Ideas on Learning Theory - My Reflection

Information communication technology for learning design.  The course title itself is a mouthful.  As Mishra & Koehler (2006) said, "teaching with technology is a wicked problem".  

Living in the 21st century, we have to grow with the never ending advances in technology, and step into the Digital Age; strive, as "digital immigrants" to teach our first generation "digital natives".  We did not grow up with the new technology of computers and smart phones, therefore, we have to modify our teaching to suit the different thought processes and brain structures today's students have.   

The students of today, likewise us as teachers, have to embrace the ideas of connectivism:

• use the web for ideas
• search and share!
• network using blogger, wikis

We have to become not only the networked student, but the networked teacher.  Create connections, and with that, our personal learning network.  In this way, we can lead the example for the students to be able to navigate and solve problems for the future.  

Now, this does not mean that the other three learning theories should be wiped out.  The following theories as shown below are also essential for wholesome learning.  

Source: text2mindmap.com/x72XDE

Also this course (ICTs for Learning Design) focuses on connectivism, where we find expects and expert opinions from our personal learning network that we have created, we are also expected to learn by experience as Vygotsky developed in his theory of social constructivism.  We do online quizzes, readings and make social interactions.  We engage in learning using metal processes like MINDMAPPING as seen above (Cognitivism Theory), and we also use our mind as a "Black Box", internalising the information presented, conditioning our mind till learning and content becomes automatic (Behaviourism Theory).  

We seek to learn and teach with a wide range of tools, styles and outcomes.  As we need to rethink the principles in which we are educating our children, we have to be creative, in order for the children not to lose their creativity, and to rekindle the artist figure within them that they were born with.