In this world of constant changes, the Philosophy of learning and the optimization of education plays a crucial role in the development and success of students. Education is not limited to classrooms but encompasses a comprehensive approach that seeks to enhance skills, knowledge, and competencies. Effective learning methods tailored to individual needs enable teachers to acquire and apply knowledge meaningfully, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

 

Optimizing education is critical to preparing students for the challenges of the modern world and providing them with the tools necessary to reach their full potential. Learning theories are conceptual frameworks that seek to explain how students acquire, process, and retain knowledge.

 

Learning Philosophies can have a significant impact on education, as they provide theoretical bases to design more effective pedagogical strategies and promote optimal learning.

 

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However, it is possible to identify three widely recognized and studied learning theories. Some well-known theories include "Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism from a Critical Educational Design Perspective." Peggy A. Ertmer and Timothy J. Newby

 

Each of these theories brings a unique understanding of how learning occurs and how my students' educational processes can be optimized. It is important to note that these theories are often intertwined and complement each other to achieve the desired learning. Each learning theory offers us a unique perspective on how learning occurs; as teachers, we can design effective pedagogical strategies to benefit students. Analyze each learning perspective in terms of specific interpretation within the learning process and development of results that are effective for the education of my students.

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Learning is a constant process, where the world is constantly changing every day, and we do not stop learning; through learning, skills, knowledge, behaviors, and values are acquired and developed. It is the result of attention, study, experience, instruction, reasoning, and observation, as well as the influence of factors with which we interact. Many times, it is a struggle and challenge that involves both experience and knowledge, not only on a personal but also professional level, acquired throughout life, at any age, in all contexts of life, and through different modalities and means or channels.

 

Often, a learning experience is a significant advancement, and other times, it is a minor event. I believe in the following aspects of learning that are valid regardless of the learning situation we obtain: Learning is a process that lasts a lifetime; we are constantly learning at every moment and everywhere.

 

As a student, my passion is learning; I am constantly learning. I have always loved school and learning, and I love learning new things; I do not want to stop learning. After 12 years of leaving a classroom, it has been a great challenge for me to start again with all the different study tools, language, class modality, and evaluation systems. I have already adapted to this new learning process. I look for my own experiences, and I constantly strive to improve myself in what I do. I am motivated to learn; I had to learn everything from scratch many times. I thought I could not, but I managed it. I am the owner of my learning; when I look back, I say I achieved it, but I still have much to learn. As a student, I am responsible for attending class and completing assignments as directed by the teacher. Many times, I need to be a very passive listener. The following is about my learning: I have to process information and talk about it. To foster a deeper level of understanding by actively engaging with the material or interacting with it in some way to achieve my goal. The learning and teaching strategies have strengthened the effectiveness and efficiency of my learning, ultimately allowing me to achieve my goals successfully.

 

On the other hand, my experience as a teaching student is to use critical thinking since it significantly improves the teaching-learning processes. Not only does it train my students to integrate the information-processing strategies I am teaching, but it also empowers them to retain the information they are receiving. Teaching critical thinking focuses on my students being able to process, think, and apply the information they receive. As a teacher, I will provide students with the necessary tools to become successful learners.

 

Moreover, these learning tools can be applied inside and outside the classroom, that is, in a wide variety of contexts. We will work together to create meaningful learning environments. This is just one of the variables that affect the teaching-learning process, which we will be reviewing within the learning theories. With this analysis, we want to begin a path toward integrative models capable of harmonizing the most significant number of principles in each, avoiding turbulence produced by their separate applications.

 

To conclude, improvements in the teaching-learning processes do not depend on sophisticated technologies but on pedagogical proposals supported by models that integrate them and demonstrate the best use of the technologies at our disposal to achieve quality education.

 

Behaviorism: Focuses on observable learning and the influence of the environment and external stimuli on the acquisition of behaviors.

