Activity done in class on January 31, 2011

Which of these definitions fits your understanding of learning and why? 

1. Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge. Learning is acquiring information or “knowing a lot” 
2. Learning as memorizing. Learning is storing information that can be reproduced. 
3. Learning as acquiring facts, skills and methods that can be retained and used as necessary. 
4. Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning. Learning involves relating parts of the subject matter to each other and to the real world. 
5. Learning as interpreting and understanding reality in a different way. Learning involves comprehending the world by re-interpreting knowledge.

      The learning definitions listed above that best fit me are three, four, and five. Four and five are the highest form of learning. If you understand something in a different way then you can explain it to others. To relate other things  to a subject matter and come to a conclusion is higher thinking. Three is important in learning because it is important to know facts, prior knowledge and concepts already known  to be able to be more applicable. To teach others a concept really shows that you are learning. Teaching others is learning twice. I find that learning is important. It is important to have prior knowledge when learning. It is also good to know facts and to be able to relate different concepts to other things while learning. Learning is all about making connections to other things in the world.  It is nice to help someone else comprehend something. By working with someone there are two minds thinking on the same subject and come up with something you may have not thought about.  Learning can be fun . It is nice to learn something new everyday. That is what learning means to me. 


  There are many ways I could use this. The different levels of learning listed above is a great way for a teacher to form a rubric off of. The teacher in the classroom can also use the different levels of learning as to show that each student learns differently and that it is important for a teacher to touch on each level. The teacher should incorporate all the levels of learning in the classroom and lessons. The teacher should start the unit or the first few lessons by giving facts and skills. Then the teacher could show a video or pictures for the abstract meaning.Then the teacher should do experiments or demonstrations to show the children abstract and hands on approaches to the lesson. The teacher than would have the students answer questions or write a journal entry to show that the students interrupt and understood what was happening. It is not good to have students memorize facts. It is better to have students practice and study their facts so that the students will remember the information for a longer time. 


I think that it is important to know the five levels of learning. It is important because there different levels that your students are going to be on. Some students are better at interrupting and understanding while other students are better at making sense of things and abstracting meaning. It is important me for as a teacher to find a common ground between the different learning levels. It is important to use the different learning levels for students to be challenged. It makes students think about their work and how the students can improve their work to be more abstract or to be more understanding for others.