Start
Introduction
Hello! Welcome to my Handbook of Learning created specifically for upcoming or current Early Childhood Educators. My name is Halie Robbins. I graduated from Loyalist College in 2021 and received my Early Childhood Education Diploma and I have been working as a Designated Early Childhood Educator (DECE) for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board for over 4 years now, specifically working in Kindergarten. I am currently enrolled in Educational Studies through OntarioTech University, and my goal is to get my Bachelor of Education to become a certified teacher in Ontario. In this handbook, I'm going to go over what learning is, how people learn, the factors that affect learning, the frameworks in education, instruction that works, technology and learning, and how each of those sections align with Early Childhood Education. Let's dive in!
Table of Contents
What is Learning?
Frameworks
How Do People Learn?
Instruction That Works
Technology and Learning
Factors That Affect Learning
What is learning?
Learning is the process of gaining new knowledge, skills, or behaviours through experiences, observations, or study. It occurs when we encounter new information and have the ability to understand, remember, and apply that information throughout our life experiences. Learning can happen in various ways, such as reading, observing others, or even making mistakes, and it is an ongoing process that influences our thoughts, behaviours, and emotions throughout our lives (Cherry, 2025). There are different types of learning, including formal learning, informal learning, and inquiry-based learning. Let’s explore these three types of learning in more detail.
Inquiry- Based Learning
Formal Learning vs Informal Learning
Watch
Read
Watch
Read
References
How do people learn?
Educators play an important role in promoting the well-being of children by creating, fostering, and sustaining a learning environment that is healthy, caring, safe, inclusive, and accepting. A learning environment aligned with these values supports not only children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development but also their mental health, resilience, and overall well-being. All of this helps children reach their full potential in school and in life (The Kindergarten Program, 2016). According to The Kindergarten Program (2016), play is essential to the development of children’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. In play-based learning, educators can honor every child’s views, ideas, theories, imagination, creativity, interests, and experiences. These are some of the ways children can learn. Let’s take a closer look at how children learn by exploring the theories of learning theorists and other developmental theories in educational settings.
Watch
Learning Theories
Development Theories
References
Factors That Affect Learning
Having a positive learning environment offers major benefits in educational settings. Research has shown that when students are in a positive learning environment, their academic performance is likely to improve, they are more likely to support peers with learning disabilities, and there is an increase in positive interactions between students, educators, and parents (Prieur, 2022). When students feel supported, safe, and have a sense of belonging, they can focus better, retain information more easily, and are encouraged to think more creatively. However, when learners feel isolated or as though they don’t belong, learning becomes much harder due to stress that interferes with their ability to organize, focus, think critically, and problem-solve (The Education Hub, 2020). Let's take a closer look at how social interactions, learning environments, and individual differences can impact learning.
Read
Watch
More
References
Frameworks
Frameworks in education are like special guides that can help educators plan and teach lessons in ways that help students learn better. At a school, or in an educational setting, a framework is the most essential part in supporting educational structure, and when it is designed correctly, it becomes the foundation for everything else in educational contexts (Shala, 2018). As Christina Shala (2018), outlines, implementing an educational framework can impact your school and learning environment because it creates a cohesive teaching and learning environment, it makes collaboration easier because educators can use the same frameworks, students can see how the information they learn in each class or grade they attend, relate to the new information that they’re learning, and sharing the framework with new educators, can help them see the learning environments’ vision for education (Shala, 2018). Let’s dive into two frameworks called Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Understanding by Design (UsD), also known as backward design.
Read
Watch
Watch
References
Instruction That Works
According to The University of Waterloo’s Center for Teaching Excellence (n.d.), while one-size-fits-all instructional practices allow some students to excel in their educational studies, they can actually create barriers for other learners and this is why inclusive instructional practices are important in all aspects of education. Inclusive instructional practices aim to remove potential barriers and improve learning outcomes for as many learners as possible (University of Waterloo, n.d.). Active learning and differentiated instruction are two educational strategies that focus on allowing students to engage in their own learning process, and accommodating lessons to meet individual needs. Let’s find out more about active learning, and differentiated instruction.
Watch
Watch
Active Learning
Differentiated Instruction
References
Technology and Learning
Instructional Technology is helping transform educational settings by blending cutting edge technology tools and pedagogical instruction to enhance student learning experiences (Teachfloor, n.d.). According to Teachfloor (n.d.), instructional technology plays an important role in the transformation of education and it supports innovative teaching and learning methods. It can completely transform how information is accessed, absorbed, and applied by learners which makes it such a positive impact in educational settings (Teachfloor, n.d.). Instructional technology can customize and adapt learning experiences to meet individual needs, it can help break down barriers to education by allowing students from across the world to access quality education and barriers that may come with physical disabilities, and it can even foster digital literacy skills into the learning process (Teachfloor, n.d.). Let’s take a look at two frameworks, SAMR and TPACK, that provide structures to determine how technology can assist us in teaching and learning.
SAMR
TPACK
Watch
References
Thank You!
