I have always been a true believer that everything in life happens for a purpose and we learn a lesson. My learning philosophy has transformed over the years. My beliefs are based on the fact that since I was little I was surrounded by teachers, from my mother to my aunts. All the time I saw how my mother did the best she could for her students. I was even her student for a year and I enjoyed it.
Since I began my career in education, I discovered a passion for teaching. The more I learned about this profession, the more I wanted to do the best I could and work with my students. It is a demanding profession since it requires hard effort and dedication, but at the same time, it is gratifying to be able to see the fruit of the work reflected in the students. When you see a student achieve success, it is something that cannot be explained. Watching my students learn and grow fills me with purpose and love for my work.
Beliefs about learning
A more objective and accurate definition of learning than that commonly found in psychology textbooks is proposed. The more common definition is similar to the following: Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by practice or experience(Lachman, 1997b).
I firmly believe that previous experiences influence and facilitate student learning. These experiences can influence life and learning both positively and negatively. Knowing who you are as a teacher before you enter the classroom will significantly help you set goals and assist students in those changes and influences. Teaching is much more than content, it is a learning curve about philosophy that will never end since every day we have new experiences. Just as the classroom changes each year, philosophies continue to change over time.
I believe that education should focus on students, with them being the main protagonists of their learning path. This implies a profound review of educational methods where on many occasions the opposite occurs: it is the student who must adapt and acquire knowledge that is often too distant or difficult for them. Student-centered education requires certain attitudes in the teacher as a facilitator of learning. This approach privileges the individuality of the students. This approach also helps students, by being the protagonists of their learning, put into practice the experiences previously acquired for their benefit.
Piaget’s “theories indicate that humans create knowledge through the interaction between their experiences and ideas.” (Brau, 2020). I understand that a complete learning environment fosters curiosity and a love for exploring and discovering the unknown so as to have the opportunity to connect previous experiences with what is yet to be discovered and thus achieve more complete learning.
Schools and educators can help and are key to fostering that sense of exploration in students. Students spend a lot of the day with teachers, so they are the ones who can achieve that sense of interest in something. If we can get them to activate that interest, they will want to do more things and innovate. They also take that interest home where with the right help and support they can achieve great things.
This is why I believe that the student should be the center of the class and we, the educators, should be the facilitators and urge them to activate that sense of curiosity and exploration. This sense will help in my innovation plan since STEM is based on creating, inventing, and curiosity. p STEM allows students to live active learning experiences that connect with the challenges of the century we live in.
Relationship between teaching and learning
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According to the International Journal of Humanities and Innovation (IJHI) vol. 4 No. 1, 2021 pp. 1-4, The teaching and learning process can be defined as a process of transforming knowledge from teachers to students. It refers to the combination of several elements within the process where an educator identifies and establishes learning objectives, develops teaching resources, and implements the teaching and learning strategy.
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If we follow the perspective of Dr.Harapnuik (2021), “teaching” is the action of transmitting knowledge, information, or experience that benefits the learning process of another person. We also find that it defines a “learner” as someone who comes to know something, acquires knowledge, or discovers something.
I believe and understand that both terms are closely related and both complement each other. Teaching is more about the process of imparting or providing information in a way that students understand, can grasp, and retain most of the time. Learning is about the process of receiving knowledge that can be known through lasting positive or negative changes. Teaching provides the structure for the acquisition of knowledge and students are the protagonists of the process. Schools must provide an environment for students to actively participate and develop their knowledge. Vygotsky's social constructivist theory emphasizes the importance of social interactions and community in learning, proposing that understanding is constructed through our interactions with others.
I agree with this and many times the interaction with other people and past experiences greatly influence the knowledge acquired. It is this knowledge that, as the years go by, helps us form our character and give the turn and direction we want to our lives.
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Myself as a learner
In the article “Mentalities: Four Beliefs That Lead to Highly Motivated Students,” it is stated that mindset science has uncovered practical insights into students' academic behaviors. What students believe about themselves and their abilities greatly influences their motivation to learn. Beliefs are called mindsets when they filter how we make sense of the world and ourselves. Mindsets act on our choice of goals and goal-seeking behaviors, significantly affecting our lives. As instructors, it is essential to recognize that individual mindsets are not fixed: they are malleable and can be changed (Dapra, 2023).
This article aligns with my beliefs and my innovation plan. I think that a student's self-concept will influence her work. Therefore, past experiences can have an effect, either positive or negative, on a student's way of thinking and decisions. This may influence the implementation of my innovation plan since STEM focuses on creation and discovery and if a student does not have a growth mindset, they may find various projects or activities difficult to complete.
I believe and identify myself as a student who can take charge of his learning, but who needs guidance and orientation towards his goal or objective. I give my maximum effort because I hope to do the best I can within my reach. These qualities often exhaust me, frustrate me, and make me picky about what I set out to achieve. Therefore I need clear and defined objectives like ships need a lighthouse to reach their destination. If I don't have something or someone to guide me, a simple question becomes a big drama in my brain.
In this case, the teaching model that the teacher must follow is the one that identifies the objectives, didactic contents and learning activities to be developed by the students and accompanies the students at all times, guiding them to achieve the learning objectives.
Complete learning is always accompanied by ups and downs, moments where the student understands and sees everything clearly, and moments where the student, although present in class, does not understand clearly and experiences confusion.
When you go through challenges and moments of confusion, they help you build character and encourage you to stay the course despite the challenges you face.
Learning philosophy vs a teaching philosophy
Learning is understood as the process through which human beings modify and acquire the abilities, skills, knowledge, behaviors, or values necessary for their personal development (Wikipedia contributors, 2023).
In education, teaching is the sharing of knowledge and experiences within a discipline. This is a way to stimulate the psychological and intellectual growth of a person using another person, in this case, a teacher or an electronic device in which there are applications and websites that help teach an objective.
