Cognitivism as a Learning Theory

In the field of education –isms are the norm. Every few years there is a new –ism that is adopted by the powers that be.  That is expected to be seen in each and every classroom regardless of whether or not this –ism is in the best interest of the students in your classroom. I do believe that there is validity in all of the –isms, however every –ism many not apply to every student.  It is important that we not pigeon whole education for teachers or students. Education is a marvelous entity that can be acquired via multiple ways. –Isms are great for helping educators identify how students learn best and using these strategies to help students acquire the skills they need to be successful in the educational process.  For this reason I find Kerr’s view of the –isms to be very insightful.  Kerr’s concluding statement that –isms are important but use them as a filter, not as a blinker (Kerr, 2007). Kapp states that we need to take pieces from each school of thought …cognitivism doesn’t explain 100% how humans process information and neither does constructivism or behaviorism (Kapp, 2007). It is apparent that the study of human thought and the thought process will always evolve. As educators it is our job to filter through this information and find what is best for our students.

References

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

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/