Interesting Heather - I remember as a grade school student having teachers forbid just what you mention. From what I have seen in recent years, teachers are beginning to understnad that students need to learn in different ways.
For me, it made me appreciate the drawing, fidgeting, gum chewing, etc. I encourage them to do what they need to do in order to process information, even if it isn't an activity where we can do a lot of moving around.
Hi Cynthia- Welcome to ED 103! You bring up a good point - knowing about learning styles not only helps teachers to teach but also helps students to understand how they learn.
Knowing the learning styles of my students allows me to plan my lectures in a way that they will learn best. I try to use techniques that will cover all styles (use textbook, lecture, ppt, and an activity).
At our institution, we discuss learning styles in the student's intro to college class. Therefore the student is made aware of his or her learning style and can communicte this to his or her instructors. For many students, I think understanding how they learn is very empowering. Many of them, may never have heard of learning styles. (I know I didn't until I became a teacher.) Connect that with instructors that really want to understand a student's learning style, and I think you have a winning combination that will get most students to open up and share.
hi Anne- welcome to ED 103!- You obviously run a very dynamic classroom - great job!
It is beneficial to know the learning styles of my design students so that I can present the material in a variety of ways to that they all can be reached! For instance, PowerPoints combined with lectures, field trips to visit various types of design in the city, reading assignments, and hands-on assignments using a variety of materials all contribute to academic excellence in a course and keep students from becoming bored or discouraged. Preparing lessons that appeal to all learning styles is very beneficial in producing a well-rounded course, as design is visual, tactile, and sometimes auditory (sound sculpture) and kinesthetic (sculptures with moving parts.)
Hi Patricia -thanks for those terrific examples of how to address each of the styles in the classroom!
One way that various learning styles can be incorporated so that all students benefit is through projects and assignments that reach out to the various styles. for example, in creating a fashion term project for an Introduction to Fashion Merchandising class, students are asked to read about current fashion trends, select and cut out magazine articles and ads that pertain to current fashions, listen to comments by fashion editors on fashion news programs and narrators at fshion shows, collect sample fabrics, and arrange their entries into a business-like and appealing notebook form. This concepte is suitable for a variety of classes.
Hi Kathleen- welcome to ED 103! So many ideas work well - powerpoints, models, videos, guest speakers, games, etc. I think using pure lecture is the worst technique that I have used in terms of effectiveness.
Tess,
What a great way to knock down any barriers in the classroom. You establish a comfort level and students will not feel intimidated. Students will be very attuned to hearing new information, when addressed by their name.
I agree with being conscious of the different learning styles. The interesting factor is adapting the classroom setting by up updating teaching methods and materials. Do you have an example of what has worked.........and what has not?
It is imperitive to be aware of student's learning styles in order to effectively communicate the class information. For example, I know that I have many visual learners in my design class; therefore, I make sure to have plenty of visual examples to present in class. I find that this enhances their educational experiences and creates more successful design outcomes.
Learning styles are important because there are different learning styles and by using a combination of teaching methods and incorporating them into classes help enforce the material and help students learn. This helps an instructor to be more effective because they are conscious of the different learning styles and continue to update their teaching methods and materials to find out what methods work and which do not.
We actually created a faculty development course called "Burn the Podium!" It really is so much better to move amongst your students.
Hi Barbara,
I agree with you. having an idea about the students is important but not always realistic if you are going into a new teaching environent. Therefore it is important fo us to be ready, willing and able to adjust our teaching styles at all times.
Hi Tess,
I agree with you. I also make constant eye contact as well as walk around, therefore I am not stamding in front of the room. I feel that by doing this, I am interacting with the students and make them feel more confortable in the class setting.
By understanding the learning styles of the students, you should be able to facilitate an effective class. Each student learns differently and therefore we need to accommodate them even if there are different styles in the class.
A good instructor will usually readjust their instructional styles once they figure out the type of students in the class.
It helps me identify students learning styles and I can prepare better instructional material to facilitate my students needs
By learning the student's learning styles you can teach that student in the best way that the student will absorb information.
