EDCI 5825 Week 6 Assignment

It was interesting to read my coursemates’ blog posts. It was convenient to browse through the posts because the posts were titled explicitly which made it easy for a reader to select what they want to read. I notice the blogs were written in many interesting and different ways for the same tasks that we had to do as assignments. In EDC I 5065, we have chosen to write our theories of learning based on our personal beliefs on what is effective. I read with interest how some theories of learning were interpreted and it gave me a different perspective to approach the theories of learning. Also, there was salient information, which is substantiated by reliable citations and succinctly explicated for the benefit of any reader. The Google reader is an efficient way of learning from peers. It provides a platform for a reader to learn from the more knowledgeable other that is a development from what the reader already know to what the reader can achieve. This is possible with educational support and in this case in the context of Google reader. This is actually the summary of what I read from my coursemates’ blogs on theories of learning. One post that I strongly identify with is one I found in Matt’s blog on the benefit of using new technologies in the classroom. It is stated in his blog that, “new technologies allow students to collaborate on projects and work individually on them while at the same time work together with other group members to accomplish a larger task.” I like the idea that although students work collaboratively they are actually working alone. It is true that individual students contribute to the collaborative work. What happens is that in the discussion of presenting the ideas, better ideas get selected. This is what peer learning is all about. It does not only enhance students’ learning but also social-emotional skills, which is necessary for students to be very motivated and self-regulated in the learning environment. Successful learning occurs when the environment is supportive which inevitably promotes positive learning situation in collaborative work.