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Student 1 & 2

Reply to other students post with at least 250 words, and minimum of 1 reference in current APA format.

Student #1 Post

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People learn all different ways. However, each person has their own learning style. Everyone has a mix of learning styles and an individual’s learning styles refers to the preferential way in which one absorbs, processes, comprehends, and retains information. Naturally learning every day, because our human minds are exposed to so many things. Knowledge can be defined as a familiarity, awareness or understanding of someone or something. Knowledge is knowing and retaining facts and information that is discovered through education or life experiences. Whereas, understanding is the ability to comprehend or have a “mental grasp” on what is being told or explained to you. Students obtain knowledge and understanding on many levels. Students who are prepared on content may typically have a better understanding of knowing what is expected of them because they have gained knowledge of the criteria being taught. In our text Make It Stick, the authors explain “to be transparent, help students understand the frustrations of certain learning entails and explain why it’s worth persisting” (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014 p. 228).  

Students will never understand new knowledge if they do not have sense of knowing and understanding of what is being taught. As educators we should offer a wide variety of experiences and differentiated learning opportunities that make content and criteria transparent for our students to learn. Aligning our students to success first comes with making sure we are giving proper chances for the students to gain new knowledge and understanding. Lalor (2016) states “students should participate in learning experiences that allows their primary focus to be on the experience to gain a new understanding and knowledge that supports their learning needs: (p. 124-125). When students are provided with these type of learning opportunities and situations, they often have a wider variety of understanding content and knowledge on how to identify certain aspects of what is being taught.

The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 1:5 “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” Because learning is a life-long process, we must constantly be open to gain new understandings of what we may and may not know. As educators we must constantly allow students new forms of growth and chances to learn in many different ways. We should allow our students to be creative offering fun and exciting in-class projects and activities to help foster their learning needs, so they are successful in achieving all their educational goals.

References

Brown, P. C., Roediger III, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick. Cambridge, MA:

Harvard University Press.

Lalor, A. D. M. (2016). Ensuring high-quality curriculum: How to design, revise, or adopt

curriculum aligned to student success. ASCDBottom of Form

Student #2 Post

The old adage, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, suggests beauty is subjective according to the individual’s perspective.  Apparently, the concepts of learning, knowledge, understanding, and how one gains such things via the educational process can be considered subjective as well.  Bobbitt (1975) first demonstrates this subjectivity by contrasting the “old education” whereby people learn through gaining objective facts, figures, and data to “functional education”, which is concerned with growing people to live a full and abundant life.  Achieving this abundant life entails vocational and life skills training and considers actions, conduct, and behavior of the individual. 

            Caswell (1943) perceives learning and the acquisition of knowledge differently.  Caswell suggests the goal of learning is to bring about “maximum growth of children and youth” (p. 81), with the further aims of achieving social significance for the student, readiness of the student, addressing the individuality of the student, and integrating subject matter as a whole verses segmentally breaking up subjects into separate learning activities.  Understanding of new knowledge is demonstrated in how well the individual expresses themselves, which is a direct reflection of their readiness to integrate into society. 

            A modern perspective is postulated by Willingham in Lyons (2013).  Willingham suggests knowing facts, figures, and objective information is foundational to developing higher level thinking abilities such as critical thinking.  Learning factual knowledge enables the brain to take stored information and use it to engage in critical thinking and other higher levels skills.  Learning according to Willingham reflects the brains storing information into long-term memory and then bringing the information back as needed into ones working memory.  Standardized testing is also acceptable to Willingham, a belief which flies in the face of both Caswell (1943) and Bobbitt (1975).

            Setting aside man’s perspective and turning to the Bible one finds God has a clear perspective on learning, knowledge, wisdom, and the educational process.  According to God’s word one must realize all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding is a gift from God Himself (Proverbs 2:6, NIV), therefore one must ask for it.  Secondly, to gain true knowledge and understanding one must be in right relationship with God (Proverbs 1:7).  When in right relationship with God one can have a heart of discernment and can then seek after and acquire knowledge (Proverbs 15:14, 18:15).  Throughout the Pentateuch, the book of Nehemiah, etc., the Bible addresses learning and knowledge, including how God requires His people to know facts, laws, and history.  Unfortunately, American society is post-Christian in nature and God is no longer an accepted part of secular curriculum.  Therefore, the author believes this demonstrates the place Church and a Christ-centered family has in an individual’s education. Both church and family should pour into the learner these Biblical principles as a foundation to what is learned in the school environment.  

            Dewey (1915, pp. 28) once stated, “When the school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within such a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction, we shall have the deepest and best guarantee of a larger society which is worthy, lovely, and harmonious”.  While this author agrees with Dewey’s sentiment, apart from Christ this will not happen.  Ultimately, for learning, knowledge acquisition, and understanding to truly occur it must be permeated by God and Godly teachers who know an abundant life is found only in Him (John 10:10, NIV).

References

Bobbitt, F. (1975). The New Technique of Curriculum-Making. The Elementary School Journal, 75, 71-77. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from 

www.jstor.org/stable/3202994

Caswell, H. L. (1943). Guiding Principles in Curriculum Development at the Elementary School Level. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 29(1), 81–87. Retrieved from 

https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=9675009&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Dewey, J. (1915).  The School and Society, Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://soth-alexanderstreet-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/cgi-bin/SOTH/hub.py?type=getdoc&docid=S10020702-D000002

Lyons, S. (2013).  Rethinking the way we learn.  Virginia.  Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://uvamagazine.org/articles/rethinking_the_way_we_learn