Personal Learning

After reading it, I remembered last summer when I got a new Windows computer. I have always had a dream. When I was a child, I thought hacking was a cool profession, and I hoped to learn how to write small websites using Python. Since I have no foundation, I can only learn programming systematically, but my goal is to master Python. As a complete outsider, the initial excitement was quickly replaced by practical difficulties. I often feel frustrated and confused when faced with unfamiliar terminology, complex logic, and endless error messages. The videos of online courses are becoming increasingly difficult, and writing code by oneself is not only full of loopholes but also unable to run. A small indentation error can completely crash the program, and the process of finding the error often takes several hours, which is exhausting. However, giving up is not in my character. I sought help from my computer science teacher, who asked me to repeatedly type the basic code and understand the logic behind every line, instead of rote memorization. After solidifying my basic knowledge, I began to try making some simple programs – such as a simple text processing tool. After I succeeded, I was very happy because it showed me the practical significance of learning.

Differences Concepts in Teaching

Behaviorist：I think the meaning of this concept is to learn knowledge through repeated review, just like the forgetting curve. After a certain period of time, we will forget some knowledge. We need to review and consolidate knowledge through continuous stimulation, and use rewards and punishments for conditioned reflexes. Knowledge is disseminated externally, and learners passively receive it. Some mistakes can be corrected immediately to prevent ‘bad habits’.

Cognitivist：I believe cognitivism is the process of shifting attention to the internal psychological processes of learners, such as memory and information processing. Teachers act as architects, logically constructing content using slides or playing videos in the classroom to build upon prior knowledge. Learning involves thinking and ways of thinking, complex ideas, and how to connect these ideas to concepts. Errors indicate a gap in understanding, prompting strategic adjustments that prioritize understanding over rote memorization.

Constructivist：This concept is designed to help students truly understand knowledge and stimulate their interest in it through situational applications. Teachers can use weather dolls or assign homework for students to observe changes in weather or temperature at different times, and then think based on their knowledge. DIY can stimulate students’ interest and experience.
I believe that constructivism is the active construction of one’s own knowledge body by learners through experience, reflection, and social interaction. These meanings are not transmitted, but are personally constructed in real contexts. Learning is self driven, and mistakes are seen as natural steps of exploration. The ability to do it yourself is cultivated through continuous experimentation, and interest and experience are also developed through hands-on experience.