Educational Theory is a like a...

Good loaf of Gluten Free Bread...

As I embarked on my journey into the world of food allergies I was bombarded with information and couldn't consume enough of it. Information, warning, recipes, ideas, and concerns were coming at me from every direction. Education has been much like my experience navigating the Gluten Free World. As I continue taking classes on critical education, pedagogy, and theory I am absorbing and filtering information, warnings, concerns, recipes, and ideas.

As you bake a loaf of Gluten Free bread, the first thing you will realize is the plethora of ingredients it takes to make a product that has a good taste and texture. This reminds me of the connectedness within educational theory. For me Dewey is the main flour - tapioca. It is the strongest ingredient in my educational loaf because of his constructivist approach. Without Dewey I wouldn't have bread, his organization, planning, observation, application, and child centered approach is so important to the over quality to my educational loaf. Vygotsky & Erikson are like the liquid within my loaf - it is fluid and shows the continual observation - differentiation based on relationships - social learning - the movement and fluid parts of education. Montissori is like the variety of gums in the recipe. It fills the gaps that the other theories leave behind. It helps bind the bread together making sure that all aspects of the educational loaf are child centered.

Most importantly - the educational loaf needs to set, to rest, to rise. As the dough changes, and molds, so does my personal theory, pedagogy, and learning style. At some point - it will have risen enough and will be ready to bake. My student teaching experience, my classroom experience, my graduate school experience will continue to modify and enhance the educational loaf. I secretly hope I never find the 'perfect' recipe.