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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Cool Online Learning Tools for Students

Tuesday, December 13, 2011
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Many students can't help but think of how boring studying is, what with all the memorisation and analysis involved. Fortunately for the students of the Internet age, there are learning tools available which can make learning so much more fun and interesting. Below are examples of learning tools in the form of websites and applications available online which can make even a bored student look forward to study time:

  1. Dynamic Periodic Table. This online version of a periodic table of elements helps the student distinguish elements apart by highlighting them according to their aggregate state (solid, liquid, gas, unknown) or group (nonmetals or metals with their corresponding subgroups). The online component of this tool comes into effect when the suer clicks on an element or group and it will launch a separate window displaying the corresponding Wikipedia article. There is also another version of the periodic table which is more compact and features a quick summary of each element. Clicking on each element launches a small window giving a brief information on it.
  2. Foldit. Unlike the periodic table, learning tools such as Foldit do not really classify to the group of essential everyday tools for a subject. However, it can help a student learn Biology better because of its nature as a game, where the player is tasked to build protein molecules based on structures that have previously been described.
  3. Mathway. This online tool helps students solve their maths problems. All the user needs to do is enter the problem statement, select the appropriate subject and click solve. The solution will be displayed along with easily understandable steps taken to arrive at the answer.
  4. SpeedCrunch. While Mathway can be used for beginners and intermediate formula users, Speedcrunch is for big time computing. It is a powerful desktop calculator which contains lots of helpful libraries for discussing math problems of even the most complicated ones.

Educational Learnings

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Friday, December 9, 2011

The Importance of Knowing Children’s Educational Learning Styles

Friday, December 9, 2011
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It is particularly important for parents to know their children’s individual educational learning styles because this can be used to improve their study habits, which leads to an increase in grades and overall performance in school. If a child is struggling in school, even just on some of his or her classes, this does not really mean that the child lacks mental ability or is not good enough. Each person has different habits, opinions and motivations. This also means that not everyone learns at the same style or pace.

Therefore, educational learning techniques that is successfully used by one student may not work at all with another student. Again, this does not indicate that the former student is smarter than the latter student. It could only mean that the learning style that will work for the latter student is not compatible with the first and if the situation were reversed, it could be that the former student will struggle in an educational learning style that is better suited for the latter student.

It is therefore important for everyone who plays a role in a child's education—instructors, parents and tutors—to be aware of the educational learning styles of each student so that they can maximise the student's understanding of the topics and materials being covered in the class. If this is not done, this could result to a student with a high potential to easily get discouraged and lose motivation in learning, just because the information that is ought to be learned is not being presented to him or her in an effective manner.

Educational Learnings

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Benefits of Using Educational Learning Games For Home Schooled Children

Wednesday, December 7, 2011
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In recent years, educational and learning games or also known as educational learning games have been used as supplementary teaching and learning tools by parents or private tutors who teach children with the use of the home schooling or home education approach of educating kindergarten and primary school age children. The educational and learning games used for home schooled children would primarily consists of two types. The first type is the traditional educational and learning games that could be bought from bookstores and toy stores. The second type is the free online resources that could be downloaded for free or for a small fee from various Internet websites that are dedicated to online resources for home educated children.

Many home education experts and advocates have stated that there are several benefits or advantages when educational learning games are simultaneously used as supplementary teaching tools by the parents or tutors in teaching lessons to the home schooled children. In addition, there are traditional and online resources for educational and learning games that would also allow the children to learn on their own or allow them to self-study.

Therefore, it is beneficial for parents and tutors if they use the educational learning games that could be used as teaching tools for the children and at the same time, those games could be used by the children for learning by themselves. Another benefit of using educational and learning games as supplementary tools in home education of children is the emotional bonding that occurs when a parent and child are playing together.

