Getting to know your students learning styles
Teaching to the different learning styles in the class room can sometimes be challenging so I like to ask my students what type of learners they happen to be ,this give me an idea of the type of learners I have in class .
Hi Lawrence, Thanks for your post to the forum. From your description, it certainly seems that you are addressing all the learning styles in your instruction! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Teaching at the same technical school as Mr. Meza we face the same challenges. I try to engage as many of the students as possible in the classroom through power points, writing on the board and handouts, passing training aids through the class and questioning students as we go. We also have lab time where students get complete hands on but there is still a level instruction that goes with that as well (reading, looking at diagrams).
Thao, great idea. I would also like to give the students an assessment on which learming style they prefer. I usually teach my subject matter a few different ways anyway. I think this would be more helpful.
Hi Thao, Here is one I often use.
Learning styles Inventory http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html
Susan Polick
Where would one find a good assessment to give to students to determine their learning style?
Hi Christine, Thanks for pointing out that determining learning styles is also beneficial to our students as they can improve how they learn. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I have often found that it is very helpful to my students and myself to administer a learning styles assessment at the beginning of each semester. The students become enlightened to the type of learner that they are as well as learn different study/learning activities to help them through the semester. I benefit as well because I can then tailor my teaching styles to reflect the best possible outcome for the students.
Hi MacDameon, Thanks for your post to the forum. It does some extra work to teach to the different styles but the payoff is worth it! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Recently i took a class on these learning styles it balanced even for auditorial, visual, and kinestetic. After the completion of these classes it not only helped me, but became very exciting to think of creative learning methods for my students.
Hi Todd, Thanks for sharing some great examples of differences in learning styles! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I like to use many different methods in my class to try and hit all the different learning styles at least a bit.
I have found that even when a student prefers to learn things one particular way, presenting it a different way may clarify the information for that student. Sometimes they learn different things in different ways. For example, I had one student that could read a history text, and had near perfect recall of that information. Definitely a Written Word learner for that subject.
Reading the Math text, on the other hand, left this student totally bewildered. Sitting down and working through the problems was the only way for this student to understand those concepts. Written word was no help.
Hi Marcos, Thanks for your post to the forum. I find that sometimes students have never thought about their learning styles and benefit from learning about ways to improve how they study. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF LEARNERS ARE THE MAJORITY OF YOUR GROUP, THAT WAY YOU KNOW WHAT MATERIAL TO PREPARE FOR THE CLASS
