Is learning always observable?

Is learning always observable? My answer is not.

Some children are extroverted learner, and some are introverted learner. However, it is not one hundred percent true. For example, if a child is good at math, he/she will be an extroverted learner just for the math course. Due to he/she feels comfort on doing math problem,  she/he has confident on showing everybody what he/she has learned.

The suggestion from one of our classmates is very thoughtful: ask the extrovert student do the interview for the introvert student. On one hand, extrovert student can express introvert student's ideas, and introvert student does not need to be afraid of express his/her feeling. On the other hand, both of the students learned the material, and none of them miss the chance to express their feelings.

Furthermore, when we can ask the student to answer the questions, we had better ask the volunteer to answer the question or giving student enough time to answer the question. In this way, students will not feel being forced to answer the question,  and they will have more chance to express their ideas to the instructor.

A child can be different type of learner at different time, all we need to do is teaching student according to their ability; giving them as much space as you can to grow by themselves; and be the person who they suppose to be.

Is learning observable?

I feel that it is important to ask students what they learned at the end of each day.  This can be done in journal format, by drawing a picture, speaking into a recording device, or simply having a conversation with the teacher or another student.  It is beneficial for students to look back on their day and jot down a few thoughts about what happened in regards to the curriculum taught, their peers, and themselves.  Having said this, I do believe that learning is observable to a point.  Teachers need to pay attention to what their students are doing by noticing body language and student interactions.  I feel it is important to keep introverts and extroverts in mind when asking this question.  As many of my fellow classmates have already mentioned, a student can possess introverted qualities in the classroom and yet be an extrovert on the playground.  In saying this, it is the teachers responsibility to provide as many options possible for students to be able to express themselves and what they have learned by creating lesson plans that reach all types of learners.  Testing is not always the answer.  However, there is a time and place for everything.  Learning may not always be observable but I do believe that learning mostly occurs in the students who want to learn.      

Is Learning Always Observable ?

I believe learning is observable but it does not mean that one can see the result of teaching in a specific time. Learning is a complex process based on the amount, quality, and pace of learning; moreover, everybody achieves it in a different way as a result of her personality, background and some other factors. Sometimes we observe learning but it does not mean that the learning process is achieved completely or it is the satisfactory learning or some time we do not observe learning but it does not mean that the process does not started it yet.

Personality is one of the factors that make the learning process different and affects the signs that a teacher can see her teaching is materialized in her students. As it was discussed, introverted and extroverted personalities have different ways of showing their learning. For example, in my daughter’s class - grade 7- her teacher asked all students to read a fiction story by their own choice and present it to the class either as presentation or a poster. My daughter loves to read but since she has introvert personality she doesn’t like to go in front of the class and talk. On the other hand, making a poster was a comfortable way for her to show her knowledge. In this project, she ended up making three posters for three different stories instead of one. After reading Mamchur book and our last week discussion, now I see how her teacher choose an intelligent way to observe a learning process in her students.

The other important factor in the process of learning is the speed of learning that differs from one student to the other. A teacher can use various methods to observe if the students learned the subject. For example, she can put students in smaller groups to discuss the subject, or use in one-to-one discussion; she can give students some time until they come up with the answer; and she can encourage students to engage in class discussion. The level of students’ interest, excitement, and participation are some signs of learning.

Is learning observable?

Each individual is unique and possesses a mix of characteristics that belong to the “extrovert” or the “introvert” introduced by Mamchur. I believe that being an introvert or extrovert is situational and dependent on the context. In a classroom, a student might be introverted, but on the playground or at home be the complete opposite. I believe that a major factor that determines this is the level of comfort created in the public space of a classroom. From personal experiences, according to Mamchur, I am classified to possess more introverted traits. When classroom tasks consists of more group work and the interactions with fellow students, I tend to exemplify more extroverted traits; this for me reduces the pressures and fears as I am able to have a more engagement with the content and class materials being taught.
Extroverts’ learning tend to be easier to assess as their learning tends to be expressed through participation, such as asking questions or making comments. Introverts on the other hand can be slightly more difficult to observe; introverted learners may be engaged, focused, and understand the materials learnt in class, but their learning is sometimes difficult to observe. Educators can assess that learning is present by getting students to write or draw instead of getting them to verbally voice what they have learnt; these are some ways which students can express their learning in low pressure/anxiety activities.
Learning is a continuous process, so as educators and future educators, we need to be quick on our feet and think of the different ways to assess when learning is taking place when it is not observable. As no two students learn exactly the same way in a classroom, students will display and express their ways of learning in many different ways.

