Learning About Learning

What is learning?

Kalantzis & Cope (2008) state that "Learning is much bigger than education. Humans are born with an innate capacity to learn, and over the span of a lifetime learning never stops. Learning simply happens as people engage with each other, interact with the natural world and move about in the world they have built." (p. 7).

Below I have created a ‘mind map’ of some of the different aspects learning can encompass. The dotted orange lines represent connections and the way that learning is a tangled web where different elements can work together to produce sometimes interesting and exciting results. There are many more connections but unfortunately the diagram would be too crowded if I were to draw them all.




What qualities must a teacher possess to encourage effective learning?




Modern teachers must possess a broad range of qualities in order to be an effective teacher.

Key qualities include:

• ‘A sense of responsibility’ (Learning to Teach, p.11). Research conducted by the Department of Education in Queensland suggests that successful teachers see student’s learning as their responsibility.


• Lifelong learning - Teachers now need to teach for a much broader variety of students who are potentially going to be employed in a huge variety of occupations. The new generation of students are no longer expected to train for and stay in one job for their entire career. In order to successfully educate this new generation, teachers must embrace new technologies and be open to new ideas.


• An emphasis on ‘multiliteracies’. This ties in with lifelong learning as students are now expected to be educated ‘beyond the traditional reading, writing, and arithmetic’.


• The ability to foster an environment of respect where differences including cultural background are embraced.


• The ability to recognise that all students have different learning needs. This means that teachers should not just teach to the ‘average’ student, but tailor their teaching style to incorporate all students.


• Pedagogical skill – teachers need to have a sound knowledge of the different educational theories and the knowledge of how to apply them in the classroom.

What role does information and communication technology play in learning?

Learning is no longer restricted to the classroom. Using the ever-evolving range of media devices such as laptops, iPods and mobile phones, learning can be done almost anywhere.
Click the following link to see how Apple have marketed some of their products at the emerging learning market: http://www.apple.com/education/teachers-professors/mobile-learning.html

Technology can present many dangers, therefore learning with technology should be closely monitored and students should be educated on the potential dangers. But when used in the appropriate context, it can add a whole new dimension to learning.

While the idea of using technology in the classroom is certainly not new (see video below), there is no doubt it has come a long way.



This blog is an example of how technology has changed what once would have been a report printed on paper. Technology has now made it possible to provide the user with an interactive and hopefully much more engaging experience than what words on paper would have done.