Deanna Weierholt Ed Psych 6451 Learning Theory Document December 1, 2011

To be a successful elementary school teacher, many Learning Theories must be explored. As I have learned about all the theories related to teaching and learning, I have formed in my mind which ones I have used and which ones I need to use more. The Behaviorist Theory is an easy one to implement in an elementary classroom. Without proper behavior in a classroom setting, learning and teaching cannot reach its full potential. The Cognition Theory was a little more difficult theory for me to apply to my style of teaching and learning as I was teaching younger students who had very limited schemas. The Constructivism Theory focuses on student-centered, active-learning methods. This class has taught me that there are many ways students learn and many ways I can teach. By using a combination of some of these theories, I can find success in teaching, while my students are successful, too. In the Behaviorism model we learned that all learning must be observable. This makes for a simple, clean theory. It is easy to know when a student has learned because we can simply observe it. In an elementary setting, it makes for quick and easy transitions. I can use positive or negative reinforcements to increase a desired behavior or outcome, or I can use punishment to decrease an undesired behavior. A lot of time teaching young elementary students is spent on these reinforcements. Small children are usually very driven by rewards or punishments. I learned that I need to first set behavior goals, determine appropriate reinforcers, select procedures, implement those procedures, and then finally evaluate and revise these goals. By following these guidelines, I can more effectively implement the Behaviorism model into my everyday teaching. Behaviorism cannot explain everything; therefore, I can use the Cognition Theory to help fill in some of those gaps. I want to be able to explain the unobservable; something the Behaviorism model fails to do. I fill my students with a lot of information and I want them to have more automaticity when retrieving that new knowledge. I have learned a lot about how our memory works in this model. Elementary students require a lot of repetition; this is why most subjects are taught over and over again throughout their years in school. When I have spoken to teachers of older grades it surprises me that they teach the same things that I teach, almost just as basic. They have to do this because of our students limited working memory. Through techniques such as chunking, rehearsal, the use of mnemonics, imagery and elaboration, ideas can be stored where it is more readily retrieved in their long term memories. Their schemas are built upon as they age and gather new information. Different students from different environments have varying schemas. This is one of the main challenges I face from teaching a very diverse class. Finding what my students already know and applying it to something new requires many different teaching techniques. While I know Discovery Learning is an effective teaching method, I did not learn through this method as a student, so it is harder for me to implement it into my classroom. Some teachers focus solely on discovery learning, but I feel it is not the best approach for every lesson. There are some things that just need to be memorized and built into our memory, like multiplication facts. I do want to incorporate Meaningful Learning into every lesson; I want each lesson to build on something they already know. This module has helped me realize I need to adjust some of my methods to incorporate the Cognitive Theory concepts more frequently in my every day teaching.

I would like to say that most of my teaching and most of my students learning come from the Constructivist approach, unfortunately, this simply isnt true. In my two years of teaching I feel I have implemented a teacher-centered environment instead of a student-driven one. I have spent a lot of time in front of the class lecturing. I will say my students do sit in a cooperative arrangement and we use many different types of media, but this class and more specifically, the Constructivist module has opened my eyes to a better way. I will reevaluate my lesson plans, create more studentcentered activities and provide a better learning environment. I plan to do this by creating more effective Learning Goals. These goals will become the center of my instruction. The students should be very aware of what is expected of them and these goals should engage them at all opportunities. I will also implore the Constructivist Conditions for Learning (as stated by Driscoll): 1. Embed learning in complex, realistic, and relevant environments. 2. Provide for social negotiation as an integral part of learning. 3. Support multiple perspectives and the use of multiple modes of representation. 4. Encourage ownership in learning. 5. Nurture self-awareness of the knowledge construction process. I love teaching. It has been the only job I have had where I don t watch the clock waiting for time to pass. I love being an influence in the lives of my students. I do, however, want to be a better teacher. I feel I now have additional tools to take these theories, implement them in my classroom and produce better students. Incorporating the Behaviorism, Cognition, and Constructivism theories more effectively in my classroom will create a learning and a teaching environment I can be proud of.