ASSIGNMENT1:MYPHILOSOPHYOFONLINEFACILITATION/LEARNING

Assignment1:MyPhilosophyofOnlineFacilitation/Learning
IrwinTollefson
VancouverIslandUniversity

ASSIGNMENT1:MYPHILOSOPHYOFONLINEFACILITATION/LEARNING

Abstract
ThispaperoutlinesthemajorphilosophicalbeliefsofIrwinTollefsontowardseducation
andhowheimplementsthosephilosophiesonadailybasis.Italsooutlinesaverybrief
historyofhisteachingprofessionasanindicationofhowhisphilosophyhaschanged
throughouthiscareer.

ASSIGNMENT1:MYPHILOSOPHYOFONLINEFACILITATION/LEARNING

Whenoneisaskedtodiscussonesphilosophyoneducationandmorespecifically,
onesteachingpractice,itopensadoorintoonesmindandlife.AsIexaminemyown
philosophyofeducationandteachingIhavetoconsiderthechangesthatmycareerhas
takenoverthetimeIhavebeenateacher.WhenIstartedworkingineducation,I
taughtmusicBandandChoiratthesecondarylevel,myphilosophyoneducationwas
differentthanitisnow.Astimepassedandmyhearingdeteriorated,Imovedtowards
teachingSocialStudiesandmyphilosophychangedagain.Today,Iteachinan
alternateclassroomandIworkwithatriskyouth.Myphilosophyhaschangedyetagain.
Today,IbelievethatIamaConstructivistworkinginaBehaviouristsetting.Iidentify
myselfasanAlternateEducator,butIdontreallyteachanymore.Ibelievemymission
asaneducatoristomentormyclients,andthattheeducationalsystemthatweknow
todaymustchangetokeepupwiththedemandsthatisbeingplacedonitbyboththe
studentsandtheworldthatwelivein.

MybasicphilosophyofeducationfollowstheConstructivistapproach.AsAnderson
(2008)writes,knowledgemustbeconstructedbythelearner.Ibelievethelearnermust
discoverwhatitistheydontknoworneedtolearnandworkwiththeirteachertofind
waystoconstructtheknowledgethattheyneedtofillintheholesintheirknowledge.I
believethatallpeoplecanlearnandthattheyallwanttolearn.However,mybeliefs
havechangedinthelastwhileinthatIdonotbelievethateveryoneisabletolearnallof
thetime.Asoneofmystudentsveryeloquentlyputit,Sometimeslifegetsintheway
ofschool.(T.Fontaine,personalconversation,September10,2015)Mystudents

ASSIGNMENT1:MYPHILOSOPHYOFONLINEFACILITATION/LEARNING

prefertolearninamorebehavioristway.Theywanttoknowexactlywhatitistheyhave
todotocompletethetaskssetforthem,theywanttoknowexactlyhowmanytasksthat
theyhavetoperformtocompleteacourse,andtheywantmetomarkitasquicklyas
possibletoachievetheiraccustomedrewardagrade.Theyliketofollowwhat
Andersonoutlinesastheimplicationsforonlinelearningaccordingtothebehaviorist
school.(2008,p.20,21)Myconstructivisttendencieswouldratherseethemactively
engagedintheirlearning,findingwaystorelatenewknowledgetopriorknowledgeso
thatitcanberetainedandusedforthefuture.Butinstead,theyaremuchmorehappy
tocompletetheworksheetsthatIhaveforthem.Iunderstandthatwiththecontinuous
progressmodelthatmyprogramembraces,theworksheetsallowthemtopickup
wheretheyleftoffafterlifegetsoutoftheway.

Inmycurrentteachingposition,Inolongerreallyteach.Iammoreofafacilitator,a
mentor,andacounsellorformystudents.Ihave27studentsfromgrades9to12,allof
themworkingondifferentacademiccoursesandallofthemindifferentplaceswithin
thosecourses.Mystudentsperceptionsofmeasaneducatorhavechangedinthelast
5monthsalso.Theyseeme,withmyiPad,completingreadingsformycourses,using
mylaptoptoresearchatopicorwritingapaper,andwhentheyaskmewhatIamdoing
IamhappytoexplaintothemthatIamalifelonglearnerwhohasundertakenanother
learningproject.Theattitudesofmystudentstolearninghaschanged,theyhavea
newfoundacceptanceoflearningassomethingthatisimportantandthatitissomething
that,becauseIvalueitandengageinit,andbecauseinsomeway,theyhavecometo

ASSIGNMENT1:MYPHILOSOPHYOFONLINEFACILITATION/LEARNING

valueme,theyareshowingmethattheyaremorewillingtopartakeintheacquisitionof
learning.Aconstructivistapproachtoteachingisthatthelearner,throughsocialmeans
withfriends,fellowstudentsandcolleagues,aswellasteachersconstructstheir
learningthroughthesocialcontext.(Bates,p.52)IfeelthatwhenIshowmystudents
thatIamalsoalearner,theyarefollowingmylead,andarebecomingmoreactive
learners.

Iaminspiredbymyabilitytomakeconnectionswiththoseforwhomthesystemhas
givenuponandbymakingthoseconnections,IhopethatIaminspiringthemtoreturn
tolearning.IamconvincedthateducationischangingandIbelievethattheuseof
technologyasameanstoengagestudentswillhelpsavesomewhohaventyetfigured
outhowtoconstructtheirfuture.Myconstructivistphilosophyandmyabilitytoleadby
exampleandtomakethosenecessaryconnectionswithstudentsallowmetobethe
teacherthatIam.

ASSIGNMENT1:MYPHILOSOPHYOFONLINEFACILITATION/LEARNING

References

Anderson,T.(2008)TheTheoryandPracticeofOnlineLearning,SecondEdition.
EdmontonAB.AUPress

Bates,A.W.TeachinginaDigitalAge.CreativeCommonsAttributionNonCommercial
4.0InternationalLicense