New Perspectives on Teaching & Learning

The theories that drive my teaching.

As a component of my coursework for the master’s of educational technology program (MAET) at Michigan State University (MSU), I participated in a theories of learning course. In it, we examined various learning and pedagogical approaches. This engagement in theory was part review and part revelation, as some of the learning theories we covered were new to me. The process caused me to examine on my own practice to determine where my current teaching aligns with theories of learning, and how my own beliefs align with both my practice and those theories.

Click on this image to view this infographic with videos.

Learning theory elements I integrate into my teaching. To listen to an audio transcript of this resource, click on the image.

I believe every student can master culinary arts.

In reflecting on my practice, I found that my teaching most closely aligns with the sociocultural learning theory of Vygotsky and the situative learning theory of Lave and Wenger. These theories emphasize the ways in which learning occurs in community and social settings, which closely matches the culinary arts learning environment that I create. I also determined that I underuse the operant conditioning approach presented in Skinner’s behaviorism theory. While I employ procedures and reinforcement, I can do more to support productive behaviors using Skinner’s approach. 

I believe students learn best when they are engaged in activities that are meaningful to them.

Finally, I found that my beliefs resonated with the critical theories of pedagogy, including Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed, and Paris’ culturally sustaining pedagogy. Freire’s critique moved me. While I agree with his arguments, I cannot see a way upend the structures in which I teach at this time, but I can be aware of the power dynamics that undergird it. That is why I was so excited to discover Paris’ approach. Now that I have learned how to do so, I can and will do much more to sustain the cultural assets that my students bring to the classroom. In this way, I can more authentically express my own beliefs about my students in my teaching. They are full of knowledge to share from their own unique experiences. I want to create a classroom in which we may all learn together. In this way, I will be able to adopt Freire’s vision of liberation in one small way.

I believe that learning should be connected to real life.

In working through these theories and my beliefs, I produced two artifacts to share with parents and administrators, as well as a planning tool for myself. In this blog, you will find a video in which I share my beliefs about teaching and learning, and explain the theoretical frameworks I employ. You will also find an infographic that explains sociocultural learning theory and how it is integrated into culinary arts teaching.

In addition, I created a checklist, also embedded here, to be used as a persistent reminder of my goals with regard to integrating theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches into my teaching. I will use the checklist as I plan lessons and projects, to ensure that my teaching aligns with my beliefs about how students learn.