I am a person who is a mixture of the learning styles. However, I am probably more of a Jabber. I love books and learning. Yet there are aspects of a visual learner in me. I love charts and diagrams and tend to combine them with words. The Integer part of me loves to truly understand why something works as it does. If I truly understand a process, it makes it easier for me to recall the information later. Like the Loner, I enjoy finding information by myself and researching it for class. Like the Friendzy twins, I am interested in the personal lives of my students. When they have been sick, I ask them how they are feeling now.
Tina, your answer is the perfect place to emphasize, "It depends." Every learner has their strengths and needs a great teacher learns to develop both of these traits to its maximum good intent.
Michele Deck
I really had to think on how I would answer as to the favorite and least favorite learner. The reason I say this is because it really depends on the subject that is being taught. I am going to talk about Medical Terminology; my favorite learner would be the auditory because there is so much reading and memorization in this class. My least favorite would be the Loner because in Medical Terminology, I like to have a few group project to help the student learn from powerpoint presentations as well as engaging in some games to help with remembering key words.
I would have to say that I am a visual, auditory learner. I see and hear words on a page and when I listen to someone else's lectures, I tend to "see" a little movie (video & audio) in my head. Certain types of learning however require me to have the kinesthetic experience (eg. learning to scale & rootplane) Dental Hygiene.
My easiest mode of learning is kinetic have to touch and do it, and also a visual learner. With straight lecture I tend to just zone out and just read the text on my own or do my homework.
Lisa, I think you have done a fair assessment of your primary styles.
Michele Deck
I am a visual learner and hands on learner. I don't think anyone has ONE style of learning. Visual is the way I learn the easiest. I love to read, but do not learn how to do things from reading instructions. I can learn abstract thought, history or memorization information when reading, but if I am learning to do something, I have to see it done first.
Gordon, I'm so gald you have shared your personal experience of learning, it puts you in tune with some students who learn in diverse ways. That is a plus for both you and them.
Michele Deck
I saw images and reflected on actions so I guess I would be a combination of visual and kinesthetic.
Best example I can give is from myself: in that I have always seemed to do well with things like writing, reading, Right-brain functions; yet I wanted to go into the medical field as well and found math, chemistry, memorization. Left-brain learning difficult.
So like that, learning in different modalities other than one is used to, or more comfortable with is possible but tends to be more difficult. By incorporating those easier modalities to difficult subjects a compromise can be met and learning can become easier.
I am a Rainbow frame of mind. I am not the Integer! Funny how so many people do not like math!
Lisa, these learners can follow very detailed instructions all by themselves. it is indeed a challenge for all of us who teach.
Michele Deck
I believe I am somewhere between Rainbow & Touchy. (I often guide my students hands during trimming procedures in our lab. I find that actually guiding them takes some of their apprehension away, at least for a moment.)
I can not relate to Loner, so this would be a great challenge for me to be "self taught."
I appreciate a demonstration as well as physical guidance, in reference to lab skills.