 

Before understanding what the behavioral educational model entails, it must be clarified that learning is inherent to human beings. Therefore, each person learns differently. Sylwester (2008) states that human beings never stop learning throughout. In his life, Some people learn quickly while others learn easily; it all depends on knowing how they learn and applying the appropriate teaching methodology. In this statement, we can mention Beebe, Oyeyinka, Kouakou, and Rao. (2003), which says that knowledge opens the doors to more learning. Students must have learned in direct line with the needs and demands of society; that is, they must acquire skills that help them integrate and contribute to the development of the community, which is why social change must go hand in hand. Change curricular designs in a sense of continuous evolution, opening the possibility that not only the teacher changes his role but also that the student himself adopts his new function in this teaching-learning process of the new millennium.

 

In education, behaviorism has numerous applications, and its techniques are prevalent in the classroom to improve students' acquisition of knowledge and their behavior or attitude in class. It should be noted that behavioral learning follows a vertical communication model in which the teacher is placed above the student. The teacher assumes the role of an active sender who has to modify the behaviors of his students, and to do so; he must provide them with the appropriate stimuli at all times.

 

My tendencies regarding this behavior are centered within the classroom area. When my students have a hard time returning to the focus of the class, I tell them to raise their hands, and immediately, they are silent and in the correct position. Ivan P. Pavlov (1849-1936). He focuses on the study of observable behavior to control and predict it. His objective is to achieve a specific behavior to avoid negative consequences. I always seek to have good communication with my

In the same way, motivation consists of stimulating my students to put their faculties into activity. However, when applied correctly, reinforcement can successfully modify behavior and stimulate learning, but never the comprehensive training of the student. 

 

As the Chinese philosopher Confucius said: "Learning without reflection is a waste of energy." It is a learning method that consists of several mental operations that are based on experience and the individual's processing of information from it in order to assimilate knowledge and give an answer in this way. In the mind, existing ideas are connected, that is, what one already knows, with new information to deepen memory and retention capacity. For example, association, which for Gagné (1979, 6) "is the simplest form of learned capabilities, and which constitutes the foundation of other more complex types of those same capabilities," went from a relationship between ideas to links between stimuli and responses. The primary distinction between the behaviorist and cognitivist currents lies in how knowledge is conceived. For behaviorism, knowledge consists mainly of a passive and automatic response to external environmental stimuli. Cognitivism considers knowledge basically as symbolic representations in the minds of individuals.

 

In this sense, my students not only relate to these factors but also process and store information related to these circumstances or actions, launching cognitive processes to complete learning. In classes, we use the cognitivist theory. I emphasize that they pay attention to memory, perception, recognition patterns, and the use of language in the learning process of my students. Then, for feedback, I use simple tools so that they have speed and good understanding. (Ertmer and Newby, 1993), Piaget (1964).

 

Each school year, I seek to improve my objective and goals as a teacher to improve my students' learning of how to learn and think better so that they can develop their skills and strengths and see their needs as a priority in their level of learning, which is a fundamental part of cognitivism.

 

Tan and Hung (2003) state that "learning is an active process of construction rather than acquisition of knowledge" (p. 49). According to the constructivist, it encourages the student to participate in the active process of meaning: construction in genuine and authentic problems and situations, and where students can socially construct knowledge with others. Seng Chee Tan and David Hung (2003)

 

Constructivism Jean Piaget 1952. It focuses on the process of knowledge construction and how the student is an active participant in this process. Constructivism assumes that nothing comes from nothing. Prior knowledge gives birth to new knowledge. Constructivism argues that learning is active. A person who learns something new incorporates it into their previous experiences and mental structures. Each new information is assimilated and deposited in a network of knowledge and experiences previously in the subject. As a result, learning is neither passive nor objective; on the contrary, it is a subjective process that each person constantly modifies at will—in light of their experiences (Abbott, 1999).

 

In summary, learning is an active process in which my students build knowledge every moment, motivating them and getting them to commit to their learning process. This can happen through hands-on and digital activities.

Bandura Social constructivism is that which occurs in contact with others and the environment; in the interaction that occurs between learning and the environment lies an excellent learning potential that, if it also converges with other individuals, can give rise to a type of much more consistent learning. However, social learning can also be understood as learning that arises thanks to interaction with other people, such as peer learning, where my students teach each other, helping each other and thus being easier. For many, the understanding of certain concepts.

