My Learning Philosophy
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I am a constructivist. I love Jean Piaget's theories. His theories, "indicate that humans create knowledge through the interaction between their experiences and ideas."(Brau, 2020, para. 3). I believe that learning is a natural part of playing with our surroundings. This aligns with Jean Piaget's theory that "To understand is to discover, or reconstruct by rediscovery...capable of production and creativity and not simply repetition.''(Piaget, as cited in Miranda, 2011,p.316). Just like how when babies play peekaboo with their parents, they begin to learn how to naturally discover things. Through this form of play, they gradually learn to identify their parents' faces, and, without even knowing it, they develop the understanding that just because they can't see their parents doesn't mean they no longer exist. This process of 'rediscovery' reflects Piaget's idea that learning involves actively reconstructing knowledge through exploration and experience. We see this in Piagets' theory as well when toddlers play with mud. Playing with mud engages the child in sensory play. They discover its texture and malleability and manipulate it into an object like a pie or a house. Toddlers show their ability to produce something creatively. By incorporating elements of play and discovery into the learning process, we foster the development of children capable of creative thinking and productive problem-solving, rather than just repetition of information.
My Belief about learning
Have you ever witnessed a baby crying and
screaming in a store because something
doesn't suit them? Something I love seeing is
when someone, be it an adult or child,
engages in a game of peekaboo with the baby.
Even a brief interaction like that can often
help the baby cope with their situation and
calm down. This simple act shows the
significance of active participation and
involvement, which is a similar part of
Piaget's theory that states, ''Understanding...is
built up step by step through active
participation and involvement.'' (Piaget, as
cited in Miranda, 2011, p. 316). As children
grow older, they naturally embark on exploring the world around them. Activities such as playing in the mud, making mud pies, or chasing butterflies allow children to actively engage with their environment. For instance, my daughter finds snails fascinating, which stimulates her curiosity and involvement in exploration, discovery, and creation. She spends time outdoors playing with them and building them homes using sticks and leaves. While she wants to touch the snails, she has also experienced a situation where her initial ideas were proven wrong. One day, after collecting a few snails, she wondered why they would hide whenever she tried to touch them. Rather than providing her with a direct answer, I followed Piaget's theory of understanding being developed step by step. I gave her a comparison between the snails' behavior and our family cat's behavior. I explained that our cat doesn't like to be near her when she moves around a lot. Through continuous exploration and interaction with the snails, my daughter independently learned that snails do not like being touched. Now, she observes the snails without attempting to touch them. This process of questioning, exploring possibilities, and gradually discarding wrong ideas reflects Piaget's theory of active participation and the step-by-step development of understanding. Examples like this show the significance of learning through play. Play enables children to actively engage with their surroundings and construct their own understanding of the world, helping them ''Cope with the massive influx of information they receive.'' (Thomas and Brown, 2011, p. 47). Learning through play becomes an inherent part of a child's development and should be actively encouraged.
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My Beliefs about the relationship between teaching and learning
My learning philosophy greatly influences my innovation plan and my role as a change agent. As an educator, I firmly believe in the power of student-centered, experiential learning. This learning philosophy drives my commitment to integrating play, creativity, and active participation into my innovation plan: Fabrication Fridays (linked here you will find the proposal for my developing innovation plan) and home environments, guided by Piaget's theory that "humans create knowledge through the interaction between their experiences and ideas."(Brau, 2011, para. 3). I agree with Piaget's theory, that to truly understand something, students must discover and reconstruct knowledge through active participation and involvement. (Miranda, 2011, p. 316) By providing opportunities for students to explore and create, I aim to foster their curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. In my lab, I provide students with hands-on opportunities, such as working with Legos during designated 'Fab lab Fridays’ that I mention in
My Implementation Outline. These days are strategically scheduled when students have assessments, allowing them to unwind and engage in creative exploration. Giving my students time to be creators and not duplicators. (Miranda, 2011, p. 316) During the typical day, students follow a typing curriculum that supports every level of typist. For emergent readers, site words and letter recognition games are used to foster their step-by-step development into strong typists. Meanwhile, my older students are encouraged to use their creativity and interests to create stories. Through this process, they actively participate in constructing knowledge and developing confidence in expressing themselves in clear typed responses. Following Piaget's theory that there is significance in engagement and active participation in learning. Additionally, the creative writing assignments I assign help me understand my students' interests. By tailoring rewards and assignments based on their interests, I provide a meaningful learning environment for productive and creative learning experiences. Showing Piaget's notion of rediscovery and active involvement in my own learning and teaching.
