EdX HarvardX GSE2x - Leaders of Learning
Final Design Challenge Assignment:
Briefly describe your theory of learning and then present the design of your ideal learning environment. Be sure to consider the five human factors as you develop your design.
1. Start with your theory of learning by completing the sentence: “People learn best when…”
2. Then, imagine, what is the physical or digital space where you would lead this type of learning?
My Response:
First of all, we are always learning – everywhere, all the time – at specific 'educational institutions' and just out in the world. However, people learn best when their basic needs have been met, when they are interacting and participating, and when their learning is personalized and scaffolded.
Our basic needs include not just water, food, and shelter – but also sleep, safety & security, belonging & community, respect, etc. Even if children (or adult learners) are getting these needs met at home (which they may not be), a good learning environment would also provide for these basic needs. We are not just brains, we are embodied beings. Lunch, PE/recess, and nap time might be the most important parts of the school day. A 'school' could start to meet these basic needs by providing clean water and healthy food available throughout the day. Movement would be encouraged – in the ways that the kids wanted to move – if you want to run, then run; if you want to dance, then dance. Stillness would also be encouraged through meditation and spaces where kids can get away, be alone, and even nap if they need.
Learning is not something that is done to us – but rather something that we do – it's all about engaging and interacting, with teachers, with other learners, with the learning environment, with materials, with ourselves. A 'school' that recognizes this would have lots of hands-on, participatory activities. There may be some lectures, but then the new knowledge is used or the skills are practiced. Children are creating, rather than just consuming. They would be tackling problems, preferably real-world problems – not just regurgitating information. Also since learning is interactive, 'teachers' are often learning right along with the 'students'. Some kids learn best through social interactions – talking, etc, and others learn through interactions with materials – writing, etc.
We learn fastest if we're met at our level and challenged just beyond what we already know. In a participation/interaction environment, we can often self-regulate our level more than in a lecture style environment – but technology and metaknowledge about our learning and the learning of others around us can be helpful to scaffold even more. For building basic skills and content knowledge, computer programs can easily keep track of what each learner already knows, what they're working on, and what they might be able to learn next. And if each learner, as well as their co-learners and teachers, know what skills they're building, then the whole community can find ways to develop those skills through different activities.
The ideal learning space that I would love to create for children as well as adults would have …
* lots of different types of rooms/spaces – smaller to get away and do alone work, medium for small group work, larger for community gatherings – as well as easy access to nature and a place to move & run.
* small kitchens or eating areas scattered throughout with healthy food and water available.
* different types of work areas – comfortable spaces to talk, standing desks, sitting desks, tables for collaboration
* lots of materials for participatory activities – both physical materials as well as technological access to virtual information and materials
* open areas and mixed age groupings to facilitate collaboration and interaction between different ages
* lots of windows and a social norm of more adults in the 'classrooms' to encourage teacher development through observation and feedback
* technology able to monitor every student's progress on their individualized learning plans
More thoughts on my theory of learning... http://www.teresaeg.com/philosophy.html
Final Design Challenge Assignment:
Briefly describe your theory of learning and then present the design of your ideal learning environment. Be sure to consider the five human factors as you develop your design.
1. Start with your theory of learning by completing the sentence: “People learn best when…”
2. Then, imagine, what is the physical or digital space where you would lead this type of learning?
My Response:
First of all, we are always learning – everywhere, all the time – at specific 'educational institutions' and just out in the world. However, people learn best when their basic needs have been met, when they are interacting and participating, and when their learning is personalized and scaffolded.
Our basic needs include not just water, food, and shelter – but also sleep, safety & security, belonging & community, respect, etc. Even if children (or adult learners) are getting these needs met at home (which they may not be), a good learning environment would also provide for these basic needs. We are not just brains, we are embodied beings. Lunch, PE/recess, and nap time might be the most important parts of the school day. A 'school' could start to meet these basic needs by providing clean water and healthy food available throughout the day. Movement would be encouraged – in the ways that the kids wanted to move – if you want to run, then run; if you want to dance, then dance. Stillness would also be encouraged through meditation and spaces where kids can get away, be alone, and even nap if they need.
Learning is not something that is done to us – but rather something that we do – it's all about engaging and interacting, with teachers, with other learners, with the learning environment, with materials, with ourselves. A 'school' that recognizes this would have lots of hands-on, participatory activities. There may be some lectures, but then the new knowledge is used or the skills are practiced. Children are creating, rather than just consuming. They would be tackling problems, preferably real-world problems – not just regurgitating information. Also since learning is interactive, 'teachers' are often learning right along with the 'students'. Some kids learn best through social interactions – talking, etc, and others learn through interactions with materials – writing, etc.
We learn fastest if we're met at our level and challenged just beyond what we already know. In a participation/interaction environment, we can often self-regulate our level more than in a lecture style environment – but technology and metaknowledge about our learning and the learning of others around us can be helpful to scaffold even more. For building basic skills and content knowledge, computer programs can easily keep track of what each learner already knows, what they're working on, and what they might be able to learn next. And if each learner, as well as their co-learners and teachers, know what skills they're building, then the whole community can find ways to develop those skills through different activities.
The ideal learning space that I would love to create for children as well as adults would have …
* lots of different types of rooms/spaces – smaller to get away and do alone work, medium for small group work, larger for community gatherings – as well as easy access to nature and a place to move & run.
* small kitchens or eating areas scattered throughout with healthy food and water available.
* different types of work areas – comfortable spaces to talk, standing desks, sitting desks, tables for collaboration
* lots of materials for participatory activities – both physical materials as well as technological access to virtual information and materials
* open areas and mixed age groupings to facilitate collaboration and interaction between different ages
* lots of windows and a social norm of more adults in the 'classrooms' to encourage teacher development through observation and feedback
* technology able to monitor every student's progress on their individualized learning plans
More thoughts on my theory of learning... http://www.teresaeg.com/philosophy.html
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