Strong (2002) states, “Teachers who successfully employ a range of strategies reach more students because they tap into more learning styles and student interests” (p. 43). Has this been your experience as a student? Give an example to either support or refute this statement.
Strong, J.H. (2002). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
I agree with this comment 100%. I had a middle school teacher who was especially good at this. She was able to use all of the different strategies she possessed to get what she wanted to be taught to us students. Some strategies worked better for some, while others worked better for them. She used differentiation to access each of her students best potential for the work in her class.
ReplyDeleteAlso, through my college classes, they are really focusing on this idea. It is a teachers job to find out what works best for the students. A teacher is never allowed to give up on a student. So if a particular learning style isn't fitting a student, they then teacher needs to try something else until they find what works best. All student have a unique learning style, therefore, teachers need to possess multiple strategies to reach those students and their learning styles.
Kaitlin Kivell
I definitely agree with this statement. All students learn differently. Some learn better visually and some are auditory learners. I am personally a visual learner. I need examples of projects and homework to get a better picture of what I need to do. Teachers need to vary their strategies for learning so that each child can learn as best as possible from different strategies.
ReplyDeleteI had a very good experience in my Expressive Arts class. My teacher made us vary our lesson plans from visual, and kinesthetic, and others. The students I worked with really liked the differences in lessons because one student would like the visual lesson one day and another student would work better in another lesson. I will definitely incorporate different strategies for learning in my classroom.
I completely agree with the statement above. Students have different ways of learning. Some are visual learners and can learn best if they see the material while others are auditory learners who can learn best if they hear the material. All teachers need to find strategies that fit every child's way of learning. Therefore, if the teacher has children who learn best through different strategies, he/she will need to change his/her teaching strategies so every student can be taught.
ReplyDeleteLike Azra said above, I was in an Expressive Arts class last semester where my teacher made us create lesson plans from visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and other strategies. Having such a variety of ways to learn really made the students interested because it was not the same thing every time they came down to work with us. Different strategies always need to be used in the classroom in order to teach every child.
Jennifer
I am in Expressive Arts right now and it really is a unique way to learn how the student learn. Like Jennifer and Azra, I had to make lessons in my different areas, some of which where dance and movement, music, technology, etc. It amazed me to see how some of the lessons really clicked with my students and others didn't. It didn't seem to have anything to do with the lessons themselves, but rather how they were taught. For example, I did parts of a flowers. They loved doing the different activities, but they didn't learn the parts very well because I had done visual arts. The next lesson, I did the water cycle, something the both seemed less intrigued about. But we did a song with dance to it, and they remembered the song, therefore, they remember the water cycle.
ReplyDeleteFinding the right strategies for a classroom is probably one of the most difficult tasks a teacher has, simply because it changes year to year as new student come. They is why teachers need to be prepared and have multiple strategies mastered to be ready for each of their classes they will have throughout the years.
Kaitlin Kivell
I totally agree with this statement. I am a visual learner and need to see things to comprehend the complete understanding. My own personal experiences have been positive enjoy seeing the different learning styles that can be expressed through students interest and teacher’s strategies. It has been applied in many of my homeroom classrooms as a child and now as a college student learning to educate children. There are many different strategies that one can use to reach out to students of different learning styles and interest. When planning a unit lesson we are taught to apply multiple strategies into the core of learning the material. Visuals, hand-on, working with peers, etc. Some of these strategies will work better than others but trial and error will be a way to learn how to incorporate these into a classroom.
ReplyDeleteMolly Peyton
Growing up, I always thought this was the case. When teachers would provide surveys, I would declare the learning style I felt best fit me. However, looking back on the responses I provided, I always struggled deciding if I was a visual or kinesthetic learner. I believe each time I had a different response to the learning style I felt best fit me. After hearing many sides of this issue and looking back on my experiences with varying learning styles, I have to say that, in my opinion, no one, specific learning style matches one student consistently. Instead of matching the learning style to the student, the teacher should match the learning style to the material being covered. I think a majority of students of all ages can relate with the idea that before performing a science experiment, they would like to see a kinesthetic demonstration of the experiment to be performed versus verbal instructions being read aloud with no physical demonstration, even if they may consider themselves an auditory learner. If students need to label the states on a map, teachers would more than likely present them with a visual to use, instead of having them orally describe where a state is. Certain lessons will work best with certain learning styles. Many lessons will involve multiple learning styles because those modalities fit best with the material in order for students to understand and comprehend the content best. Obviously if students have more than one modality provided for them, for example, visual and auditory, they will understand the concepts better versus having only one modality. Almost anyone would remember information better if they heard it as well as saw it. I do agree that a variety of learning strategies should be used because every lesson should not be presented identically, not because students have only one learning style they work best with. Students will lose interest if lessons are performed in the same modality every time and if the same modality is used consistently, it may not be the appropriate method of teaching a certain topic, which could dampen students’ learning.
ReplyDelete-Lauren Hanzelka
I agree with this statement because I feel that so many students learn in so many different ways. I also think that this gives students the opportunity to look at many different learning styles and usually they find that one works best for them. I think that once students are exposed to different learning styles they get more of an option to learn. When I was younger I got put in a lower level class becaue I did not LIKE to read. Teachers would not take the time to try and find things that I would like to read or try to find different strategies to make reading better for. Then, in 5th grade I had switched to a private school and my teacher helped me recognize different strategies of reading and comprehension. Once I started realizing that I actually do like to read I went from lower level classes to the TAG (talented and gifted) program. I feel as if some teachers just need to take the time out to try and figure out different strategies for different students. I am a perfect example where you had to put a little more effort to make me put the effort in.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the statement that students learn best when they are able to relate to the content. But I would also agree with Lauren, that teachers should not change styles to fit each individual student they should change their teaching styles to the one that best fits with the material. In one of my classes we did an example of this; for instance when learning a new language the majority of the students will learn it by hearing the word and saying it over and over again. It will be very hard for students to pick up a new language just by looking at it. That is just one example of teaching to the content rather than the learning styles of the student.