Is Learning Observable?

I feel students will show what they have learned in different ways and it will not always be observable. Because there are two different types of students; extroverts and introverts, teachers must be sensitive to both extroverts and introverts needs and try to incorporate the needs from both into their teachings. For example, if an introverted student was very shy and didn't want to answer a question, the teacher could get an extroverted student to speak with the introverted student. Then the extroverted student could speak on the introverted student's behalf. This way the introverted student's ideas are still being expressed.

Also, some ways teachers can see if students are learning as well as evaluate the students are by doing simple activities like arts and crafts, or even writing in journals. These types of activities allow both introverts and extroverts to try different ways of learning. I feel teachers don't always have to evaluate students with tests. Some students just don't do well on tests, but that doesn't mean they aren't learning the material. This is why teachers have teach in various different ways so they can attend to the different learners. Whether or not teachers decide to observe students learning and evaluate students through testing or through assignments or activities, teachers must be observant to all students and make sure the students are understanding and most importantly improving throughout the year.

Learning as observable?

This is an interesting question as one of our paramount roles as teachers is being able to assess and evaluate student's learning. Ideally we plan our lessons with our individual students' learning strengths and interests. Differentiated learning is the route into the ultimate goal of student engagement and self empowerment. I believe that students learn best when they are given control of their learning and hence become intrisically motivated through their own sense of self discovery. Many aspects or characteristics of learning can be observed: student's body language, participation in discussions, depth of written insights, even follow up "I am wondering" questions that occur much later. However after reading Mamchur's type theory I can see how open to subjectivity a teachers observation can be. Initially we all view our classroom experiences through the lense of our own personal orientation. There is a natural human tendency to give credence and value to the way we see the world.

Learning I feel is inherently individual, incremental, and cumulative. I feel that we need to teach to and for children, and let them see us as learners along side of them. Creating a welcoming community of learners is the first step towards the goal joint exploration and engagement. Self evaluation strategies such as portfolios are a vital way to have students assess their cumulative work and see the progression of their ideas and efforts. I believe that as teachers we evaluate the products of learning that our students produce but we need to make sure that we honor their own individual learning styles. Education is not a one size fits all garment. The teacher is the tailor who fits the suit in a custom manner for each student to wear out on their personal journey of knowledge.

Is Learning Observable?

The question of if learning is observable is one which interests me quite a bit due to a reading I just completed in another class of mine. An article written by Gert Biesta entitled “Mind The Gap!” Communication and the Educational Relation found in the book No Education Without Relation addresses notions of how exactly education and learning takes place. Biesta says that learning takes place in a gap between the student and the teacher in their communication with one another. Biesta notes that this gap, and subsequent event of learning is indefinable, as the act of learning is a transformation of understanding from what a teacher says, to what the student comprehends. Possibly as a result of my just finishing this reading, I feel like I completely and utterly agree with this theory or learning. Thus, it would lead me to answer this week’s topic question by saying that learning is not observable, but perhaps the results of learning are.

The act of learning is something which is individual, and each student pulls different understanding and meaning from lessons. While a student may have not understood in the exact way that a teacher intended, the student should not be classified as not learning anything. Due to different backgrounds and experiences in a students life, their relation to teachers and subjects creates multi-faceted understandings of singular ideas. I think that transformation of understanding is something that cannot be observed. What can be observed however is the result of these transformations.

Even though a student may gain a different understanding of a topic, the results of this is what is interesting and important. While a teacher may see a students lack of understanding of exactly what they wanted to communicate as frustrating, a interdisciplinary classroom would encourage and thrive on these sorts of transformations. (Yes, once again my preference for interdisiciplinarity arises). By creating an inclusive classroom setting, which offers any different ways of teaching, I feel that the worry to reach such strict learning goals will become more relaxed while still accomplishing what is needed to my learned. Not to mention that this sort of environment would most surely aid in the eradication of extrovert and introvert personalities, as everyone would be able to communicate and work within settings and modes of thought/communication, that they are comfortable with.

In thinking about how the results of learning can be observed, my rudimentary thoughts are things like looking at student engagement, their body language, vocalization in class, and work ethics of students. I find that often if a student is idle within the classroom, it is because they are either not paying attention, but more prevalently, that they are still mulling over and trying to comprehend what they are being taught. If a student is doing any of these things, I feel as if there is some thought process going on, that result in some sort of transformation of information. While it is hard to track in progress, after a lesson has been communicated and released into “the gap,” all be can do as educators is wait for the result that comes out the other side by our students.