Until now, my learning philosophy had gone unlabeled! After doing some research, I discovered that my beliefs about learning align with cognitive constructivism.
The key principles are:
Purpose of education is to enable learners to create new knowledge
Learning is the process of constructing meaning
Emphasis is on active discovery
Learners actively construct new knowledge, building on what they already know and past experiences
Teachers facilitate discovery by providing necessary resources
The idea that most resonated with me is that the role of the teacher is to facilitate active discovery by providing necessary resources. Many times teachers can become the "sage on the stage" and according to this philosophy of learning, the teacher takes on the role of the coach. They encourage students to draw on life experiences, build on it, and construct new knowledge.
Reflecting on my innovation plan, I am drawn towards the idea of active discovery. I could have easily created "how to" guides to encourage the integration of STEAM activities into the curriculum and passed them out to librarians. However, I value opportunities for librarians to get their hands on the items in the makerspace and to collaborate with each other. Understanding my learning philosophy helped me understand why I designed my innovation plan the way I did!
Bibliography
What’s Your Learning Philosophy?Maryellen Weimer, PhD March 26, 2014 https://www.teachingprofessor.com/for-those-who-teach/whats-learning-philosophy/
Cognitivism Theory and Constructivism Theory by Deb Allen http://im404504.wikidot.com/cognitivism-theory-and-constructivism-theory-by-deb-allen