Hi Ashia:
Students use all of their senses all the time. It's like being thrown in water - there's a natural tendacy to dog-paddle and keep the head above water. We can emphasize some senses at times, but I think students will automatically use what they need.
Regards, Barry
Hi Melissa:
Sound cool. Students naturally use all needed senses when they are serious about learning. We show them some techniques, but they will intuitively use every resource available if given the chance.
Regards, Barry
I emphasized the effects of nonverbal communication by assigning my students a skit they acted out without the use of words. Withdrawing the use of words to communicate helped students view communication from a different perspective.
hands on, visual aids even field trips
When teaching descriptive writing in English 101, presentation of the senses are key. Picures, movie clips, tasting as well as smelling bring back the memories that students need to write. Their narrative and even process analysis papers become rich with imagery as we tap those senses and share the past. Students will include recipes and samples (photos, too) with their final essays. Win-win!
In order for a concept to be cemented, all senses must be engaged.
hands on learning really gets the students interested into what they are doing and in career colleges that is why most students come to them for the hands on experience.
I feel in learning technology it is preferable to use hands on experience. Most students are visual and kinetic.
Hi Sarah:
I think all students use their multiple senses intuitively and naturally as the need arises. Although we may want to emphasize one particular sense, these are merely methods to provide meaningful instruction. So, using a variety of instructional media will keep students interested and reach many students along with their individual learning styles (and senses as applicable).
Regards, Barry
Its helpful to read the responses of many different techniques used by other instructors. I teach a language class and agree that is can be difficult at times to incorporate taste and smell. We do however do a lot with group work, collaborative board work (collectively brainstorming) and some hands on activities for construction of specific language targets as well as audio/visual support via powerpoint.
I teach wine classes where we learn information, and then taste wine. In the tasting process we break it down into sight, smell and taste. What I will do is blind fold the students and then have them taste. This will have them understand how their senses will work together.
Hi Wendy:
Culinary seems to stand outy as an example where senses can be applied in a very practical way. However, I believe the use of senses are in play and applicable in almost every learning environment.
Regards, Barry
Hi Karin:
Interesting post - thanks!
I think all students use their avialable senses to some degree and as needed. One way to stimulate more sensory stimulationon is by adding variety into the lessons so that by virture of participating in class the student will be required to naturally use more of their physical and mental attributes to learn.
By variety, I mean, lot's of different media choices, blending/mixing media (i.e., PPT with whiteboard), and especially activitis that involve student participation. The more invloved, I believe the more learning and retention of information will occur.
Regards, Barry
This is something that we, as culinary instructors, have as part of our daily instruction. Students need to be able to taste their food and correct the flavors, listen to instructions given by the chef, see what is happening in the pan as they cook, feel what is happening around them....fire, for ex....and smell which is one of the most important parts of taste!
I am currently teaching an English Foundations course and our building is under construction. At times I incorporate the sounds, sights, smells, and hands on applications into my writing lessons. I have the students close their eyes and determine where the noise is coming from, what type of equipment is being used, what the workers may be creating. We then use this information to develop descriptive sentences and paragraphs. We share the paragraphs out loud or exchange papers and identify the parts of speech being used.
I will present the professional code of ethics and standards of practice. Which can be a snooze. I give the students brief descriptions of events that are unethical or irregular. I ask them to look through the documents to link what is wrong with the proper behavior described in the professional documents. I then have the students role play the problem situation and then correct the problem and replay it. The students are able to internalize important information that they might otherwise have skimmed over.
In massage, therapy the student must learn how to treat and evaluate simultaneously as their hands come in contact with the client's body. Essentially they see with their hands. The student is trained in specific hand placement, pressure and movement. They then touch different bodies and feel for differences. This is where they then integrate what they have learned in anatomy and kinesiology classes about what to expect to find where and abnormal conditions that could exit. The brain gives meaning to what the hands feel. The more bodies they explore the more sensitive their hands become which enables then to identify a problem and then deliver the soft tissue manipulation to resolve the problem.
When I was a student of massage therapy, we had to do a massage blindfolded. This immediately heightened our awareness of touch and was a great way to develop our tactile skills.
Anyway you can to attack the student's senses. Visual aids coupled with audio...such as using a video clip to reinforce a concept or point.
Hi Linda:
I think all students possess a little bit of the three main learning styles to some degree.
For me, I use a lot of variety in media and resources and (I hope) by incorporating many different activities, I touch enough on presentation methods that reach the differenty student learning styles.
I've also done learning style assessments, which is a little bit helpful. I've found that these assessments are not always truely accurate, so I don't depend exclusively on them. But they're a good initial guide.
Regards, Barry
