All learning occurs through some means of societal interaction. This is obvious through multiple learning theories. Both Constructivism and and Connectivism agree that there are many societal influences and social interactions that create constant learning environments. “Under the Constructivism theory, learners communicate with each other and share their understanding, feelings, and knowledge to create new knowledge. (Terry Heick, Teach Thought). Under the Connectivism theory, learners are involved in networks, internet use, awareness of metacognitive skills, patterning and realizing knowledge. (Terry Heick, Teach Thought).

Social Learning Theory states that people learn from one another, through observation, imitation, and modeling. People learn through observing others’ behavior, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors. Albert Bandura states in his Social Learning Theory:

“Most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.” (Bandura, Social Learning Theory).

Setting theory aside for a moment, the idea of learning occurring through social interaction is not only proved true over and over again, but also extremely beneficial for the learner. “Children who learn appropriate social skills often have a higher self-esteem and show a greater willingness to interact with their environment as they grow” (Tom Changnon, The Importance of Social Interactions).

This discussion needs to move beyond the learning theories, theorists and tales of children growing up with wolves. Theorists have already demonstrated that learning is the result of observations, social interaction, connections, and society.

Reread the question and apply it to yourself as a lifelong learner, yourself as an educator, and in the shoes of all the children in your classroom. What do social interactions and the needs of society look like to us today? Is it possible to learn completely on your own? How are learning experiences (interacting with sources, the community, peers) and learning individually (independent study, memorization, reading) the alike and how are they different? Are collaborative web tools, such as blogging and sharing of resources online necessary for a child to learn, or just the means we are currently using to help students learn? Does all academic learning and discovery require collaboration and social interactions?

Changnon, Tom. Importance of Social Interactions: Stanislaus County, PDF.

Heick, Terry. "The Difference Between Instructivism, Constructivism, And Connectivism." TeachThought. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Social Learning Theory (Bandura) | Learning Theories." Learning Theories RSS. Web. 14 May 2014.

All learning is ultimately social because it takes place in the context of society. What I mean by this is that, whether you are working on a group project or taking a test in isolation, whether you are sitting in a classroom or studying by correspondence, you are being educated through the social construct of the educational system. When thinking outside of organized learning, the same still holds true. As we learn to speak, eat, display manners, practice religion, or whatever it is we learn in daily life, we learn it by example or through direct instruction to meet the expectations of society (or to subvert or convert the expectations of society, if that is wanted). Thus, even when learning may not be immediately identified as "social", it is, ultimately, social in context.

Social Constructivism, as a theory, covers this concept well. A good overview of Social Constructivism as a support to the theory that all learning is social can be found in Steve Wheeler's Blog post entitled "Is all learning social?" http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2013/02/is-all-learning-social.html

As I write this argument, I can see people saying "But what about a person who is raised by wolves or for some other reason doesn't grow up in society?" I believe that a case can be made that even the learning in these rare and isolated (haha) cases is social. Is it not possible to have a society of 1? Dictionary.com offers one definition of society as "a body of individuals living as members of a community" but also as "the totality of social relationships among organized groups of human beings or animals". Doesn't a person living in isolation still create an organized way of living? Does that person not have society just because they are being denied contact with other humans? I would say not. As an avid reader, I have enjoyed Jean M. Auel's "Earth's Children" series (more commonly known as the Clan of the Cave Bear series). In the second book, Ayla spends the majority of her time living in isolation in a valley, with a horse and a cave lion as her only companions. She creates a clear society with language, routines, and more. She has had the experience of society earlier in her life, so she does have a guide to follow, but she does not adhere strictly to the society from which she comes and she does not require others to form this society.

Wheeler, S. (2013, February 19). Learning with 'e's: Is all learning social?. Learning with 'e's: Is all learning social?. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2013/02/is-all-learning-social.html

Auel, J. M. (1982). The valley of horses: a novel. New York: Crown.

When we examine learning theories, Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development states that “social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition” (Kearsley 1994). Most teachers can clearly state this as factual considering that when students are engaged in activities within a supportive learning environment, growth can be identified and monitored. From earliest memories, children learn through social interactions, whether it is modeled behaviours, media influences, peer connections or simple storytelling actions. These actions help children to grow developmentally especially in concern to their cognitive behaviours. Vygotsky also stated that by using these tools or modes, children then further develop their social emotional behaviours.

Many of us still recite “Sesame Street” advertisements learning our numbers or alphabet. Although this is a repetitive rote action, I would argue that it was a story being told in some way, shape, or form that we internalized over time. Reading the same book to children over and over causes the same memory and learning. Here, children are attracted to the repetitive nature of information and are using their mental tools. Vygotsky states that after children master the mental tools, they are able to demonstrate learning and make better useful connections to the information displaying growth.

