Grace Hartley

Professor Flynn
Social Sciences Inquiry
3/10/16
Learning Claims
Identity, Relationships, and Abstract Knowledge
Learning is a process of adjusting to new information - in school, we are given
information regarding how to function efficiently in society through explicit in
struction, peer socialization, and systematic repetition of expected behaviors.
However, learning can occur in any context, and is not limited to skills tested
in academic institution - one can accumulate knowledge, emotion, and dexterity p
reviously unfamiliar to them in any place or time. These learned adjustments spa
n many different mental, emotional and physical skills, and their mode of accumu
lation is equally variable. While it is difficult to objectively define many asp
ects the learning process due to its complexity, there are certain patterns and
concepts regarding its evolving nature, environmental factors, and ambiguous qua
lities that will be explored in this paper. More specifically, the three claims
that 1) learning is not simply the addition of new knowledge, but a transformati
on of an accumulated knowledge that further develops the identity of the learner
; 2) effective learning is dependent upon security in the learner; security in t
heir abilities, and security in their relationship with the mentor; and 3) learn
ing is not limited to objective knowledge; emotions, habits, physical skills are
learned independently of consciously acquired knowledge. These claims should il
lustrate more clearly how effective learning happens, how widely it can vary in
nature, and how it functions in itself with the help of a learning based observa
tion and selected texts.
The first claim explores the fundamental side of knowledge, not just in a fluid
or crystallized state, but as a part of identity. When you learn a new fact, ide
a, or skill, it interacts with past accumulated knowledge, perpetuating or decon
structing old views pertinent to identity. In his book Narrative Pedagogy: Life
History and Learning, Goodson states; . . . philosophical hermeneutics can facil
itate learning in two ways: by offering something new . . . about what the perso
n is attempting to understand; at the same time, unfolding something new about t
he persons engaged in the encounter. Previously undetected biases . . . as well
as new insights, might thus progressively unfold about both the person and about
what speaks to the person regarding their efforts and their lifes goals (Goodson
79). In the simple sense, as we learn about new outside factors, we also learn a
bout ourselves.
However, the learning doesnt just affect identity development on the conscious le
vel - in fact, a lot of learning based identity development happens on a more fu
ndamental level. For example, in my learning observation, a girl (referred to as
K) was taught how to play a video game by a more experienced gamer (referred to a
s A). Throughout the experience, she learned, overall, that sparring video games c
ould be competitive and challenging. However, this overarching lesson was preced
ed by her learning the controls, and long before that she had learned what an ac
tual video game was. Her new knowledge of video games narrowed in focus as she b
ecame familiar with a specific game, altered her original opinion of them throug
h her somewhat negative experience and impatience, and tangentially altered her
relationship with the teacher through the negative experience. Her identity as a
gamer and a friend to the mentor were both affected in certain ways.
Knowledge doesnt always build off one and other so neatly - in the case of the ob
servation, her newly learned skills and perceptions were factored into sets of a
lready acquired knowledge; her knowledge of video games, and her knowledge of A.
Sometimes, our different areas of knowledge dont interact, but cause us to divid
e ourselves into sub-personalities and identities based off our specialized inte
lligence - we act, speak, and think differently in different situations based of
f our expertise or perception of a skill. As Gee says Any specific way of reading
and thinking is, in fact, a way of being in the world, a way of being a certain

