My authentic learning

It's amazing how 7.8 billion people on earth are all different and have different physical traits, personalities, and even learning strategies. Reflecting on my own learning habits though, as young as I can remember, I enjoyed reading books. If other people collected troves of clothes and shoes, I collect different books that interest me. If Marie Kondo asked me which sparked joy out of my things, I would definitely tell her that books make me happy. I used to hang out at Fullybooked and just pore over several covers. Through reading, a whole dimension just opens up and transports me to a different world. I read the Lord of the Rings books, even before they came out with the film. Not that I don't enjoy watching movies as well. Reading books first brings a lot of details that they can't incorporate in a two-hour movie.

Through reading, my comprehension and critical thinking skills have improved. I am stimulated by different things and with the advent of the internet, I can easily research on topics with just a few clicks. However, further analysis and common sense need to be applied, particularly when spotting "fake news". At this day and age, the proliferation of false news and the spread of disinformation are alarming. As intelligent beings, we have to apply higher order thinking skills in order to overcome this major issue. We should not jump to conclusions without making sure that we've evaluated different evidences.

Being an educator and handling young students, I employ different tactics to rouse these learners to critically think about different aspects about Art. I inspire creativity by discussing the life and works of different artists, where they derive learning from their techniques and also how these talented masters overcame their disabilities in reaching their goals. When time permits, students are given the chance to share their different points of view about our topic. Children are especially excited to share their ideas in class. I give the the students the choice to explore different materials in solving the problems that I post in our Learning Management System, this way they are free to connect the dots and produce out-of-the-box works. I know that my students are utilizing critical thinking strategies due to the resulting artworks posted in Seesaw. They surely amaze me, because at such a young age they can employ creative thinking without so much effort, it comes out naturally to them.

Motivation according to Wikipedia is a reason for actions, willingness, and goals. Motivation is derived from the word motive, or a need that requires satisfaction. The shift in my career of being a graphic designer, to an Art teacher led me to be highly motivated to pursue my education units and eventually to take the Licensure Exam for Teachers in the future. In spite of the challenges of juggling my role as a wife & mother, assisting the boys in their online schooling, crafting different lessons for my classes, studying and accomplishing my UPOU lessons/requirements, I am strongly motivated to manage and fulfill everything. I am inclined to say that of the Goal Orientation Theory, I am more into the mastery-focused goals which lead to a more sustained motivation and higher achievement. I am inspired to read the optional parts in our course, because I am driven to learn and soak-in everything there is to know about education, so I may apply them in my vocation. I want my students to benefit from all the theories that I have been learning in the past few months. I pray that I may be able to apply the correct strategies in the daily classroom scenarios.

There was a time that I was unmotivated to achieve, this was the time that I decided to shift careers. I have been in the same company for 13 years, in the last few months before I finally decided to resign from my work, I felt demotivated to continue on. I can probably apply the self-determination theory here where I sensed the need for growth, I detected the need to move out of my comfort zone and start from scratch. I perceived the need to be autonomous in the sense that I wanted real changes in my life. I discern though that I have made the right choice and God has led me to where I am right now.

I can identify with the situation the "flow", wherein I've been engrossed in an activity that I lose all sense of time and place. These experiences are said to occur most often during activities that allow for free expression and creativity, such as games, play, and art. It is said that flow experiences are important to the psychology of selective attention because it involves focusing on specific things to the exclusion of others (Byrnes. 2001). Furthermore, motivational construct of interest is also relevant to attention since our preferences often determine what we focus on. Obviously these "flow" or "in-the-zone" moments happen during my drawing or painting time. This photo is one of my works where I was lost in the moment and I just kept going. My husband lets me take a break from everything and gives me my quiet time in my corner. Hoping for more of these moments!

Resources:

• Cherry, K. (Oct. 7, 2019). Self-determination Theory and Motivation. Retrieved on December 6, 2020, at https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-determination-theory-2795387#:~:text=Self%2Ddetermination%20theory%20suggests%20that,connection%2C%20and%20autonomy%20are%20fulfilled.

• Byrnes, J. (2001). Minds, Brains, and Learning. Understanding the Psychological and Educational Relevance of Neuroscientific Research. The Guilford Press. NY 10012.