Post 1
Describe an example from your life of when you were taught using one or more of the methods described in the reading: behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism and connectivism:
In high school, my grades weren’t the best to say, however, the principal suggested I take an easy summer course just so I can boost my overall grades and gave me a list of suggestions including art and music, and I chose music just because I liked it more. Now I attended high school in another country at the time and from May-July, summer courses are often offered but they aren’t mandatory if the student does well in the regular semester courses, however, I was one of the exceptions. This was May 2017 and I just had my first piano lessons at the high school I was attending starting with the after school hours then after June took lessons daily with long hours of practicing during the days. My piano teacher however was patient, professional, yet had humor which really helped me learn the instrument as well as basic music theory. I believe the method my piano teacher used was the closest to Behaviorism. He would introduce me to a song or an exercise, and would make me perfect it before moving on all while giving me feedback on how should I improve each and such step. That method closely matched the definition of behaviorism. Although my piano teacher did make learning easier and more fun for me such as using humor and acronyms for remembering certain skills. There was also some minor cognitivism methods involved when my piano teacher first taught me as well, as defined by cognitivism, the teacher also drew connections to things that I was already familiar when I was learning a new piece, and I precisely remember him demonstrating how a story have sections, a song also has sections and each section tells a different meaning.
Hi Michael,
Thank you for sharing your blog post #1, I really enjoyed reading about your experience in your music class. I agree with your point that how your teacher got you to learn by repeating actions reflects a behaviourist approach. Additionally, I like what you said about cognitivism. I recently graduated from the elementary education program and while I was designing my units during my final practicum, my goal was to create as many opportunities as possible for students to connect prior knowledge to what was being taught. For that reason I especially enjoyed teaching science. When we discussed forces so many different elements resurfaced which made learning more meaningful and easier to understand. Great post and thanks for sharing!
Hi Michael,
I really enjoyed reading your story about learning piano. I think it’s interesting how what started as something you “had” to take ended up becoming a meaningful learning experience. That shift in motivation stood out to me.
I agree with your connection to behaviorism, especially when you described perfecting each exercise before moving on and receiving consistent feedback. That clear structure and reinforcement makes a lot of sense in skill-based learning like music. At the same time, I appreciated how you noticed elements of cognitivism too especially when your teacher connected music to storytelling. That example really shows how learning becomes deeper when new information is linked to prior knowledge.
It also made me think about how personality and relational dynamics play a role in learning. You mentioned your teacher’s humor and patience, which likely supported your sense of competence and comfort. Even though piano practice can feel repetitive, the human element seems to have made a big difference in your experience.
Your post highlights something important: learning approaches aren’t always purely one theory. In practice, they often blend together in subtle ways.
Thanks for sharing such a specific and personal example it really helped me see how these theories show up in real life.