Educational Learnings

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Teaching Options: Working at an Educational Learning Center

Sunday, December 4, 2011
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A good start for a recently certified teacher for primary education is to look for a teaching job at an educational learning centre or after school programme which provides supplemental learning for preschool children as well as primary school learners who are in their early grades. This is a good way for a beginner at teaching to gain work experience, which can later be of use when the individual applies for a higher teaching position or decides to pursue postgraduate studies. Working at a small educational learning centre also affords the teacher a measure of flexibility and being able to relax because this setting traditionally has fewer students than the average classroom in mainstream schools. These educational learning centres or after school programmes can be found in many school settings or community centres.

The curriculum in educational learning centres using this programme only consists of simple subjects such as basic reading, writing and language, basic mathematics, arts and crafts, and basic science. After school programmes also offer educational games and learning activities which are enjoyed by both children as well as teachers. Therefore, it can be said that the new teacher will experience less stress and pressure while working as a teacher in an educational learning centre as opposed to an actual primary school. The small class size of an educational learning centre also provides for more personal or one-on-one interaction with special students or those with learning difficulties.

In the United States, there are various public school districts in local communities which have educational learning centres and after school programmes. It is not that difficult for an aspiring teacher to find work even just to gain some small amount of teaching experience.


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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Primary Types of Educational Learning Theories

Wednesday, November 30, 2011
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In the disciplines of education and psychology, the education learning or educational learning theory is usually defined as the idea or hypothesis on how people and animals would undergo the process of learning for understanding and comprehending the complex process of learning. The education learning theory has the two primary goals – the first is providing us with the conceptual framework and vocabulary in interpreting and understanding the examples of learning that we observe, and the second is providing us with suggestions on how and where to find solutions to practical problems.

According to various experts and researchers, there are at least 22 educational learning theories that have their own specific definitions and purposes. However, many experts would agree that there are four education learning theories that are commonly discussed and studied in the subject areas of psychology and education. The four primary education learning theories are commonly used as field of studies or topics of discussion in academic settings such as universities and colleges in both undergraduate courses and in postgraduate education.

The four primary educational learning theories are the theories of behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, and transformative learning. The behaviourism theory is based on three basic assumptions. The first assumption is that learning is expressed or personified by a change in behaviour. The second assumption is that the environment would shape the behaviour. The third assumption is that the principles of contiguity or proximity and reinforcement are essential for the explanation of the process of learning. The cognitivism theory is based on the assumption that the ways people would think would affect their behaviour.

Educational Learnings

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Benefits of Educational Learning Games for Children

Friday, November 25, 2011
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Educational learning games are structured plays that have been designed in teaching people especially children for learning about a specific subject and helping them in learning a particular skill during the activity of playing. The primary learning games include board games, card games and video games. Whether you are a kindergarten class teacher, or a primary school teacher, or a parent educating your child through the home education approach, it would already cross your mind that there are several benefits in using educational games for children in the classroom or at home.

You should take note that educational learning games should only serve as supplemental tools for teaching children and in helping them in learning. Those games should never replace the formal teaching tools that are used for educating children in a formal classroom, or the recommended teaching tools used under the home education approach. However, various research studies and educational experts have stated that educational games provide several benefits for children when used as supplemental teaching tools in the classroom, and if used by parents in their home education methods.

The various benefits of using educational learning games for children in the classroom and at the home include developing motor skills especially for preschool children and kindergarten students. Other benefits include the enhancement of creativity and memory skills. Board games in numbers and mathematics would require the child to regularly memorise and repeat a game, which encourages brain activity. Educational games that involve creativity would push the children in thinking of other options for finding an answer.


