I love to learn! I love acquiring new knowledge and furthering my understanding of different topics. I prefer to learn new things by researching on the internet, reading what I find and then following links to read more. I will sometimes comment on blogs or articles I find or I will keep track of my thoughts in my OneNote software, which is organized into different notebooks so that I can find things easily. As far as learning styles go, I prefer visual and kinesthetic; I am more abstract than concrete; and I prefer to reflect on information rather than react to it. (Gilbert & Swanier, 2008) I find that if someone simply tells me something, I tend to forget it, so I often will write things down or record them in my mobile device so that I will remember or have easy access to the information later. I need time to think things through and time to formulate and solidify my thinking before I can discuss it.
I used to connect more strongly to the Cognitive theory of learning. The emphasis on information processing and making mental connections made sense to me. (Ormrod, Shunk, & Gredler, 2009) I often employ analogies and metaphors in my teaching and they always seem to be helpful to the student. After studying the various learning theories and comparing them side-by-side, I see now that it may be the experience or the story that the student is connecting to instead of the analogy helping to make the mental connection. I had an English teacher that while teaching poem analysis told us that we were not allowed to use the words "is about" in the analysis (as in, "this poem is about…"). He then did his "is about" song and dance; singing the words "is about, is about, is about-bout-bout" to the tune of the "William Tell Overture." Every time I hear a teacher complain about the phrase "is about" it reminds me of that moment and I will share the story with them. It seems likely that I have made personal meaning with that moment in that I found it quite humorous and out of character for a teacher, so it stuck with me all these years. This is more in alignment with the Constructivism or Social Constructivism learning theories. (Orey, M.)
I do prefer to analyze things by myself before I bounce ideas off of a colleague but this may be more because of my preference for reflection instead of shying away from a more social learning situation. I enjoy learning from other people and I often will strengthen an argument or change it altogether after a discussion with a colleague. I prefer to look things up online as opposed to asking someone and I will often head to my mobile device if no computer is available in order to find answers or to research something that may have been sparked by a conversation. "But even such independent learning is, in a constructivist sense, socially mediated, because it involves the tools (language, signs, and symbols) that have been acquired through previous social interactions." (Ormrod, Shunk, & Gredler, 2009)
One thing I find striking about my own personal learning is that according to Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory, I have a high level of functioning in the musical intelligence. I am very sensitive to pitch and rhythms and I can hear the smallest of mistakes in a group and I can often narrow it down to a few students that could be making the mistake. Yet, I have trouble focusing and listening to lectures or following discussions unless I am actively taking notes or drawing so that my mind doesn't wander. I tend to have a high level of functioning with the Linguistic intelligence as long as I have ample time to process and choose my words carefully. Right now, I am chalking this up to my reflective style where if I were given time during a lecture to process information before moving on, I might be more successful in retaining what I hear. As with any constructivist view, this rationale is subject to change.
Lastly, I have been described by my family, friends, and colleagues as "resourceful." Basically, they come to me for answers and if I don't know the answer right away, I often know where to find it. It seems that I have always been this way. I was the go to when things needed to be found and I would go through a process of rationalizing where the object could possibly be based on who was most likely to have had it last. If only I could effectively teach this skill to my daughter who has trouble locating things that may be directly in front of her. But I digress… After learning about Connectivism, I am now thinking that my 'resourcefulness' is directly related to the multiple connections that I have cultivated and maintained over the years. (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008)
So, in the course of 6 weeks, I've gone from a visual/kinesthetic, reflective Cognitivist to a visual/kinesthetic, reflective Connected Constructivist with social leanings. I'm still intrigued by the information processing theories and what actually happens in the brain when we learn something but the personal meaning making that happens while we are interacting with others through technology or otherwise seems to be a large part of what actually facilitates the learning.
Resources:
Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism
Gilbert, J., & Swanier, C. (2008). Learning styles: How do they fluctuate? Institute for Learning Styles Journal [Vol. l]. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/~witteje/ilsrj/Journal%20Volumes/Fall%202008%20Volume%201%20PDFs/Learning%20Styles%20How%20do%20They%20Fluctuate.pdf
Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page
Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson.
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