Fitting the Pieces Together

As a high school and undergraduate student, I was unaware of learning theories and never paid much attention to the process by which I acquired and applied new information. It was not until I became a teacher and began working on my masters that I really took out the time to focus on my learning style. I later realized that my learning preferences has a profound effect on the lessons that I design for my class.

The way in which I learn best identifies with the Constructivist theory. I learn new concepts based on how I am able to apply it to life experiences or observations. It is rather difficult for me to retain information when it has no relevant value to me. I honestly believe that is why I have struggled with math courses in the past. I simply had a difficult time applying relevant meaning to the content.

I teach English which involves a great deal of literary analysis and composition. One of the strategies I use to get my students attention is to highlight the story's themes that I believe my students can relate to based on personal experiences or observations.

The bulk of my instructional strategies are founded upon Constructivist principles, but I now have a greater understanding of the various learning theories. I have always understood the importance of differentiated instructional strategies, but it was information that I never truely applied. I would utilize different activites, however the basic principles never changed. I have been staying in my Constructivist "comfort zone".

A thorough instructional program relies on a variety of theories. For example, one might utilize cognitive learning process such as metacognition to for oral presentations, reading comprehenion, writing, or problems solving. In an English course this is great for introducing new information. Constructivist learning processes can be used for establishing connections and reinforcing new information.
I have recently taken on the challenge of becoming a virtual teacher, and the bulk of the course's activities are asynchronous. Each section meets once a week for a live class, so course work is independent and students rely heavily on metacognitive learning processes.

I am one of those people who is not necessarily interested in the latest technological advances, and to be honest I'm a bit old fashioned. However, technology has recently taken on a new role in my life. It went from being a resource to being somewhat of a professional "life source". I depend on it save and deliver information to my students and instructors, and it is my primary source of communication. I don't have time to talk on the phone, so I rely on networking sites to communicate with friends and family. I am still skeptical about online research, I prefer books, but that isn't true for the majority. I depend on the web for online oublications, which provides me with support for composing documents and improving instructional programs.

As an instructional designer it is important to understand your learning style and preference, because it is basis upon which most of your products will be designed. Although a thorough knowledge of learning styles is important because it is important to develop instructional activities that are appealing to a variety of learning styles. However, a thorough understanding of your personal learning preference allows the designer to develop effective learning activities for those who share identical preferences.