexible in any given situation.
This module regarding behavioral theories hit me hard. Back in 2017, I was admitted to the hospital and received a diagnosis of septic shock. My hemoglobin dropped; my liver enzymes were elevated; my lungs were congested and unable to breath; then they found out there were nodules near my spleen. My attending physician said it nearly killed me if I was not brought in early. I ended up spending more than a week in the hospital. I was lucky to have gotten treatment. I survived the septic shock and somewhat recovered. The emotional trauma of the hospitalization lingered long after I got the all-clear from the doctors who cared for me. Few days after my discharge, I experienced muscle weakness, nightmare, anxiety, and depression. I have a list of follow-up appointments to specialists for my heart, lungs, liver, spleen, but didn’t include any discussion regarding my mental health. Then, when I had a checked up with my attending physician, I told him about my morbid thoughts of death, the nightmare that left me anxious for hours, feeling pain and restlessness. He gave me pain medications including muscle relaxant. He said I might be experiencing post-intensive care syndrome just like post-traumatic stress syndrome. He suggested that I must take an indefinite leave of absence from work until these symptoms subsided. And, he told my parents to help me cope during difficult times by allowing me to discuss my feelings and experiences and providing me a sense of comfort, being loved and appreciated. After six months I got back to work but still experiencing some pain and panic attacks. Classical conditioning helped me understand that the traumatic event may act as an unconditioned stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response characterized by extreme fear and anxiety. Operant conditioning has been a big part of my recovery, too. When I was able to finish my course of treatment/medication, my parents always rewarded me with good a meal or buy me things that I like.
Aside from what I have experienced, these behavioral theories have been part of us from how our parents discipline us, and to how our teachers gave us reward or punishment during our academic years. However, behaviorism only provides a partial account of human behavior, that which can be objectively viewed. It does not consider our thoughts or feelings. Nevertheless, these theories have a big role in changing in our behavior.
To be honest, after reading some of the psychologists’ theories of learning and intelligence, it was a bit difficult for me to come up with my own theory of intelligence. I tried to clear my mind and composed myself before developing one. It felt like my work fell short, nevertheless, I was kind of proud of myself because I was able to pull this off.
My classmates’ proposed theories were very interesting and admirable. Their theories helped me to rethink my own theory. Then asking myself; how did they arrive with this theory? What is their basis to come up with this? I was truly impressed by how they presented their insights. Some were almost related or derived from another theory, some were a combination of one or more theories. It was great to see some constructive criticisms and suggestions for the improvement and clarification of the proposed theory.
Because of this assignment, it reminded me of my experience during my high school days. We had an entrance exam that will determine what section we would be in. It wasn’t easy, thousands of students took the exam hoping to be part of the upper sections, sections 1,2 & 3. The test won’t tell you if you pass or fail because almost all will be accepted, however, once you didn’t make the cut and then belong to regular sections (4,5&6) and lower sections (7-45), there’s a zero chance to be part of the upper sections. The test was used to know the cognitive level of the students, but still, we’re still encouraged to engage to some extracurricular activities that will develop our skills and talents or to Gardner’s theory these are the other type of intelligence. I was lucky enough to be part of the upper section, but the pressure was intense. It was in college that I developed my emotional intelligence maybe because it was the main core of nursing.
Teachers and students should work together in achieving their goal in class. Both should learn from each other. Teachers to be successful, he/she should impart his/her knowledge and determine the needs of his/her students. And the students to be successful, he/she should perform well and willing to learn new concepts.
So far, this activity was very challenging and a bit fun, too. We must be open-minded and learn from others. Learning is not a linear process but a complex one. And never doubt yourself.
My mother told me that I was breastfed until the age of 4, that’s why I’m smarter than my siblings. But I don’t really see myself as being smarter than them. Being the youngest amongst the 4 children, I looked up to them as wiser and stronger than I was. I always relied on them doing my assignments and projects during my primary years of learning. However, when receiving our report cards I always had the highest grade compared to my siblings. It was shocking for them because I was always in front of the T.V. watching my favorite cartoons and anime series.
So, what is intelligence? By definition, intelligence is our mental ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
But, would you say that intelligence is a gift or can be learned?In my own opinion, I’d say it’s a fair bit of both, actually. Intelligence, as just a gift, is something that really stands out to people from an early age. But a gift is absolutely useless if IT’S NOT USED. Gifts will be worn down or degrade over time, and then we buy a new one and forget the other ever existed.
