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.
When I was 10, we learnt our spellings using a card system. On a shelf in the classroom were seven long boxes containing numbered index cards in the seven colours of the rainbow. Each child had a bookmark with their name on it, sticking out of the box on their current card. Each day we had to take out the card at our bookmarked spot and copy out the 6 words on the card repeatedly, in cursive handwriting. Then we had to cover the words, write them again and check them. If we got them all correct, then we could move our bookmark to the next card for the next lesson. Sometimes, our teacher would move the bookmarks forwards or backwards in the set if he thought we needed to re-practise a card or cards. The teacher taught us the system and routine at the beginning of the year and then we were expected to work on this independently at the same time each day. Each time I reached the end of one set of colour cards, the teacher would give me a test to decide if I could move to the next colour box. The purpose of the learning was to practise each spelling to mastery so that we could apply correct spellings in our own writing.
LEARNING SPELLINGS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL
LEARNING ABOUT VISION AND HEARING AT UNIVERSITY
At University we had daily lectures from expert Professors in each area of our studies. Each course had one lecture a week for between 8 and 16 weeks. Once a week I met with my Supervisor of studies, either alone or with one or two other students, to discuss what we had learnt in one course or another. During my lecture, I took notes on the information presented by my lecturer on screen and verbally. The lecturer also gave a reading list after each lecture. After the lecture, my Supervisor would set an essay and discussion question, which we should prepare to answer at our meeting. I remember that I had separate lecturers for the topics of vision and hearing and my supervision question asked us to bring together what we had learnt in the two lecture series and to compare the two systems to derive some generalisations about how the brain selects important sensory information. Most of my learning occurred through note taking during my lectures and reading but being required to make connections and links between the two systems improved my understanding and encouraged me to think more broadly about the ways in which different types of sensory input are handled by the brain. The recall of information on the visual and auditory systems was important as a basis for further courses in my degree and for my final examinations. I think my Supervisor also aimed to develop the skills I needed to prepare, develop and discuss my ideas, as these transferrable skills are what I would value after graduation.
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.
