How people learn is difficult to measure and define because we are all so different and have unique backgrounds and cultures. When I think about explaining my theory for how people learn it is difficult to explain how it functions for everyone. However, through my experiences and reading about different learning theories, I have come to the conclusion that the way we learn is a mixture of sociocultural learning and constructivism.
In typical Marissa Misura fashion, I wanted to show my theory for learning in a mathematical and methodical way. When I encounter the word "theory" I think of theorems. In math, theorems are statements thought to be true and can often be proven true with different methods of proof. As a teacher, the three main methods of proof that I show my students are: two-column proofs, flow-chart proofs, and proofs by construction. In a proof you take what is given to you and through a series of linking true statements you come to a conclusion which is what you are trying to prove true. I have completed a two column proof of my theory for how people learn below. Theory of Learning By: Marissa Misura Given: A sociocultural and constructivist environment. Prove: People will learn.
Despite how much this proof shows my thinking, sometimes my students (and I) struggle with two-column proofs. So I also show my students how to prove things using flow-chart proofs. I like flow-chart proofs because you can start with what you are trying to prove true and work backward until you connect all the ideas to what is given to be true. In the short gif below I completed my theory for learning proof in the flow-chart style, the complete proof in the picture following that, in addition to my previous two-column proof.
Finally - and sometimes the most fun way to prove something true - is proof through construction. A proof by construction often uses mathematical tools, such as a ruler or compass, to help show something is true. In reflecting on my two weeks of in-person learning during my hybrid program at MSU, I realized this was exactly a proof by construction! During our two weeks, I was taking in all of the knowledge presented to me by my professors and peers more knowledgeable others - and then constructing new knowledge that was uniquely my own. I was collaborating in small groups in our classes and during our many field trips. During Ed Camp when I suggested a session on Interactive Student Notebooks (ISN). In the session, I shared my ISN knowledge and experience with small group of educators. I am hopeful that they learned from me, as I surely gained new ideas when talking with them. By taking all these experiences together I am constructing the proof that we learn by being guided by those around us who are more skilled (sociocultural learning) as well as building that knowledge off of previous knowledge and experiences that we have had (constructivism).
Just like some theories in math cannot be proven true, I cannot truly prove my theory for learning is infallible. But, based on my experiences and observations of my students I have found teaching successes when using this theory of learning when creating opportunities for my students.
Resources:
Cherry, K. (2022, June 3). Sociocultural theory of development. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sociocultural-theory-2795088 Kurt, S. (2021, February 21). Constructivist Learning Theory. Educational Technology. https://educationaltechnology.net/constructivist-learning-theory/ Misura, M. (2022, August 12). Theory of Learning [Image]. Misura, M. (2022, August 14). Theory of Learning, Flowchart Proof [Video]. https://youtube.com/shorts/NTEsLMHX_xs?feature=share Misura, M. (2022, August 14). Theory of Learning, Flowchart Proof [Image].
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These past two weeks of in person learning during my graduate course work at MSU have me really considering how people learn. While my own theory of learning is a combination of sociocultural and constructivism, I have to wonder how and if my students learn differently?
Because I knew my face to face learning experience during my graduate coursework at MSU was coming to an end, each day felt like “the last” of something. On Monday and Tuesday it was the last time my classmates and I were going to pick an interesting place to eat lunch in downtown Lansing. Wednesday was our last field trip on campus to visit the Planetarium and the last day in our classroom. And Friday, being the actual last day, came and went so quickly I almost didn’t have time to soak in all of the parting moments. Because of these lasts I tried to make the most of all my learning opportunities - with my professor, with my classmates, and within these creative learning spaces. Am I getting more out of these experiences because I have more of a motivation to learn as is an assumption of Knowles's Theory of Andragogy (or adult learners)? Or do my students have the experiential background to also appreciate these important moments in their learning experiences as well? (Kurt, 2020)
One of the culminating activities of our hybrid learning experience was to attend an Ed Camp . I wanted to sit back and watch what my peers would bring to the table, but soon realized that I needed to be an active participant in my learning experience. I suggested a topic that I am passionate about, creating an Interactive Student Notebook, or ISN, with my students, and it ended up being one of the sessions of the day. Starting the conversation about ISNs during the session was a bit scary, but as other teachers began sharing their knowledge, questions, and ideas on ISNs I began thinking of new things to incorporate into my ISN, it sparked my creativity to consider how to make my ISN better, and overall had me excited to start the school year learning and creating with a new group of students.
Attending this Ed Camp further strengthened my constructivism/sociocultural learning theory as being a powerful combination of ways to learn - as an adult or child. My only hope is that I am able to create these powerful learning experiences for my students within the confines of my context. Creating genuine collaboration between my students is something I can help them learn by setting up group work norms during the first few days of school and giving them reminders throughout the school year. Sparking creativity through different activities is something that I can add to my curriculum by relating activities to math, or not, to inspire my students to think differently. The most challenging aspect is motivating my students by learning in different spaces because of the limitations of time, my district, and because of safety concerns. However in small ways I can do this - have students change groups, work in the hallway, go to the library or cafeteria to change up their perspective or outlook I hope will spark creativity in them as it did for me these past two weeks.
Resources:
Kurt, S. (2020, July 11). Andragogy Theory - Malcolm Knowles. Educational Technology.
This past week was an excellent reminder that immersing yourself in different situations, collaborating with different people, engaging in traditional “creative” type spaces are all excellent ways to bring out, or reinvigorate your own creativity. During my graduate program coursework my driving thought has always been: How can I incorporate this into my teaching? During this past week we engaged with a lot of different activities and tasks, which on the surface felt as if they would not have a place in a high school mathematics classroom and initially I thought this as well. Some mornings we would collaborate with another branch of our hybrid course where students come from vastly different backgrounds, some not even in the traditional classroom setting. We took field trips on MSU’s campus to the STEM building, the stadium, Broad Museum, and we also traveled off campus to Michigan’s Capitol building, Michigan’s House of Representatives offices, and local well known eateries. We also engaged with in class creativity creations from this past week. The infographic below is a collection of experiences in these different spaces.
However, reflecting on all of these experiences so far I have come to the conclusion that they don’t need to be incorporated one to one to my math classroom for me to get something out of it. Again, being surrounded by different types of creative outputs encourages me to be more creative, or has my brain think in different ways. So, when I think about redoing a unit for my Algebra 1 class I am inspired to think up new tasks or new ways to approach, some may argue, bland topics. Being able to collaborate with my classmates and professor, or even just hearing about their ideas for their own unit designs, I am inspired and motivated to push my unit to be even better. Visiting museums, architecturally interesting buildings, a panel discussion with educational leaders, MSU staple restaurants and landmarks gives me new perspectives. This has encouraged my brain to work in different ways that what it normally would, which in turn allows me to think up and create differently than I traditionally would.
All of this speaks to my own theory for how we learn. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, my theory for learning is a combination of sociocultural learning and constructivism. By surrounding myself with more knowledgeable others, whether that is my professor or classmates I am learning more about topics, them, and myself. By experiencing new places and people I begin to construct new ideas. And by physically creating new artifacts during our creativity tasks I push my knowledge and understanding to different or new levels. |
AuthorMarissa McGregor, high school math teacher extraordinaire. I love my husband, daughter, and family dearly. Archives
August 2022
CategoriesThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. |