ISTC663 week 4 Lead Reader 1 slides

1. Meaningful
Learning and
Schema Theory
KATHLEEN MAY

2. What is it?
 Explaining school-based learning
 The idea is that knowledge is hierarchically organized
 New information is meaningful
 Stresses meaningful learning not rote learning or
memorization

3. How does learning occur?
 Ausubel had four different processes in which learning occurs:
 Derivative Subsumption - new information you learned is a part
of what you already know.
 Correlative Subsumption - This believes that you later or extend
the knowledge you already know
 Superordinate Learning - This is when you know different things
but may not fully understand the concept.
 Combinatorial learning - This is different from the
previous three. While the other three have to do with hierarchy of
learning, this is when a new idea is formed from a previous idea.

4. Meaningful Learning, Schema and
Thinking?
 The theory describes thinking as a hierarchy of thoughts.
 When students are learning new concepts they are building upon
what they know.
 They are drawing from prior knowledge to allow them to learn new
things.
 Thinking is a hierarchy of knowledge.
 When they are thinking they are drawing from what they know.

5. Locus of Control
 Student driven but teacher led.
 Work with student to help them find their interest
 Work to make the conditions of learning to best fit students needs.
 The teacher is building upon students prior knowledge

6. Personal Beliefs
 I agree with points of this theory discussed in the chapter. I do
believe that teachers are helping students by making the instruction
meaningful. I always try and find topics that interest my students,
and center instruction around those topics. I also try and find ways
to keep them engaged in learning. I also agree with the point that
discussed culture and learning. Students who come from different
backgrounds learn in different ways. I also believe that we are
building upon students knowledge. I have my students think back
to what has been previously taught and find ways to connect that
to what we are learning.

7. Learning Scenario
 When a child enters pre-kindergarten they often do not know any
numbers. The first thing a teacher does is teach the students to
count. She then builds upon that knowledge into teaching them to
recognize numbers. After the students are able to recognize
numbers, they are able to represent numbers using manipulatives.
Students are always building upon prior knowledge, and thinking
back to previous concepts to new information.