As we complete the course, we will learn about different learning theories and will be asked to relate these theories to some of our personal learning experiences in grade school, high school/college, and professional careers.
The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill;
The willingness to learn is a choice."
Brian Herbert
Grade School
I'm a little embarrassed to admit that when I think about my grade school learning experiences, no one event stands out. Instead, I tried to answer the question, “What skills have made the biggest difference in who I am today?”
What’s made the biggest difference from my grade school years would be becoming proficient in English, because being able to communicate in English has opened a lot of doors for me. There is no one specific teacher since it was a required subject every year, but I am definitely grateful to all my English teachers who helped me not only by facilitating learning through practice but also by encouraging me to enter competitions.
High School/ College
In high school the skill that has made the biggest difference in my life today would be learning how to touch type. My teacher was Mrs. M*. It was required learning for a year, but I also knew back then that it was going to be an advantage for me professionally if I was able to write down my thoughts quickly.
In college, one of my Psych professors, Dr. B*, taught his classes differently from other teachers: as he would teach his Psych 140 course on The Principles of Learning, he would first cite studies that go in one direction and then he would bring up studies that seemed to contradict them. Then he would start to challenge us by asking questions. You were never quite sure where the studies were going to lead, and it made it almost like a fun treasure hunt learning the concepts.
Professional
My first job out of college (it was the mid-90s) was working at a learning center called FT*, teaching computer skills from kids as young as age 4 to grownups. The biggest thing that I learned was how to use MS Office and how to teach it to different proficiency levels. I didn’t know anything about computers when I started, and I learned everything on the job. My trainer, Teacher J*, was my mentor who inspired me to be curious, perseverant, and open-minded.
In 2002 I started my second job, and that is where I grew in leaps and bounds professionally. I started out as an English trainer for eP* and as I grew with the company so did the scope of my training experience. My role has now evolved into training development, focusing on developing our management team. The heartbeat of my company is Performance Maximization™, a proprietary process where continuous development is critical to success.
Hobbies
Learning new skills to improve myself has extended to my hobbies as well. I joined Toastmasters in 2013 where I continue to hone my skills in communication and leadership.
In 2014 after watching a Dancing with the Stars video I decided that I wanted to know how to do the Argentine Tango. Learning that dance has surprised and fulfilled me in ways I never expected. It was where I learned--by experience, over and over again--that despite everything I'd seen on TV, the best dances I'll ever have are the ones that aren't choreographed. It was where I learned that it wasn't about getting things done perfectly, it was about how you connected with someone else and what you both create as a result of that connection. And when you do make a mistake, part of the fun is discovering how you both recover from it. I learned that so long as I had someone with me that I trusted and who trusted me, the unexpected didn't have to be scary. As it turns out, the unexpected was often exhilarating.
How do my experiences relate to the learning theories discussed in the course?