Inclusion for Children Who Learn Kinesthetically in the Primary School - Research Proposal Example

Pedagogic and professional Issues Assignment: A Reflection about Inclusion for Children Who Learn Kinesthetically in The Primary School and Why It Interests Me. Name: xxxxx School: xxxxx Course: xxxxx Instructor’s Name: xxxxx Introduction The way we respond to environmental, emotional, physical and social stimuli depicts our learning and understanding towards the new concepts and ideas. The method of learning defines the way in which information is processed. Its main focus is not on the weaknesses of the students but on their strengths. There is no right or wrong way of learning style however, people do prefer some basic learning styles; visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or manipulative. In the process of teaching the children I have observed that although there are different individual ways in which we can educate them, however, many of the teachers, including me combine these learning styles for the effective learning (Farewell, 2010). Teachers have combined all the ways because few of the students find it hard to learn the facts and figures that have one common thing in them. This is because according to the research it is proven that the percentage of learning and the style by which one will understand the facts vary from person to person. It is deduced and I have also felt that only 20 to 30 percent of the school going population remembers what is heard in the class. Whereas 40 percent pupils are able to recall the things that are visually seen or heard. On the other hand, some students need to use their hands in some manipulative way in order to learn the basic facts (Farewell, 2010). Introduction of Different Teaching Styles I prefer to combine all the styles because according to Gray Hill in his book “Teaching Legal Research and Providing Access to Electronic Resources” he discuss that some students understand better in auditory style, dealing with words either written or spoken, in the form of a lecture or discussion format. In this they can hear it and try memorizing whatever they are hearing (2001). When I used this technique in my class I realised that where few of my students maintain their level of interest and attention in the lecture with the help of my sound variation and body language others are totally day dreaming when they are sitting ideal. However, in some cases others focus on visual style; in the Hill (2001) explains that the children who prefer visual technique usually dislike and are normally frustrated by the textbooks, lectures, hand-outs and other instructional methods that are dominated by words, but they learn best when these methods are aided by visuals. Later in the book he explains that the visual representations are very useful as they help students to see and understand the connections between ideas. Applying this method in my class with the help of diagrams, overhead projector, chalkboard, films pictures, flow chart, graphs, and timelines I noticed that many students were concentrating on visual and their level of understanding was developed in a better way. Other than this the most interesting and active way in which pupils can play, study, and understand the concept in a lesser time and in a more comprehensive way is kinesthetic means. Hill (2001) says that it is the most beneficial idea for those students who often feel like moving around while they are learning and working with the material that they can touch and handle as well. He says that these students learn best when they are exposed to physical representations like maps, games, index cards etc. He comments that these students acquire information while they are performing trial and error approaches like lab experiments, dramas, skits, or dances. When I applied this approach to my work I saw an imminent change in the learning of my children. This is because the more they work with their own hands the better they understand the facts and after few wrong trails they secure a very fine experience in the learning process. Likewise, they understand the different approaches of the concept on their own. I have found out that when these students become their own teachers, then the process of learning becomes more effective for them. The reason I have preferred kinesthetic style of learning in my class is: the involvement of students in class that helps them to be active and alert during the study session while they are using all their senses. When everyone is participating in the activity then there are chances that most of the students are learning the concepts very easily. The other reason is that if any difficult or new idea is floated to them in a light way, then it does not become monotonous and complicated for them to absorb it. However, the lively ambience of the class helps the students to ask the questions wherever they are not comfortable. In her book “Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension”, Judi Moreillon (2007) says that the students learn better if they use all their senses. Accordingly when I am teaching in kinesthetic learning style in the class I have experienced that the learning ability of my children tends to grow better with these activities. Why kinesthetic learning is Important Corbin in his book (2008) says that physical movements and activities enhance the learning of the young brain. There is a strong relation between the physical activities and learning. Though our brain only consists of 3% of the mass but according to a research the brain requires approximately 20% of the body’s oxygen, flow, and nutrition. For this reason, it is essential for the human to start exercising from a very young age so that their brains start developing likewise. As a result of this research I have practiced kinesthetic mode of learning in my class. After using them I have realized that the use of physical activities can facilitate the learners in an enhanced manner. As teaching those with the help of physical input can have a significant impact on the memory of the children and whenever they perform something with their own hands they learn it more quickly as it is easy to learn from their mistakes instead of looking at what others are doing. For this reason I try to make my class more attractive and interactive by using a number of physical activities, which can energize the students