Halie Robbins
March 31, 2025
Image retrieved from: OntarioTech University https://tlc.ontariotechu.ca/teaching/course-design/backwards-design.php
If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. -Ignacio Estrada
Handbook of Learning
Halie Robbins
Created on March 23, 2025
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Transcript
Start
Introduction
Hello! Welcome to my Handbook of Learning created specifically for upcoming or current Early Childhood Educators. My name is Halie Robbins. I graduated from Loyalist College in 2021 and received my Early Childhood Education Diploma and I have been working as a Designated Early Childhood Educator (DECE) for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board for over 4 years now, specifically working in Kindergarten. I am currently enrolled in Educational Studies through OntarioTech University, and my goal is to get my Bachelor of Education to become a certified teacher in Ontario. In this handbook, I'm going to go over what learning is, how people learn, the factors that affect learning, the frameworks in education, instruction that works, technology and learning, and how each of those sections align with Early Childhood Education. Let's dive in!
Table of Contents
What is Learning?
Frameworks
How Do People Learn?
Instruction That Works
Technology and Learning
Factors That Affect Learning
What is learning?
Learning is the process of gaining new knowledge, skills, or behaviours through experiences, observations, or study. It occurs when we encounter new information and have the ability to understand, remember, and apply that information throughout our life experiences. Learning can happen in various ways, such as reading, observing others, or even making mistakes, and it is an ongoing process that influences our thoughts, behaviours, and emotions throughout our lives (Cherry, 2025). There are different types of learning, including formal learning, informal learning, and inquiry-based learning. Let’s explore these three types of learning in more detail.
Inquiry- Based Learning
Formal Learning vs Informal Learning
Watch
Read
Watch
Read
References
How do people learn?
Educators play an important role in promoting the well-being of children by creating, fostering, and sustaining a learning environment that is healthy, caring, safe, inclusive, and accepting. A learning environment aligned with these values supports not only children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development but also their mental health, resilience, and overall well-being. All of this helps children reach their full potential in school and in life (The Kindergarten Program, 2016). According to The Kindergarten Program (2016), play is essential to the development of children’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. In play-based learning, educators can honor every child’s views, ideas, theories, imagination, creativity, interests, and experiences. These are some of the ways children can learn. Let’s take a closer look at how children learn by exploring the theories of learning theorists and other developmental theories in educational settings.
Watch
Learning Theories
Development Theories
References
Factors That Affect Learning
Having a positive learning environment offers major benefits in educational settings. Research has shown that when students are in a positive learning environment, their academic performance is likely to improve, they are more likely to support peers with learning disabilities, and there is an increase in positive interactions between students, educators, and parents (Prieur, 2022). When students feel supported, safe, and have a sense of belonging, they can focus better, retain information more easily, and are encouraged to think more creatively. However, when learners feel isolated or as though they don’t belong, learning becomes much harder due to stress that interferes with their ability to organize, focus, think critically, and problem-solve (The Education Hub, 2020). Let's take a closer look at how social interactions, learning environments, and individual differences can impact learning.
Read
Watch
More
References
Frameworks
Frameworks in education are like special guides that can help educators plan and teach lessons in ways that help students learn better. At a school, or in an educational setting, a framework is the most essential part in supporting educational structure, and when it is designed correctly, it becomes the foundation for everything else in educational contexts (Shala, 2018). As Christina Shala (2018), outlines, implementing an educational framework can impact your school and learning environment because it creates a cohesive teaching and learning environment, it makes collaboration easier because educators can use the same frameworks, students can see how the information they learn in each class or grade they attend, relate to the new information that they’re learning, and sharing the framework with new educators, can help them see the learning environments’ vision for education (Shala, 2018). Let’s dive into two frameworks called Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Understanding by Design (UsD), also known as backward design.
Read
Watch
Watch
References
Instruction That Works
According to The University of Waterloo’s Center for Teaching Excellence (n.d.), while one-size-fits-all instructional practices allow some students to excel in their educational studies, they can actually create barriers for other learners and this is why inclusive instructional practices are important in all aspects of education. Inclusive instructional practices aim to remove potential barriers and improve learning outcomes for as many learners as possible (University of Waterloo, n.d.). Active learning and differentiated instruction are two educational strategies that focus on allowing students to engage in their own learning process, and accommodating lessons to meet individual needs. Let’s find out more about active learning, and differentiated instruction.
Watch
Watch
Active Learning
Differentiated Instruction
References
Technology and Learning
Instructional Technology is helping transform educational settings by blending cutting edge technology tools and pedagogical instruction to enhance student learning experiences (Teachfloor, n.d.). According to Teachfloor (n.d.), instructional technology plays an important role in the transformation of education and it supports innovative teaching and learning methods. It can completely transform how information is accessed, absorbed, and applied by learners which makes it such a positive impact in educational settings (Teachfloor, n.d.). Instructional technology can customize and adapt learning experiences to meet individual needs, it can help break down barriers to education by allowing students from across the world to access quality education and barriers that may come with physical disabilities, and it can even foster digital literacy skills into the learning process (Teachfloor, n.d.). Let’s take a look at two frameworks, SAMR and TPACK, that provide structures to determine how technology can assist us in teaching and learning.
SAMR
TPACK
Watch
References
Thank You!
Halie Robbins
March 31, 2025
Image retrieved from: OntarioTech University https://tlc.ontariotechu.ca/teaching/course-design/backwards-design.php
If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. -Ignacio Estrada