DeniseRussell

FoundationsofLearningTheories
Fall2014

Mypersonallearningtheory

IIntroduction

WhenIwas11yearsold,Iaskedmymomtoteachmehowtocook.ShetoldmeIwasgoingtolearnhowto
cookrice,andthatshewouldbetellingmethestepsandIwouldbeperformingthem.Iwassurprised,asI
thoughtIwasgoingtowatchherdoit.Instead,startingwiththerice,everytimeshetaughtmeadifferentdish,
shefollowedthesameprocedure:sheaskedmewhichingredientstogather,thenwhichstepstotake.Shewas
watchingme,makingsureIwashandlingfoodsandutensilssafely.Ineverforgotthoseexperiences,cooking
underhertutelage.IneverforgotherlearningbydoingapproachandnoticeherinfluenceinthewayIteach
others.

Mylearningdidnotalwayshappenbydoing.Atschool,Imostlylearnedthroughlecturesanddrillandpractice.
AstraightAstudent,Ididallthereading,alltheassignments,participatedinallclassroomactivities.Iremember
howIalwayspreparedfortestsandexams:Iwouldreadthetextbook,underlinewithpenciltheimportant
concepts,copythoseunderlinedsectionsontomynotebookusingapen,readingthemaloudasIwrotethem.I
wouldthenreviewanyexercises,practicetests,etc.IwouldstopwhenIwasconfidentIhadreviewedallthe
content.Memorizationwasonlypracticedwhenitwasrequired.Mymotherprovidedsupportthroughoutmy
schoolyears,andthatsupportfadedasIgrewolderandsherealizedIalwaysdidthehomework,preparedfor
tests,andearnedgoodgrades.MyperformancewasthesameincollegeinBrazilwhenIstudiedPsychology,
thenMarketingandAdvertisement,aswellaswhenIfinallygraduatedinPsychologyintheUS.

Ivealwaysbeenselfmotivated,lookedforadditionalresources,andmadesureIcouldusetheknowledgeIwas
acquiringintheclassroomtootherfieldsofstudyorwork.Asagraduatestudent,nothinghaschanged!Iamstill
selfmotivated,participateinclass,doallhomeworkandreading,andamalwaysdoingfurtherresearchonthe
topicsIlearninclass.Whethertheteacherlecturesorusesotherinstructionalstrategies,Iamstillengaged.On
myown,Ihavelearnedaccountingandfinanceinordertorunacompany,Ilearnedhowtoinvestonthestock
market,howtoinvestinrealestate,andhowtoquilt,amongotherthings.

ThatishowIlearn.Howdomyexperiences(learningathomeandinschool)influencehowIteachothers?

IIData

Myteachingexperiencehasbeenwith(1)myownchildrenathome(Itaughtmyoldestsonhowtocookandmy
youngestsonshowtocookandquilt),(2)withchildrenandadultsinchurch,and(3)withquilters(atJoAnn
storesandinaquiltguild).IalsowriteaquiltingblogwhereIoftenposttutorials
(http://www.piecedbrain.com/p/tutorials.html),tohelpotherquilterslearnnewtechniquesandmakenew
projects.

1.HowIteachathome

DependingonwhatIamteaching,Iwilleitherfirstdemonstratethenletmysonsdoit,orIwilltellthemthe
stepsandletthemdoeverything.My14yearoldsonmadeaquiltwhenhewas7:Ishowedthemthefabrics
andlethimchoosetheoneshewantedtoworkwith,Icutthefabricsintostripsforhim(Ididnotwanthimto

usearotarycutteratthatage),thenIdemonstratedhowtosewastraightline,andhedidtherest.WhenI
taughtmyoldestson,Michael,andmyyoungestson,Ryan,howtocook,Ididasmymotherdidwithme:Itold
themwhattodo,stepbystep,andtheydiditallasIwasensuringtheyweresafelyhandlingthefoodsand
utensils.Pleasegotohttp://www.piecedbrain.com/2013/08/cookingcamp.htmlforabriefpostonRyaninthe
kitchenlearninghowtocook.

2.HowIteachatchurch:

13and14yearolds

Althoughwehave45minutes,bythetimestudentsarriveinclassroomandsettledown,wemayonlyhave30
minutestocovertopic.Thus,inmypreparation,Ireviewlessonmaterialsandchooseonetopiconwhichto
focusentirelesson.Thisway,Icanplanquestionsandactivitiesbasedonthattopic.Mypurposeisforstudents
tocomeoutwithatleastonethingtoremember:eitherthemeaningofaconcept(whatisatonement?),orthe
applicationofaconceptintoourlives(howtobeanexampleofrighteousnessinschool).

ForthelessononWhatisthePurposeofourJourneyonEarth,afterbrieflyexplainingthedoctrine,Iwroteon
theboard:
LLRR

AsIwrotetheselettersontheboard,Isaid:LeftLeftRightRight.ThenIexplainedwhatitmeant:

LearnLiveRighteouslyReturn(toGod).

Fromthatdayon,everytimeitfitintothecurrentlesson,Iwouldwritethoselettersontheboardandthe
childrenwouldimmediatelyknowwhatIwastryingtosay.

Iliketoplaceinstructionintostudentsreallifecontextandengagetheirbrainsbyelicitingparticipation,either
viaquestionsandanswersorwitharelevantactivity.InsteadofmakingchildrenreadaloudALLthescriptures
assignedtothelesson,Iprefertochooseoneimportantscriptureorconcept,focusentirelessononit,help
studentsrelateittotheirlives,makethemlaugh,andonceinawhileshowa2minutevideo.Inthismanner,I
canensurethattheywillrememberatleastonethingwhenaskedWhatdidyouguystalkedaboutinclass
today?asopposedtojustmumblesomethingandremembernothingaboutthose30minutes.

Iam,however,awareofthestudentscharacteristicsandstageofdevelopment.Imakenoassumptionsthat
theyunderstandallconcepts,andatthestartofanewtopicImakesuretheyknowwhatthewordsinvolved
meanbeforeIdelivercontent.WhenItaught4and5yearolds,IalwaysexplainedbigwordsbyusingwordsI
knewtheywouldunderstand.

Adults

TheteachersroleinGospelDoctrineclassesisthatofdiscussionfacilitator.AlthoughIcovermostofthelesson
readings,Istillchoosetofocusononeortwotopics.Mypreparationisdifferentforthisclassascomparedto
whenIteach13and14yearolds,asIresearchthetopicextensivelybyreadingscholarlyarticles.Withthis
backgroundresearch,Icanincludeinthelessonpertinenthistoricaldetails,adddeeperperspectivetoawell
knowntopic,andrelatetopictoreallivewithdiscussionquestions.Withregardtothelatter,Ioncethoughta
lessonaboutthedivineaspectsofthetranslationofacertainbook.AtthetimeIownedatranslationcompany
soIdecidedtobeginmylessonbysayingthatonthatdaytheyweregoingtolearnaboutthetranslation

business.IimmediatelygottheirattentionasIcouldtelltheywerewonderingwhyIwasgoingtotalkaboutmy
businessinchurch.

Givenadocumentofacertainsize,Iexplainedhowmanywordsatranslatorcantranslateperday,onaverage.
Then,Italkedabouthowmanyhoursitwouldtakeaneditortoreviewthattranslation.Ithenexplainedthata
proofreadermustcomparetranslationtooriginaldocumenttoensureallcontentisthere,andhowlongthat
wouldtake.Finally,Iaddressedthematterofhowfastthebook,thesubjectofourlesson,wastranslated.Thus,
theywereabletounderstandthatwithoutdivineinterventionwecouldnothavehadthattranslationtoday.

3.HowIteachquiltingtoadults:

Ihavehadtheopportunitytoteachwomenwhodopatchworkandwereinterestedinlearninghowtoquilt
theirownprojects,usingtheirownsewingmachine.PleaserefertoPowerPointpresentationforanoutlineof
myquiltingclasses.Inthistrainingmygoalsare:(1)togetlearnersexcitedaboutquiltingtheirownprojects(as
opposedtopayingsomeoneelsetodoit),and(2)tohavethempracticeduringclassallthetechniquesI
demonstrate.Theirfeedbackhasbeenverypositive:theyleavetheclassesfeelingcompetentandfullofideasof
howtoapplythetechniquestheylearned.Theyoftenrefertheirfriendstotakemyclasses,andlaterproudly
showtheprojectstheyquiltedontheirown.

LastsummerIwenttoBrazilforthreeweeks.DuringthatvisitIhadtheopportunitytoteachmysisterhowto
makeherfirstquilt.PleasefollowthislinktoreadabouthowItaughther:
http://www.piecedbrain.com/2014/09/learningbydoing.html.

IIIConclusion

ThereareafewcommonthreadsbetweenhowIlearnandhowIteach.First,organizationprecedesinstruction:
Iorganizematerials,definestrategies,andlearnaboutthelearners(or,asIstudent,figureoutwhatIdoand
whatIdonotknowaboutthesubjectinquestion).Second,instructionfitslearnersexpectations:asastudent,if
thematerialpresentedregardlessofthedeliveryformatisntwhatIwanted,nolearninghappens.Iimagine
itwouldbethesamewithmystudents:iftheyexpectIwillteachthemhowtoquiltaprojectand,instead,I
teachthemhowtodesignaquiltingproject,therewillbenolearning.Finally,learnedskillscanbeappliedto
otherareas:ifIcannotleveragewhatIhavejustlearnedtootherareasofinterestorwork,thenIdontthinkI
reallylearnedthematerial.Thesameappliestomystudents.Unlesstheycanrelatetotheinstructionona
personalbasis,unlesstheycanapplyitintheirlivesorwork,IdontbelievetheywillhavelearnedwhatItriedto
teach.

Nathan&Robinson(n.d.),intheirtechnicalreportentitledConsiderationsofLearning&LearningResearch:
RevisitingtheMediaEffectsDebate,writtenfortheinstituteofCognitiveScienceattheUniversityof
Colorado,Bolder,suggestthathowonedefineslearningaffectshowonecreatesanddeliversinstruction.Thus,
ifweareconstructivists,wewouldcreatelearningenvironmentswhichallowthelearnertohavecontrolover
theirknowledgeacquisition.Ifwespouseasituativestance,theactivitiesusedinthelearningprocess,andthe
learnersinteractionwilldeterminehowmuchknowledgeisacquiredbythelearner.

Asforme,Iamyettodiscoverifmyownlearningtheoryisbasedononetheoryoramixofcomponentsfrom
varioustheories.

Reference:
Nathan,M.J.,andRobinson,C.(n.d.)ConsiderationsofLearning&LearningResearch:Revisitingthe
MediaEffectsDebate.InstituteofCognitiveScience,UniversityofColorado,Boulder.