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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Internet and Novels as Sources of Educational Learning

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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Educational learning can be accumulated anywhere we go. It is not limited inside the classroom, the school or academic environments. There are many educational materials outside the traditional school and academic confines. These materials include published books, internet and magazine articles and many others.
  • Published Books – Aside from textbooks and text references which may or may not be suggested by schools, almost all published books are sources of educational learning. One best example are novels. Authors of novels base their writing on facts and verified information. They are supposed to do this because they are subject to regulation by the government and the industry they are in. For example, an author writing a novel with a story about independently produced movies, or indie films, use facts. The author should have enough knowledge to do this, or else he will be criticised for using fallacies. He could be a player in the indie film industry himself and have enough knowledge about it. Alternatively, he could interview or have as consultant a person who has the sufficient knowledge.
  • Articles from the Internet or Magazines – Another source of educational learning are written articles from the internet or magazines. At first glance these sources may not be academic or educational; however, they contain lots of information which are indeed educational. For example, blogs written by student nurses where they post their sentiments are sources of information about what it is truly to be inside nursing schools. Even the comments in these blogs, news articles and other articles can be sources of educational or academic learning.

Educational Learnings

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Monday, November 14, 2011

Educational Learning in an Office Setting

Monday, November 14, 2011
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As much as the term “educational learning” connotes schools, teachers and students grouped into a class, it can also happen in the workplace. As we all know, after students graduate from courses they have chosen in university they will proceed to take up postgraduate studies or work for public and private enterprises. It is a traditional practice for employers to select only the best learners and students who have shown the best aptitude. Therefore, if we think about it the office is a huge source of theoretical knowledge coming from students who have studied it in schools and who are willing to apply it into practical situations through the knowledge and skills they have acquired in the educational learning system of a university or other academic institution.

Since the school is supposed to arm you with enough knowledge and skills to prepare you to get a job and manage your life when you become an adult, you will have a lot of opportunity to display what you have learned outside of school. Nonetheless, you may find that there are still many things that you will need to learn and prepare for in the real world which even the best schools cannot adequately prepare you for such as how to deal with office politics, how to cultivate relationships with your superiors and colleagues and how to handle office conflicts. This presents an element of educational learning that you must take into account.

In addition, you will also acquire educational learning when you get to learn new things in your area of specialisation that you studied for in school. When you are already working, you are assigned a set of duties and responsibilities where you will need to consistently apply your knowledge of. However, all the theories and concepts you have learned in school may still be inadequate sometimes especially if you work in a field whose knowledge is highly dynamic and is constantly evolving, such as the field of computers, medicine and information technology.


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Friday, November 4, 2011

Working as a Teacher at an Educational Learning Center

Friday, November 4, 2011
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If you are a recently certified teacher for the primary education level, the first thing you would probably do is obtaining a teaching job to gain some work experience. A good start would be teaching job at an educational learning center or after school programme, which provides supplemental learning for preschool children and primary school students in the early grades. Many of those programmes are located within the school facilities or in community centers.

Various public school districts in local communities in the United States have carried out after school programmes so that it would not be difficult for you to find educational learning centers in the state where you live. Aside from gaining valuable teaching work experience, there are several advantages or benefits in initially working as a teacher in an after school programme. The settings in the after school programmes are much smaller compared to traditional classrooms so that you would only be teaching a few students.

The curriculum in the programmes consist of simple subject areas such as basic reading, writing and language skills, basic mathematics, arts and crafts, and basic science. In addition, educational games and learning activities are also carried out in the after school programmes that would both be enjoyed by the children and the teachers. Therefore, there is less stress and pressure in working as a teacher in an educational learning center compared to an actual primary school setting. The small setting of the center would enable you to engage in personal or one-on-one interaction with students who may need more attention than other students.


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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Educational Learning in the Workplace

Wednesday, October 5, 2011
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Educational learning can also be acquired in the workplace. The workplace is a big depository of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. There are many things that you did not learn in school which you will learn in the workplace.
  • Outside School – A huge amount of educational learning can be acquired outside the school. It is expected that you will or have learned many things inside the school; however, when you step out of schooling and into the work arena, you will find out that there are lots of things you still have to learn. You will learn many things outside school when you start working.
  • Repetition – You acquire educational learning when you learn about news things which are part of a larger body of knowledge. When you work in a job, you will learn new things and will need to repeatedly apply your knowledge in the work because it is your job. You learn because of the repetition; repetition is the mother of learning. When you continuously repeat performing tasks, you will master them. This is what you do in your work because of specialisation.

