Reflection

What I found most striking about how people learn is that most people are not as aware of how they learn as they should be. I find it amazing that people are simply satisfied with behavioral and or social learning. I say that, because more people simply take was is given, don't ask to many questions to gain further insight and don't seem to challenge themselves to have a better understanding of an idea or topic. The magnificent thing about constrivism is that you take what is taught and you make it relative to your own world, expand on it and eventually, use it in your own way.

I also find it interesting that learning is such a science and can be calculated and manipulated in a way that can increase motivation to learn. I always thought that teachers simply taught the information. I was ignorant to the idea that teacher and trainers not only had to provide the content, but manipulate the delivery and the communication of the content in a way that motivated and inspired people to learn. It makes me think back to some of my best teachers/professors, the ones that I learned the most from and now I understand how they effectively they used the theories and learning styles that they learned school to inspire learning in their own classrooms. As I move into my IDT career I will try to reflect on my favorite professors, what and how I learned from them and see if I can connect my learning experiences to their practices to motivate my students/trainees.

In understanding how I learn, it has deepened my understanding of the various ways that everyone learns. Learning is not just for the young, because their brains are, "like sponges." I believe that everyone is capable of learning, but it is a matter of understanding how the process of learning occurs. I believe that all adults seeking higher education and or training for personal or professional reasons should first take a class on learning theories, styles, technology, ect. By understanding the process of learning you can train your mind to learn as much as it is capable of learning. I believe that people in general are so limited in their knowledge, their ability to retain information, and their fear to practice what they have learned because they don't understand the mechanics of how learning occurs.

In terms of learning styles, theories, technology and motivation, I learned that I can tailor any content course, or information that is given to me in a way that I, personally am able to learn. I understand that the theories are foundations for learning. The theories serve as a platform for learners and teachers to expand on. No more, will I simply be a student in class, but I plan to challenge myself, future professor and my own students/trainees to seek news ways to learn, retain information, and make the content personally relevant. They goal is not to simply gain knowledge, but it is to be capable of applying it to real-world scenarios.

Speaking of real-world scenarios, I am especially excited about the combination of technology and education. The country has entered in to a new way of inspiring education. Today, students can learn online while balancing jobs, family and their personal life. Technology putts education in real-time and opens up multiple networks for interacting and learning. In fact, I believe that the ease of technology has made more people inspired to learn. I can’t count how many times I gotten lost in the Wiki rabbit hole, because as I am reading about one topic, I can click though and download information about another topic, and it can continue that way forever. Also, blogging and social networks are a great resources to give and receive new information. Technology, has brought some much new and inspiring information that it is simply hard to resist learning.

Finally, this course has taught me to think outside of the box in terms of how my course material is developed and keep the theories in mind as a base/foundation of how to develop and implementation new learning assignments. This course has helped me to understand that people learn and are motivated to learn in various different ways. Therefore, it is my responsibility to know use various learning styles and theories to motivate my students/trainees. Also, I will make sure that I keep my content straight and to the point, I will utilize problem solving skills to build confidence in my students and give timely feedback, encourage class participation and peer reviews. I also plan on using my Learning Theory Matrix at the beginning of my programs to help people understand the kind of learner that they are and work with them to motivate them and achieve maximum results. Once my programs are complete. I will also asked them to evaluate my course so that I can get an understanding of how well I am doing as an ID.