Learning Centered free essay sample

After evaluating each of the learner centered principles, I developed metaphors to express my understanding and philosophies of the factors involved in learning. Cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, affective, developmental, social, and individual differences factors will be examined and supported. We can all be better learners and teachers if we understand the foundation of our learning. Human learning, development, and motivation are extremely important components to be knowledgeable about when becoming a teacher.Understanding the cognitive and metacognitive factors of learning will result in building and constructing the foundation of learning. Therefore, when I thought about myself as a teacher, I would describe myself as a building block or Legos. This was the first thing that came to my mind as I thought about the learning process, goals, and strategic thinking. Each subcomponent focused on building on top of the basic learning and constructing new ways of thinking. In the cognitive theories of learning module and example was given to support the idea of building on prior knowledge. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning Centered or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Children learning how to spell must know how to combine letters and sounds first before they can actually spell a word. As a teacher and student, I want to continue to build on my knowledge. Foundations of learning should be developed early on in a student’s education. It is then up to their teachers to continue to build upon that base, teach them to think about the information they add and why. They must also consider the things around them that may influence how they think. Several people and circumstances develop the cognitive and metacognitive factors of learners.Teachers must know their students. The instructor must know what motivates the student and how they learn. After evaluating the motivational and affective factors of learners, I am like a life coach; which is a practice that helps people identify and achieve personal goals. I believe this person directly relates with this factor of learning for several reasons. A life coach examines the internal world of thoughts, beliefs, and goals of an individual. This factor of learning provides motivational and emotional influences. Motivation is most effective when personal choices and goals are in place.The coach pulls the goals out of the student and gets them to think about what is important to them. The learner centered psychological principles handout along with the behavioral theories in the classroom module both expound upon how important intrinsic motivation is for the student. They must want to learn and achieve their personal goals in order for them to be successful. As a rule, I usually set high standards for myself, so I am naturally intrinsically motivated. A lot of my students will probably not be, so it is up to me to coach and guide them into setting goals for themselves and wanting to reach them on their own.This will be one of my biggest personal goals when I begin teaching. In addition to knowing our students, we must know how their learning is developed and what or who influences them. The student’s progress depends on several factors; physical, intellectual, emotional, and social. Educators must assess when their students learn best and when material is appropriate based on these developmental factors. We must also realize that learning is enhanced when the learner has the opportunity to interact and collaborate with their peers.As I thought about these factors, I would say that I am like a television. I believe that television influences our students tremendously; even more than we should allow it to. However, the truth remains, that TV has an impact on how children think and what influences them. Creators of television shows and networks often appeal to the developmental stage of the children by creating networks or channels dedicated to specific age groups. Interacting with their peers, students will likely talk about the things that they watch on television. Shows are sually presented in an enjoyable and interesting way, which appeals to the children. Some shows even allow them to interact and collaborate; either by speaking back to the television or going online to play games or answer trivia about the shows they watch. After realizing what developmental stage the students are in, we need to take their differences into account. Appropriate learning environments must be established in each classroom. As instructors, we must identify and be knowledgeable about the different learning styles, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds of our students.Enhanced learning, motivation, and achievement are often recognized when students feel as though their differences are acknowledged. Therefore, teachers must continue to set standards and challenge their students based on what they know they can achieve. Testing the understanding of the learner reinforces that they have actually learned the material that has been taught to them. As I thought about my understanding of individual differences factors, I thought of myself as a college band director. This pivotal figure has to take into account the many diverse backgrounds and experiences of the band members.A band has several different, unique instruments that are all drawn together by the band director to make one sound. They may practice separately by sections, but in the end, they all come together with what they have learned. The band as a whole is assessed when they have a performance. Their show reveals how well they did and what they may need to work on based on the standards that the band director establishes. Going into schools that may be out of our comfort zone will take a lot of understanding to get to know the stories of the students we want to teach.If I had to think about an overall metaphor that relates to each of the individual factors of learning, I would say that I was like a community center. Each of the elements, building blocks, a life coach, a television, and a band director can be found at one. Because I understand each of the factors of learning, my students can benefit from all of these elements in one person. I hope to be understanding, empathetic, and culturally relevant. My metaphor at the beginning of the class was as a teacher, I am a drill sergeant. Drill sergeants teach new recruits basic training. As an elementary school teacher, my focus will be to start building a foundation of education and life lessons that will mold their futures. Drill sergeants have a stereotypical persona of being loud, and a no-nonsense disciplinarian. I am not loud, but I do intend to be stern, fair, set my expectations high, and expect for them to be followed. Reflecting on my original metaphor from the beginning of the class, I may also see a drill sergeant at a community center as well. The importance of establishing a foundation that can support future and lifelong learning is the ultimate goal.Sharing my experiences of growing up in an urban, low-income community should let my students know that I understand where and what they are coming from. Revealing my success story will hopefully encourage and motivate the children to seek personal goals and work hard to achieve them. If I keep the learner centered principles prevalent and practice them, I should have a smooth running classroom. As a teacher and a student, I have to make sure that all of my actions are centered on the learner. These successful theories and factors will help teachers and students identify what they need to do to be high achieving students.