  • Variety – On the other hand, in addition to repetition, you will also have variety. There will be things in your work which do not come very often. They will add to your learning. To add, they will make your work less boring. Because they do not come repeatedly, your mind will be freshened up and your brain will absorb the new learning.

Educational Learnings

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Monday, October 3, 2011

Using Toys as a Tool for Educational Learning

Monday, October 3, 2011
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Educational learning toys refer to an objects that children use for playing which can also be used for educational and learning purposes. Since toys are only used extensively by children more than any other age group of students, educational learning toys are more often used to supplement educational and learning processes for students in kindergarten and primary school. Many experts in educating children are of the opinion that toys can have a dual purpose as both educational and learning tools that can have the potential to be used not only in school, but also for educating children at home. These educational learning toys can serve as learning tools in the learning process.

Experts in children's education have often stated that educational learning toys are proven to have beneficial effects to the development of a child both at school and in the home in areas such as emotional, physical, intellectual and social development of children most especially during kindergarten years and in early elementary school levels. On a more direct level, educational learning toys enhance and improve children's' learning skills, giving them excellent hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, observation and memorization abilities, differentiating between letters, numbers and objects. This is in addition to other skills that will stimulate and develop the child's learning.

Not all toys that are currently being marketed contribute to the educational learning process of young children. Suitable educational learning toys include building blocks, board games and puzzles. However, electronic toys and computer games which are popular with kids but not with parents due to their addictive nature can also stimulate children's learning in the areas of reading, pronunciation, spelling, mathematics, logic and other basic skills.

Educational Learnings

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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Educational Learning for Character Building

Sunday, September 25, 2011
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Educational learning contributes to the character of a person. Young children learn good manners and right conduct at home and, as they grow, they spend most of their time in school and develop their character there. This is why people who have no manners are often regarded as uneducated.

Urbanity – A huge amount of educational learning that develops citizens to be civilised people can be expected in the urban areas. The urban areas are the breeding grounds for breading. This is why being civilised and educated is often associated with urbanity, especially in the olden times. Urbanity can also be developed in the rural areas. This word is not limited to its literal meaning of city or capital. Rural areas have their own urbanity in the breeding context.

Asphalt Jungle – On the other hand, educational learning can also be lacking in the urban areas, especially in the slum areas. Because of poverty, many children, teen-agers, adolescents, young adults and more mature ones are not able to go to school. In turn, they are not given the chance to develop their character and morals.

Bridging the Gap
– The government, charities and the civil society have joined hands in providing education and opportunities for uneducated and undereducated citizens in the rural and urban areas to develop their moral character. Aside from education, spiritual, moral and social activities are organised by these entities with the aim to educate and incorporate impoverished citizens into the society. Through learning in both educational and non-educational exercises, these citizens realise that they belong to a civilised society.


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Friday, September 23, 2011

The Importance of Educational Learning

Friday, September 23, 2011
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Educational learning is very important as education itself is essential. Our life is all about learning which is education. At the same time, education is in the center of all our learning. What we learn starting from pre-school and throughout, we apply along the way until post graduate level.

Foundation – As mentioned, educational learning from pre-school is important until after the graduate level. A person's pre-school and primary level education are the foundation of his or her education. Kindergarten cannot be belittled because this is where people build the foundation of their education. The latter years involve building on and developing. A good example would be your handwriting which you develop in these years. Yes, you can correct your handwriting and other learnings in the higher years but it would be best if you have done near perfection when you first developed them. It is observable how an older student has difficulty in correcting the wrong ways which he or she has already started developing.

Stock Knowledge – The educational learning you have amassed from pre-school, to primary, to intermediate are very useful in high school. In turn, those which you have accumulated in high school and undergraduate level are very helpful when you enter the job market. The job market is very open; in other words, you can enter career fields which are only related or even not related to your course in college. This is very helpful for those who need to jump from their study field to a career field which not exactly related to their field of study.


