Foundations of Learning

1.      Epistemology is the foundation of our learning and how we learn this information, whereas instructional methods and theories are seemingly derived from this foundation but go a step farther by targeting specific needs of learning.  What I believe to be the biggest difference in the theories, methods and models of learning and epistemologies is that other modes are focused on the specifics of learning and not the base information.  I have a young student who is learning his alphabet letters and sounds.  In the beginning of our lessons it appeared that he knew a few of the letters despite only be 6 and battling disabilities.  I though he knew the letter a, but soon realized that he only knew one letter by sight.  It turned out that when I shuffled the order that every letter was “A”.  I found out that he did not recognize any of his letters.  When presented the letters after shuffling he could not tell me the letters that were displayed.  He knew the letter order but did not know the letters independently.  I also learned that despite being able to say each letter he was unable to attribute the actual letter sound. 

2.      I feel that I sway between being a Relativist and Contextualist framework in my method of teaching.  It typically depends on the instructional setting that I am teaching.  In my early career of education I was in a general education classroom and would have told you that I was a Relativist because I had to get my student to understand that the learning that was being presented to them was relevant to them and their learning.  However, having moved into a special education setting a few years ago I find that my students understood the importance to the learning but did not understand the concept being taught. 

While in college during the 90’s I experienced a negative situation regarding opposing perspectives.  I was taking psychology in college and a professor verbally attacked me based on my perspective of the concept behind Freudian Theory.  The professor was set in her position and was not going to entertain any other thoughts of this theory than her own.  She effectively kicked me out of class and reported me to the dean based on a mere question that mildly challenged her view.  The end result was that I was transferred to another class.  I do believe that the conflict was due to our opposing epistemic stances.  The professor had a belief that Freud was a joke and a pervert and would listen to nothing I was saying.  The problem all stemmed from the translation of the Austrian word for pleasure having an English meaning tied to sexual desires.  My comment in class was simply asked from a different perspective.   

3.      With behaviorist I feel that learning can take place with a negative or unpleasant experience being involved.  I once had a student that spit on his peer.   He was sent to the office and his consequence was that he had to spit in a cup until it was full.  He learned that the act of spitting on someone was not a pleasurable act and the act of spitting in a cup over and over was not pleasurable was well. Equally effective can be a positive experience.  For example, when I line by students up for lunch and I notice that not all my students are in line, as our student’s expectation state, rather than calling out the kids that are not doing as expected I will comment on the kids who are doing what is expected, “I like the way Suzie is stand in line.”  Or “I like the way Bobby is facing forward.”  I am reminding my students of the expectation without drawing negative attention on any student and over time they all come into line correctly so that they can receive the positive comments.

With the constructivist I feel that learning is being built from a foundation.  When I teach Calendar math I am constructing knowledge of a basic foundation that my student have already and I am building on that knowledge and expanding their understanding.  My students have the foundation of a calendar and understand the importance of the calendar but lack the knowledge of how the days of the week, months of the year and the different seasons are related to the calendar.  As a constructivist I am taking what they know about the calendar and building on their knowledge and expanding each time we meet and discuss the calendar and its components in relation to real would application.