The Game of Learning
My second blog for this course will focus on the motivations for learning with adults and children, how emotions can help or hinder the learning process, and what David Perkins (2009) means when he says that educators need to, “ Play the whole game” (Perkins, 2009).
Let me paint a picture in your mind: Vincent, who is seven years old, is enjoying a fun-filled day of learning vocabulary at home with his mom. He reads a word correctly, and is showered in words of praise. He notices, though, that when he mispronounces a word, the praises fall short. Vincent loves to see his mom smile and feels happy when she pinches his cheeks when he is getting the words right. Because of that feeling he gets, Vincent is going to make sure that every word he pronounces during his lesson, will be pronounced correctly.
We have all been in Vincent’s shoes growing up. Whether it is getting a hug from mom or a gold star from our teacher—the situation is the same: when we were little, we wanted to do well because of the rewards and recognition we saw we received when we got some answers right. The picture I have painted in your mind is that of an extrinsic learner. Someone whose motivation for learning extrinsically is one who learns because of rewards/recognition they may receive from others.
Been there, done that. Thankfully, most of us ease out of that stage (here’s hoping!) and graduate into adulthood, where our motivation for learning is a stew of self-betterment, of which the ingredients pride, gainful knowledge, and how we can help others with what we have learned, are included. That is not to say, however, that we do not want hard-earned adult toys. Of course, I am driven by financial gains (one does not pursue a graduate degree without some thought of future earning potential)! However, my main motivation is seeing that my students learn English.”While adults are responsive to some external motivators (better jobs, promotions, higher salaries, and the like) the most potent motivators are internal pressures (the desire for increased job satisfaction, self-esteem, quality of life, and the like)” (Houde, 2006).
The idea that emotions can affect your students’ learning experience, is something that, throughout the throws of a hectic day in the classroom, most educators inadvertently tuck away. However, emotions have a huge role to play in teaching, “Teachers who incorporated more emotion and expression in their teaching, thereby making it more interesting and enticing, were more successful in communicating the subject matter and keeping students engaged” (Demetriou, Wilsom, 2008). Something that I can remember being said to me during my first year of teaching was that in addition to being an educator and counselor, teachers are also entertainers and the front of the room is our stage. Over the years, I have found this to be very true–especially teaching middle and high school ESL (English as a Second Language). If I am not feeling well or am experiencing a bad day, none of that can be evident as my students enter my classroom. All teachers and trainers need energy in order to present information, however, with teaching ESL, it is even more crucial as students observe your actions and marry them with the words you say.
Emotions also help to guide our relationships with our students. As discussed in the article, A Return to the Use of Emotion and Reflection (2008), there is a direct correlation between how teachers feel about their students and the subject they are teaching, and how their information is received by students(of a study conducted): “The results emphasise the importance of conceptualising teaching and learning as encompassing both affect and cognition in order to have a balanced and healthy view of learning, teaching, the student, and the school” (Demetriou, Wilson, 2008).
Lastly, learning to play the whole game is a concept that took some digesting and getting used to. First, I am not ashamed to say that I am not a huge sports fan, therefore, the athletic metaphors distracted me! But, as I began to read further, I started to understand what “Playing the whole game” really meant. Simply put, the phrase refers to how educators can effectively teach in ways that will produce positive gains; namely by introducing all aspects of a new concept by wholes, “ Just focus the basic principles without worrying too much about the details. Just take two or three of the principles and tease them into motion in simple ways” (Perkins, p.20, 2009).
With teaching students how to speak English, I take my time with concepts needed to understand my lessons. For instance, if I am to have my students read a story, from one of our textbooks, I let them browse through the pages and familiarize themselves with the visual content, then with highlighted vocabulary words. While flipping through the story, my students have the floor to ask any questions about what they see, and make inferences. After this activity, is when I formally introduce them to the language needed in order to understand that particular story and the theme connected to it. In essence, I allow my students to get a glimpse of the whole picture—I just back track for their optimal understanding.
This is my understanding of what it means to “play the whole game”. If it is, then it is pretty neat to think that I have been doing this all along, but like with so many learning theories studied thus far, I did not know that there was a name for it!
Education itself is a challenging game. One filled with twists and turns. As I continue on with my journey as an educator, I hope to never beat this game, because that would mean an end of learning and new experiences.
Where would the fun be in that?
An interesting response to Perkin’s theories:
http://www.teachingquality.org/content/making-learning-whole-how-seven-principles-teaching-can-transform-education
References
Demetriou, H., Wilson, E. (2008) A Return to the Use of Emotion and Reflection. Teach and
Learn. Vol. 21, No. 11.
Houde, J. (2006) Andragogy and Motivation: An Examination of the Principles of Andragogy
Through Two Motivation Theories. North Carolina State University.
Perkins, D. N. (2009). Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching Tran
-transform Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Apple Pie ELLs 