Sadly, we only have one mind gifted to us. We can’t just get another brain then easily be transplanted. And, where does learning comes in? Well take care of your gift, nurture them, feed them, look after them. Then you’ll realize that the gift you once took for granted has now become the most cherished thing in your world.
It might be silly, however, to think that intelligence is caused by breast milk.
Debbie Fetter, a Doctoral Candidate in the Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology at the University of California, stated that breastfeeding has been recognized for its ability to provide infants with essential nutrients to help with growth and development. Research has shown there are many benefits associated with breastfeedings, such as building a healthy gut microbiota and increasing the bond between mother and child. And children who were breastfed scored higher on the problem-solving scale. However, NPR.org reported that socioeconomic factors and the overall behavior and environment of a child contribute to a higher cognitive ability. It was harder to link breastfeeding by itself to smarter children.
As personal thought, intelligence is somewhat hereditary or we already have when we are born, and that environment has a big part enriching it.
“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
What is Learning?
Each of us defined learning differently. I identified learning as a process of acquiring knowledge or skills through experience or study. Furthermore, learning is an experience that brings about a relatively permanent change in behavior.
Before we dive into understanding the relevant science behind the learning process, let’s ground ourselves in a definition of learning that is drawn from research. (Berkely Center of Teaching and Learning, 2019)
Learning is a process that:
is active – process of engaging and manipulating objects, experiences, and conversations in order to build mental models of the world (Dewey, 1938; Piaget, 1964; Vygotsky, 1986). Learners build knowledge as they explore the world around them, observe and interact with phenomena, converse and engage with others, and make connections between new ideas and prior understandings.
builds on prior knowledge – and involves enriching, building on, and changing existing understanding, where “one’s knowledge base is a scaffold that supports the construction of all future learning” (Alexander, 1996, p. 89).
occurs in a complex social environment – and thus should not be limited to being examined or perceived as something that happens on an individual level. Instead, it is necessary to think of learning as a social activity involving people, the things they use, the words they speak, the cultural context they’re in, and the actions they take (Bransford, et al., 2006; Rogoff, 1998), and that knowledge is built by members in the activity (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006).
is situated in an authentic context – provides learners with the opportunity to engage with specific ideas and concepts on a need-to-know or want-to-know basis (Greeno, 2006; Kolodner, 2006).
requires learners’ motivation and cognitive engagement to be sustained when learning complex ideas, because considerable mental effort and persistence are necessary.
Learning is non-linear. It’s a cyclical process. For me, first, there should be a purpose for learning and the right manner of teaching. Secondly, there should be a right stimulus in the form of knowledge, skills, and attitude or behavior. Next, this purpose should be tested thru application. Then, there should be feedback on the performance. Lastly, reinforcement and or rewards that improve motivation. However, according to K. Cherry, author of “The Psychology of How People Learn,” that the process of learning new things is not always the same.
Learned & Unlearned Phenomena
Learned and unlearned phenomena can be compared with human development. Human growth and development is a lifelong process of physical, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional growth and change. Mostly, new-born behaviors are innate o unlearned. Much of the baby’s activity in her first week of life is reflexive. For instance, when you put your finger in her mouth, she doesn’t think about what to do, but sucks by reflex. When confronted by a bright light, she will tightly shut her eyes, because that’s what her reflexes make her do. She’s born with many of these automatic responses, some of which remain with her for months, while others vanish in weeks. (American Academy of Pediatric, 2009)
In the early stages of life—from babyhood to childhood, childhood to adolescence, and adolescence to adulthood—enormous changes take place. Throughout the process, each person develops attitudes and values that guide choices, relationships, and understanding. These could be the effect of his/her environment and interactions with others. In school, a student would study hard knowing that he/she will receive recognition for his/her hard work. Developing new skill and talents like dancing or singing can be learned. Though, even during adulthood, unlearned behavior still exists especially in reaction to danger. Walter Bradford Cannon described this as the fight-or-flight response (acute stress response) is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival.
Jeffrey Walsh (2013) discussed operant conditioning: Innate vs learned behaviors.
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