Weekly Investments: Learning as Problem Solving

Weekly Investment: Learning as Problem Solving

Disclaimer: I have already written two blogs on individual learning so instead I thought it would be pretty cool to focus on the second part of the reading Problem Solving as a form of Learning.  If you want to see those two blogs check out these two links:

Individualized Learning in a Room of Many Individuals (Part One): http://fromgreenblazers2bluecorduroysaged.blogspot.com/2017/10/individual-learning-in-room-of-many.html
Individual Learning Part Two - Different Ways Of Application: http://fromgreenblazers2bluecorduroysaged.blogspot.com/2017/10/individual-learning-part-two-different_9.html

Learning as Problem Solving

Every day we go through self learning. Take for example these blogs that we are writing are a sense of self learning: We write them over the weekends on readings that are our focus in learn for the upcoming week.  Then we write these blogs and are challenged to read each others blogs and develop each other as well.  I also look at this like reflection time as well. We read something or try to do something on our own and now we have the chance to experience something on out own.  For example: We write lesson plans and unit plans this year not because we are going to be doing this all the time as an ag teacher but because we need to develop our own systems into writing and developing unit and lesson plans.  We need the experience so we can look at it and think: Oh this went well, oh this didn't go well. I think this works well for my attempts at making the CASE Curriculum that I am co teaching this spring fit in the Unit Plan Standards for Penn State. Sometimes you have to try a model and see how well it works.

I think that is what Dewey meant when he came up with the Learning Process.  The Learning Process is the way that everyone learns a new skill:

1. Experiences a provocative situation
2. Defining the problem and clarifying questions to be answered
3. Seeking data and information
4. Formulating possible solutions
5. Testing proposed solutions
6. Evaluating the results

As a result we created the problem solving approach to learning which is more than just the PSA I wrote about earlier this year (Check out that cool blog for more reflection: http://fromgreenblazers2bluecorduroysaged.blogspot.com/2017/10/weekly-investment-problem-solving.html)
The Problem Solving Style of teaching is also a great individual style of learning because each student has to go through all six steps to get to the end of the journey. Below is a chart which outlines how to have the PSA in class:

Learning Process compared to Problem Solving Approach

I like this comparison of the Learning Process and how the Problem-Solving Approach work together so well.

To me this helps explain the problem solving approach in a manner which helps me see how it is the similar steps to the way other students learn as well.  I know when I did the problem solving approach lab I used my interest approach to begin identifying the problem which I think will help students better understand how to effectively teach.


Thinking about this I see the value in constantly attempting to learn this material on my own. My own problem to solve is how to be the best student teacher that I can be. I have been given tasks to accomplish prior to that and for me to be successful their is information I will need to gather and information I will need to use to be successful as well.  From there I need to test my solutions (all the unit plans, assessments, and lesson plans, then actually teach). After that I have my recap and get the chance to think about how I did as a student teacher and the next steps for me as well.

I am excited for National FFA Convention this next week as well:

To Be Continued . . .