Learning Philosophy
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We Need More Field Trips
My second job in education was as a principal's secretary at a small charter school in Houston, TX. Although I had worked in a school before, this was my first campus with students who were transported to the building for instruction and left at the end of the school day to return home. In one of my first new staff meetings, the superintendent talked about field experiences. She spoke passionately about the difference between a field trip and a field experience. In her opinion, a field trip was just a school trip to a local venue like the zoo, museum, or theater. But a field experience allowed teachers to take lessons from their classrooms into the real world. Before a teacher received approval to go on a field experience, they had to submit a lesson plan and explain how their lesson was connected to this location, what the children would do once they arrived, and how the children would reflect on their experience. Honestly, my first take on this was, "she is doing a lot," but once I started seeing the results of the teacher's planning and preparation and how the students reacted to the field experiences, I was hooked. The superintendent understood the importance of experiences and how they relate to learning. The charter school serviced students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade, and the 8th graders always took a class trip in the spring. Due to the small class size, the trips were unlike any other trip I'd seen or experienced myself as a student. One day while on lunch, the superintendent asked me if I'd like to chaperone the 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C.
I was excited to be asked and quickly replied yes. The trip to D.C. was transformative. The school took 15 students to Washington, D.C. We all flew on an airplane, a first for most students, and stayed at an estate in Arlington, VA. While in D.C., the students visited the Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Monuments, The White House, Mount Vernon, and the newly opened Museum of African-American History and Culture. I had never experienced this kind of trip as a student. I recall the most significant trip I went on as a student was to the Museum of Natural Science in my hometown. We walked around in small groups, chaperoned by parent volunteers, and just looked at all the exhibits. No one asked us to identify anything we'd learned in Science class, nor was our visit guided by a museum employee or curator. So being able to experience these historic locations with intention and purpose was transformative. As the students visited each location, they carried their assignments with them. They were required to answer the questions on their worksheet and submit their findings to the superintendent at the end of each day. I noticed a few things on this trip: student-led learning, inquiry, exploration, and discovery. The students talked to each other often about each location and what they jotted down on their worksheets. The conversations continued well after we left the locations; the students were engaged and intrigued.
Connecting the Dots
The superintendent of that charter school knew that experiences significantly shaped how students learn. John Dewey, the founder of the Constructivist Learning Theory, shared the same view. Dewey emphasized the importance of experiences in education. Dewey believed that educators need to provide students with meaningful and valuable experiences (University College Dublin, 2019). How do experiences enhance the learning process? Inquiry, networking, and exploration are all vital components of the Constructivist Learning Theory. Inquiry happens when students have enough information to begin asking open-ended questions about the content. They begin to question their findings and defend their ideas. I love inquiry-based, project-based, and work-based learning. In one of the few classes I had success in during my initial attempt in undergrad was Philosophy. One of our first lessons was about Plato and Socrates. I was enamered with Socrates. I loved his approach to learning and teaching. The Socratic approach to learning is a theory I have written a lot about in this program. As an elementary student, my experience was rigid. Whatever the teacher taught us was law, and there was no room for questioning. This approach can stifle a young mind. I think learning environments that encourage inquiry also facilitate critical and free-thinking students. I blossom in environments where inquiry and exploration are promoted as a student as a student. It puts the learner in the center and makes them the facilitator of their learning experience and acquisition. Jean Piaget, another Constructivist, concludes that constructivism is a learning theory that affirms that knowledge is best gained through a process of action, reflection, and construction (Brau, 2018). This theoretical approach to learning aligns with my innovation plan. In my innovation plan, I describe the value student ePortflios have on creating life-long learners as well as a student-centered learning environment. ePortfolios give students the tools to "construct" their own learning experience.
What I Believe About Myself as a Learner
I believe that for learning to take place, I must treat learning as a verb. I have to use my hands, whether that's in a literal construction of a project or simply writing down notes. I need a fluid environment that allows peer-to-peer collaboration and time for trial and error. As a student with ADHD, I must be aware of how academic and life expectations affect my mental health. And the lack of time or rushed deadlines trigger my isolation and ultimately suspends my productivity. If a learning (or work) environment is too restrictive, I do not operate at my maximum potential. One of my classroom shared agreements is that we will give each other time, teacher to student and student to teacher. Time is the great equalizer in the classroom. Removing the construct of time eliminates hasty decision-making and careless mistakes. Instead, providing more relaxed time constraints enables an environment of exploration. Exploration and discovery take time.
How Does This Relate to My Innovation Plan?
My innovation plan concentrates on student ePortfolios. During my research I learned that ePorfolios are being used for may reasons, including but not limited to; assessments, traditional portolios and assignments. But what intriges me the most about student ePortfolios is the personalization. Two the components of the Constructivisim Learning Theory are student experience and background, and student persepective. As a learner when I am able incorporate elements of myself or my experiences into my projects and assignments, it provides an added layer of interest and passion. Not only are learners able to display what they are learning; they are also able to add elements of themselves in the ePortfolio. I am still working on incorporating my personality into my portfolio, I think the astehtic aligns with my person brand, but my blog writing isn't as personal as I would like it to be.