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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Educational Learning Outside the Classroom

Wednesday, September 21, 2011
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Educational learning can be accumulated from outside the classroom. When we talk about education, we do not limit ourselves to the four walls of the classroom. You can use your learning from the streets, the playground, the public market or the public transportation in your academic life and your life in general.

  • Through the Internet – As far as educational learning is concerned, there are many ways in which you can gather it. For instance, you can learn from the internet. Search engines, email services and other websites feature articles which are educational. There are free and paid encyclopaedias and dictionaries from which you can learn many different things. There are also how-to websites that feature lots of self-help guides in almost everything.
  • Your Brother's Shop Class – Your brother's shop class is technically outside your classroom; so you can get educational learning outside your classroom from it. You can learn a lot from your brother things which you may not be expected to learn. For example, when I was in high school, I was in the pilot academic class while my elder brother was in a trade class. I learned a lot from him about shop class because I was in a class with less practical arts. When I was chosen to join a quiz bowl, I was able to answer the tie breaking question which asked for the dimensions of a geometric figure because I learned from my brother about dimensions of the wood parts of their wood working project. The others in the academic classes were not able to answer and even do not know what is meant by dimension.


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Monday, September 19, 2011

Extension Educational Learning System

Monday, September 19, 2011
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An extension educational learning system refers to a dynamic, non-formal system used to develop and implement education programs. This system consists of many complementary and interactive components, wherein each will contribute significantly to the overall success of the total system. Its individual components are the following:

  • organisation's mission
  • situation analysis
  • target audiences
  • needs assessment
  • program objectives
  • content
  • learning strategies
  • non-formal educational learning system which will include inputs, evaluation and adjustment. Inputs has its own key supporting components which will include experience, reinforcement and integration

There are also other components that are important to the total system. This includes collaboration with learner groups and learner motivation. The continuous and effective collaboration with community and school leaders as well as students is key to the success of any educational learning program. This collaboration can be greatly enhanced through effectively using an extension advisory leadership system.

Collaboration will be the only way for an educator or institution to ensure that students of all groups and skill levels are appropriately targeted and that these educational programs address the needs of these students which are of the highest priority. The absence of such a collaboration may cause the educator or institution to overlook important student groups or opportunities and target only those whom he or she is familiar with and have the immediate capacity to address. Another reason why effective collaboration is important is that individuals are more likely to be motivated and participate willingly in supporting endeavours where they feel a sense of personal ownership.


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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Virtual Learning Environment as a Tool for Educational Learning

Thursday, September 15, 2011
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A virtual learning environment refers to a set of teaching methods and educational learning tools using computers and the Internet that is designed to enhance a student's learning experience. The principal components of a virtual learning environment includes the following:

  • curriculum mapping
  • student tracking
  • online support for both student and teacher
  • electronic communication (e-mail, forums, threaded discussions, chat, Web publishing)
  • Internet links for outside curriculum resources

The difference in how educational learning figures in the lives of students and teachers is that the teacher what the student sees in their communication portal, except that the teacher has additional capability to create or modify curriculum content and track the student's performance. The introduction of a virtual learning environment to educational learning changes the way a student tackles his or her course of study. Data compiled from a virtual learning setup has its share of imperfections, but at the same time it provides an easily available albeit rudimentary, measure of a student's learning activity.

Although a virtual learning environment supports flexible study, many academics are also concerned that they may foster a belief in students that they are not that closely being monitored due to the physical absence of a tutor or professor. Such a student may become disengaged towards study, failing to actively participate in academic life. This interferes with the traditional learning that they will still receive as part of their curriculum requirements because students may believe that learning or coursework can be deferred to some vague future date.

