When I teach A&P to my Medical Assisting students, I go to a butcher & bring organs into the classroom to use for dissection. For instance, when we are studying the heart, I bring in beef hearts. As the students dissect them, they are able to see the actual heart chambers, valves, layers of the heart, as well as, clots which form in the chambers upon the animal's death. I've used intestines, lungs, livers, eyeballs, etc. in the classroom, & the students love it! It is a great hands-on project, which they will remember forever. They can't wait to get home & tell their family about their experiences.
Hi Sara- Thanks for some really cool ideas for kinesthetic approaches to Math!! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Nancy - Thanks for your post to the forum. Can I come to you class? It sounds like lots of fun! (Great work!)Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Since I teach Math, here are some ideas:
1) use a human grid system - go outside and build one
2) use tiles for solving equations
3) use string when graphing lines
4) find journals that relate to students field of study
Some of the things that I do in my classes: terminology bingo, lots of hands on group work, role playing with props. The students seem to pick up things much quicker this way. It is more fun for me too!
At my school, the instructor that teaches Kinesiology has students get up and dance around. She uses disco movements to teach them about hip flection, etc. I teach keyboarding, which is great for kinesthetic learners because they are doing it themselves.
Being an instructor of a school that is primarily filled with kinesthetic learners, some times it can be very difficult to get your point across through some lectures. But, some lecturing is still required. Some students even fall asleep when I make it a point to find ways to make it entertaining so that it peaks their interest. The struggle for me is getting them the information, have them understand at least some of it, and not intimidate them by asking them directly in front of the class if they understand.
The material I teach is sometimes difficult to present in a kinesthetic way. I spend time thinking of ways to mimic the visual. For example, when teaching about "dumping syndrome" (related to the GI tract), I make a test breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, OJ, etc, then mush it up as if it had entered the GI tract. Then I spill it out onto a towel to demonstrate how much is absorbed by the "villi" of the towel. Then I add water, mix it up, and spill it again. This time much more absorbs into the towel. This demonstrates the value of small meals and limiting fluids during meals as a way of decreasing absorption. The students seem to like the mess. And, they remember the way to prevent dumping syndrome.
Hi Laura- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are wise to make no assumptions about previous knowledge. To continue with material when our students do not have the pre-requisites is useless! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I teach in a culinary college which is really geared to kniesthetic learners. I have found that the 'demo' portion of class to be vital. What I have missed many times, however, is in assuming that my learners have already seen a particular technique done in another class. So, I precede the demos with requests for students to pre-read the material and request for specific demos.
Hi Greg - Thanks for your post to the forum. Computer classes are definitely "hands-on" so your application assessment is right on! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Perry- Thanks for your post to the forum. In your field so much of what you teach and assess must be hands-on. Having your students practice together encourages an interactive learning environment! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I teach students who desire to become Patient Care Techs or Certified Nurses Assistants. I try to incorporate various learning styles in all of my classes to include demonstration. I also let the students practice on each other for vital signs, patient positioning, and other techniques used on a routine basis with patients.
I teach business computer programs. For instance, when teaching Microsoft Word, I will first show and then have students demonstrate to me and other students three different ways to select text and then two different ways to copy and paste text.
Notetakers are a great way to reach the kinesthetic learner. This requires the student to write down the information that is being presented either verbally or visually.
Hi Alissa- Thanks for your post to the forum. You probably have a lot of kinesthetic students so your methods are right on target! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I work in a program where there is a lot of hands on training. I bring models into the classroom, and we apply techniques in clinic. It really helps in learning concepts and I can refer back to our clinic experiences when reviewing information, or when having discussion in class.
Some ideas may include, creating things that may have been discussed and putting learned ideas into active practice. I myself am a kinesthetic learner and I know that I learn best when listening while my hands are active so I tend to doodle alot. My past instructors thought I wasn't paying attention to them when infact it was the only way I could pay attention. Listening to music has always helped me as well.
Giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their new skill for the class.
Colleen
It is like on the job training. The more repetions you do the better you become. This also instills the safety procedures that would be introduced for the topic you are teaching.
Doing hands on type training helps get a feel for what your career field will be like instead of someone just reading/lecturing it at you.