Similarly, JoAnn Deak who studies brain development has noted that “Every interaction a child has, during the course of a day, influences the adult that child will become.” (Deakgroup.com). She argues that our interactions with students are imprinted in their minds easily especially when the contact is not positive. A student may never remember the lesson, but will remember your interaction with them on a particular day. Learning then becomes memories of social interactions. Working with your students in a positive manner, even in difficult situations, help them to create learning pathways. In addition, activities like Brain Gym, Heart Math, and Visual Thinking exercises help students to restart and engage brain function firing up the dendrites making connections between the neurons. Girls are more willing to put themselves out there in a group setting as they care what others think and therefore will produce work and go farther. Boys also benefit from social interaction activities and cooperative learning. Learning absolutely is social and is crucial for brain development.

JoAnn Deak, ph.D - The Benefits of Cooperative Learning

“Let's talk about cooperative learning. It's often recommended to schools and to teachers as being highly beneficial to girls. It is. What it means is, that I don't sit in isolation working on something, I work with at least one other person. Means I work in cooperation with other people. It seems to help girls handle difficult tasks because they tend to take more risks and try harder if they are working with others. Part of that having to do with females caring more for others. So, if I am working with you, I not only have to think about if I'm doing a good job; I want to do a good job for you, too. We can argue the "why?" but the is of it is, that girls seem to enjoy it more and go farther, if there is enough cooperative learning. Not all, they need to do a lot by themselves, too. It's also good for boys. Even though it doesn't come naturally for them, it helps them to work with other people; how to tune into what the other person needs. Even though it shows, great quick, results for girls; over time, it helps boys and is good for them too” (The Benefits of Cooperative Learning - JoAnn Deak, 2013).

Kearsley G. (1994). Explorations in learning and Instruction: The Theory into Practice Database. Http://www.gwu.edu/

http://www.deakgroup.com/our-educators/joann-deak-phd/

http://www.kidsinthehouse.com/expert/parenting-advice-from-joann-deak-phd#page=/video/benefit-cooperative-learning-environments

I do believe that all learning is ultimately social, and that even anti-social humans are social and crave social/emotional bonds and human connection. I feel that I am reminded of this daily through academic and social/emotional observations of the students and adults I come in contact with, inside and outside of the school walls.

I certainly use my social intelligence, and all of the things I've learned socially, as I travel to and from all of the places I do in a day living in a foreign country without speaking the native language.

"Based on the latest cutting edge research, the findings in Social have important real-world implications. Our schools and businesses, for example, attempt to minimalize social distractions. But this is exactly the wrong thing to do to encourage engagement and learning, and literally shuts down the social brain, leaving powerful neuro-cognitive resources untapped."

According to Matthew Lieberman's findings, "Getting more social is the secret to making us smarter, happier and more productive" and "the social brain can do it (learn) better".

Lieberman's research on social connectivism and how social pain measures the same as physical pain supports my argument that humans are connected and learn ultimately through social contexts.

Lieberman, M. D. (2013). Social: Why our brains are wired to connect. New York: Crown.

Thinking about the question, my first thought is that learning is definitely social as we live and interact with people all the time. Many things we learn are actually because of that. We live in society, we interact with people directly and indirectly, as for in this debate. I like what Lexi reproduced on her comment that “(…)people learn from one another, through observation, imitation, and modeling. People learn through observing others’ behavior, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors”. We`re social beings, and therefore we are constantly interacting with others.

I found this picture that I think very simply summarizes what social learning is all about:

http://www.danpontefract.com/wp-content/ uploads/2012/02/social2-300x154.jpg

On the other hand, however, some people can self - teach themselves, they do not need / want interaction with others. Then, I understand that there`s no social learning on that.

There are not only ways and means in which humans learn without social interactions, but there are many different ways and means in which learners learn. Learning through networks and online collaboration tools may extremely benefit one student’s learning, while on the other hand a second student learns the material best on his or her own.

Dr. Howard Gardner developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI). MI Theory states that there are nine different intelligences, which relate to a person’s unique set of capabilities and the way they prefer to demonstrate intellectual abilities (Northern Illinois University).

The Multiple Intelligences are: Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Spatial/Visual, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, INTERPERSONAL, INTRAPERSONAL, Naturalist, and Existential.

Gardner says that these different intelligences "challenge an educational system that assumes that everyone can learn the same materials in the same way and that a uniform, universal measure suffices to test student learning. Indeed, our educational system is heavily biased toward linguistic modes of instruction and assessment. Students learn in ways that are identifiably distinct.” We, as educators, need to take caution as to assuming all students are learning through the same experiences, projects, and teaching methods.

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Intelligences and the differences between the two prove furthermore that different individuals require various levels of social interaction to learn.

Students with high levels of Interpersonal Intelligence learn through interaction with others, group projects, seminars, dialogues, and conferencing tools.