Educational Learnings

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Using Educational Learning Games as Teaching Tools

Wednesday, September 14, 2011
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I am now a second year bachelor of science in education student and I have already learned specific concepts in teaching and learning such as the ideas for educational learning games that I could use when I start teaching for kindergarten and elementary school students, which is my planned specialty. Our professor told us that educational games and activities are important for kindergarten students and for first to third grade students due to several reasons. So when our instructor gave as an assignment paper on educational learning for elementary school students, I focused my paper on the importance of educational games for kindergarten and first to third grade students.

In my paper, I stated that the importance of educational learning games are based on the specific types of games and the benefits they could offer to the students. The traditional educational board and card games are still the best for children in the five to seven years old age group because they would catch the attention of the students since various board and card games show images and other colorful visuals that would attract their interests.

I also said in my paper that educational learning games of boards and cards have become effective teaching tools because they improve sensory skills on how to distinguish various colors, shapes and sizes, alphabets and numbers in a way that is fun and not boring for children in the five to seven years old age bracket. Board and card games of alphabets and numbers would also teach the children about the basic skills in reading and counting.


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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Educational Learning Theories and theorists: The Man behind the words

Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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So many educational learning styles are out there, and the theorists behind them conclude to one thing: each individual has distinct learning styles and respond differently to various types of stimuli. Here, we review some of the important educational learning theories ever constructed, the rationalities of each, and the theorists behind the words.

Ausubel Subsumption Theory
Mechanism by which new material presented in academic settings (lectures) can be integrated into existing mental structures. For subsumption to occur, the presentation of new knowledge should be preceded by "advance organizers."

Bruner Constructivist Theory
Individuals actively construct knowledge by comparing new ideas or concepts with their current knowledge (schema or mental models).

Comenius Pansophism (universal knowledge)
The idea that learning, emotional, and spiritual growth are interwoven. This theory proposes that teaching be made through stimulation of the senses, not merely through memorisation. Comenius Pansophism happens to be considered the "Father of Modern Education."

Gagne Conditions of Learning
The different kinds of learning (motor skills, verbal skills) require different conditions; therefore, different strategies should be used.

Gardner Multiple Intelligences
Each individual possesses seven distinct and measurable forms of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, musical, intrapersonal, and interpersonal.

Locke Tabula Rasa
The idea that individuals are "blank slates" on which teachers could "write" knowledge. John Locke was a renowned forerunner of behaviourism.

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs
Humans naturally strive to satisfy needs. The five levels of needs, from lowest to highest, are:
physiological, safety, love, esteem, self-actualization.
Lower level needs must be satisfied before the individual can move on to satisfy higher level needs. Miller Information Processing Theory Short term memory can only hold 5-9 "chunks" of information at a time. A chunk can be any meaningful idea like a word, an identifiable image, or a digit.

Rogers Experiential Learning
This theory explains there are two types of knowledge: academic and experiential. In comparison to academic knowledge, experiential knowledge is acquired to meet the needs of the learner, usually to complete an important, real-life task. Example: Learning to drive a car.

Thorndike Connectionism
Learners form associations or connections between a stimulus and a response. Through trial and error, rewarded responses would be strengthened.

Vygotsky Social Development Theory and ZPD
Social interaction is critical for cognitive development. Related to this is the idea of a "Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)." Some skills, an individual can perform independently. Other skills can be performed if the individual has assistance. Skills that can be performed with assistance are said to be within an individual's ZPD.

Wertheimer Gestalt Theory
Some ideas can only be understood as part of a "bigger picture" Important in problem-solving.


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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

How to make educational learning more efficient

Tuesday, August 2, 2011
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Educational learning gives focus on the intellectual development of individuals as opposed to technical development derived from hands-on training or practice promoting particular skills. Contrary to the classroom environment as the typical strategy in giving education, each individual do have his/her own personally accepted ways in their approach to learning and using information.

As complex as how the brain processes and stores information, so does picking an educational learning strategy that would work for you. No matter, your strategy hinges on your preferences. In some situations, students benefit from having a different approach to specific areas of study.