kind of person, a way of taking on a certain sort of identity (Gee 6). This incide
ntal and reflective self evolution are key aspects of learning and identity deve
lopment.
Another personality aspect that affects learning style is the relationsh
ip between the student and the mentor. Of course, not every learning situation t
akes place between two people - there may be many teachers and one student or vi
ce versa; sometimes the student observes an event, and learns independently. How
ever, in this case we will focus more on the relationship between a mentor and a
pupil for the sake of clarity.
In these learning situations, a mentor serves as a conduit for previousl
y acquired knowledge, and the pupil receives. There are nearly innumerable ways
to teach and be taught - one can be explicit, and obvious, or teach through meta
phors, or action; a teacher can be strict and aggressive, or mild and considerat
e of the pupils feelings. Likewise, a student can learn by repeating, listening,
reenacting, experimenting, etc. . . With so many ways to give and receive knowle
dge, its not difficult for a mentor and a pupil to have a miscommunication of sor
ts. For example, in the observation, A used teaching tools like aggressive teasi
ng and fast paced informational sessions, followed by practice and enacting the
skills. K was thrown off by these tactics, and her embarrassment and frustration
kept her from fully engaging in the game; she was neither enjoying the experien
ce, nor finding the motivation to learn. In Twains piece, Life on the Mississippi
, Twain is Bixbys student in learning the precise geography of the Mississippi. T
he relationship between them is somewhat abrasive, as Bixby is strict and prone
to teasing, almost bullying. This is effective because of Twains strong sense of
self and entitlement - Bixbys abuse gets his attention through its injurious natur
e, which cause reflection on Twains part, i.e; But of course my complacency could
hardly get start enough to lift my nose a trifle in the air before Mr. Bixby wou
ld think of something to fetch it down again . . . My gun powdery chief went off
with a bang, of course, and then went on loading and firing until he was out of
adjectives . . . My spirits were down in the mud again. Two things seemed prett
y apparent to me. One was that, in order to be a pilot, a man had got to learn m
ore than any one man ought to be allowed to know; and the other was that he must
learn it all over again in a different way every 24 hours (Twain 39-41). This oc
currence illustrates a constant pattern of confidence, negative reinforcement, t
hen self questioning. In order to return to the confident beginning of the cycle
, Twain will focus on familiarizing himself with the river - this is where the b
ulk of the learning happens. When the student and teacher both understand this c
oncept they can work to learn more effectively
This second claim focuses on the many modes learning that exist, but the
final claim is concerned with the many kinds of knowledge that can be attained.
As stated before, learning does not just take place in an academic institution,
and the lessons learned arent just composed of explicit information - we can lea
rn emotions, habits, and physical skills independently of conscious knowledge. W
e dont theorize and conceptualize our first steps as a child, and we arent given d
irect information regarding heartbreak - we unknowingly imitate others and walk,
and we try to love someone or something and discover, for whatever reason, the
love we want is not available. For example, Jackson speaks briefly about develop
ing selective self isolation in a school environment, stating; During these seatw
ork periods, talking and other forms of communication between students are disco
uraged . . . students must try to behave as if they were in solitude, when in po
int of fact they are not (Jackson 16). In the observation, it became apparent one
could learn the controls for Smash Brothers, but the reflexes made in the momen
t, the pattern of emotions throughout a game, and the perception of other player
s were learned through repetition and engagement, not the explicit knowledge of
what button does what. A had an extensive knowledge of the technical side of Sma
sh, and still claimed much of what he did was spam buttons depending on the mood
of the game. This mood is like a complex relationship A developed with the game ove
r the in depth familiarization process hes engaged in.
The process of learning is a complex one; it is a lifelong obligation, a
nd takes place in every imaginable facet of existence. When we learn, it is more

than the copying of information from one context into a mental one. When we lea
rn, we find who we are, build relationships with peers and teachers, and acquire
more than facts or formulas to regurgitate, and there is a complicated relation
ship between the learners self, mentor, and newest part of themselves. Learning
is as constant as language or cellular reproduction; as long as there is a human
consciousness, it is interacting and being influenced by the outside world. Lea
rning does not end when we leave the classroom because this intricate relationsh
ip between the analyst and the analyzed does not end.
Works Cited
Gee, J. P. (2002). 36 ways to learn a video game. In What Videogames Have to Tea
ch Us
About learning and literacy. (pp. 1-15). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Goodson, I., & Gill, S. (2011). Narrative pedagogy: Life history and learning. (
pp.78-79). New
York: Peter Lang.
Jackson, P. W. (1968). The daily grind. In Life in classrooms (pp. 4-37). Bosto
n: Harcourt
Brace.
Nisbett, R. E. (2009). Varieties of intelligence. In Intelligence and how to ge
t it: Why schools
and cultures count (pp. 1-17). New York: Norton.
Twain, M. (1903 / 2007). Life on the Mississippi (pp. 21-53). New York: Bantam C
lassics.

Appendix