Students with high levels of Intrapersonal Intelligence learn through independent study, introspection, creative materials, privacy and time. (Carla Lane)

All in all, different learners process information and develop deeper understanding of concepts through different means. To some students their best learning experiences are collaborative, while other students learn the material just as well independently, through inquiry and reflection.

"Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences." Northern Illinois University. Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. Web. 16 May 2014.

Lane, Carla. "Gardner's Multiple Intelligences." Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. Web. 16 May 2014.

"Multiple Intelligences Theory." PBS. PBS. Web. 15 May 2014.

I agree with what you said Jenn and with Gary Turk video, we are addicted to smartphones, computers, social medias, etc. Sometimes we forget that we are real and there are others around us. At same time I think that some technologies and tools are good for learning and helps people to develop social, emotional and cognitively, as the article “Social And Emotional Benefits Of Video Games: Metacognition and Relationships” (http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/05/social-and-emotional-benefits-of-video-games-metacognition-and-relationships/).

Sources:

Video Games Play May Provide Learning, Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds (http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/ 2013/11/video-games.aspx)

I think that when exploring the question of whether all learning is ultimately social, a useful way to approach the debate is by identifying instances when people might argue the learning ISN'T social. In my previous post, I mentioned the idea of all learning being social in context. That covers a lot of ground. I am not so egotistical as to believe that all entrants into this debate will agree with that theory, and therefore I would like to offer another example of how traditionally non-social learning is, deep down, a social experience. The method of learning that immediately leapt to mind as not social was rote memorization. Certainly this method of learning can be MADE to be social through memorization games and classroom activities. However, it can also seem very UN-social when a student spends hours at home memorizing lists of irregular verbs or the atomic weights of various elements. I would like to argue that the element of FEEDBACK is what makes even these experiences social. Whether that feedback comes from a result on a test or from checking your answers against those in the back of the book, or even from catching a mistake as you go through memorizing a list, there is an interaction that provides a social element to the learning, even if that interaction is a personal interaction with your thought process or with an inanimate object.

While memorization, or rote learning, get's a bad rap, it is important to remember that while memorization is not Higher Order Thinking, it can be a useful step in building the knowledge that lies at the base of the Bloom's Taxonomy pyramid. Seeing this step as a part of the whole learning process puts this step in part of a social learning process.

Even Alan Shepherd saw the use of rote learning in certain circumstances.

"I woke up an hour before I was supposed to, and started going over the mental checklist: where do I go from here, what do I do? I don't remember eating anything at all, just going through the physical, getting into the suit. We practiced that so much, it was all rote." - Alan Shepard

Rote Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/rote.html

This is an interesting question. Nowadays we are connected 24hours a day, we are informed about every single new all the time and we are always learning with different people around us. Even a person who is self-taught has to interact and exchange ideas with others. Maybe all learning is social, even doing this online we are connected and "talking" with other people!

We barely do anything alone anymore. I agree with both Lexi and Cara when they say that there are levels of social. Since we have not defined them, I am going to go ahead use the idea that social learning is more than just an interaction with another person to gain knowledge, like asking for help from a retailer to decide which product to buy, but rather that it is learning within a group of people, collaboratively.

It is with this idea that I say not all learning is social. Nothing illustrates this concept more than the year I met Max. Things were disappearing: first the remote for the VCR and then the remote for the Smartboard. But this wasn’t a behaviour issue; this was a learning opportunity. Turns out Max was taking them apart in his desk and then trying to put them back together again. Max learned in doing on his own.

I have experienced this type of independent learning first- hand too. A few years ago I decided that I wanted a new bicycle. I pictured my “dream bike” in my mind and went out in search of it. After looking in what felt like every store in town, I couldn’t find the bike I imagined. So I decided to build it. It took a few months, about 50 Youtube videos and the advice of a few salespeople, but I did it. Like Max, I learned it felt natural to explore on my own.

Even though Max and I both had interactions with people throughout our inquiries, the actual learning happened independently.

You and me both are social and we have been learning almost everything through social understanding. But there are people in this world who have learnt things themselves. I would like to draw your attention towards the term "invention". Over the centuries humans are inventing new techniques(technologies) to face the nature or to make life easier. German inventor Johannes Gutenberg invented first ever printer in the history. So did he learn how to make a printer from anyone? This applies to any original thinker or inventor who did it themselves. Of course most of the inventions are from social learning , but my target inventor are those who did it themselves. Hence I believe all learning does not have to be social.

On the other side, It is also true that inventions are modified and adjusted to the need of the society.

Lastly, I would say social set up gives us pleasure to learn and think differently. This is a fact that a creative person foresees what others would think of his creations and that plays a role in forming ideas. Though learning is mostly related to social compromises, it is possible to have learning without it to be social.