PERSONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES
As I consider the different learning theories in this section, I will be reflecting on how the theories relate to a selection of my own learning experiences, from different stages of my life. Roll over the pictures below to read about some of my personal learning experiences.
BEHAVIOURISM
CONSTRUCTIVISM
CONSTRUCTIVISM
This learning experience was highly constructivist in nature. The workshop leader was a more skilled peer leading us through a scaffolded simulation of the process we were learning. She provided us with templates and examples to allow us to build our skills in applying the concepts and processes covered in the workshop. Our learning was active, based on discussion and practising the skills in context.
CONNECTIVISM
This learning demonstrates principles of connectivism because all the learners, as well as the workshop leader, are members of a professional network. After the workshop, each participant shared their learning with other professionals in their own school, adapting processes in different ways, for the needs of their settings, and combining them with their own existing curricula and assessment methodologies. Participants also arranged opportunities to further collaborate, find out more or share different ideas, which had come up in discussion of the learning. Through digital professional networks I know how and where to reach out to if I need further development or ideas to share with others on this topic.
I was attending a conference of International School teachers where teachers from each school in attendance offered workshops, to share best practise with colleagues from other schools. An Early Years Lead Teacher from another International School held a workshop where she demonstrated a protocol she had developed for evaluating children’s development in pretend play and using this as a starting point for planning the next steps in that child’s learning. The purpose for this training was to better understand the progression of social and representational thinking skills children develop in play and to develop an effective way to use child led play as a meaningful assessment opportunity. She shared video clips of the method in action and handouts to outline the process step by step. We had opportunities to ask questions and we were invited to bring along a short video of children in our own setting engaged in imaginary play. I shared my video with the group and she chaired a discussion of how we would apply the framework to what we saw in the video. It was extremely useful for me to be able to practise applying what I was learning to my own setting and children and to get peer feedback on this. After returning to school, a colleague and I arranged to meet to practise the steps in the process together and to train other interested colleagues in the method. I was excited to learn this method and the thinking behind it to develop my effectiveness in my role and my confidence to defend the importance of free play in child development.
LEARNING HOW TO EVALUATE A CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT IN PRETEND PLAY: A PROFESSIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP
I was attending a conference of International School teachers where teachers from each school in attendance offered workshops, to share best practise with colleagues from other schools. An Early Years Lead Teacher from another International School held a workshop where she demonstrated a protocol she had developed for evaluating children’s development in pretend play and using this as a starting point for planning the next steps in that child’s learning. The purpose for this training was to better understand the progression of social and representational thinking skills children develop in play and to develop an effective way to use child led play as a meaningful assessment opportunity. She shared video clips of the method in action and handouts to outline the process step by step. We had opportunities to ask questions and we were invited to bring along a short video of children in our own setting engaged in imaginary play. I shared my video with the group and she chaired a discussion of how we would apply the framework to what we saw in the video. It was extremely useful for me to be able to practise applying what I was learning to my own setting and children and to get peer feedback on this. After returning to school, a colleague and I arranged to meet to practise the steps in the process together and to train other interested colleagues in the method. I was excited to learn this method and the thinking behind it to develop my effectiveness in my role and my confidence to defend the importance of free play in child development.