I don't think there is much difference between the two philosophies. In my personal case, I teach the same way I learned in the past. The way I learned years ago everything I know is the same way I try to teach since it was effective in my case. Now, due to technological changes and more advanced ways of thinking, certain modifications must be made, but with the same purpose.
When a person learns about philosophy this helps them deepen their acquisition of knowledge and the ability to dialogue. This helps in the creation of ideas that allow debate among equals based on argumentation. It also promotes the ability to listen and this helps in the ability to debate and listen to the opinions of others in an objective, critical, and, above all, respectful manner.
My beliefs and the theory of constructivism
According to Brau, “Constructivism is a learning theory that holds that knowledge is best gained through a process of reflection and active construction in the mind (Mascolo & Fischer, 2005)(Brau, 2020). Under constructivism, the student takes into consideration the information that is taught and relies on past experiences and personal opinions to interpret the information provided. In this theory, individuals construct their knowledge.
I understand that the theory of constructivism aligns with my teaching philosophy. This theory emphasizes the importance of putting the student as the center of learning, which is fundamental to my beliefs. Jean Piaget is very famous for being one of the first pioneers of constructivism. His theories say that humans create their knowledge through their experiences and ideas.
As an educator, it is of utmost importance to understand the level of learning students are at and the level they are supposed to be at. It is our task to use previously acquired knowledge to introduce new learning experiences. By engaging students and encouraging active participation, we encourage students to reach their full potential. They feel owners of their process and their experiences help them complete their learning.
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Many of the teaching strategies commonly used today are based on constructivist principles. As a teacher, I understand that the teacher seeks for the student to have active participation. One of my goals is for students to build their knowledge based on their lived experiences and help them evolve in the same way. In order to achieve this, as a teacher I have to provide my students with the necessary tools and guide them in acquiring knowledge and experiences that will be very useful to achieve success.
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In my innovation plan, students will develop their knowledge in the STEM program using the maker space to let their imagination fly. I intend to incorporate the principles of constructivism by immersing students in a dynamic learning environment where I seek to improve student motivation in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Many students sometimes do not like these subjects because of how complex they can be, but if we adjust the approach and present the subjects in a space where they can create and let their imagination fly, I am sure that they will show more interest in the subjects. In this way, students will have the opportunity to create, share ideas and work together to build and achieve their goals. We work with students to identify projects that are relevant to their interests and allow them to learn new skills in the subject and this creates interest in the program.
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I believe that constructivist learning theory is the most complete way of teaching, since it prepares students by teaching them to learn and adapt to new situations, but making use of previously acquired knowledge. Not only will this demonstrate the success of the innovation, but they will also serve as a basis for sharing knowledge and best practices with my school and other teachers, thus helping the community at large understand that the STEM program is of great benefit to the students of primary school and supported by constructivist principles, we can implement this program in school.
That is why I identify my beliefs with Piaget and his theory of constructivism.
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Reference:
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Brau, B. (2020). Constructivism (R. Kimmons & S. Caskurlu, Eds.). The Students’ Guide to Learning Design and Research; EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/studentguide/constructivism
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This article is extremely helpful in understanding what constructivism is in education and what the thoughts of Piaget, Vygotsky and Dewey were, three pillars of constructivism.
Center for Responsive Schools. (2020, June 19). Teacher Beliefs as an Influencer for Social & Emotional Learning - Center for Responsive Schools. https://www.crslearn.org/publication/october-2019-social-and-emotional-competence/teacher-beliefs-as-an-influencer-for-social-emotional-learning/#:~:text=Belief%20that%20learning%20builds%20on,because%20of%20the%20learning%20experience.
This article mentions what the teacher believes and how this helps in emotional and social learning. It is good to know what the teachers think because many times their beliefs regarding education are the same as ours and
we can share ideas or, on the contrary, it may be that we see things very differently and this can causedifferences
when it comes to time. to work as a team.
Dapra, D. B. a. J. (2023, July 27). Mindsets: Four Beliefs that Lead to Highly-Motivated Students. Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-classroom-management/mindsets-four-beliefs-that-lead-to-highly-motivated-students/
For me, all articles that have to do with a growth mindset contribute something to our lives. In the world we are living in, I think it is extremely important to have a growth mindset since things are changing day by day and if we have a fixed mindset we will not be able to keep up with the changes.
Fives, H., & Gill, M. G. (2014). International Handbook of Research on Teachers’ Beliefs. In Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203108437
Harapnuik, D. (2021). Learning Philosophy. Harapnuik Blog. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=95
This is also related to my philosophy since when teaching we are giving our students everything we know or know about the subject. To teach we have to have a "student" so that he can receive the knowledge.
Lachman, S. J. (1997). Learning is a Process: Toward an Improved Definition of Learning. The Journal of Psychology, 131(5), 477–480. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223989709603535
Loughran, J. (2013). Pedagogy: making sense of the complex relationship between teaching and learning. Curriculum Inquiry, 43(1), 118–141. https://doi.org/10.1111/curi.12003
McDonnell, C. (2016). The Causal Link between Teaching and Learning: Some Metaphysical, Ethical and Political Considerations. Nuim. https://www.academia.edu/26698965/The_Causal_Link_between_Teaching_and_Learning_Some_Metaphysical_Ethical_and_Political_Considerations
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University.
I like Vygotsky's thought and philosophy since it emphasizes the importance of social interactions in learning, emphasizing the value of collaboration. This helped me greatly to create and shape my Innovation Plan.
Wikipedia contributors. (2023, November 3). Learning. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning
Teacher Beliefs and Epistemologies. (n.d.). Obo. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199756810/obo-9780199756810-0276.xml