Module 6 Post 1 ~ Joshua Sherman

Learning in a Digital World

I have had many educational experiences in numerous learning environments. My personal philosophy of learning is that learning is both an individual endeavor and a team sport. Learning is an individual endeavor, as it requires personal motivation and effort to learn. It is a team sport in that much can be learned from and with others. Learning from and with others can occur in both formal (classroom environments) and informal (learning how to fish with your father) environments. Lev Vygotsky’s theory on the zone of proximal development supports learning with graduated assistance. In a classroom setting scaffolding may take place in the form teacher led graphic organizer development to aid in student writing. As the students become more skilled in their writing the teacher can scale back how much he/she aids student development of graphic organizers. In informal situations, using the fishing example, I helped my children bait, cast, and reel in their fishing lines when they were learning how to fish. As they became more proficient at the skills necessary to fish I began taking away the guided support.

I think that in teaching and learning it is critical for students to have a support structure so that they may develop the skills necessary to become life-long learners. One key support structure for learning is a central meeting place where information can be gathered, discussed, generated, presented etc.. The beauty of technology is that this central meeting place does not require a brick and mortar building. Students from all corners of the glob can gather with a computer and an Internet connection. I find that most things in learning are negotiable. To me non-negotiable means rigidity. A rigid philosophy of learning has kept the industrial model of education entrenched in our schools when clearly the realities of the 21^st-Century demand a more free-thinking and creative student who can work with others collaboratively to resolve complex problems.