Chapter+5

After reading through chapter five of the text, the three learning styles that struck me as most appealing and beneficial were, Constructivist: Personalized Learning, Essentialism and Behaviorism. Though these styles are very different from one another, I feel that these three styles best complement my learning comprehension. One of the main reasons why the constructivist approach fit my learning style so well was because of all of the hands of learning. I also was drawn to having the freedom to form your own ideas and have educational information to back up your thinking. One reason why I preferred Essentialism is because it enforces disciple and memorization which are also a few ways that I learn best. Lastly, I chose Behaviorism. The reason I felt this style be complimented my learning strengths was because there is a clear and consistent consequences and for someone like me who likes to have clear boundaries and expectations.

The book states that the goal of constructivism is to emphasize the developing personal meaning through hand on activity based teaching and learning. This learning approach is housed under the student centered philosophy. Therefore, the teaching is tailored in the direction of how it is helpful for the student and not just for the convenience and repetition of the teacher. I like the claim that the main reason I am a hands on and visual learner is because I have been a dancer for over ten years. There are no textbooks, no lectures, just visual and number cues. A major part of dance is learning from doing because many times the steps can be so similar yet vary in the slightest bit and the only way you as a dancer can tell is by doing. In dance many aspects allow artistic freedom. This also refers to this philosophy of constructivism. This theory is all about treating students as active learners and allowing them to create their own but to still have logic behind the theory. This can strongly compare to dance because when the music comes on and you are told to improv, you pull the moves from your prior knowledge and put them together to form your own. The next learning philosophy is the polar opposite, Essentialism. This learning style is strongly centered around strict, old fashioned learning styles. This style is a teacher based learning. The student is viewed as a learner, the teacher the one who can best instruct the students on essential matters and the school a place for the children to learn what they need to know. One of the main reasons this learning styles appeals to me is because it’s very straight forward. Essentialism focuses on repetition and memorization and those are some of my strengths as a learner. I also like the amount of discipline that is enforced, I feel that is separates the kids serious about education and the ones that are not very quickly. Although this learning style is completely different from the first one I mentioned it still fits into my strengths and preferences as a learner.

Lastly, I chose behaviorism. This teaching philosophy is all about teaching the students good habits for the future by giving the positive and negative reinforcers for their actions and behavior. To me as a learner it is appealing to be shaped by the school to be a good learner and inherit good behaviors over time that need rewarding in the beginning and then by the end are self-taught. It is interesting to me that as a student we can be as malleable as a piece of clay yet still hold true to our own opinions as a learner.