Papers

Learning and Teaching Philosophy

            Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said:  “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” In a few very short words Mr. Franklin embodies many of my own beliefs of learning and teaching.  Too often I have observed teachers who merely tell, preach, or teach the concepts they are trying illuminate.  But learning is more then just remembering, a pigeon can be taught to remember (Skinner), learning at its core is “an enduring change in behavior” (Shuell as interpreted by Schunk, 1991).  I believe that you haven’t truly learned a principle or behavior until your actions are changed by it.  Let me use a simple example from my own life.  I grew up splitting firewood to heat our home during the winter.  From a very young age I wanted to be the one swinging the ax instead of the one stacking the split pieces.  When I was old enough my father handed me the ax and told me the correct way to hold and swing it.  My first attempts were awful, and remained so for some time.  I had watched my dad and older brothers wield the ax for years but my actions were not what theirs were until I had practiced.  I had to get the feel of the ax in my hands; I had to train my muscles to feel the swing and the placement of it.  I didn’t truly learn until I had sufficient practice to change my actions.  I think that this citation sums it up well: “Learning is accomplished when a proper response is demonstrated following the presentation of a specific environmental stimulus.” (Ertmer & Newby 1993)  My environmental stimulus was seeing my father and brothers splitting wood, the proper response was me doing it correctly and seeing the fruits of my labors.

            This brings me to another aspect of learning that I believe in; you never stop learning.  As a teacher you are not the master, you like your pupils should have an open mind.  Your students will teach you far more then you will teach them if you keep an open mind.  In fact, being an example of a great learning will help the students learn.  To support this I quote the filmmaker and educator Jim Henson:  “[Kids] don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” (Jim Henson, It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider) If you are an example of a learner, the students will remember and respect that.

            As just stated it’s important to be a learner, but at the same time it’s important to be a great mentor and teacher.  Many students are not self-motivators; they need someone to give them direction. Looking at different teaching models I see a lot of validity in both behaviorism and constructivism.  Etmer and Newbey stated, “The key elements [in teaching] are the stimulus, the response, and the association between the two.” (Ertmer & Newby 1993) This makes me think that really we see behaviorism in all teaching.  Many times the students want to please the teacher because they trust them and like them.  This can be an incredible tool if the teacher/student relationship is a healthy one based on mutual respect.  Because the student wants to please the instructor they inadvertently learn the material. 

            However, if we look at the relationship between stimulus and response it calls to mind my example of splitting wood, which has roots in constructivism. “As on moves along the behaviorist-cognitivist-constructivist continuum, the focus of instruction shifts from teaching to learning, from the passive transfer of facts and routines to the active application of ideas to problems.” (Ertmer & Newby 1993).  I couldn’t really learn the art of splitting wood until I did it.  My knowledge went from a “passive transfer” to the “active application of ideas to problems.” (Ertmer & Newby 1993).

            Ultimately for this paper I want to look at three of Gagne’s 9 Events of Learning.  These three steps or principles in Gagne’s events make the most sense to me in teaching and learning and should be applied.  The three events I would champion are: Inform learners of objectives, Stimulate recall of prior learning, and Elicit performance (practice). (Gagne 1965)  I think as an instructor it’s important to let the students know exactly what they can expect to learn, it helps prepare their minds.  Stimulating recall of prior learning is super important to application, learning doesn’t really happen until we apply it (see the first paragraph above).  And lastly Elicit Performance (practice).  Learning isn’t learning and means nothing until you put it to use.

I think it can be concluded that I’m all about action and doing and there are many more examples, methods, and theories that support my beliefs but these introduce my principle beliefs in learning and teaching.