What is Worth Learning?
"Real learning is necessary." This was a phrase in my blackout poem that has stuck with me. What is real learning? Is it memorizing fast facts or being able to spell a difficult word without a stutter or even meeting required word counts on papers? To put it simply, that cannot be it. There has to be more to it than that. Learning means developing skills, independence of thinking with initiative for enquiry, responsibility, self-management and social skills as parts of the design of the curriculum. The purpose of school is to prepare students for life beyond school. Real learning is similar to sleeping... let me explain. You don't just "fall" asleep, you go through a process of sleeping- stages. If you were constantly interrupted throughout the night, you wake up the next morning unrefreshed and unsatisfied with the sleep you got. Real learning requires stages as well, and those stages cannot be skipped over. We should be moving away from an understanding of something to an understanding with something; something worth learning is something that can be connected to other things. For example, rather than learning facts about the French Revolution, students should learn about the French Revolution as a way to see issues like world conflict or poverty or the struggle between church and state. Without these connections, there is no real learning being done. So, what is worth learning? The ability to translate knowledge into understanding. That seems like a simple answer to a very significant question, but that is a lifelong process that each and every one of us get to experience with or without schooling, and I think that is pretty beautiful.
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ReplyDeleteHi Taylor! I really enjoyed reading your post. I think you explained your phrase in a very educational and understanding way. When you talked about the French Revolution, I thought that was a great example. For one, when a lot of teachers teach about the Civil War, they make it seem like slavery ended instantly, but it indeed did not because many slave owners refused to inform them. This is a small detail that many teachers leave out and intentionally leave out because they teach "white history." In order for students to fully learn and understand things, they need to be taught all the facts, events, steps, and history. Real learning allows students to experience the truth, which they all deserve. We need to do better for the students and that starts with the educators. This is the only way that students will succeed and become more educated. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHey Raegan! This Civil War is another great example of how true significance can be lost when teachers only focus on what they might be "required" to teach. I love how you said that we all deserve to get taught the truth, because I couldn't agree more!
DeleteHey Taylor, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts in your blog response. I really liked how you worded what "real learning" is. "Real learning is similar to sleeping... let me explain. You don't just "fall" asleep, you go through a process of sleeping- stages. If you were constantly interrupted throughout the night, you wake up the next morning unrefreshed and unsatisfied with the sleep you got. Real learning requires stages as well, and those stages cannot be skipped over. We should be moving away from an understanding of something to an understanding with something; something worth learning is something that can be connected to other things. " I agree with this. Real learning isn't you wake up one day and just know how to do a particular skill. Learning comes in stages just like you described and cannot be skipped over. Whenever, I think of this I picture a history lesson where we learn about a key historical event but we leave certain aspects out because we don't like to dive into the nitty gritty of sometimes horrific events that have occurred. However, by doing so we leave out steps to the whole picture which limit the student's real learning. As, an educator we want our students to be engaged and to hear all aspects and steps of the full picture. We want them to experience the truth of what our history was like back then and more educated so that they can go out into the world and create a new part of history. However in order for us to do that it all starts with the educator and how we need to be better and listen to our students and their values and beliefs and learn from each other in order to be successful and more educated with difficult topics. Again, I really enjoyed your thoughts on this topic.
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah! I love that you agree with mu thoughts! I think leaving "steps" out of learning is one fo the biggest flaws in the education system. It does all start with the educator, I'm glad you said that- it's so important!
DeleteHi Taylor! I loved your post! I enjoyed reading a post from someone who viewed this module from the same perspective that I did. What real learning was to me was the main point of my poem. Real learning is getting all the information. Real learning should be unbiased, and even if it is, teachers should be responsible enough to put their opinions to the side for the sake of their students. Real learning should be no cut corners, nothing left in the dark, and complete and fair education for every single student in the classroom. Students are more likely to progress and succeed in an environment where they are being taught information and skills to the best of their abilities. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHey Ana! I totally agree that the opinions should be put to the side when learning, but the truth about events doesn't really have opinions- they are all just facts! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
DeleteHi Taylor, your post this week was very interesting. Your take on the question this week was very helpful and inspiring. The part that stuck with you from your black out poem was similar to a phrase that I included in mine. I also included "real learning" into my poem. I asked myself the same question as you did, what truly is real learning? The way that you interpreted this question really made me feel like I finally understand what learning means. Using sleep as an example of how to learn was a nice way of putting it so people who may not understand the full concept can grasp it completely. I also liked your example about the French revolution, because you are right that something that is worth learning needs to have some connection to something else. Without making connections there can't be any real learning or understanding being done.
ReplyDeleteHi Haley! I love how we included the same phrases in our poems- that shows the importance of it! I'm glad that I could help with further understanding for ya :)
DeleteHi Taylor! I like how you explained what learning is in this weeks post. Reading your post really helped me think about the different steps when learning. Talking about how falling asleep happens in stages can help people see some stages may seem quick and easy but they do exist. For example sometimes I fall asleep what feels like right away and other times it takes a little time. With learning some things may make sense quick and some times teachers need to go a little deeper into details, which can take some time.
ReplyDeleteHi Shalondra! I'm so glad that this gave you more opportunities to truly grasp what this concept is. (Also, I wish I could fall asleep right away... I'm a little bit jealous of you at the moment haha)
DeleteHey Taylor!
ReplyDeleteI really loved your blog this week! Something I have always disliked about our education system (mostly k-12) is that a major part of our "learning" is memorizing for tests and state assessments. Like you said in the beginning of your blog, memorizing is not learning. While it is a worthwhile skill to learn, you do not truly understand a concept if you just memorize what the concept is word for word. I like how you say that learning is a process, and I could not agree more. Since being in higher education, I really am able to see this because everything I learn each semester is used in the next semester. You can't just memorize a concept, you need to be able to fully understand what is going on and be able to relate it to things in real life. If you cannot do this, then you are simply wasting your time (and money). I agree with you that learning is a life long process that never ends, and I really love the metaphor that you use to explain this concept. Thank you!
Hi Priya! I have always hated how memorization has been praised in schools growing up, and I'm glad that I'm not alone in that. Thanks for your thoughts!
DeleteHi Taylor! Just starting off I want to say that I absolutely loved reading your blog post this week. Everything you said was so insightful and meaningful. It really opened my eyes about learning WHILE understanding different topics and how to teach in that way as soon to be teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed the example of sleeping that you used, it pulled everything you were saying together and really got your point across and tied everything together in my opinion and I’m sure my peers agree! I really loved the way you put, “The ability to translate knowledge into understanding.” I thought it was a really really beautiful way of saying that! Thank you so much for such a great post this week!
ReplyDeleteHey there Elli! I'm glad you loved my blog, that means a lot :) I think that it should be more of the concept that 'learning = understanding' and not 'learning while understanding', and I think that we have so much potential to make that the norm in the education system.
DeleteHey Taylor, I absolutely love your post! You used just the right words. Real learning is necessary stood out to me too, I also put it in my black out poem. Your so right, learning is so much more than just memorizing facts, or spelling and defining difficult words, or meeting required word counts. Schools are supposed to help prepare students for life beyond school, but this just isn't happening. We have to fix the system one teacher at a time by teaching our students about the whole picture and helping them learn life lessons. I like how you said that the ability to translate knowledge to understanding is worth learning. Your answer may be simple, but it is a very well thought out, amazing answer.
ReplyDeleteHi Tiyana! How cool! Multiple of us used the same phrase in our poems! I think preparing students for a life outside of school is much harder done than said, but with this mindset, we can guarantee that our students will be on the right track.
DeleteHey Taylor, I enjoyed your analysis of what learning means to you and the value of learning. I really enjoyed your perspective and how you took a different look at it. I also think that learning is very subjective. I love how you stated that you think this is beautiful. I think this is beautiful as well. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to even be able to learn as some people around the world are not given this privilege and that is something we often forget and take for granted. I loved how you spoke about how learning is more than just memorization. We are taught things in school we can take with us and use later in life. I know the life lessons I learned in school have taken and got me to be where I am today. You worded everything perfectly in your blog and I enjoyed your perspective.
ReplyDeleteHi Erika! Learning is definitely something that is taken for granted, even by me, so I'm glad that you mentioned that. Thank you for sharing!
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