Read Kolb's Model of Reflection and reflect on week two using the points below to

better guide you:

Concrete Experience: “what I did” section

 Briefly describe the circumstances and activity that you engaged in so that a
person not in attendance can understand what the experience was

Reflective Observations: “what I wonder” section

 Identify a specific component of the experience that had particular relevance to

you, or that was instructive or valuable to you and Identify WHY this element(s) of
the experience was important and worth reflecting upon.

Abstract Conceptualization: “what I learned/so what?” section

 Make connections and reflect on the significance of the experience and relate it
to what you already knew/understood; discuss the meaning of what you
experienced and how it has changed you

Application “now what?” section

 Identify the implications of what you have learned for future experiences and
discuss how you anticipate applying the knowledge that you have gained to new
experiences or situations in your life

This assignment will be assessed using the Portfolio Activity rubric.

Answer

Research Findings of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Skinner

Master of Education, University of the People

Portfolio Activity Unit 2

Educ 5410

Child Development
 Instructor

Dr. Tonya Tate

November 24th, 2022.

Concrete Experience: “what I did” section

It is significant to know the current level and background of learners when developing

curriculums and plans. In my classrooms, we develop skills in note-taking. Before the start of

every lesson, we review the knowledge we gained from the previous lesson and ask the learners

to explain it in their own words. The learners practice assimilation as they develop meaning to

the extent of their language abilities. I facilitate by scaffolding the learning—my learning center

advocates for self-motivation (2010). I always create ways to have learners practice

independence. I scaffold first by asking guiding questions. Finally, the learners are guided to

make their questions on their own.

Reflective Observations: “what I wonder” section

The main purpose of education is learning and learning is permanent because if you learn

something you do not forget. Therefore, learning can be cognitive, emotional, physical, and

social (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). With that in mind, learning, therefore, is a permanent change of

behavior, knowledge, and attitude resulting from psychological and social experiences. I wonder

why teachers tend to emphasize whatever is taught in schools deliberately, including both the

official curriculum and the various behaviors and routines that make classrooms run smoothly
when they speak of learning (Seifert& Sutton, 2009). As a teacher, I believe learning takes place

everywhere because it is not only in books, for example, a student learning to feed, dress up or

go to the bathroom is learned away from the classroom. We build on the knowledge learners

come with in the classroom. When you assess or observe a learner who has just joined the school

from home you realize some know how to count and write something thus I pick up that child

from the point they are.

Abstract Conceptualization: “what I learned/so what?” section

Piaget discusses two principles which are assimilation and accommodation. I have learned that

learners assimilate by arranging new knowledge into their internal cognitive structure (Orey,

2010). Accommodation deals with existing systems changing to accommodate further

information. We would engage our young learners in doing imagery activities at our learning

centers. Here we would ask the learners if they know the word banana. We would then ask them

to draw or write when they hear the word. Either they draw a picture of the banana or try to spell

it. Through this exercise, the learners will develop the meaning of a banana as an image and a

word. We would do this for all of our word sets. We would also do something similar when we

teach roots. Teaching learners the origins of words would help many learners decipher the

meaning of new words.

Application “now what?” section

I believe learning should be active and dynamic. Learners should not just passively receive

information but engage in it through activity. As teachers, we must act as facilitators. We

scaffold and guide our students until they can function on their own. The constructivist approach

is a great way to develop skills in independence and self-management.

I will connect my philosophy with constructivist theory because I believe learners learn well

when provided with an environment of trial and error and they feel safe. According to Philo

(2020), constructivism is based on the assumption that learners construct their knowledge rather

than just passively take in information. My role as an educator is to facilitate, coach, mediate,

prompt, and help learners develop and assess their understanding. I will always conduct pre-

assessment to assess prior knowledge so that I can build on what they already know. The

information I collect from the assessment would enable me to differentiate and pair groups

because I understand each learner is unique and they learn at their own pace. Constructivism

theory emphasizes that human being construct their own knowledge and can transmit it through

interaction (Gagnon, & Collay, 2005). They determine that the main reason for students to go to

school is for self-improvement and self-development.

I have also learned that Collaborative learning helps learners to learn from each other through

discussion. In collaborative learning learners’ skills improve for instance; communication skills,

social skills, problem solving skills, turn-taking, and many more. Neff highlights Vygotsky

(1978) in his social learning theory where he highlighted how people including students learn in

social contexts and emphasized on us teachers create an active learning community. This is why

I will use learning groups in order to create a learning environment where learners will learn

from each other. Collaborative learning helps all students to be heard because all students are

different, there are those who can share their ideas with the whole class confidently and there are
others who will share in small groups which will be shared with the whole class during feedback

time by members of the group.

Reference

Gagnon, G. W. Jr., & Collay, M. (2005). Constructivist learning design: Key questions for

teaching to standards. Corwin Press. https://cd21lspp3-mp02-y-https-ebookcentral-proquest-

com.proxy.lirn.net/lib/univ-people-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1994302&ppg=30

Neff, L. S. (n.d). Lev Vygotsky and Social Learning

Theories: https://jan.ucc.nau.edu/lsn/educator/edtech/learningtheorieswebsite/vygotsky.htm

Orey, M. (2010). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Jacobs

Foundation. https://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.pdf

Philo. (2020, September 1). What is constructivism?

