A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.
— B.F. Skinner
Having a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology made this assignment very easy for me. Creating the Matrix on learning theories was right up my alley once I figured out what the heck a Matrix was. I have been interested in using my psychological background in education since I graduated with my degree so the connections I made in this assignment actually happened over a year ago.
Truthfully, I love (LOVE) Behaviorism (probably because it is the most relatable to me – but really, isn’t that how all psychology is?). After exploring all the other theories and their uses in the classroom I definitely rank it high with Connectivism, which I learned a lot about in this assignment. I find it so important to allow students to be autonomous in their learning experience so they can learn how to learn and carry their strengths into other aspects of life. Both theories allow students freedom to explore within reason.
Embracing learning theories is crucial in creating a great learning environment. I anticipate the use of behaviorism, connectivism and constructivism in my future classroom since I feel students will benefit from these three the most. (Not to hate on cognitivism, I just truly hated my cognition class in college and am still boycotting, to be honest). Actions have consequences, life is not always micromanaged as an adult and learning from experiences are all lessons I feel I would have benefitted from as a student and I plan to teach.
Enhancing Student Learning with Technology: A Blog 
Caleigh, I feel like we speak the same language! I agree with your thoughts on the theories and what the heck a matrix is! I love that your undergrad is in psych. What would you like to teach? Subject wise and grade level? I enjoyed taking psych in HS and college. Such a great subject to explore! Best of luck to you in your future endeavors! If you ever want to speak to middle school students, contact me at amcgowan@mcpss.com. 8th grade language arts.
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I love your quote by B.F. Skinner! I have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and I also had to figure out what a matrix was. This assignment allowed me to explore the theory of Connectivism, which was very new to me. I also like how those two theories allow students the freedom to explore on their own. Being in the field of education, there is always something new popping up to better our mindset about teaching. These theories are another way to look build on students learning. I bet being a having a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology makes exploring education very interesting.
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Caleigh,
I enjoyed reading your blog and I liked the quote you included by B.F. Skinner. You commented that your degree in psychology helped you complete the matrix. I have a health sciences background so I did not find this assignment as easy. I liked your matrix because it was easy to read and contained good information. I especially liked the different examples of classroom technology that you provided. I admit I had to look up WebQuest, Virtual Scavenger hunt and EdPuzzle because I was not familiar with them. They are all useful tools that can be used for different levels of teaching in the classroom!
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