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In my innovation plan: Fabrication Fridays are only a little bit different. For fabrication Fridays. Students will get to explore different things. I am only there as an introduction and a guide. It is my place to introduce initial concepts; for example, buoyancy and weight distribution. After the initial introduction, students will then get to play with different materials; for this example, they would build their own barge. Only after they have played with the initial concepts, I then introduced the math portion into it. By doing this, I am first getting them engaged in the learning before adding the facts. As well as letting them fail to see where they can grow. This way the focus is, "How can I do this better?" and not, "I didn't get it right because I'm not good at math". I feel I am my student's tour guide. I know all the landmarks in the cool facts, but my students have to want to get off the bus to explore the world around them. While they are exploring I also keep them safe but still watch for any mistakes that we can learn from. By doing this I am putting into practice Piaget's theory; discover, reconstruct, then create.
My Beliefs about myself as a learner.
It wasn't until I was 25 that I picked up my growth
mindset. It is my growth mindset that really steers
my love of learning and helped me develop my
Learning Manifesto. I have a mindset that if I
don't know how to do something, I can learn it.
I put into practice Piaget's theories. "To understand
is to discover, or reconstruct by rediscovery"
(Piaget, as cited in Miranda, 2011, p. 316). In 2021,
my AC broke down. Inspired by a friend who had
just fixed her car on her own with the help of
YouTube, I decided to fix my AC myself. I looked
up everything and researched manuals and wiring.
After two days, I determined that it was a blown
fuse due to the lack of a C wire. I replaced the fuse
and the thermostat myself and got my AC running again. I went through my own states and had to accept that many of my ideas were wrong (Piaget, as cited in Miranda, 2011, p. 316) only then did I learn how to solve the problem. Throughout the process, I talked to myself through each step in frustration, not just for myself, but also so that my daughter could see the path of growth and experience the excitement with me. Since then, I have replaced ceiling fans and combination door locks, all because I wouldn't quit trying to learn. For me, I love to face challenges head-on. That's the type of learner I am—I need my questions answered, so I will find my answers.
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Annotated Bibliography
Brau, B. (2020). Constructivism. In R. Kimmons & S. Caskurlu (Eds.), The Students' Guide to Learning Design and Research. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/studentguide/constructivism
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This EdTech article by Bekki Brau provides an overview of the key constructivist theorists. While my focus was on Jean Piaget, I found it fascinating to observe how the various perspectives complement each other. Brau emphasizes Piaget's theory, which places the individual at the center of knowledge creation and acquisition. According to Piaget, a child's intelligence is not inherently inferior to that of adults; rather, children operate differently based on their stage of development. Brau highlights the agreement between Vygotsky's and Piaget's theories that, although instructors play a role, there are limitations to their effectiveness. Moreover, Brau shows Dewey's support for Piaget's theory, emphasizing the significance of independent reasoning in cognitive development and, consequently, in learning. A common thread among these theorists is their rejection of rote memorization, highlighting the importance of creation and active participation in the learning process.
Miranda, J. (2011). Constructivism in the Non-Traditional System of Education. Philippiniana Sacra, 46(137), 313–344.
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This is a short excerpt from an academic journal in which Jesus Miranda Jr. discusses several lead Constructivists. Jean Piaget's theory serves as the foundation of my learning philosophy. Miranda provides a clear explanation of Piaget's theory, emphasizing that children learn through natural discovery. Learning extends beyond information collection and repetition; it involves active engagement with the surrounding world. Miranda also highlights Piaget's notion that children progress through stages of gradual learning, involving the exploration of ideas and the acceptance when their ideas are wrong. This process leads to behavioral changes and opportunities for rediscovery. Miranda effectively demonstrates how Piaget's theory has significantly contributed to revolutionizing our understanding of the learning process.
Thomas, D., & Brown J. S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of constant change. (Vol 219) Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.
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This book offers valuable insights into the essential role of play in children's learning. Thomas and Brown explore learning as an experience that extends beyond the confines of the classroom. They argue that when students actively engage with one another, their learning becomes more profound and significant. I find this perspective to be in line with Piaget's theories, which emphasize the importance of active involvement in learning through discovery, rediscovery, and creation. Thomas and Brown assert that learning should surpass the mere collection of information with the intention of later repetition.