What was I Thinking: or How?

My mental understanding of the learning technique that I use has changed a little, but mostly expanded and become more deeply understood. Originally I gravitated to describing learning modalities that I identify with, like visual and tactile. I still believe that these are important qualities to the way that I learn, however at this time I think of them more as compartments of the theories that influence that manner in which I learn. As an adult and one that is interested in education and the process of learning I have recognized the traits of constructivism as familiar to how I see myself learn. I must say that I do not yet understand whether I am a person who is strong in spatial understanding and therefore find learning comfort with the elements of constructivist education or that as a person who learns within a constructivist realm become more spatially aware. At root, that is the major question with learning theories and I have even spent time in my life getting tripped up on the desire to have empirical knowledge of whether there is one theory or if there are the variety to suit us. Obviously, I find truth in many, if not all, the theories presented and therefore it highlights the only thing I can claim similar to Einstein - I would love a unifying theory because that would be so much easier. There are many elements of constructivist learning that works with me. I am much more interested in project based learning where I am able to discover the information needed and then put it together to into a final product or representation of the objective. Additionally I do benefit from sharing and “talking out” what I have learned to be able to form an opinion or understanding. The process of mental rehearsal brings clarity to my learning. So a part of my learning technique is rooted in the social learning theories. It also makes me somewhat of a cognitive learner as my rehearsal process with others is also a rehearsal for my own input process and the way that I need to coded what I am taking in. Metacognition plays a part as well and reflecting on what I am doing in the learning process shapes the conclusions I make.

This labyrinth of learning process or processes leads me into the world of technology. Technology and its components enhance my learning technique and provide added capacity. These elements of my learning require many sources of information and a reduced time frame from initiation of information and its availability, referred to as information’s “half-life” by C. Gonzalez (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman. 2008). I use the internet to find information or to find new directions in information. I utilize many visual sources from the computer that include the internet and those that I create myself. Technology allows me to keep track of the information that I use by saving it and then be able to transport it from home to work. I am able to have the sources to use in creating new projects. The time saving features of technology allow me to do more than I could if I didn’t have access to it.

My learning style or technique is a compilation of theories presented and further enhanced and enabled by technology.

References

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008) Connectivism. In M. Orey (ED.) Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved December, 10, 2009 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/edltt/