Hello and welcome to my first (of many) EDCI 335 blog posts. I am Emma, and I am currently in year 3, working on my Bachelor of Education alongside an Information Technology Certificate. The biggest experience I have had that has shaped my journey as an educator is definitely the three-week practicum I completed in May. I taught Math and Social Studies in a Grade 8 class at Rockheights Middle School and it was such an eye-opening experience. Taking EDCI classes is one thing, but to actually be in the classroom, interacting with and teaching students, taught me more than a textbook ever could.
To me, learning is more than just the acquisition of knowledge. I would argue that is is also the ability to identify, interpret, and organize information, connecting it to prior knowledge. I am a dancer at heart, and I think that dance can be one of the best examples of learning in action. When I learn a dance, I observe and analyze my dance teacher, try it myself, refine and practice this until it becomes muscle memory. Learning dance dips into all three non-digital learning theories: behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism, but I think (for me) it connects best with constructivism, as it ties new learning with my own experiences.
As for motivation in regards to the ARCS model, the biggest factor that motivates me is the A: Attention. Although Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction definitely play parts too, I think I am most motivated when something challenges me. Rising to a challenge excites me much more than doing something easy. This is why I’m taking seven courses this semester, and why I’ve been taking extra math courses as I’ve been at UVic: I crave a challenge. Of course, a challenge is nothing without the achievement of success. My motivation is Attention, but Satisfaction too: the satisfying outcome of completing a challenge.
As an adult learner, I bring a lot of past experience into new learning. Dance has taught me persistence through challenges, how to pick up new ideas quickly, and how important critique and feedback is. Growing up in the age of technology has made me comfortable and confident in using digital tools inside the classroom.