Seifert, K., & Sutton, R. (2009). Educational psychology. The Saylor Foundation.

file:///D:/University%20of%20People/NOVEMBER%202022/5410/WEEK%202/Educational-

Psychology.pdf
While I mulled over the question about my personal pedagogical philosophy statement the past
few days, I found that Haave (2014) had some good guiding principles in their article, prompting
us to reflect on the best learning/teaching experiences and what it is we want to achieve with
our teaching. Prior to enrolling at this university, I had a very conservative approach to
education; its purpose was merely to pass on a set of information, knowledge and skills to the
next generation. But for what purpose? This led me to think deeply about the subject over the
past few days. What is the purpose of having these small, impressionable people "locked up" (I
use this term endearingly and jokingly) for 6-8 hours, 5 days a week, for 10-16+ years? Here's
the conclusions I reached:

- The purpose of education: The purpose of education is to cultivate and assist in the
development of learners and to equip them with the skills, tools and knowledge they need
in order to be happy, stable and proactive contributors to their communities and
societies. What I mean by this, is that we provide the skills, tools and knowledge in an equal and
equitable manner so that every student has the opportunity to be succesful and thrive in the
areas that they exist in and can expand into. My belief is based on a statement from an
infographic I encountered before from ASCD (2012) (Association for Supervision and
Curriculum) overviewing the shifting attitudes in the purposes of education: “The main purpose
of the American school is
to provide for the fullest possible development of each learner for living morally, creatively, and
productively in a democratic society."

Likewise, my beliefs about teaching and learning align with these democratic principles that
education is the foundation and facilitation of living morally, creatively and productively.
Summarized, I would boil it down to this: "Learning is a journey that everyone embarks on,
and the teacher's role should be to guide, not lead, and accompany learners on this
journey". Because of this social and collaborative belief, I find myself aligning with Vygotsky's
ideas that community plays a central role in meaning making and how learning is a universal
process of culturally organized and specific human psychological function (Orey, 2010). We are
social creatures, and through interacting with one another, inquiring and exchanging, learning
gains are maximized as students get engaged and are able to take learning into their own hand
with some guidance of the teacher. I don't believe that a teacher should have sole authority in
the classroom, and that knowledge ismerely to be deposited. To facilitate lifelong learning and a
positive environment, students should be given the opportunity to engage with what they are
about to absorb, assimilate and accommodate into their long-term learning.

As for curriculum and teaching methods, I don't believe in a banking-style education which
Paulo Freire described as students being passive and mere receptacles of knowledge. I fully
support social constructivism theory, and I believe an effective curriculum should equip students
with more than just knowledge - as reflected in my initial belief statement "The purpose of
education is to cultivate and assist in the development of learners and to equip them with the
skills, tools and knowledge they need in order to be happy, stable and proactive contributors to
their communities and societies.". Soft skills like understanding and inquiry, ICT-skills like seeking
out information and evaluating it critically and knowledge of local communities and
environment are all things I believe should be a topic of interest for modern curricula - not just
hard skills like math and history. Skills and tools students will be able to use in their daily,
personal and professional lives that can help set them up for success and become proactive
participants in communities and societies. Mental health and healthy coping skills are among
these "invisible skills and traits" that I believe should have more space in our curriculums to act
as a preventative measure for the mental health crises currently riddling many of our nations.
Unfortunately, due to the emphasis on high stakes testing everywhere, I realize this may be
difficult to implement (at least immediately), but once stakeholders realize the importance and
long-term gains of easing up on summative assessments and a central focus on "hard skills", I
think schools can become effective arenas for practicing civic lives and prepare students for a
life "beyond the classroom". I am a big proponent of inquiry-based learning and
project/problem-based learning, because I feel like they reflect what life can and will be like
once they graduate, and it will help students refine and practice these aforementioned skills
such as analyzing, hypothesizing and predicting, as well as consider things in a grander scheme
rather than isolated facts and incidents.

References:

 ASCD (2020). What is the purpose of education? [pdf].

ascd.org. https://files.ascd.org/staticfiles/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_update/
eu201207_infographic.pdf
  Haave, N. (2014, June 2). Six questions that will bring your teaching philosophy into
focus. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/philosophy-of-teaching/six-
questions-will-bring-teaching-philosophy-focus/
 Orey, M. (2010). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Jacobs
Foundation. https://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.
pdf

83

A teacher's conviction is not enough to prevent chaos in the classroom, although, if the
teacher grows self-righteous, delivers the wrong advise, or provides well-meaning
direction that does not match the actual scenario (Seifert, 2009). Thus, we must use
caution. Truth, in my opinion, is the pursuit of fairness. Not one bit has altered in this
regard. My first day of school in charge of a rowdy sixth-grade class is seared into my
memory. Most of the males just stared at me when I walked into the classroom. Justice
was met with laughter after I scrawled it on the chalkboard. Children in a disruptive
classroom wouldn't have dared hope that their instructor would actually enforce the
rules.

