Multiple Intelligences 3 children are planning to start gardening.
Evelyn, who's the analytical type, starts by pulling a gardening book off the shelf and reading up on fruit trees.
Marco tunes the radio to her favorite gardening program, where the host is offering tips on planting flowers.
Jayleen simply throws on some old jeans, drives to the plant nursery, loads up on fertilizer and vegetables, and heads home to start digging up her yard.
Which of these three children is doing the right thing? All of them! That's because they're each using approaches that suit their learning styles.
Evelyn soaks up knowledge from books.
Marco learns when he listens.
Jayleen likes to get her hands dirty and master a skill through trial and error.
These are just a few examples of the many ways in which your students absorb knowledge.
Learning Styles
Most teachers teach the old-fashioned way, laying out material step by step and focusing on facts and logic. Yet only 10% of students learn well this way, which is why many learners will doze off if you offer nothing but lectures.
Clearly, you'll need to try other strategies if you want to reach every student in your classroom. And to pick the right approaches, you need to know something about learning styles.
There are lots of different models of learning styles and if you're an education major, I'm betting you're already familiar with some of them.
Here are the four types of learners that the 4MAT model defines:
Imaginative Learners: These learners do best when they ask "Why?" They learn by watching, listening, and sharing ideas. They want you to involve them in the learning experience and be supportive, sympathetic, and friendly. They like to discuss things with other students, and they study well with a group of people. You'll want to focus on motivating them.
Analytical Learners: These people ask "What?" They learn best by reading and hearing new ideas, then mulling over information in their minds. They're eager to find the reasons for things, and they excel at remembering facts and details. They want you to zero in on the subject matter and answer their questions. Focus on teaching them in traditional ways. (Yes, these are the 10% who'll love your lectures.)
Common-Sense Learners: Think of these people as your "How?" learners. They get more out of information when they can connect your material to real-life situations. They want to check things out, and they like instructors who are practical and down to earth. You'll want to focus on coaching them.
Dynamic Learners: These learners ask "What if . . . ?" They like to learn through trial and error, test the boundaries, and challenge the facts you give them. They want you to stimulate them with new ideas, and they won't be happy if you insist on a single way of doing things. Focus on monitoring this group to make sure they stay on track—and keep an eye on them, so they don't blow things up!
Sensory Styles To learn new information, we need to absorb it through our eyes, ears, or other senses. And here's another area where diversity comes into play in the classroom! Consider these typical students:
Evelyn is a book learner. She can read for hours, and she absorbs everything she reads.
Jayleen hasn't cracked a book in years. If she needs to learn a new skill, she finds an expert and says: "Show me how to do this."
Marco strong suit is listening. He often forgets what he reads, but teachers' lectures stick in her head.
Now, guess what: Your class is full of people like Evelyn, Jayleen, and Marco. So how do you reach all of them when they're very different types of learners? Luckily, it's not as hard as it sounds. In reality, we all use a combination of three sensory paths to learning: auditory (hearing), visual , and kinesthetic (movement-related). But people tend to favor one path over the others, and you'll be more effective if you teach to your students' strengths. Here's how:
Visual Learners: To grab a visual learner's attention, use flowcharts, videos, diagrams, graphs, flash cards, mind maps, and photos. Also, use visualization; for instance, if you're teaching the Spanish word for hair, pelo, tell students to picture a big pillow of hair on a person's head. When it's assignment time, ask visual learners to create charts, PowerPoint presentations, videos, or posters.
Auditory Learners: These learners enjoy lectures (and don't you love them for it!). They also blossom in discussion groups, peer teaching activities, role plays, and class presentations. If you're showing slides, offer verbal descriptions to go with the pictures. Let them know it's fine to tape your class, and consider making tapes of your lectures available.
Kinesthetic Learners: These learners like to touch and feel and manipulate things. They may zone out during lectures or videos, but they'll spring to life when you say, "Grab your tools and get to work." Offer them hands-on projects, labs, and field trips. Pass around photos or objects they can hold in their hands. Give them assignments that involve building or assembling things. Have them demonstrate the steps of different processes in front of the class as you describe them. And let them move around! These are your fidgeters, and they need to burn off energy.
References: ed2go.com
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