HI Beatrice - How simple but how "right on"!Best wishes - Susan
Kinesthetic learners are hands-on learners. In teaching a basic office procedures class, instead of telling the students how to do an office inventory, I have them do one. A Kenesthetic learner would love it. Same with a filing project. Give a Kinesthetic learner some names and actual file folders and they would be very happy.
During the school years, many educators often ignore these tactual and kinesthetic preferences. Instead, classroom instruction focuses on auditory and visual teaching strategies.
Kinesthetic learners' strongest perceptual strengths are neither auditory nor visual. They tend to acquire and retain information or skills when they can either handle manipulative or participate in concrete, real-life activities. I find this ideal situation since we have tendency to teach using real-life activities and using in class exercise that enhance the ability to learn while participating in the different activities. I often receive the feedback from my students that they remember all the activities that we did in class and how it helped them to learn.
Hi Juan - Thanks for your post to the forum. You are obviously doinga great job at keeping your students on track! I absolutely agree that when assigning projects a clear and specific grading rubric is absolutely necessary. Best wishes- Susan
In my class I lecture, followed by demonstration of the skills for that day, follow2ed by the students duplicating what I have demonstrated. This approach covers all the bases.
Hi Juan - Thanks for your post to the forum. I'm sure that when you have a class full of kinesthetic learners they would have a tendancy to just "go for it"! Having the rubric on hand, they will be aware of what they are being graded on and must therefore be able to document. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
After using a powerpoint for the lecture I try to always go through a demonstration for the students before they start on their own hands-on project. While they use lab time to complete their project, I always meet with each student to assess their progress one on one. When kinesthetic learners are working individually I want to make sure they do not go off on a tangent. It is important to make the grading criteria as clear as possible before they start on the project so that when everyone gets back together for the critique of the finished projects the students are all engaged in the discussion because they are all practically assessing each other's work.
HI James - Thanks for some great suggestions on ways to incorporate tactile activities into an Accounting class! Best wishes- Susan
Allow learners to use "hands on" materials. For example in an aocounting class, have them work with real ledgers and journals on a computer. In business math have them write checks and complete real bank statements.
Hi William- Thanks for sharing, the perfect cure for "Power-Pointitus"! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
As I go over the new material in the power point presentation, I have lots of pass around objects that are related to the subject.
HI Jessica- Thanks for your post to the forum. having the students play the "client" role is excellent. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I teach massage therapy, which is highly kinesthetic. I use the "into the frying pan" approach, and have students try out techniques on the first day. Every once in a while I have a student who would prefer to learn all of the how's and why's before getting their hands in it, but ultimately I find that this is the best approach to a very kinesthetic field of study.
I also find that the feedback students receive when they are on the "client" side of the techniques is also valuable- they are able to perceive what might feel good, or what might hurt or feel threatening, when applying the technique as the "therapist".
Hi Joseph- That's a great way to accomodate the Kinesthetic students in a class that I would assume is primarily visual. Thanks for sharing!Best wishes- Susan
Since most of my classes involve learning software, I always have "mini projects" for them to work on in every class to practice and test their skills. Much of the software utilizes tools that require a certain level of hand-eye coordination to master, even with a mouse.
Thank you. I am going to give students on the last day some demo's where I draw them out of a hat and they have to perform them in front of the class. These by the way are something they have already been taught.
I found a new way to get some of the Tactile learners involved by accident (literally). I had a sprained ankle, and couldn't stand for very long during my demonstrations. I had several students come up to finish my demos while I explained what to do. I found the students actually doing the demos learned quite well, but the class as a whole saw some common areas of mistakes (a few were made, and fixed). The students also were able to talk with classmates after class about the information. I now try to involve students in my demos as much as possible in an attempt to reach as many learning styles as possible.
Hands on learning is great. Have the students walk through what they have learned as if they are on the job.
Hi Judith - Thanks for your post to the forum. If a student is capable of "Teaching Back" they have clearly gotten a firm grasp of the skills/concepts. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hello,
I like the idea of having the students volunteer in front of the class. I teach in a medical assisting program and the students need to complete competencies and it is important to demonstrate the correct way to do blood pressures, vital signs, injections, etc. I will go through the procedures for them once and ask for a volunteer to come up and teach the class. This gets the student comfortable talking in front of a group and also helps them learn as well.