I kept telling them that the good guy usually comes out on top. A child who didn't do
his homework would never learn anything. Those who disobeyed the rules were always
made to pay for their transgressions, while law-abiding citizens were always relieved
they hadn't been singled out for special treatment. When a child was aggressive during
a dispute, I acknowledged it and corrected him, even if the act itself was not justifiable, if
it was done out of a feeling of justice or a determination not to pardon the other
person's attitude. I've always made an effort to perform "justice" with other people's
emotions in mind. Regardless of the child's notoriety, I always gave them a fair hearing
and made the best choice possible. The 6th grader's attitude started to shift after
approximately a month.

At school, you'll find a close-knit community. Diverse children need to learn to unite
behind the common goal of "justice" and the skills to work together effectively. Social
constructivism can be defined as the aforementioned school of thought. Social
constructivism emphasizes discussion and cooperation as means through which to build
meaningful relationships and acquire knowledge (Orey, 2010). Therefore, the role of the
teacher in creating a collaborative learning environment is that of a facilitator. The word
"justice" was employed, yet that concept is open to various interpretations. Is anyone
being harmed by this? So, how can I be of service to others? The kids will also include
critical thinking into their standards of action as they ponder the concept of justice.
There are numerous ways to educate, but the impression I hope to leave on my children
is that school is a positive environment in which they may grow academically and
socially. Children are easily distracted and distracted by even the smallest of things,
which can lead to them withdrawing socially, breaking the rules, not paying attention in
class, and disrupting the flow of learning (Silva, 2009). I feel like it's up to me to help
these kids love school again and make a difference in their lives every day.

References

Orey, M. (2010). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Jacobs

Foundation. https://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Le
arning.pdf

Seifert, K., & Sutton, R. (2009). Educational psychology. The Saylor

Foundation. https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/
Educational-Psychology.pdf

Silva, E. (2009). Measuring Skills for 21st-Century learning. The Phi Delta Kappan, 90(9),
.630– 634
http://www.jstor.org/stable/27652741

My teaching philosophy is closely related to theories by Piaget and Dewey. The activities
and lessons in my classrooms reflect the practices and frameworks of cognitive
constructivism and experiential learning.

Learning under cognitive constructivism is active discovery. Instead of the teacher being
in complete control of the student's learning, they are facilitators who guide their
learners to assimilate new knowledge (GSI, 2010). When developing curriculums and
plans, it is vital to know the current level and background of the students. In my
classrooms, we develop skills in note-taking. Before the start of every lesson, we would
look back at the knowledge we gained from the previous class and ask the students to
explain it in their own words. The student practices assimilation as they develop
meaning with the extent of their language abilities. Teachers facilitate by scaffolding the
learning—my learning center advocates for self-motivation (2010). We always create
ways to have studnets practice independence. I scaffold first by asking guide questions.
Eventually, the students are guided to make their questions on their own.

Piaget discusses two principles which are assimilation and accommodation. Students
assimilate by reconfiguring new knowledge into their internal cognitive structure (Orey,
2010). Accommodation deals with existing systems changing to accommodate further
information. A simple exercise we do for our younger studnets at our learning center is
imagery. We asked the student if they knew the word apple. We ask them to draw or
write when they hear the word. Either they draw a picture of the fruit or try to spell it.
Through this exercise, the student develops the meaning of apple as an image and a
word. We do this for all of our word sets. We also do something similar when we teach
roots. Teaching studnets the origins of words has helped many students decipher the
meaning of new words.

Through experiential learning more focused on older students in the reading, I think I
can help teach elementary students. The model follows with a concrete experience. The
student then reflects on what had occurred during the activity. From their observations,
they construct knowledge and explain the occurrences in action. Finally, they put it into
practice by testing their findings (Zhou, Brown, 2017). The model can be applied to the
STEAM club that I teach. When we go over a scientific concept, there is always a project
or experiment that I give to the students. The class is offered a goal, and their approach
is up to them. For example, in one lesson, we were learning about motion. The goal
given to the students is to create a moving car out of CDs. The student participated in
two races to determine how well their car would perform. After the first race, the
students reflected on their performance and were allowed to make changes and
improve their builds to improve results in the next race.

Learning should be active and dynamic. Students should not just passively receive
information but engage in it through activity. Us teachers need to be facilitators. We
scaffold and guide our students until they can function on their own. The constructivist
approach is a great way to develop skills in independence and self-management.

References:
Orey, M. (2010). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Jacobs
Foundation. https://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/Orey_Emergin_Perspectives_Learning.
pdf

GSI teaching and resource center. (2016). Overview of Learning

Theories. http://gsi.berkeley.edu/media/Learning.pdf
Zhou, M., & Brown, D. (2017). Educational learning theories (2nd. Ed.). Educational
Psychology Commons. https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1000&context=education-textbooks