 

The study of social learning is usually related to other concepts, such as cooperative learning, collaborative learning, or peer learning. What must be considered is that learning, when it is social, is much more effective, productive, and beneficial and that the human being is a primarily social being who needs others to grow. And develop. All human beings are born with a clear innate preference for social stimuli, and, in their first days, they need others to meet their needs and survive, a need that will continue throughout life.

 

Educators can be more likely to be successful if we understand that peer participation is critical to learning. Isolating learning is not the best way to help students learn and grow together. Progressive education recognizes that social interaction is key to learning and uses conversation, interaction, and group applications to help students retain their knowledge.

 

Connectivism, according to George Siemens (2005), is a learning theory for the digital age, which is based on the analysis of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism to explain the effect that technology has had on the way that we currently live, communicate, and learn. It integrates the principles explored by the theories of chaos, networks, complexity, and self-organization. This focuses on including technology as part of our distribution of cognition and knowledge.

 

The combination of constructivist theories, social learning, and experiences has allowed me to. While students should develop their knowledge by establishing connections and engaging in experiences, they also need guidance and support from an educator or mentor. In general, My teaching philosophy is based on the conviction that my students learn more; it encourages them to be themselves in their learning process. I will be a guide in their learning; I analyze how I teach them, administer my classroom, and attend to the needs of each of my students. My teaching philosophy must match my learning philosophy. Everything learned in our class improves their understanding and gives them good performance in the future. These three learning theories described above influence my innovation plan and my role as a change agent in my school.

 

As part of my INNOVATION PLAN focuses on improving the blended learning environment in my classroom, I will focus less on emphasizing traditional assessments that are more behavioral in favor of performance assessments where students can participate in situations . . authentic, increasing their motivation and commitment. Blended learning allows students to take control of their learning, navigate content, interpret information freely, and move at their own pace.

 

Learning is individualized, and therefore, teaching should be personalized. The growth mindset is what allows me to advance day by day in my learning and plays a vital role in this process. Constructivist, social, and experiential learning theories are integrated into my blended learning initiative. 

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References

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Dweck, Carol S (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success.

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.

 

CAPITULO 2: ENSEÑANZA Y APRENDIZAJE (ó cap 4) (tdx.cat)

https://www.tdx.cat/bitstream/handle/10803/8927/D-TESIS_CAPITULO_2.pdf

https://epperu.org/teorias-del-aprendizaje/

 

Harapnuik, D. (2009, August 18). Inquisitivism. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=104

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Harapnuik, D. (2016, March 11). Four keys to understanding learning theories. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6344
 

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Annotated Bibliography

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Unesco. (2017). Most influential theories of learning. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from this source.

This publication provides an overview of several different learning theories: behavioral, cognitive, constructivist, experiential learning, multiple intelligence, situated learning, and community of practice. This was a great start to understand the different learning theories.

The following is a list of resources that I have learned from which have led to my beliefs on learning, although not cited in my learning philosophy.

 

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace.

-Thomas and Brown discuss the need to incorporate passion, imagination, and constraint with play into the learning environment in order for children to learn in today’s ever-changing world.

 

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3-10. Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_05/Jan_05.pdf

-George Siemens looks at connectivism theory, which is related to constructivism, and its impact in the digital age and on 21st century learners.

                                         

Harapnuik, D. (2009, August 18). Inquisitivism. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=104

Dr. Harapnuik describes an evolving new and unique learning theory called inquisitism that is used throughout online courses. The two main focuses of inquisitivism are the removal of fear and the stimulation of inquisitive nature.

 

Harapnuik, D. (2016, March 11). Four keys to understanding learning theories. It's About Learning. Retrieved June 23, 2021, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=6344

Harapnuik uses four key points in describing and explaining why learning theories are important to understand.

 

National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the national science education standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

-Although almost 20 years old, the book focuses on the relevant information that students learn through inquiry and guides teachers through the use of inquiry in the classroom.

 

​Piaget, J. (1964). Part I: Cognitive development in children: Piaget. Journal of Research in Science Education, 2, 176-186.

-Piaget, Talk about cognitive development since this involves changes in the child's ability to reason about the world.

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Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

-Dweck explores the power that having a growth mindset can have on success. The growth mindset has implications in teaching and learning.

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