and can make them learn more quickly. When I use the models in my class, I involve students to help me in the set up; this assists the students to understand the key concepts of the idea as the introduction of the models can help students to comprehend the basic function of the object and this can help them memorize it in a better way. When I use games, simulations, drama, mime and other such activities that involve the presence of the students in the class, the rate of students’ comprehension increases more efficiently. I have also used cards or blocks in my teaching practice so that the students can understand the facts and figures more accurately. Corbin in his book “Unleashing the Potential of The Teenage Brain” has also talked in the favour of this concept by saying that the assessed use of hands on activities can help students to understand the concept in a better way (2008). Key Events Thomas Armstrong has discussed multiple ways in his book “Multiple Intelligence in the Classroom” (2009) which can help the teachers in the development of a better lecture for the students. He has supported the concept by saying that the books and lectures remain in the desks of the students, what goes with them is their body. So if the teachers encourage the use of body in the lectures though different ways than the retention and understanding of the concept can be improved. SOLAR SYSTEM: The activity that I did with my students was based on solar system. We used large ball as a symbol of planets. One ball is handled by one student thus each student was a representation of the planet. Then I arranged them in the solar system sequence. The sun was revolving on its place where as the rest of the planets, i.e. the students, were suppose to rotate the ball while they’re walking in a circle. Only the child who was representing Venus was rotating clockwise and the rest were moving in the anti-clockwise direction. Then the speed of all the planets was catered ratio wise. Before doing this exercise I had already taught the concept of the solar system in the class. However, after the drill I experienced a better understanding among the students. I deduced that if the concept of learning is expressed in a friendly and interactive way then the level of understanding the problem increases in the students. Particularly in this drill where the concept was heavy and boring with the regard that students had to learn the speed ratio and the clockwise and anti-clockwise movements of the planets. However, after the display when I asked them the questions about it most of the students answered correctly for all the relevant questions, which shows that they understood it and memorized the concept very efficiently. Thus with the help of such lively activities I tend on building a strong relationship between the students and the subject as well as with me. The class becomes more comfortable and they do not feel burdened with the everyday new theories of the subject. The same idea is supported by Jensen Eric in the book “Super Teaching: Over 1000 practical Strategies” (2009). In this book she says that the development of student- subject relation is very essential as it influences the motivation and learning among the students. And instead of running away from the dry and dull topics they start enjoying the lessons; hence it increases their educational and interest level in the studies. She has also discussed that with the attempt of introducing activities in the class, the teacher- student relationship also grows stronger which leads to the teacher having to exert less power and authority while teaching students. ANIMAL KINGDOM: The other key event that I have run through with the class from science is associated with animal kingdom. The reason to choose this topic was that the students find it difficult to understand the locomotive theories. Initially after teaching them the subject I showed them different pictures and with the help of the students I arranged those pictures in a similar group. The animals that walk were in one group. Those who hop were in other and the crawling animals were in the third group. Then the students were asked to present themselves as those animals. They had chart papers in their hands that had their names, and were divided in the same manner. The classroom had number of stations and each station had one type of animal. I called the group to travel from one place to the other and they used to move from the original station to the destined one. When they were moving from one place to the other they used the movement method of their prescribed animal. I added the music in the background, while they were moving from one station to the other. This attempt made the environment more lively and interesting for the students and unconsciously they tried to link their movement with the rhythm of the sounds. Tacka and Houlahan (2008) have described the importance of music in their book in a brilliant manner. The book says that from centuries the knowledge is imparted from one generation to other with the help of music. However, the educators have discovered its importance a little longer than required. It is also discussed in the book that if the students listen to the teacher’s instruction with the music in the background then the information is committed to the memory more easily. GRAMMAR: I have used the concept of tableaus for the students in the language class. One of the students was suppose to act as a vowel and one as a constant. Few of the students were pretending to be different articles; where as the rest were divided into nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The verbs were supposed to act according to their given names. I used three bowls: one had nouns in it, other had verbs, and the third one had adjectives. I was supposed to take out one chit form each bowl. Once it was decided what are the nouns, verbs, and adjective of the sentences, the students were given two minutes to arrange themselves in the correct order. The involvement of movement is informative, expressive, and analytical. These creative movements can intensify their language. By the help of the tableaus these creative movements help students to explore the basic theme and concept behind the sentences. The children did a non-verbal character analysis just by looking at the acting. The children also experienced the cause and effect of