Thank you for the information. I am looking forward to trying the different techniques offered by others in the forum.
Having students actually use the software is essential to them really learning it. I teach Public speaking, Ethics, Leadership, Learning styles and Assessment.
Exactly Tracey! It's not necessary to teach to every style in every class, just be sure to do your best to address them all as you continue with your classes.
I try to have a variety in my lessons. I use poer point. I have students write answers or questions on the board. I use videos. I have small disussion groups. I use something different in each class.
You need to know the learning styles of your students so that you know what mechanisms of teaching you need to use. If the majority of the class is visual, you would "load up" on slides, powerpoints, etc. You try your best to incorporate all learning styles in your class
Knowing the styles of the students can help you plan how you will deliver the information in a way that engages as many of them as possible, while at the same time making sure you don't lose too many of them in the process. Having an effective delivery style that accomplishes this not only improves overall learning, it can also improve the instructor's calssroom control.
It helps you to adapt to how best structor things for our students. With the time we have some of our students it is hard to see what style they are and to adjust quickly for them. When you know how best they learn it is easier to help them if you have to refer them to the manuals, or to show them again how it works and some time I use a fellow student to help so they do not feel intimidated.
Knowing the learning styles of your students allows you to prepare the course content accordingly so it will be understood more effectively by a higher percentage of students. Making the course content easier to grasp by the students will make the instructor more effective.
Not everyone learns in the same way. It is important to understand the learning techniques of your students in order to better service them and to assist them in obtaining the information need for the lesson of the day.
I teach many software classes in which the students are using a textbook and following along in the text. On occasion I am able to take them to a room to demonstrate tne skills they need to know for each chapter and review any problems they are having with the assignments. This methodolgy takes care of visual, auditory and kinestetic learners. What courses do you teach?
Knowing how each student learns material will help planning the following days classes with wasting the students time, I can direct what material I need them to know in what specific maner to each student.
Ah Tess- what a caring teacher you are! it seems so simple - in order to teach you have to connect - but sometimes that's the toughest thing for an instructor to master. Some say it has to come from an inner innate abilty but I believe we can learn how to make those connections. Thanks for your posting !
I make a point to look at each student as I call their name. The ones that are shy I try to greet by name as they come into the classroom to try and establish a relationship so they feel more comfortable with discussing things with me. Making eye contact in a friendly matter and singling them out to say hello in a non threathening way helps them to feel more comfortable. I also walk around the room as I lecture or teach, I make an effort to make eye contact throughout the room and to watch who is having difficulties.
I like your idea about asking students about their leraning style. We are a small close knit group at our school so we get a lot of feedback form each other. However, there are always those students that (as you put it - "suffer in silence") are hard to reach. Got any good suggestions besides the admisssions team?
I agree with your class participation comment that it energizes the class. I find that discussion based on reading a passage or questions in the textbook further enhances the learning process. I like to use this method rather than just assigning questions from the end of the chapter.
Knowing the learning styles of your students helps the instructor to design activities in each class that will help the learner recieve the information and process it more effectively. By using a variety of techinques in instruction, you ensure that you are reaching all of the variety of learning styles in your class. The benefit for students is the repetition of the material to further ensure their understanding.
Knowing that students have individual learning styles will assist an instructor when planning on curriculum delivery. An instructor can vary the ways in which they present material so that they can incorporate visual, auditory and "hands on" lessons to enhance the material delivery for all learners in the classroom.
knowing all learning styles makes teaching a whole lot easier if you can work with them all at once, I sometimes have to spend a bit more time with those that i miss there style a bit.
The benefit in knowing the different styles of learning it helps me in teaching a more productive class by choosing the styles that are going to be more effective with my students learning.
This allows me to target the areas I know the students are going to struggle and helps me take the right approach to the student success.
I think it helps the teacher to be more successful when we teach using the four learning styles. The students become motivated.
