Group Presentation: "Learning as a Social Process"
Due: May 15, 2012 (Class 3)
Due: May 15, 2012 (Class 3)
Presentation Slide Show
Learning as a Social Process
(Megan Carey, Jessica Ropson, Jenna Madore, Brittany Higdon, Jaclyn Jacobs, Carla Maybury, Meghan Kelly, & Jennifer Bailey)
The Natural Learner (Slide 1)
-Learning is a part of life, not something that we are taught to do
-Our brains are naturally wired to take meaning out of every situation.
-“It does this unobtrusively, intuitively and non-stop.”
-Three characteristics of natural learners:
-curiosity
-intentionality
-sociability
“Uncontrollable”
-Our brains are naturally wired to take meaning out of every situation.
-“It does this unobtrusively, intuitively and non-stop.”
-Three characteristics of natural learners:
-curiosity
-intentionality
-sociability
Curiosity (Slide 2)
-Observe and connect
-“yet to be
understood”
-Children and
adults lose attention when finding a solution to a book, game, puzzle, problem,
etc.
-Only when a new solution is presented do we draw our attention
back to the situation.
-“To be a
natural learner is to be in a state of constant growth as one question leads to
another.”
Intentionality (Slide 3)
-The connections we make between ideas impact what we think and do
-We design our own personal worlds
-We are intentional learners
-We make choices about which questions and ideas we will think more about
-Choices are based on the larger perspective of how our present choice is tied to the past and future
-We design our own personal worlds
-We are intentional learners
-We make choices about which questions and ideas we will think more about
-Choices are based on the larger perspective of how our present choice is tied to the past and future
Sociability (Slide 4)
-As learners, we borrow others’ experiences to better understand the world
-We retain ownership of our learning by remaining in charge of the borrowing
-The ways in which we talk and interact with others become internalized and change how we think
-We need classrooms where students can see others actively learning and and can engage in collaborations about their ideas and experiences
-We retain ownership of our learning by remaining in charge of the borrowing
-The ways in which we talk and interact with others become internalized and change how we think
-We need classrooms where students can see others actively learning and and can engage in collaborations about their ideas and experiences
A Community of Learners (Slide 5)
Community of Learners:-Negative learning experiences deter people from seeking expanded learning experiences.
-A Community of Learners is Characterized by:
•Risk taking
•Reflection
•Collaboration
Risk Taking (Slide 6)
-Risk is an immediate result of a learners curiosity.
-To be a risk taker is to be willing to deal with consequences .
-There will not be right or wrong answers in many situations; only possible answers.
-Exploration leads to choice, choice leads to the potential to be wrong.
Risk Taking as Learners (Slide 7)
-Factors that learners consider in risks:
-The result of what they already know
-Outcomes of alternative situations
-Risk takers in numbers
-Trying different predictions for solutions
The Result of What They Already Know (Slide 8)
-Many people stay with what they already know and do not consider other possibilities
-Adults and children using technology
-Learning needs to connect with what we already know and go beyond
Outcomes of Alternate Situations (Slide 9)
-Learners decide on the kind of risk based on the particular situation.
-When the decision is taken away from us, our learning is inhibited.
“In literature circles, we support each other. Like if they cannot think of anything to say and they think it’s hard for that person they will not push that person, they will just try to help that person by asking other questions.”
-Nicole, Grade 3
Risk Taking in Numbers (Slide 10)
-In a group, learners are ready to receive others’ thoughts and to share their own.
-Each individual is taking a risk by sharing however, they are supported by their group members and they realise that others are taking risks also.
Ex. Teacher support groups.
Trying Different Predictions for Solutions (Slide 11)
-We will have more confidence as curriculum developers if we can test out our teaching ideas with more than one group.
-This will determine whether or not they will work as we predicted.
-Knowing we have the opportunity to make changes in our ideas increases our willingness to take risks.
Reflection (Slide 12)
-Your own perspective
-Someone else’s perspective
-Reflection can be inhibited by:
-being forced to accept a single view
-By not being in social learning situations
-Benefits of reflection
“ When we are unable to interact with others we are limited to an insider’s perspective.”
Collaboration (Slide 13 & 14)
-Encouraged to develop our social nature into formal relationships
-People are naturally social
-Collaboratives are characterized by ways in which members think and work together
-Valuing of diversity
-Two-way process to become unique individuals
-People are not “type cast”
-Collaborative group to support risktaking
-Inquiry NOT final solutions
-Exploring diverse perspectives
-Community of learners will create knowledge
The Collected Learner (Slide 15)
-The collected learner has a working hypothesis.
-It is the basis to which they will operate and build upon as they explore new ambiguities.
-Collecting one’s self is a part of the cycle we call learning.
Tension (Slide 16)
-Tensions are ever present in learning.
-Tension is what keeps us, as learners:
-Alert
-Monitoring possibilities
-Taking risks
-Stretching ourselves and our capabilities
-Tension is a positive force!
-Young children are continuously driven by tension.
Reflexivity (Slide 17)
-“Encourages us to take a reflexive, long distance stance in regard to our knowing.”
-Reflecting on the past for the future
-Different perspectives arise
-“Our knowledge becomes more formalized and abstracted from the immediate circumstances and thus more available for general use.”
Connected Knowing (Slide 18)
-“ Creating a story out of our experience”
-Constructing stories of your experience as you dialogue with others and make connections between aspects of your current experience and stories you already have constructed from earlier experiences.
-Combining what we already know and what we are currently experiencing in order to construct our own understanding of stories.
-Pursing our own questions and answers with the support of other learners to find the connections that make our world meaningful and our thinking productive.
Reflection
A key issue that I took away from our group presentation on the article "Learning as a Social Process" is that the learning process is very complex, especially when looking at it from a social prospective. It is clear that the main focus of the article is on how students learn better through interaction and communication, however I took a lot more from the article then just that concept. It is an in depth process that encompasses many different stages that you as a teacher must recognize.
Through a few articles we have already in this course the main focus has been on how students learn better when they can draw their own connections and relate to the material that is being taught in the class. This article actually explains how students actually learn through the social process. It talks about three different learners. The natural learner, A community of learners, and the collected learner. The issue that stood out the most to me was in "A community of learners" section where it discussed the learner as a risk taker. I liked this characterization because it made me realize that risk taking is a very important part in education and it can help the learner gain knowledge through their own curiosity. Risk taking in the classroom is something that we as teachers should promote because it is important for students to ask questions and give input, even if they are not sure of the answers. Students should not feel restricted or uneducated, the reason they are there is to learn and when they ask questions or take part in discussion in the classroom it is helping them gain knowledge. It is all a learning experience. I think that risk taking is something that all students should feel comfortable doing. As a teacher I would not want my students to keep their natural curiosity to themselves, I would want them to outwardly express it so they can gain the knowledge through their own inquiries. You want to make sure that students feel that regardless of their inquiries there are no right or wrong answers. This can help them feel more comfortable in the classroom with the rest of their peers when they all feel like they are not competing. When learners take risks they are more likely to learn from the experience whether it be positive or negative.
I have taken a lot away from this presentation and I am very happy that I was able to be part of it. I fully believe that learning is a social process and it is evident when I look back at my own schooling that there are many truths to the characteristics of the different learners.
I have taken a lot away from this presentation and I am very happy that I was able to be part of it. I fully believe that learning is a social process and it is evident when I look back at my own schooling that there are many truths to the characteristics of the different learners.
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