the sentence with the verbal interaction. The presentation of the sentences by the help of tableaus has helped these young students to understand and memorize the sequence of it more properly. The application of the group tableaus taught the students different aspect of learning: designing, focusing on the details, and hence enhancing their observation. This way they understood the development of sentences and related the sequence of lines with each other. The drill of physicalizing the lesson has certainly created new directions in the brains of young children. Likewise they are able to understand the sequence and the correct use of words. This exercise has increased their ability to use the vocabulary effectively and they also understood different shades of parts of speech. They have developed the ability to understand and practice the sentence structure. Above all they have developed a sense of cooperation and problem solving in a form of group. Kinesthetic Learning and its effect on children The application of kinesthetic learning has remarkable effect on the students as I have observed that introduction of this technique has increased the comprehension of students. The interpretation of the idea all the way through physical means aids the children to internalize, grasp, and maintain abstract information. The use of kinesthetic learning in the class has not only improved the linguistic talent of the students but has also increased the ability of students to observe their surroundings more attentively. The inclusion of children in the class activities has increased their confidence as they have intrapersonal intelligence in which they can easily manipulate the ideas of their selves and can express what they are feeling more comfortably from a very young age. These activities have increased the rate of interaction between the students and the level in which they play and discover more things about each other in a class activity. This is also discussed by Gordan (2009) who says that kinesthetic practices are a very useful tool as this reaches many students who have otherwise fallen in the crack because of the troubled education system. He says that if the physical activities are incorporated in the process of learning then countless students would stay in school and flourish. In a report it is stated that the children who have kinesthetic intelligence cannot sit at one place, and instead of asking others how things work, they explore the solutions themselves. They are the people who want to stay out of the four walls and prefer to touch things instead of just looking at them. I have seen this set of mind in my class for most of the students. They have their own sense of creativity; if they are taught a subject just in a lecture form, they lose their attention from the class and get attracted to other activities, like playing with their pencils and teasing their neighbour student etc. Thus, if there is no activity involved in the lecture, then these students can really become a problem for the teacher. It is felt by many researchers that such type of student is the real assist of the country as they tend to do one or the other thing at a time. In future they become scientists, writers, artist dancers and the like who are recognized only because of their artistic mind and work. Therefore, I do not want to waste the talent of such students and hence I design most of my lessons based on kinesthetic learning. This fact is also discussed in an article by Griss (1994) who says that the learning through movement can help the students to learn the world by physical ways. And if there are restrictions imposed on them then their natural resources would be wasted and hence they would become a barrier in the process of education. References Armstrong. T (2009) Multiple Intelligence in the Classroom. United States of America. Rafael LopezASCD. Publication. http://books.google.com/books?id=zCdxFRFmXpQC&pg=PA82&dq=kinesthetic+teaching+strategies+for+primary+school&cd=8#v=onepage&q=kinesthetic%20teaching%20strategies%20for%20primary%20school&f=false Corbin. B. (2008) Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain: 10 Powerful Ideas. United States of America. Corwin Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=HN8t9K58kSYC&pg=PA68&dq=kinesthetic+teaching+strategies&cd=10#v=onepage&q=kinesthetic%20teaching%20strategies&f=false Farewell. T. (2010) Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Accessed on April 1st 2010 Learners, http://school.familyeducation.com/intelligence/teaching-methods/38519.html Griss, S. (1994) Article-Kinesthetic Teaching, Accessed on April 1st 2010. http://www.mindsinmotion.org/creative.html Gordan, M. (2009) How Kinesthetic Academics Began, Assessed on April 1st 2010 http://kinesthetic-academics.com/?p=88 Hill L. G., Sears. S. D. & Lyman. L (2001) Teaching Legal Research and Providing Access to Electronic Resources, Binghamton, Worth Information Press, http://books.google.com/books?id=_eA3O06HVlkC&pg=PA79&lpg=PA80&dq=kinesthetic+teaching+strategies#v=onepage&q=kinesthetic%20teaching%20strategies&f=false Jensen E. (2009) Super Teaching: Over 1000 practical Strategies. United States of America. Corwin Press, http://books.google.com/books?id=lmDrx8Vd-7kC&pg=PA97&dq=kinesthetic+teaching+strategies&hl=en&ei=2-KwS7CnFIr46QPNx83FDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFUQ6AEwBzge#v=onepage&q=kinesthetic%20teaching%20strategies&f=false Moreillon. J. (2007) Collaborative Strategies For Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. United States of America. American Library Association, http://books.google.com/books?id=VXnzdJxLp0YC&pg=PA40&dq=kinesthetic+teaching+strategies&hl=en&ei=GeGwS7raAouC7QOCzMnJDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFYQ6AEwCDgU#v=onepage&q=kinesthetic%20teaching%20strategies&f=false Tacka P. & Houlahan. M. (2008) “Kodaly Today: A cognitive Approach to Elementary Music Education” Oxford University Press, http://books.google.com/books?id=rhZ5Yb_If60C&pg=PA243&dq=kinesthetic+teaching+strategies&hl=en&ei=KOCwS4GvJI3u7AO72Yy3Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFsQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=kinesthetic%20teaching%20strategies&f=false Understanding Kinesthetic Intelligence. September 30, 2008. Assessed on April 1st 2010 http://www.dirjournal.com/guides/understanding-kinesthetic-intelligence/ Read More