Facilitation Innovation

One of my earliest memories is of playing school with my sister. As the younger sister, I played the part of the student while my older sister was the teacher. I remember being told to sit and be quiet and raise my hand to earn a sticker. I do not remember learning any academic content, but certainly these early experiences with ‘school’ informed my understanding of what it means to learn. Most of my formal school years accurately reflected our play. As I matured and was exposed to more varied teaching methods and experiences, I became aware of many ways to learn and teach.

I have completed close to twenty years of traditional education, but that does not reflect all I have learned. Learning is different from education. It is more than being in the classroom. I have learned how to cook, how to use ever changing technology, how to be a mom. I have watched my children learn all about their world. I believe that every experience we have allows learning to occur. Mark K. Smith’s (1999-2020) definition sums it up well:

Learning is a process that is often not under our control and is wrapped up with the environments we inhabit and the relationships we make. It involves encountering signals from the senses; attending to them; looking for connections and meanings; and framing them so that we may act.

We are all unique individuals who interpret what we experience differently based on our prior knowledge and the connections we make with the experience. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. As Harapnuik (2021) says “we need to be flexible enough to adapt and grow in our thinking about learning to develop effective learning environments that meet our learner’s needs.”

I believe teaching and learning are intertwined. As an educator my job is to facilitate learning for my students and the adults that I work with. This can be done well by creating an environment that is conducive to learning and designing authentic learning opportunities that give the learner choice, ownership and voice (Harapnuik et. al., 2018). I believe that educators also take on the role of learner, as teaching and learning are reciprocal in nature. I think most teachers agree that we learn as much from our students as we teach them. In the professional learning setting I consistently learn how to be a better facilitator and absorb creative, practical implementation ideas from the educators I work with.

As a learner, I am:

• Inquisitive
• Open to new ideas
• Driven
• Social
• Structured
• Holistic

I have always had a passion for learning. My learning style mostly fit into the model of our education system and it worked for me. However, through my ADL journey I am learning more about myself and how I learn. I have found that the factory-model educational framework in which I proved myself “smart” did not, in fact, allow me as much opportunity for deep learning and growth as I needed. I am working on shifting to a growth and learner’s mindset. I am starting to feel more comfortable with challenges and not knowing the “right” answer. Rather, I am embracing new ideas and making the connections needed to apply my knowledge in practical ways.

Just as teaching and learning are intertwined, so are teaching philosophy and learning philosophy. In my mind, the two inform each other. The learning philosophy that I align with will inform my teaching philosophy and thus my teaching practice. Teaching and learning philosophies change over time. As an educator, I need to be open to continuous learning and new ideas. For example, Connectivism is a relatively recent learning theory that seeks “to look at what is being done in digital education and rethink, debate, and philosophize over how each part fits (Duke et. al. 2013, p. 4).” This can lead to a vision of what connectivism looks like in practice, then a new instructional philosophy or pedagogy will be born. I think that the fact that there is always a new way to look at something, including learning, is exciting.

It was fascinating for me to learn about the many different learning theories. I connected to some aspect of almost every single theory. I think that the three main learning theories–Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism–are all useful based on the circumstance. That being said, I most identify with Cognitivism and Constructivism learning theories. 

Cognitivism resonates with me because I believe that there are some foundational content areas that require information to be taught with analysis of the cognitive processes that are involved (What teachers should know about learning theories, 2018). For example, I am an advocate of literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading (SoR). SoR refers to the body of research that has been done across disciplines over several decades on how the human brain learns how to read (The Reading League, 2021). A Structured Literacy approach that involves explicit, systematic instruction paced to student mastery aligns with the SoR evidence to be an effective way to teach all learners to read. This idea would fall under the umbrella of cognitivism. Some of the primary cognitive theorists include Jean Piaget, who presented the idea of learning within schemas, and John Sweller, who formulated cognitive load theory.

I really connected with John Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory. When we know more about the human brain and how it processes information most effectively, we can use that information to inform teaching practices. Cognitive Load Theory made me pause and think about my work in professional learning. When I provide a full day of professional learning for a group of educators, there is so much information and understanding I want them to walk away with. I need to design my professional learning events with Cognitive Load Theory in mind so that attendees leave feeling empowered rather than overwhelmed.

While I think there is certainly a place for Cognitivism, I also believe that my learning philosophy aligns with Constructivism, which is learner-centered. This theory purports that “people actively construct or create their own subjective representations of objective reality (What Teachers Should Know About Learning Theories, 2018).” When I think about the way I learn best, I believe it is through an active, social and contextual process where I make connections to my own prior knowledge and ideas to construct my learning. The ADL program has brought to light the effectiveness of the constructivist approach. I am striving to emulate this in my professional learning work with educators. It is incorporated into my innovation plan through active learning practices, reflection, and authentic learning opportunities. The main constructivist theorists include John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, and Lev Vygotsky. 

Identifying my own learning style and understanding the various learning theories clarifies how I want to approach my own learning tasks and those of the learners I work with. As Harapnuik (2021) says, “If we don’t choose to take a proactive approach to understand what we fully believe about learning and purposefully design the learning environment, we choose to follow tradition.” I aim to be an educator who creates significant learning environments and meets each learner where they are to facilitate the best learning experience possible.

References:

Duke, B., Harper, G., & Johnston, M. (2013). Connectivism as a digital age learning theory. The International HETL Review, (Special Issue), 4-11. HETLReview2013SpecialIssue

Harapnuik, D. (2021, November 10). Four keys to understanding learning theories. Harapnuik.org. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6344

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). Choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning. Creative Commons License. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=7291 

Smith, M. K. (1999-2020). ‘Learning theory’, The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education. [https://infed.org/mobi/learning-theory-models-product-and-process/. Retrieved: Feb. 4, 2023].

The Reading League. (2021). The Science of Reading: a Defining Guide. Reading League. https://shop.thereadingleague.org/products/science-of-reading-defining-guide

What teachers should know about learning theories. (2018). KB. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://kb.edu.hku.hk/theory_constructivism/

Above, you will find an entertaining video that discusses the relationships among learning theories, teaching theories and pedagogy. Below, you will find an annotated bibliography of the sources I used in researching my learning philosophy, as well as additional sources I would like to explore in the future.