Meeting My Needs through My Learning Style - Essay Example

Meeting My Needs through My Learning Style Inventory I found the Learning Style Inventory very interesting and I was surprised at some of the information I found form it. I think it is important to understand ones learning styles, but I think the information is more for the student than it is the teacher. I find that many classes dont pay attention to everyones learning needs. This is unfortunate because I think that students would be able to learn better if their needs for learning were met. It was interesting going through the process because I was able to get in touch with several things I knew about myself, but that I didn’t know were central to my learning. For instance, I knew I was a logical thinker and I liked being around people, but I didnt know that these two things were part of my learning style. After taking the inventory, I scored highest in Intrapersonal (100%), followed by Logical (90%). I then scored the same on Kinesthetic and Visual (both 80%). Again, Ive never really thought about how I learned but several of the categories were correct. In the Intrapersonal intelligence, I could relate to all of the things on the list from the inventory. I am very comfortable with myself and with my abilities, I know my strengths and weaknesses well, and I tend to follow my instincts. (McKenzie, 1999, "Intrapersonal"). I like classes that have me set goals. However, I always set goals for myself anyway, whether the class asks me to or not. This class has been good because it has me reflecting on the Inventory and I took it for the class. These types of things are fun in a classroom. I also found it interesting because one of the studies I found talked about differentiated instruction, and that was the first item on my profile for ways to support my learning style in the classroom. Levy (2008) makes the point that even though standards of teaching are handed down to teachers (shes talking about K-12) the way they teach is up to them. She suggests grouping students in different ways (not randomly) and creating "tiered lesson plans" which will teach the same subject in several different ways (Levy, 2008, p.3). I thought this was a very good idea and it works for me as a student in a classroom. I could see where I am a logical thinker. I think because I am an "army brat" the idea of order seems logical to me. I like orderly classes where the teacher explains exactly what you have to do and then gives you guidelines for doing it. As the profile for this intelligence says, I like rubrics. I also like to have some say into how the rubric will be done. This makes me feel like I am giving my input. I like testing theories and doing puzzles as it says (McKenzie, 1999, "Logical"). I also think that working in nursing brings out my logical intelligence because you have to do things in a certain way or you may harm a patient. I can also see how my Visual and Kinesthetic intelligences show up. I am a hands on learner in many areas. In some of my coursework for nursing, it made more sense to me if I could see and feel something. For instance, in an Anatomy and Physiology class it was important to actually be able to feel or see the aspects of the body I was being asked to describe; this helped me retain the names of things easier. I also can "see" lots of ideas and imagine possibilities in my head. ( McKenzie, 1999, "Kinesthetic") I had to do this all the time when I went through all of my surgeries. I also have to do this now as I go through school with the disabilities that I have had to endure. If I couldnt see the possibilities, I probably wouldn’t still be in college. I agree with the thought that developing an education program is influenced by personal styles. I think that teachers teach according to their learning styles and this becomes difficult for both the teacher and the student when their learning styles are different. I actually found a couple of articles that talked about this issue. Marshall (1991) did a study to see how teachers learning styles affect student learning. I liked this study because it started with the premise that the traditional way of setting up the classroom and doing school was the "right way" and if a student had a problem learning, it was their fault or there was a problem with the family. I think that many people still believe this today. The study asked teachers why they taught the way they did and many said "it was the way I was taught," "Its the way I learn" or "Its the best way to cover the material." (Marshall, 1991, par. 8). What she found was interesting. Half of the teachers she interviewed in her study reported a preference for an informal learning environment and the other half needed mobility in their classrooms (Marshall, par. 16). The challenge was that their rooms did not reflect this type of classroom. Marshall suggests: … for teachers to change their teaching styles, to understand and risk planning instruction on the basis of learning style patterns of students--and, therefore, to teach successfully a wider range of learners--they must come to recognize, respect, and support the learning differences of students … (Marshall, par. 17). I found this to be a fascinating study and although she was talking about K-12 teachers, it is an important aspect of any classroom in my opinion. I also think that online courses should take into consideration all student learning styles. I am not totally sure how this would look or how it would work, but I know that many of the classes I have online are boring to my learning style. Moallen (2007) did a study about accommodating individual differences when designing online learning environments. This study was done with just a few students and it was over a two week period, but the results were very interesting. Many teachers felt that this was too time consuming and that some course material still needed to be taught the traditional way. However, the research also found that students were more engaged when teachers took the time to develop more interactive online course and help students feel more like they and the teachers were present in the class (Moallen, p. 238). The study by Burris, et. al. (2008) was also interesting because it compared learning styles to personality type. They said also that "… within a learners style, the patterns of attitudes and interests influence what a person will attend to in a potential learning situation " (Provost and Anchors, 1987, p.182 as quoted in Burris, et. al, 2008, p.1). I never thought about how you will attend (focus) on the things that fit your learning style in any lesson. That was a new concept for me. I liked the Myers Briggs aspect because they showed how each type would do best in a learning environment and I thought this would be interesting to compare against my learning styles. I think my greatest strength is my tenacity and I think that works in well with my Kinesthetic and Visual learning styles. I have always had to see a bigger picture than most people see and this is what keeps me going at times. I think that my logical learning style brings about strength in many of my classes since many educational classes are geared more toward the logical thinker. I would say that my strengths match my perceived strengths. References Burris, S., Kitchel, T., Molina, Q., Vincent, S., and Warner, W. (2008). The language of learning styles. Techniques: connecting education & careers. February 83 (2) p. 44-48. Retrieved April 8, 2008 from EBSCOHost database Academic Search Premier AN 29968354. McKenzie, W. (1999). Learning Styles: Interpersonal. SurfAquarium. Retrieved April 7, 2008 from http://surfaquarium.com/MI/profiles/intrapersonal.htm. ---. Learning Styles: Kinesthetic. SurfAquarium. Retrieved April 7, 2008 from http://surfaquarium.com/MI/profiles/kinesthetic.htm. ---. Learning Styles: Logical. SurfAquarium. Retrieved April 7, 2008 from http://surfaquarium.com/MI/profiles/logical.htm. Marshall, C. (1991). Teachers learning styles: How they affected student learning. Clearing House. Mar/Apr. 64(4) p. 225. Retrieved April 8,2008 from EBSCOHost database Academic Search Premier AN 9706300003 Moallen, M. (2007). Accommodating individual differences in the design of online learning environments: A comparative study. Techniques Connecting Education and Careers. February 83(2). p. 44-48. Retrieved April 8, 2008 from EBSCOHost database Academic Search Premier AN 27827189. Read More