Considering Kerr and Kapp

Considering Kerr and Kapp.

I rarely believe in someone actually being right, except for myself, but I recently read two blogs and found someone with whom I agree. Karl Kapp in response to Bill Kerr believes as I when it comes to learning theories “…We need to take pieces from each school of thought and apply it effectively because…Cognitivism doesn’t explain 100% how humans process information and neither does Constructivism or Behaviorism” (Kerr, May 2, 2007). My thought is let’s make a salad. If you consider the best salad you ever ate, what made it so? It was the perfect combination of ingredients in equal measure. It is equal measure with which I am consumed. Equal measures of learning theories from each school of thought, is necessary to provide the best outcomes for students. Not everyone is a Cognitivist, or a behaviorist. No one can be 100% anything these days. I believe each school of thought has merit. It is up to the educator to provide beneficial instruction based on best practices. The practices are based on theories. If we throw all of educational stock in one theory, education could not evolve as it has. Connectivism seems to be interesting in what is deemed the digital age. Will this be the theory to end all other theory considerations, I think not. While Connectivism seems to answer the needs in a digital age, it is one more ingredient to the theory salad. Who is to say another theory will not be submitted for consideration. I believe we need to embrace pieces of each theory in order to meet the needs of our consumers, the students. Maybe one day education will not deal in schools of theory, but in a fact. One fact I can state is, humans evolve, so must education evolve, and in turn I suggest theories must also evolve.

References

Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf