By Tom Haight
Positive Learning Experience
 My Dad taught me
everything he knew about
Nature
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Passionate
Knowledgeable
Showed it’s importance
Allowed me to ask
questions
Immersed me in nature
Taught me the correct
way to
canoe
Encouraged me to explore
Negative Learning Experience
 Pre-Calculus class in high school
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Could not connect to the students
Banned me from bringing a book
Never made eye contact
Dry lessons
No extra help
No Passion
My Axioms
1. A teacher's purpose is not to create
students in his own image, but to develop
students who can create their own image.
2. The aim of education should be to
convert the mind into a living fountain,
and not a reservoir.
3. Teachers open the door, but you must
enter by yourself.
What it means
 A key point of my axioms is not what
you have it is what you do with it
 Knowing everything won’t help
 You have to know how to apply that
knowledge
 Make connections
 Encourage students to expand their
knowledge
 Provide meaningful opportunities
 Encourage curiosity
Theories Behind My Axioms
 Constructivism
 Students construct knowledge
through meaningful social
interactions
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My dad took me out in nature
and connected
My teacher barely gave me the
time of day
 Scaffolding
 My dad gradually let me start
exploring and learning about
the world by myself
More Theories
 Naturalistic Theory
 Relationships with others are
important to learning
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My relationship with my dad
facilitated my learning
Because I had no meaningful
relationship with my teacher
my learning was inhibited
 Learner’s desire to become
knowledgeable because of a
knowledgeable model who
invites them to “join the
club”
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My dad’s desire to have me
learn about nature and his
passion made me want to have
the same knowledge
Even More Theories
 Cognitive Theory
 Knowledge
constructed from
experiences

My dad took me
out into nature
 Predict what will
happen based on
experience
What it means to me
 Provide students meaningful activities
 Connect what students learn to what
they like
 Create a friendly community that
fosters exploration
 Be passionate about what I’m teaching
but not just the facts