Week 11: What is Learning? How Can Learning be Best Effectuated by a Teacher?

I've had to reflect a lot this semester, in a variety of classes, what learning is. I guess that by answering the same question over and over, we do reach a more concrete definition that we can then reach for as we design instruction. By figuring out what learning is, we are far more likely to make sure it happens in our lessons.

To me, learning is a process that involves a student not only integrating knowledge, but that changes their behavior as a result. Even more importantly, the learning process ensures the student knows how to keep learning about the subject, and also ensures that they will want to.

A teacher can best effectuate learning by making sure that their students have the tools available to them that will allow them to continue the learning process on their own. For example, I teach my students quite a bit about a variety of careers, and I think that they get pretty enthusiastic about career research from the activities we complete in class. I believe their behaviors are changed, because I also teach them how to continue their education in areas where their interests lie. However, if I stopped there, real learning would not have taken place because they wouldn't be able to continue investigating a variety of careers as they age and their interests change. I therefore also teach them how to use bls.gov and other applicable websites so they can pursue career education long after I am no longer around.