The irony of week one’s discussion is that I stated that we all “know stuff.” Sometimes it is the right stuff and sometimes it is incomplete stuff and of course some of it is just plain wrong stuff. Now that we have had time to examine more material, I “know more stuff!”
In my first discussion, I explained that my learning styles reflect all three styles: Behaviorist, Cognitive and Constructivist. All three are evident in my life at different times and different circumstances. Now add in Social Learning, Connectivism and Adult Learning to the mix and the same can be said. My view on my personal learning experiences has been adjusted, but not really changed. I have been able to learn through all these styles. However, I do find myself leaning heavily on Connectivism. When I can connect the material to something else I seem to retain it better and longer. I find myself teaching this way by connecting the material to the students and their lives. Sometimes it is insignificant pop-culture things, but it is something the students can relate to and hopefully retain. Sometimes it is connected to a hand or body movement that helps the students have a kinesthetic application to the material. All in all, my learning style is ever adjusting and adapting. That in itself is what learning is all about.
Technology has always been a part of my life. My parents tell a story about me when I was around five years old and my parents owned one of the original “Pong” video games. They had it in a restaurant for awhile to make money and eventually brought it home when it stopped making money. I spent many hours on it learning how to master it. I got so good on it that my dad would challenge adults to play against me and I would very easily win every time. That is my first real connection and use of technology (other than television) and it never stopped. Today I own a laptop computer and have a second one for work. In addition to that, I also own a phone with internet access, a digital camera and several flash drives. My use of technology is mostly for finding information, storing that information and using technology to teach. When I am on my computer I am constantly looking online at information websites for up to date news and occasionally to find specific things like directions or even movie times. In my classroom I have something called an Activboard which is a huge whiteboard that can do anything a computer can do with a touch of a special pen. This is used to present material to my students in a new and engaging manner that is interactive. My students can also use it to show work or manipulate the material to learn or teach others as well. The use of technology in my life is daily and ever evolving.
Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to learning more stuff. ;-)
In my first discussion, I explained that my learning styles reflect all three styles: Behaviorist, Cognitive and Constructivist. All three are evident in my life at different times and different circumstances. Now add in Social Learning, Connectivism and Adult Learning to the mix and the same can be said. My view on my personal learning experiences has been adjusted, but not really changed. I have been able to learn through all these styles. However, I do find myself leaning heavily on Connectivism. When I can connect the material to something else I seem to retain it better and longer. I find myself teaching this way by connecting the material to the students and their lives. Sometimes it is insignificant pop-culture things, but it is something the students can relate to and hopefully retain. Sometimes it is connected to a hand or body movement that helps the students have a kinesthetic application to the material. All in all, my learning style is ever adjusting and adapting. That in itself is what learning is all about.
Technology has always been a part of my life. My parents tell a story about me when I was around five years old and my parents owned one of the original “Pong” video games. They had it in a restaurant for awhile to make money and eventually brought it home when it stopped making money. I spent many hours on it learning how to master it. I got so good on it that my dad would challenge adults to play against me and I would very easily win every time. That is my first real connection and use of technology (other than television) and it never stopped. Today I own a laptop computer and have a second one for work. In addition to that, I also own a phone with internet access, a digital camera and several flash drives. My use of technology is mostly for finding information, storing that information and using technology to teach. When I am on my computer I am constantly looking online at information websites for up to date news and occasionally to find specific things like directions or even movie times. In my classroom I have something called an Activboard which is a huge whiteboard that can do anything a computer can do with a touch of a special pen. This is used to present material to my students in a new and engaging manner that is interactive. My students can also use it to show work or manipulate the material to learn or teach others as well. The use of technology in my life is daily and ever evolving.
Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to learning more stuff. ;-)
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