Reflection

           Before I enter into this reflection, I just want to say that I really appreciated you, Dr. Weaver for your understanding a week ago when I went to the emergency room with chest pains.  While at the hospital, before all the tests, I thought that I was having a heart attack.  I really thought that my time was up.  However, thank God, the tests were all negative and they could not find out why I was having such pain.  By the end of the week, I was not having chest pains anymore.  I believe now that I have having an anxiety attack.  My reflection at that time was thinking about how I would not finish school, would not see my children, grandchildren and great grandchild or any future great-grandchildren.  Now, here is my reflection on what I have learned in the course.

            From our very first assignment, I was fascinated about how much research done and for the length of time; this research has been going on since Pluto and Aristotle.  Even though they did not agree on how the brain worked, they both were indeed on the right track.  Since research studies on the mind and brain and how we learn functions to relearning about the two hemispheres of the brain.  Then at the turn of the 20^th century we had other theorist came up with the theories of behaviorism, cognitivism, constructionism and motivation.  This allowed me to understand on why I did not do well in math, however, I exceeded in history, speech and electronics.  Even though I feel that I was still learning these subjects under the cognitivism and constructivism, I now know that I was also using motivation as a tool.  These theories also taught me on how my children learned in school.

            I now know that I do not have to limit my learning to cognitivism or constructivism as an online student I know that I can use connectivism and used motivation to achieve my goals.

            The connection I have learned is that there is not one theory that used, but a number of theories and learning styles according to the ability introduced to the student for their overall success.  There are other techniques such as curb text anxiety and the motivation to achieve.  In our readings (Brophy, 1986; Wlodkowski 1978) “when students know they will have a chance to correct their errors, they are more likely to take on challenging, risky tasks” (Laureate Education, 2013).

            I know that this is the groundwork for my learning steps as I progress though my curriculum.  I have a foundation of knowing the theories learned in this course and future courses here at Walden.  I know that being in the field of instructional design and technology, this is just my first of many steps to enable me to teach our children and adults that there is no certain age when learning can begin or end.

References

Laureate Education. (2013). Motivation and Effect. In I. Laureate Education, Learning Theories and Instruction (pp. 223-261). Merrill.