Running head: HOW STUDENTS LEARN BEST

How Students Learn Best Ashlie Carr Bridgewater College

HOW STUDENTS LEARN BEST Abstract

This paper will describe my personal opinion on how I believe students learn best. My opinions will be based on the information I have learned from my experiences in teaching and also on the theories I have learned in class formed for the following theorists: Piaget, Vygotsky, Gilligan, Thorndike, Ausubel, and Hunter. This paper will summarize how each of these theorists believe students learn best and how I agree or disagree with their views. Ultimately, I would not say that any of the theories that these people have created are the correct answer to student learning in their entirety, but it is through combining some of the key elements in the theories that students learn best. As we have been studying, I have decided that each theorist has a valid point, but no one theory alone is best for a student to learn the material at hand. One specific theory might work well for one student, but may not work for another. I argue that it is most effective to teach students in a way that combines certain elements of each of these theories for students to learn best.

HOW STUDENTS LEARN BEST

Since I am still in college, I have not had as much experience as a full time classroom teacher would, but I have decided in the experience I do have that students learn best in a variety of ways. First of all, it depends highly on the student and their personality and abilities and second it depends on the topic being discussed as to what avenue should be taken. In class, we have learned about many different learning strategies and theories and out of all of the theorists I would mainly agree with the views of Piaget, Vygotsky, Gilligan, Thorndike, Ausubel, and Hunter. I do not think that any of these theories alone serve as the best way to teach students, but a combination of their key points would serve as the best way students learn. In Piagets theory, the key point that I feel is most important to students learning is that he believed that we learn differently depending on our age or what stage of development we are in. In other words, they [students] cannot undertake certain tasks until they are psychologically mature enough to do so (Atherton 2011). I feel that this is true in any classroom and it is vital in helping students learn in the best way possible. It would not be practical to teach toddlers how to do long algebraic equations because they are not psychologically or physically ready to learn those skills yet. Instead, educators need to teach what is appropriate for the age/maturity level in the classroom and start building on what they have learned in the past. Piaget coined the terms assimilation and accommodation which is adding new information to the brain and the different ways that the new information can be processed. This idea of building on prior knowledge is also evident in Vyotskys theory. Vygotky built on Piagets theory a little bit, but added the social piece. So, although we need to use Piagets view on development to help students learn best, we also need to consider that students need relationships and peers in order to learn. For example, lets say that the lesson is to teach students how to do critical thinking. In your lesson, you want the students to work together and figure out the best way to make a bridge out of newspaper and limited amounts of masking tape that can hold a textbook. Having the students work together will allow different perspectives to be brought into the thought process. Each child will have different experiences and insight on how best to build the bridge, but when they collaborate and add to each others thoughts, the bridge will get better and better. According to Vygotsky, this type of social interaction involving co-operative or collaborative dialogue promotes cognitive development (McLeod 2007). Vygotsky is right that students learn best by social interaction, but social interaction alone will not be the best approach to learning. Carol Gilligan adds another piece to the learning puzzle. Not only do students learn best based on their maturity level and social interaction, but boys and girls learn differently. Gilligan criticized Kohlbergs theory since he only focused on white males, but she argued that females and males learn differently. Her theory has been researched on a larger scale and neuroscience research proves there is a difference in the scientific make-up of how mens and womens brains function. The two hemispheres of the brain are activated in different ways. For women, the left and right hemispheres are triggered when presented with real experiences in an emotional situation. For men, the left hemisphere is triggered regardless if the situation is real or abstract (Top Colleges 2009). This research proves that girls and boys will learn differently depending on how the teacher presents the information. If this is true, this is a key element to how students learn best. Gilligan showed us that men and women learn differently even cognitively and Thorndike incorporated something called connectionism into his theory which is a cognitive process. He did not specify differences in females and males in connectionism, but this concept is about neural bonds connecting. When we experience certain things in our life, we make

HOW STUDENTS LEARN BEST

connections in our brains. Ultimately, the more connections we make, the more intelligent we become. I think this key element is essential to how students learn best because their experiences are already engraved into their minds so the more teachers connect with that information and create experiences that will form new connections, the students will learn best. Connectionism is an important part to student learning. One way to make neural connections in the brain is to use advanced organizers. When a student has these organizers to enhance their learning, they will be able to make more neural connections. Advanced organizers are just aids or tools to use in the classroom to create meaningful learning. Using organizers will help the students make connections in their brains so the learning is not just meaningless memorization. One article writes, If students understand the basic outlines of the structure [lesson], they are able to fill in the cracks appropriately and effectively with new and related information as it is presented to them (Dell'Olio & Donk, 2007). This article talked about how advanced organizers are ways to start off a lesson that will help the students make connections to prior knowledge, but preparing the learner for the new information about to come. It will make the information more concrete in their mind and will have meaning. Hunter even incorporates advanced organizers in her theory about lesson planning. With all of these key elements considered, the lesson plan is then ready to be completed, but it is important to create plans that will help the student learn best. Hunters lesson plan outline has everything included to make the lesson meaningful and important to the student. When one looks at her theory and her lesson plan, they will see that all of the key elements talked about in this paper are taken into consideration. Delivery of the content is one of the most important ways to help students learn best, so by creating good lesson plans the students will gleam the most information. In closing, we see that students do not learn best by one theory alone, but students will learn the most by taking the important pieces out of certain theories and combining them with others. Through the work of Piaget, Vygotsky, Gilligan, Thorndike, Ausubel, and Hunter, we see how combining certain key elements makes student learning at its best. By considering the students maturity level and gender, then combining that with group work (social interaction) and advanced organizers to make neural connections to create a lesson plan suitable for the students they will learn better than using only one of these theories alone. I believe by combing the key elements of these theories, every student will be able to learn to the best of their ability.

HOW STUDENTS LEARN BEST References Atherton, J. S. (2011). Learning and Teaching; Piaget's developmental theory [On-line: UK]. Retrieved from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/piaget.htm Dell'Olio, J., & Donk, T. (2007). Models of teaching. Sage Pub. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/14256_Chapter13.pdf McLeod, S. A. (2007). Vygotsky - Social Development Theory. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

Top colleges. (2009, June 24). Retrieved from http://www.top-colleges.com/blog/2009/06/24/domen-and-women-learn-differently/

HOW STUDENTS LEARN BEST RUBRIC: ESSAY 1 Persuasion Essay Target Level Score: 2 Style Mechanics/Grammar/ Sentence Structure/ Documentation Organization
Identifiable style of the author with intent to communicate clear Error: Free-1, 2 errors All papers are to use APA format.

Acceptable Level Score:1

Authors style is developing. Communication is clear. Minimal Errors: less than five in the whole paper APA format.

Needs Editing to Communicate Score: 0

Style is not present, or communication is lost. Errors: more than five in the paper but not to the point of making is not communicate. Not in APA format. Unclear introduction, articulated main body, and conclusion.

Support

Persuasion

Clear introduction, articulated main body, and conclusion. The main body significantly addresses the question. There are transition sentences that allow the essay to flow to each point. Clear articulation of writers position on the question. Uses multiple sources. Uses sources beyond internet and text. Clearly uses persuasive language. Follows the format of a persuasion essay. Solid evidence of commitment to the position.

Clear introduction, articulated main body, and conclusion. The main body significantly addresses the question.

Clear articulation of writers position on the question. Uses multiple sources.

Clear articulation of writers position on the question, but without support.

Clearly uses persuasive language. Follows the format of a persuasion essay.

Clearly uses persuasive language, but uses a weak argument.