#thelittlephilosopher

Throughout life we compile a range of memories we like to call ‘experiences’. These experiences; either physical mental or emotional affect us all in different ways, the one thing they all have in common is that they shape who we are as individuals. As infants we learn to walk and talk, to read and write, to think and to question. We develop these skills all the time and everyone develops them at differing rates and in different ways. All of those things help us interact with others and trigger emotions. One way a person perceives something could be completely different to another. That is what makes us unique. How does this apply to my learning experiences you might ask? It applies directly to me as I; like every person has and will continue to compile experiences and hopefully learn from them. These experiences will continue to shape who I am as a person and how everyone else sees me. In this short essay I will discuss the different orientations to learning and my own learning experiences I have discovered. The first and probably the most influential theory/theorist is Bandura’s social situational learning theory which I will speak about later. The next few things I would like to touch on are the experiences a have had in the past up until now. The third thing I will focus on is my own personal theory that attempts to encompass and magnify or reduce certain aspects of the theory as well as contrasting them with my personal experiences that may be similar to others.

Theoretical learning theories come in many shapes and forms, all we can be sure of is that they are theoretical and although they are brought forth from real experiences the theories themselves are just that; theories. A person who pioneered and made famous the social situational learning theory that went by the name of Albert Bandura (1976). Who emphasises that individuals may learn from others or of things around them merely through observation. The said individual may also learn only by viewing the reward/punishment. That person may not show physically that they learnt from it nor would they with reinforcement. Another key theorist who has influenced the world is Howard Gardner specifically his wheel of multiple intelligences (1983) who put forth the theory that every individual learns at differing rates with differing methods; some stronger than others. A person who is mathematically gifted may not find music their forte and vice versa. This learning theory encapsulates the unique qualities of an individual and the flexibility that teachers need in order to tap into the reservoir of knowledge a student has. As can also fortify or highlight weaknesses in a student’s intelligences and aid in correction. The most primitive of the learning theories is the behaviourist learning theory which was propelled to popularity by B F Skinner (1953) who postulated that learning is merely the reaction to a conscious or subconscious stimulate that results in a reaction that either benefits or harms an individual in some way. If the reaction is beneficial it is repeated if it is harmful it is discarded. This process is known as operant conditioning. Another approach or theory is Maslow’s humanistic orientation that states that in order for a person to achieve their goals or at least be focussed on their goals is for all their basic human needs are met. E.g. food oxygen water safety belongingness and love self-esteem and self-actualisation in that order. Only after that can a person achieve his/her full potential. (1943). An interesting experiment was Richard Wiseman’s Luck Factor (2003) which had so called ‘lucky people’ and ‘unlucky’ people undergo testing to see whether or not they are lucky or not but more importantly whether or not that this ‘luck’ is learnt or innate. The tests proved that luck can be taught and more importantly learnt by adjusting the way you look at life and the behaviour needed to be lucky.

My experiences up until now have shaped who I am as a person and how others see and feel about me. I have learnt everything I know thanks to the world around me; I have taught as I have been taught as well as adapt my teaching to the students of today in the subjects of biology and mathematics. I have also learnt how to perform a muscle-up and drive a car. To attempt to discuss situations where learning has occurred for me would take up too many characters and words. Briefly however I will share key situations where learning has occurred for me, namely my outlook towards life and pedagogy. In October 2013 I was blessed to have the financial capabilities to travel to New Zealand for leisure as well as to discover infinite knowledge. There I was enjoying nature encapsulated by beautiful trails and green grass as well as calm peaceful gatherings with like-minded individuals who have more experience in life than me. It was this journey that led me to understand the philosophy of a peaceful satisfied person. I was taught to channel out negative energy through breathing and meditation as well as clear my head from any thoughts and also leave my mind open to ideas that may have been foreign to me. Only with this sharp clear head could I tackle life’s trials and tribulations. Another glimpse into my past leads us into a year 11 mathematics class where my quick thinking and adaptive teaching methods allowed two of the weakest mathematical students (who excel at other things) to seek refuge under my wing and with my guidance and enthusiasm allowed them to flourish into the successful adults of today. My interpersonal skills and friendly face has given me the ability to befriend anyone and achieve a connection and develop a rapport with people from all walks of life. One of those people being the principal at my old high school who has taken a liking to me as one of her brightest children, a prodigy of sorts; one to take the education system by storm. It is this relationship and strong ties with the school and staff that has given me the opportunity to possible work there in the future.

