Mary Forgione

ED 602
Personal Learning Statement

Learning has always been my lifelong passion. Throughout my life, I have been described
as curious by my friends, family, and now my husband. If I do not understand something, I take
the time to question and listen without bias. I enjoy discussing and understanding new and
different perspectives. I learn best when I am given time to independently think and analyze
before asking questions and bouncing ideas off of other people. Organized note-taking is also a
big part of how I learn. It is important to me that I develop my own understanding and then have
the time to compare my ideas with another person or people. I value other people’s input and
think that conversing with others is the best way to solidify learning. The flipside to this, however,
is that when I do not get time to learn on my own before learning with other people, I get very
frustrated.
One of the main challenges that I have with learning is that words bore me. I rely on my
intrapersonal logic, visuals, and kinesthetic learning when developing new understanding. In
school and at work, my main source of information for new learning is from books and readings.
While I do not prefer to learn this way, I use my learner strengths to make reading more enjoyable
for myself. I highlight in color-coded manners and draw silly notes and pictures to help remind
myself of important ideas. When reading, I also ensure that every twenty minutes or so I take a
five-minute break to rejuvenate my brain. I walk around the room, do jumping jacks while I think
about what I just read, or get a snack. By allowing myself to take these breaks, I keep my mind
fresh.
I learn best when I am able to work hands-on and practice learned skills in a realistic
environment. Without practice and the opportunity to apply new knowledge, I lose interest and
am unable to retain what I’ve learned. As a first grade teacher, I find that I have as much fun as
my students do. I was a departmentalized teacher for my first three years of teaching; I only
taught English Language Arts and Social Studies. This is my first year teaching math, and I
absolutely love it! Using manipulatives, games, tools, and story maps keeps me, and my students,
engaged. In this course, I am appreciative of the fact that after each reading we are asked to
practice our new understanding through a variety of activities. This is exactly how I like to learn!
Real-life application makes learning meaningful and permanent.
I am always motivated to learn by my curiosity. As humans, we will never have all the
answers, however, I am driven to learn as much as I can while I am here. By using the
understanding that I have about myself as a learner, I create an ideal working and learning
environment for myself. Everyone should analyze how they learn best since knowledge truly is
power.