For instance, some strategies are devised for reading, writing, studying and remembering information, improving assignment and test performance, interacting with others effectively, motivation, and math.

Normally, you put focus on a subject you have difficulty in. Yet, this might not suffice for a successful educational learning. This can happen when you approach a subject the wrong way. Even if you do gain some success, certainly, you will achieve better results had you used the suitable strategy. In short, no single strategy is a panacea simply because the brain’s approach to different fields also varies.

Another consideration is your own learning style and preferences of learning environments. Unbelievably, some individuals are more productive in classroom environments; others fare better in solitary environments; others can put their best foot forward when working in a team; while some people accomplish more things when doing them in public, such as cafes or fast food joints, etc.

If you had seen the best results from your projects, do not always blame yourself or mislabel yourself incapable of such endeavours. Perhaps you have not discovered the most suitable strategy for you. Knowing one’s self is a must, if you want to see fruitful results.

It is similar to career success. Most people who reach heights in their career are passionate at what they do which is the motivating factor. If you have both the passion and the correct educational learning strategies, and belong to an organisation that supports skills development, chances are you can get good results.

Read on topics about educational learning strategies to know about your specific learning style.


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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Beneficial Uses of Educational Learning Toys for Children

Wednesday, April 6, 2011
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Toys that could be used for educational and learning purposes are commonly known as educational learning toys and are usually used as supplements in the educational and learning process for kindergarten and primary school students. Many educational experts for children have stated that toys that could be used for dual purposes for both educational and learning tools could have the potential to be used as supplements in the classroom or in the home for educating children and they could also use the toys as learning tools in their learning process.

Many experts for children's education have stated that educational learning toys have proven to have beneficial effects in the development of a child in the classroom and in the home. Educational or learning toys could improve the progress of the emotional, physical, intellectual and social development of children especially during the kindergarten level and in the early years of elementary school levels. Those toys could also enhance the children's learning skills such as good hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, observation and memorization skills, distinguishing the differences of letters, numbers and objects, and other skills that would stimulate and develop the learning skills of the child.

During the kindergarten and early years of elementary education, teachers and other child experts would recommend educational learning toys that would encourage children on how to learn on their own. Traditional educational toys such as building blocks, board games, and puzzles are highly recommended for children. However, educational electronic toys and computer games could stimulate the children to learn about reading, pronunciation, spelling, mathematics, logic, and other basic learning skills.


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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Educational Learning Theories

Sunday, April 3, 2011
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In the fields of psychology and education, learning is known as the process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences for acquiring, enhancing or changing one's knowledge, skills, values, and world views. Explanations of what happens when learning takes place constitute learning theories. Many research studies have been carried out regarding the nature of educational learning. What follows is a list indicating the features of some educational learning theories and their corresponding proponents.

Subsumption Thoery – This educational learning theory proposed by David Ausubel describes how mechanism by which new material presented in an academic setting, such as lectures, can be integrated into existing mental structures. The presentation of new knowledge should be preceded by 'advance organisers' in order for subsumption to occur.

Observational Learning Theory – This educational learning theory by Albert Bandura states that behaviour is learned through observation and imitation of others.

Constructivist Thoery - This educational learning theory by Jerome Bruner states that individuals actively construct knowledge by comparing new ideas or concepts with their current knowledge, also known as schema or mental models.

Pansophism – Jan Amos Comenious proposed this educational learning theory which espouses the idea that learning, emotional and spiritual growth are connected to one another. He proposed teaching not merely through memorisation, but also through stimulation of the senses.

Learning by Doing - This educational learning theory by John Dewey proposes that learning occurs through experience.

Socioemotional Development – Erik Erikson's 'Eight Stages of Man' describes a series of crises that individuals pass through at different stages.

Cognitive Dissonance – Leon Festinger's educational learning theory, which is one basis for constructivism, states that inconsistencies between behaviours and beliefs motivate people to change.


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