Wong Chapter 4

Just to begin I wanted to bring up the quote found in the beginning of the chapter and also further in on page 128.

"'If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself.' (Mao, "On Practice", 1971, p. 68)" (Wong 128)

This quote was not only fun to read but it hit home on the topic of learning by doing. In my case, in my own learning experiences, I find that sitting in a lecture hall, classroom, or even in a lab and listening to a teacher lecture for an hour or two or three does not keep me interested. These kinds of teaching methods hold me back and I tend to slip into boredom quickly so that, by the end of class, I can't remember a thing that was talked about.

Wong's chapter creates a historical background concerning learning by doing and discusses some of the major theories concerning learning by doing. In my mind, learning by doing has been the most effective way for me to learn. Maybe this is because I am an active learner, not so much an audio learner, but either way I have a few examples.

My sophomore year here at ISU I studied abroad in Granada, Spain to continue my practice of the Spanish language. I had been learning Spanish since 6th grade but living in a foreign country and speaking Spanish as much as I could helped me learn more than I ever had since sixth grade. I learned by doing, by speaking the language. When students are actively involved in learning anything it creates a motivation for them to learn as much as they can because it affects them, because they can become passionate about it. This is all a part of the learning by doing theory.

That doesn't mean there shouldn't be memorization and lecture times but, in my opinion, from the chapter we read, and from my own experiences in school, I see learning by doing as a very valuable asset and one that can create willing and motivated students for teachers to work with.