CEP811: My Take on LeArNiNg sTyLeS

I perform better when I am exposed to a visual and kinesthetic learning environment.   As a visual learner, I can "read" and understand images, graphics, and animations for information, and I also tend to define information to other learners through visual representation. It’s funny but true that visual learners are characterized as those students who sit at the front row of the class because that is what I always did when I was an undergraduate student.  Another aspect of visual learning that I see in myself is that I respond to the teacher’s body language and facial expressions to reinforce what I learn.
 
My learning is not complete without a hands-on experience.  After learning the concepts or theories, there should be projects, experiments, or activities that I can engage in to make learning more interactive.  And yes, a teacher who does not know my combined learning styles may see a restless “me” sitting in front of his class.
 
Here are some of my favorite links to visual/kinesthetic literacy:

• Visuwords  is an alternative and visual way of defining words.
• Periodic table of visualization methods. See examples by hovering your mouse over a tile.
• Interactives provides activities and strategies that enhance kinesthetic learning skills.

Auditory learning is less effective for me.  Listening to podcasts and sitting in a classroom to listen to a teacher lecture without any other stimulation may be less motivating to me.  I prefer to write down my ideas for brainstorming and note taking purposes before I discuss anything.
 
As teachers, it is a must to know and understand the different learning styles in order to understand how to approach and support their students’ learning styles. At work, I have been given opportunities to give customized training to employees in some businesses and public schools in Holland, Michigan for professional development.  Understanding the students’ learning styles help me identify their individualized training needs, for example: whether to use charts or slide presentations of my topic, or read all my directions out loud, or assign a lab work for my students to try out, or creatively combine these approaches.

I agree that we cannot teach each lesson focusing on every learning style that we have in the classroom.  What should be our focus instead?
 
Regardless of what grade level we are teaching, I think our focus should be on helping students learn how to learn. We should support our students as they understand how learning occurs, what are their responsibilities in the learning process, and how to succeed in learning. I believe that this is the essential foundation for students before they develop their skills in realizing what their learning styles are.