I believe that every person has the ability to learn. Whether it is a 2-year-old learning the alphabet, a 15-year-old learning the Pythagorean Theorem, or a medical school student learning the structural make-up of the human brain; everyone can learn. I believe that with this ability to learn also comes a duty to learn, and never stop learning. I believe that we as humans should never say we “know it all” because it is impossible to know it all. I believe that we need to constantly continue to further our education.

However, with this duty to lifelong learning, I as an educator realize that it is my duty to ensure that others are able to access education by creating an environment where all can engage in the learning process. It is my duty to design learning environments where all learners feel included, and where they can learn no matter what their learning style is.

How I Educate

Experiential Learning

John Dewey once said, “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results” (1916, p. 191). I believe that some of the best learning comes from experience. I have found that oftentimes when learners learn through practical or interactive experience the learning is much more meaningful. By using experiential learning I work to create environments where learners can pull meaning from a wide variety of experiences.

Critical Reflections

While experience is a powerful way of learning, I believe a key component of this learning is reflecting back upon what one has and has not learned. Donald Schön (1983) wrote, “Reflective practice is “a dialogue of thinking and doing through which I become more skillful”” (p. 31).

When we take the time to look back and reflect on what we have learned I believe that is when we reach the greatest understanding of that material. It is equally important for us to recognize what we may not have learned. When we recognize what we do not know, we can then seek out that knowledge.

Open Dialogues and Critical Conversations

Another key belief I have about teaching and learning is that we can learn more from each other when we engage in a dialogue that we can from simply reading a book or listening to a lecture. When learners engage in an open dialogue where critical questions are asked they’re minds become more open to learning. This is a key element of transformational learning, which is beneficial to learners because they can learn more when their minds are open to new ideas.

Universal and Inclusive Design

I believe one of the most important elements of educating is creating an environment that is designed so students have equal access, and feel included in the environment. This could be anything from making a presentation accessible to students who use assistive technology or making sure the space is accessible to those with mobility impairments, to using inclusive language so that learners feel included in a space. When we design an environment to be universally designed it benefits everyone.

References

Dewey, J. (1916). Thinking In Education. Democracy and Education: An Introduction To The Philosophy of Education (p. 191). New York: The Free Press.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. The Macmillan company.

Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2014). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. Jossey-Bass

Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.