IAE Blog

A constructivist theory of learning posits that we build new knowledge on (by tying it into) our current knowledge. That is, our brain finds a pattern match (makes a connection) between what we already know and the new information we encounter. This is a type of analogical process that goes on in a learner’s brain.

Quoting from Robert Sylwester’s article, The Central Roles of the Varieties of Analogy, (Sylwester, September, 2013):

Many people working to improve our educational system appear to be backward looking. They fix on measures of success that were deemed worthy in the past, and strive to have our schools perform still better in meeting these measures.

However, the world is changing, and many of these past measures of success are becoming less important for today’s children. Tony Wagner is one of my favorite authors currently writing about needed changes. Quoting from a 2010 IAE Newsletter (Moursund & Sylwester, June, 2010):

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 I have read innumerable articles about how to improve teachers, teacher education, and our overall educational system. Many focus on what we should “do” to or for students to help them learn the required curriculum. Somewhat surprisingly, relatively few provide concrete advice on what constitutes a good learner and what both teachers and students can do to help students become better learners.

This is why I was pleased to encounter the following article:

“If you don't know where you are going, you're likely to end up somewhere else.” (Lawrence J. Peter; American educator of “Peter's Principles” fame; 1919–1990.)

Personal Goals