They have also inspired and hopefully will inspire the next generation of psychologists’ doctors and teachers. I believe that for anyone wanting to be successful they must first have vision. It is important to see the final destination before boarding a train or at least know what stop you’re getting off at. There will always be obstacles on this journey but contrary to the belief that ‘it’s about the journey and not the destination’ I believe that both are equally important as the journey changes who you are but the final destination is what we aim for and what we want. The journey can be positive but it is not the be all and end all. This philosophy is something that I see is universal yet unique to every person. When we are brought into this world we are bombarded with stimulus and experience and it is up to our cognitive ability to filter and file away important information and disregard things that do not concern us. My primary school years were dotted with awards and achievements and friendships. High school went even better as that is where I developed a love for teaching and helping people as well as my pro-active and leadership qualities that I have til this day. It was a time for exercise both physical and mental which has moulded me into the model I am today. This as well as university was premature to me as I was a year younger than anyone at primary and high school. My level of maturity has been vital in allowing me to adapt to the environment I’m in. My goal in life is to leave behind nothing but good words, inspiration and a positive footprint that will last the test of time. The fact of the matter is that we are all incomplete but it is our search for perfection that leads us to becoming perfect beings. As mentioned before I have learnt many things from many people and all of this has permitted me to pick up and tweak things to my benefit and to what I think will benefit others. I have not only worked in a secondary school environment which gave me a different perspective of staff and students as well as altering pre-conceived and biased views of myself by others. Mathematics became the battery which dispersed knowledge to my peers who I have influenced and taught.  2014 boosted me into university with people of my age and mindset as well as academic level or lower. This became the platform to my pedagogical success whereby I have tutored not only students at year 11 but also my peers at university who have hopefully been inspired and driven to teach others. This unit has also given me the opportunity to work alongside primary school teachers and fellow pre-service teachers. My life like everyone else has had its peaks and valleys which have been shaped by the metaphorical current flowing through the valleys. Rather than building a dam to temporarily hold the flowing and growing water I have allowed easy passage and harnessed its strength to propel me to the leadership role that I have today.

Now how do I sum up 20 years of experience wisdom and knowledge into a single learning theory? Well it’s easy; we take every learning theory as an individual yet sometimes overlapping approach to teaching yet we seem to ignore the fact that every living thing every living cell feels learns and adapts differently to the next however the common consensus is that adaptation is evolution. If man stopped at the wheel and said ‘gee I think this is the greatest advancement in science and technology there must be nothing left’ I say that ‘we are still pioneers’ that ‘our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us because our destiny lies ahead of us’. So think about me as a pioneer in a field with no bounds farther than our imagination. A free-thinking eager mind with an ambition to change absolutely everything. My universal learning theory concludes that every man woman and child is free to think and act however so he wills providing that it sustains and improves life for everyone present and to come. How do we unify this theory to fit into a class room? Simply put; we do not. They say evil is the absence of good. I say that stupidity is the absence of knowledge; bring life and knowledge, love and safety, wisdom and guidance into a class room and in return you shall receive a flourishing aesthetic portrait of the Da Vinci’s and Einstein’s of this world.

All alone in a dark and deep blue sea

No one there, no lights that will guide me home tonight

  The water is calm,

The waves are deep and steady.

In my head;  a fight

Dark, cloudy and chaotic.

I look around, I see no stars

I whisper in the waves, no response

No angels, no stars

  What is there that can satisfy a man in his needs?

Who will be there to comfort those that mourn,

when we’re all lost pilgrims in a deep, dark sea?

None of us really knows the way,

None has a clear mind.

We’re all lost,

We’re all wandering around

We’re all mere butterflies who think this is forever

But we’re from yesterday, we know nothing.

  -I’m starting to panic, now I realize I’m drowning

I feel myself sinking away, deep waves are pulling me under

The waters are starting to rise

I feel purple, black and blue

No lights to guide me home tonight

No angels, no stars

It’s too cold in this dark blue ocean that we call

Home

Same unfortunately!

He performed a few times at my local mosque.

cracking you mean?

lol the aeroplane

Hey man, I'm an aviation enthusiast lol

tabriztea replied to your photo: C’mon, who doesn’t like a clean desk?! I actually...

I gave up cleaning my desk. No matter how hard I try it always looks like a chaos lol

Well you can't just give up!  I mean I hate it when my desk is messy, it like messes my mood lol

thebakistani replied to your photo: C’mon, who doesn’t like a clean desk?! I actually...

omg the mousepad!

thelittlephilosopherreplied to yourphoto:C’mon, who doesn’t like a clean desk?! I actually...

love the mouse pad