How do People Learn?

BY: BRIEANA KELLY

 Ways People Learn and Develop

 People learn according to what developmental stage they are at in their

life. Learning occurs by making connections between new information
with prior knowledge one already has.
 There is a very social aspect to learning. It becomes more productive
when students can learn from both their peers and their teacher in the
classroom. Learning can occur by doing, watching, listening, etc.
 Experience and reflection play a role in the development of skills/ideas.
Development can be encouraged through social interaction.
 There are multiple intelligences and there are multiple ways in which
people process information.
 As development progresses, people become more competent
independently, and there is an increase the different types of information
they are able to learn.
 The Influence of Teaching and the
Classroom Environment on Learning for
Understanding

 A classroom environment should be organized around how the people in

that classroom learn. One should acknowledge that there are different
strategies that work best in different types of learning and for different
learners.
 Teachers should take into account who their students are as learners and
plan accordingly to the developmental levels of the students. This will
make for a productive classroom.
 Thoughts and emotions play a major role in the learning process. For this
reason, teachers should create an emotionally safe place within their
classroom so that students can develop a tolerance and an awareness for
each other.
 When students learn how to interact with each other, they will be able to
work together, which aids in a student’s ability to process and understand
information.
 How Learning Theory can Inform
Teaching Practice
 As a teacher I should take into account my specific classroom and the
students within the classroom to inform my practice. This includes the
students’ prior knowledge, their cultures, and their backgrounds.
 Students should be taught how to reflect on their own thinking so that they
are able to guide their own learning. When students become aware of
what works best for them, they can make conscious decisions regarding
their own learning.
 The concept of “transfer” should be included in my teaching discipline,
students should be taught how to apply the knowledge and skills they
learn in the classroom to other situations in order to make it more
meaningful.
 My teaching practice should be flexible and be modifiable according to
how students are progressing in my classroom.
 Producing Motivation to Learn and
Build Strong Learning Communities

 A learner’s interest is driven by the environment they are immersed in and

and the strategies implemented in the classroom.
 Teachers should know how to keep students motivated even when things
get tough.
 Teachers should tap into whatever interests students have and come up
with ways to connect those interests to the learning occurring in the
classroom.
 When the information is being presented to a student in a way that it is
relevant to them, it makes them more motivated to learn it.
The End