Blog Assignment: Fitting the Pieces Together

            After revisiting my post, I feel that I learn about the same way as I said in the first week.  I still feel that I need group learning situations in order to excel and that I’m very much a project-based learner.  I think that, through reflection, that I’m very much of a connectivism learner.  I try to see the connections between fields, ideas, and concepts.  I also put a heavy emphasis on creating networks of people, both on and offline in order to enhance my learning.  This is evident through the mind map project, which helped me visualize how exactly I learn (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008). 

            Overall, I’d say that I’ve learned quite a bit about various learning theories and learning styles over the last few weeks.  It has opened my eyes in understanding not only how I use various styles, but how my students are mixing styles, as well.  We all borrow from other learning styles in order to become well-rounded students.  As teachers, it is our responsibility to differentiate our teaching styles so that we can accommodate more learners.

            And finally, technology plays a very important role in my learning.  Google is my homepage.  I use my iPhone everywhere I go so that I can always find the answer to a question when I have it.  Honestly, I’d be nowhere without technology.

            Something I would like to add to this discussion is something that I learned at the University of Central Florida.  In college, one of my childhood literacy professors marked me as an “info-kid.”  I asked her what she meant and she just kept walking by.  As soon as class let out, I immediately went home and scoured the Internet for answers.  Not able to find much, she referred me to the book Info-Kids by Rob Jobe.  While I do not have the book any more, I would highly recommend you read it because it explains a population of students that you may think of as annoying.  They are the ones that always question why the sky is blue or why they have to go inside when it is raining.  They want to know the answer to everything.  She knew I’d run home to find the answers and prove her point – I was definitely an Info-Kid.  That was the first time I really though about my learning styles and I will never stop trying to figure out new ways to attain information, thanks to her.

Resource

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism