Today (11/11/16) I attended my class for one of my other modules – Primary Education.

This sessions topic was focused on Approaches to Children’s Learning.

During the session we discussed Learning, Theories of Learning, Advantages, Dis-Advantages, and Other Brain Based Approaches.

Learning can be considered to be: practical, collaborative and an experience; through listening, reading, copying and imitation, to name a few.  Learning through different methods can provide children with varied knowledge, understanding and skills; such as facts, traditions, social skills, life skills, key concepts, how to collaborate, communicate, problem solve, trial & error, to listen and be patient.

Through different methods, children can learn a variety of things.  These methods can be individually dependent on culture, parent/family understanding, time, resources, their own mindset, as well as their parents mindset and teachers mindset (Dweck, 2012).

In general, a Mindset can be historically influential from parents, teachers, peers and current well-being.  Bronfenbrenner (1996) states that individuals can be knowingly and unknowingly influenced by the surrounding environment.

A child of Early Years and Primary school age, are particularly susceptible, due to their young development.  At this age stage, Piaget (Gillibrand, et al, 2011) states that children are egocentric and unable to fully understand the world around them; this influentially can adjust the individual mindset.

Teachers play a vitally influential role for children.  It is the teachers that can encourage, motivate, support, provide value and provide an environment that individually can progress development and understanding.  For example, if a teacher has a fixed mindset of their own, they can pass this fixed mindset perspective onto their pupils.

Theorists like Vygotsky (1978) and Bruner (Gillibrand et al, 2011), state that children learn best through collaboration and the shared experience with adults and their peers.  The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD, Vygotsky, 1978) suggest that learning is enhanced between what they already know and what they don’t know.  This can be encouraged through group work and trial & error.  Bruner (Gillirand et al, 2011) progressed the idea of shared experience and his theory known as Scaffolding, is an idea of layering or spiral learning as it can be known.  By sharing and revisiting the information, it adds another layer on-top of what was previously known, which can deepen understanding.????????????????

There are many resources available, that can help enhance learning.  For example, Visual Auditory Kinesthetic (VAK, Dowling, 2002), Accelerated Learning (Rose, 1989), Multiple Intelligence tests (Gardner, 1993) , and Brain Gym (2016).  Using these resources can discourage individuals, and fix their Mindset, if it wasn’t already.  It has been discussed that using such resources, carry criticisms; which can label individuals to a set way of learning, which isn’t necessarily the only way that they could learn (Learning and Skills Research Centre, 2004).  For some children they may have a preferred way of learning, whereas other may have more than one; these preferences can vary between subjects, schools, and can adjust with age.

Through perseverance and trial & error, children can develop their own way of working, like myself but this typically adjusts with age and the direction of the career roller-coaster.

From starting my degree in 2014, I have learned a variety of strategies and have developed my own way of learning.  I have created a routine and structure, to support and motivate myself through this learning journey.  For this class we were asked to google Multiple Intelligence Testing, and to complete a test for ourselves.  In the end I did two of these tests, as the result of the first test was confusing, as it gave no explanation to the top 3 best suited intelligence methods.  Both of these results, I did not agree with, as I felt the questions were general, yet sometimes too specific, which meant that they were not applicable and I had no choice to which answer I could select.

Having discussed our own results in class, a lot of us had the same or very similar results.  In reflection, I answered the questions in relation to what I am like now, after having studied a degree for over two years, the same as everyone else in the class.  Could our same or similar results just be an indication, to the fact that we are in effect doing the same thing; as we are all students, studying the same subjects, we are all alike anyway and may have projected this into how we answered the same questions.

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To conclude, as children learn differently to others, it is vital that they are not labelled according to their multiple intelligence, or others Mindset but their own.  As children change and develop in accordance to their environmental influences (Bronfenbrenner, 1996), it is more vital for a diverse and equal opportunistic and valued approach to be provided.  Through providing various resources and a learning environment that encompasses all aspects to learning, whether it be Visually, Auditory or Kinesthetically, individuals will be able to develop their knowledge and understanding throughout their education.

I plan to incorporate this knowledge and understanding, through future research on this topic and into my final E-Learning Resource assignment.

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Reference List

Brain Gym (2016) Welcome to Brain Gym. Available at: http://www.braingym.org/ (Accessed: 11/11/16).

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1996) The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Dowling, M. (2002) How young children learn. Early Education (Summer).

Dweck, C.S. (2012) Mindset: How You can Fulfil Your Potential. London: Robinson.

Gardner, H. (1993) Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic Books.

Gillibrand, R., O’Donnell, V.L. & Lam, V. (2011) Developmental Psychology. Harlow: Prentice Hall.

Learning and Skills Research Centre (2004) Publications. Available at: http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20081126152311/http://www.lsrc.ac.uk/publications/index.asp (Accessed: 11/11/16).

Rose, C. (1989) Accelerated Learning. Aylesbury: Accelerated Learning Systems.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978) Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, Mass; London: Harvard University Press.