"What one sees as knowledge, another sees as the opposite, because of that person(s) socially negotiated, collectively constructed knowledge, and/ or schema."
"Where Do You See Yourself With the Theorists"
Principles of Learning - September 2009
Principles of Learning
AS AN EDUCATOR - When I was in Lakehead's Faculty of Education for the Pre-Service program, I studied learning theories. At the time, I studied them because I was going to become a teacher, and I figured I should know them. However, I found myself learning these theories again in my graduate career with a different objective. This is a point I better understood following EDUC 5404: Teaching in an Adult Learning Environment. Adults acquire knowledge for different purposes in their life based on what their goals and potential career objectives are. I re-learned these theories to defend my stance on how technology could be used to minimize the digital divide, and how it provides authentic learning experiences in a social-constructivist frame. This point of view, as I defended in my adjacent artifact was supported by the theories of Jean Piaget, Albert Bandura, and Lev Vygotsky.
Howard Besser, an associate professor at UCLA states that beyond the issue of access to students, which is still very much an issue in Canada, the ability for students to be informed
consumers of information, critical thinkers, and advocates and producers of information that is representative of their lives and realities are imperative to minimizing the digital divide (2001). Reflecting on my 1 000 word essay for Principles of Learning, I feel that I have three juggernaut learning theories to endorse why I think technology plays a pivotal role in producing rich learning experiences for the "have-nots" of our society.
Howard Besser, an associate professor at UCLA states that beyond the issue of access to students, which is still very much an issue in Canada, the ability for students to be informed
consumers of information, critical thinkers, and advocates and producers of information that is representative of their lives and realities are imperative to minimizing the digital divide (2001). Reflecting on my 1 000 word essay for Principles of Learning, I feel that I have three juggernaut learning theories to endorse why I think technology plays a pivotal role in producing rich learning experiences for the "have-nots" of our society.
Piaget's learning theory stated that the active demonstration of learning is deemed as an operation, and this lead through to his four states of development (2003). As I read his research, I speculated that the self-regulating behaviours and environment of the learner would have to be "favourably" aligned to progress effectively. Also, it was the speed of that progression (through the four stages) that creates variance between learners (Piaget, 2008).
Vygotsky saw imagination and creativity as paramount in learning, and are essential to human life (2004). Furthermore, the greater the experiences, the greater the imaginative and creative abilities of the child (Vygostky, 2004).
Finally, Bandura spoke highly of how social relations within the learner's environment are imperative to intellectual development and one's understanding of his/her own self-efficacy (Caprara, et al., 2008).
Looking through the lens of digital literacy and the digital divide, I would now argue that access to new technologies and good literacy instruction, could provide all disenfranchised learners the opportunity to thrive and compete in a global world. Keeping in mind that speed of knowledge acquisition (Piaget), opportunities to foster creativity and imagination (Vygotsky), and creating a supportive and contributing social environment to sponsor one's self-efficacy (Bandura) were integral to the above learning theories, technology and effective instruction could allow these learners to :
Vygotsky saw imagination and creativity as paramount in learning, and are essential to human life (2004). Furthermore, the greater the experiences, the greater the imaginative and creative abilities of the child (Vygostky, 2004).
Finally, Bandura spoke highly of how social relations within the learner's environment are imperative to intellectual development and one's understanding of his/her own self-efficacy (Caprara, et al., 2008).
Looking through the lens of digital literacy and the digital divide, I would now argue that access to new technologies and good literacy instruction, could provide all disenfranchised learners the opportunity to thrive and compete in a global world. Keeping in mind that speed of knowledge acquisition (Piaget), opportunities to foster creativity and imagination (Vygotsky), and creating a supportive and contributing social environment to sponsor one's self-efficacy (Bandura) were integral to the above learning theories, technology and effective instruction could allow these learners to :
- critically think
- to consume information as informed, evaluative, learners who comprehend the views of the sender, the message, and the receptive audience
- interact with rich creative applications and have opportunities to work with experts in various fields
- use their imagination and tap into their creativity, with a plethora of tools at their access
- engage with computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) communities and other collaboration supported by information communication technologies (ICT).
- have the agency to produce and share information, and
- feel empowered to advocate for one's point of view or stance.
- there is access to technologies and broadband/ wireless internet access
- teachers are aptly trained to equip the students with this knowledge, and
- messages produced by those who are on the disenfranchised segment of the digital divide are not censored or neglected.