This week I added head pins to my wire wrapping technique from last week to make some earrings to match the bracelets I had made earlier. Finally! Earrings! Here is an image of the end products:
It was pretty easy, I must admit. I am getting quite comfortable with creating beauty (well, beauty according to my standards!) out of these miniature pieces. I think it is because I took firm control over my learning. Just like the book says, "people must learn to recognize what they understand and what they need more information" on (p.12). And I do recognize both. Every time I do not get something, I search for terms, images and explanations. I watch additional videos and do my best to improve my technique. Every time I do something well, I stop to think how I can repeat it, so it is not just a random outcome. Thanks to this blog, I also self-assess myself and reflect on my learning process. It has been a genuinely active learning experience.
Another reason why I think it was a successful learning experience so far (well, successful according to my standards, of course!) are my well-developed metacognitive skills. I think it is safe to say that for myself at this point of my life, right? Since I am aware that metacognition happens in the form of an internal dialogue that we are often not aware of, every time I experience a problem, I try to make myself think out loud. By doing this, I try to notice (and correct) the beliefs which have negative effects on my understanding or performance. It is quite fascinating actually when you learn how to, sort of "be your own coach" in your learning process.
Finally, there is the influence of the context in which this learning takes place. I do not always give my husband full credit, but the truth is the norms we establish at home for each others' learning endeavors have very strong effect on both of our achievements. I remember when we first met, I was suppose to prepare for my exam in American Literature. I had to read a list of 22 novels. He just appeared one day at my doorstep with a box full of books, all 22 of them. Nothing changed in that regard. I always feel comfortable enough to invest into supplies and invest time into learning.
Wow, what fantastic help and support from your husband. Great reflection on metacognition - I think the ability to supervise ourselves is key to learning. Managing attention, knowing that sometimes we just have to dig in and be patient in failed attempts before the successes come... How do we help teach these kinds of experiences?
ReplyDeleteGood question! I feel that metacognition comes with experience, but it helps a lot if you make students think about their own experiences and thought processes. Otherwise, it is all detached, abstract and impersonal, and therefore, it does not work.
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