Theories of Learning

Traditional Learning

            In my kindergarten classroom following the rules is crucial for the students to understand. This structure is based on the Learning as Pursuing Rewards and Avoiding Punishment model. The teacher has her classroom management stated clearly and is constant with it. She rewards students who do what is expected and beyond. She also punishes those students who get more than two warnings by sending them to the thinking chair or keeping them in from playing outside at recess. The students know that there are consequences for their actions and they are molded to formulate responses in this type of environment. I always try to praise my children instead of being negative because the classroom environment that I want my children to learn in is a positive one. Of course, I also follow the traditional model of awards and punishment because I too believe that students should act like well behaved students and the only way to instill this is to reward them or punish them if they are not being obedient. Why should students who are being off task receive the same benefits as everyone else? Then the rest of the students will question and begin to act the same as the disobedient child. I believe that there should be some kind of assertiveness in the classroom or else the teacher loses all control.

Our math curriculum follows Enlightenment ideas because it allows the students to manipulate objects in order to go more into depth of understanding. For example, Locke believed that, “young children should learn from contact with real objects, investi- gating for themselves rather than being given verbal instruction (pg 45).” This is true with our curriculum because it allows students to handle concrete objects rather than just memorizing facts over and over again. In the more traditional ways of teaching the students would have to learn through memorizing. They did not engage in any of the activities and were not given opportunities to explore the skills given to them. As we see in the reading children spent their time memorizing, reciting, and reproducing their lessons to demonstrate that they had acquired knowledge (65).

Contemporary Learning

The Enlightenment movement was the beginning of people trying to understand the meaning of knowledge and learning. It was not so much about going out and finding knowledge it was more about understanding that knowledge was in us all along. It is up to us to explore our own knowledge and all the possibilities of learning that can come from it. In our current curriculum there are times where students have to memorize and recite, however most of the time the students are allowed to practice the skills they are taught. There are activities produced to allow students to explore phonemic awareness and math skills on their own through literacy centers and math centers. This follows the contemporary theory by Piaget, “According to Piaget, children, like "little scientists," investigate and learn pretty much on their own, using the environment as their laboratory. Like real scientists, their explorations are partly self-directed and partly random or unplanned. Throughout childhood, they are curious and Inclined to experiment. They not only take advantage of learning experiences but also create these learning opportunities for themselves (pg 69).” I believe that every student is a little scientist and should be given ample opportunities to act like a scientist. They take in so much information and retain it, however as teachers we should allow them to dig deeper and practice the skills given to them.