Hi Kirby! I loved your post on learning, theory, and motivation. I think you raised some excellent questions on why we use learning theories. I agree with you when you discuss how organizing people into categories “so bluntly” does not make sense. If each person is so individual and unique then how can we simply put them into one category or the other? Furthermore, how can we be expected to effectively teach students who are put into such categories with strict definitions of who is in each one? Teaching should be about individualizing the curriculum so that it fits who they are as a person. This does not mean teaching them a certain way or teaching them certain subjects just because they fall within a category. In my opinion, this means teaching them material that engages them, as well as teaching them in a way that allows for them to learn and be successful. Overall, I think you raised some excellent points and I cannot wait to see what you write about later in the course.
Hi Josh! I loved your post on behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism. I agree with you on your point about how each learning theory should be valued. If we put students into one category of any of the learning theories then we cannot effectively teach them. Each learning theory must be considered depending on what your learning objectives are and who your students are. Learning is definitely not solely based on behaviour. You raise an excellent point when you talk about how learning is a range of different skills and not just how it changes behaviour. As you mention, it is important to remember the age group that you are teaching. You mention K-12 education, but it could also be taken even further into adult education. It is also important to take into consideration what subject is being taught and what their prior knowledge is. Overall, I loved reading your post and I am excited to read more as we move throughout this course!