How can learning be effectuated by a teacher?

As teachers we need to make learning real and meaningful to our students. So much of what our students learn in school can be so abstract. If we want our students to be motivated to learn we have to attach meaning to the things which we are teaching. Our students need to be able to recognize how what they are learning can benefit them and how they can use it to improve their own quality of life. Students constantly ask the question, "When am I ever going to use this?" If we are creating meaning for our students as we teach them, they can answer this question for themselves.

We can make learning meaningful by applying the principles that we have learned from the various learning theories we have studied. Each of these theories seem to suggest ways that we can attach meaning and context to learning. Also, these theories provide ways for us to help our students take ownership of their own learning, and when students can do this they can be motivated to find meaning in what they are learning. We should engage our students in learning activities that will challenge and lift them to greater heights of learning. Essentially, we need to be teaching our students how to teach themselves and become competent, self-motivated, and independent learners who can tailor their learning to meet their own needs and aspirations.

My answer to how teachers can effectuate learning has evolved immensely. At the beginning of this course my answer to this question was simply that a teacher needs to be there for his or her students. However, I don't know if I could have really described what "being there"meant. I now believe that "being there" means teaching your students how to rely on themselves and their learning abilities. As they learn to do this we can be there to provide feedback and encouragement and guide them as they lead themselves.

What is Learning?-Extra Credit

Learning is the process of connecting existing knowledge with new knowledge and finding meaning and application within that connection. For example if I would like my students to learn to use graphic design principles when creating various graphics and layouts, my students will first need to determine what they already know about graphic design. They can then use what they already know and connect it with what they learn about graphic design principles. As they make these connections they should be able to find meaning. What I mean by finding meaning is is they are able to see why this knowledge is important and how they can use this for their own growth and benefit. The students should be able to determine what graphic design principles mean to them and how they can use them for their own refinement and development.

In my first attempt to define learning I believe I defined it as the connection of prior knowledge with that of new knowledge. Throughout this class I have begun to realize that attaching meaning to what one learns is probably the most important part of learning. We should be able to recognize what learning a particular subject can mean for us, how it can refine us, and how we can apply this knowledge in authentic contexts of life. If we can't use it or make it meaningful ourselves, then why learn it?