Getting to know the learing styles of each students helps me to teach them better.
Andrew,
Well put. The more you know the more you are able to target your instructional delivery efforts.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Regina,
I commend you for your outreach to get information on and about your students. The learning preference assessment is such a value added opportunity around which you can plan your instructional delivery. Thank you for the suggestion about burning a CD containing their vocabulary works. This not only helps them but also takes their learning outside of the classroom and puts it along side them in other setting such as their car.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It helps better determine how to reach a student and draw them into a class. Engagement is the key. If you can keep a student interested and motivated, they will hopefully push themselves to learn and want to understand the material.
I have my students take an online learning styles assessment. Most of them actually display blended learning styles: auditory and hands on, for example. Then, I try to keep suggesting ways they could make their study time more effective by combining two learning activities. Recording their vocabulary words to a CD and playing them in the car is a good way to reinforce their memorization tasks, and allows them practice with pronunciation as well.
Tara,
Yes, you can and the result will be enhanced student learning and a higher rate of student retention. A win win for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Great topic! By inderstanding learner characteristics I can optimize our classroom time using the students to guide the learning process and take advantage of students own knowledge and experience.
Every student learners differently. It is important for an instructor to understand ALL learning characteristics and adapt instruction to the students needs. A good practice is to follow Howard Garnder multiple intelligences.
I like to step back and think how I like to learn. Realizing that my way is not always best for each student. The first day or two of class I like to sit and watch how my students click. What works for each of them. I have found by doing that you not only get to know your students individually but also how to change the class approach to fit all.
By understanding the learner characterists the teacher/instructor can structure the course to make is a positive learning experience for all of the students.
Gordon,
Yes, they do and as a result they need to have our understanding about how they are approaching the classroom. Knowing this we can target our instruction more accurately and offer instruction in different ways to support their learning preferences.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Every student has different characteristics.
You have to understand each students different needs and capabilities to learn. You have to find a middle ground to meet all of your students needs in order for them to succeed and feel confident and be rewarded for thier performance. if this doesn't work for all your students you need to tutor the ones that fall out of this middle ground. Anotherwords you have to do whatever it takes so that all your students succeed and complete thier chosen goal.
Terry,
Yes, it is because when you have this information you are able to customize your instructional delivery more accurately for the current group of students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
There are visual and auditory learning and it is valuable to learn which ways students learn
Understanding the learner characteristics of my students will enable me to pattern teaching styles and methodology to the different learner characteristics they have,making learning a motivating experience to the students- something they can relate better to in a personal level.
Understanding of learner characteristics helps in the instructional planning process because it allows me to differentiate between adult students, younger graduates and students who may be returning to school looking for a new career after the financial crisis made their old position obsolete.
Nelson,
The more we know about our students the more accurately we can plan our instruction to support their learning. This information gives us insight into how we can target their learning preferences.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding learning characteristics allows us to identify the different ways people (students) capture information; That becomes extremely helpful when it comes to deciding what type of method the instrucor will be using in order to deliver the information.
Teresita,
You have a very comprehensive approach to your instructional planning. This is how you need to develop your content because you will be able to meet the needs of your students in a targeted manner.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding learner's characteristics helps the teacher design strategies to suit their learning needs, thus reinforcing the learner's ability to absorb new concept and skill. Learners show varied learning styles and these must be utilized to enhance new experiences. When learners can involve themselves in the learning-teaching environment, their motive to maintain classroom experiences promote retention and a likely chance of success.
