I was taught that individuals are responsible for their actions, their choices, the consequences of those choices, and that you have to work hard to succeed in life.  I have always believed the same thing about learning.   I know this flies in the face of the entitlement society we live in, but we are not entitled to an education.  We have to work hard financially, emotionally, and mentally to be successful learners.  Adult learners make the choice to further their education and are ultimately responsible for doing so.  However, I now have a better understanding of learning styles and preferences and believe that both the teacher and learner share in the responsibility of learning.  The first step is for both to be aware of the differing learning styles and to decide which one they prefer.  If the teacher does not teach to the strength of the way the learner learns, this should not be used as an excuse by the learner to not do well.  Also, the teacher needs to realize that everyone does not learn the same way she does and should deliver the content in a variety of ways (when the content allows).  Even if the teacher does not feel she should have to "cater" to all learning preferences, delivering the content in a variety of ways will just make the class more interesting in general.  The goal of student success should always be in the forefront.  I think this can be done without compromising the belief that the student is ultimately responsible for learning.  As an instructor, I can use lectures, pictures, charts, videos, demonstrations, etc, but I can not make the student want to learn.

I named my blog Amy's Two "Sense" because that is what my mother always said when someone was giving their opinion about something, except of course she was saying two "cents"!  It just seemed appropriate for this setting.  I have found that people don't always appreciate the two cents, but it doesn't stop me from contributing!