ReplyDeleteIf we teach based on each learning style that best fits the student they wont learn anything from the other ways. We need to incorporate the multiple intelligences into the lessons. I experienced these intelligences in my Expressive Arts class. Each of our lesson plans covered the different intelligences such as visual, musical,hands on, and interpersonal, and many more. Our students loved our lessons and by using all of these intelligences I learned what learning strategy worked best for the students. If we always teach with the intelligences that best fit the content, the students will eventually be able to use all of their intelligences and gradually by time will be able to decide on their own which learning strategy works best for them.
-Brienna Hayes
Kristina, I agree with you 100%! Teachers need to put in the extra effort if they want that same effort back from their students. We should never give up on our students because they did one thing wrong. We should focus on their mistakes and try to bring the positives out in them so we do not lower their self-esteem. That is why as teachers, we need to be able to incorporate the multiple learning styles into our lessons so each student will benefit from it. We should never give up on our students because they do not learn best with the teaching strategy we are using. If that is the case, we should work and put extra time and effort with the student to help them and make sure they are able to grow academically from the experience.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree that yes, having teachers present information in varied learning styles has sparked my curiosity and interest more than teaching in one specific style everyday would. By teaching a class of students in different styles, children’s eyes are opened to the different possibilities of presenting something, causing their creativity to develop and their imagination to grow. Teaching becomes less about the same cut-and-dry lessons and more about having the lessons come alive. Teachers can present the material in the contents’ best modality in hopes of making it more effective and meaningful for the students to take and apply outside of the classroom. The atmosphere in the classroom increases in positivity when students are more engaged, interested, focused and are enjoying themselves. I feel teaching with different strategies keeps the teacher more engaged as well by keeping things fresh. It’s our jobs as teachers to always be thinking of how we can improve our lessons to better meet the needs of our students. By having variety, students with higher scores and lower scores can hopefully find common ground and will have many opportunities to collaborate together. Children that have different strengths will all have their own “time to shine” if different types of tasks are used which will help improve their self-esteem. Students will start to identify how they learn the most effectively and once they learn how they work best, they can begin implementing it into their future classes and studying habits. Teachers must have some form of consistency, however, assessing students appropriately and must keep a sense of security for the students. None of this would be possible if teachers found one strategy they preferred using in the classroom and never veered from it. By expanding their knowledge and experience as a teacher, they are in turn encouraging their students to do the same!
ReplyDeleteKatrina Bauer
Kristina,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that in some cases, teachers need to put more work in if they expect their student to put in more effort as well. Some students are not aware of the possibilities that are out there, like an enjoyment of reading for example. If teachers try to get to know each of their students, they may realize that some of them only need more personalized planning to meet their interests. Though this almost always means more work for us as teachers, our students' potential success will hopefully be our motivation and if our student starts to enjoy some subject of school more, it will only improve the classroom atmosphere and their attitude towards learning. I'm glad that you had a teacher who took the time to work with you and got you more engaged in reading!
Katrina Bauer
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(sorry pasted the wrong entry)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kristin's first statement, I also had a difficult time with reading comprehension. I did not enjoy reading and so I easy became upset and discouraged. My teachers were not encouraging and were little help getting my motivation up where it needed to be. When I entered 4th grade I had a wonderful teacher who took the time and effort to help me with different strategies of reading and it made the world of difference. Once I became better at these skills, I began to notice that I did enjoy reading! I agree that attitude and effort from both the teacher and the students need to be put into effect to find the strategies that work best with a students learning ability.
Kristina- That is so sad that your teacher put you in a lower level class because you did not like to read. If you knew how to, then you should have been put into your proper level. Teachers do need to realize that some students will not read things they are not interested in. This is the reason why teachers need to make learning fun- so that students will want to learn and read the material. Different strategies will work for different students is a completely true statement in this case!
ReplyDeleteJennifer Rich
Kristina and Brienna, I definitely agree with you about the teacher giving extra effort if they want effort from the students. Not only should be vary strategies and learning ways because of students abilities but also because we want them to enjoy the classroom and get something out of it. I remember being in classrooms where all we did was take notes, every single time we met. That is not a class that I learned much information from. I much rather do different activities that will help me remember the lesson, and little kids need that as well.
ReplyDeleteI can see evidence of this statement in the classroom I am currently working with. Information is presented to students in a variety of ways and strategies, often in multiple modalities as well. When receiving an assignment, the students are often given visual and auditory instructions. Many times a quick demonstration or model of the lesson is given as well. Students are able to see, hear, and read the instructions for their assignments. This allows them to remember the information better and use all different types of learning styles.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I stated in my previous entry that I don't believe students have only one form of learning style throughout content and subjects. I still believe this, however, I also believe that within subject areas, students may have a preference for certain learning strategies and styles. For example, in the class I am working with, I have witnessed students solve math problems in various ways. When working with division and multiplication, some students prefer to draw pictures or use manipulatives, while others use numbers or are capable of completing the problem in their head. If given a problem, students solve it in their own way. I also think that these strategies may change over time. Some students who use pictures now, may find that once they have practiced their multiplication and division over a long period of time, that they only need pictures with difficult problems. Or they may find that when entering a new unit, they don't need to draw pictures for those concepts because they understand them best with an alternate learning style.
-Lauren Hanzelka
I agree that teachers should strive to use a range of strategies that encompass all learning styles. The more forms the information is presented in, the better the students will understand the content. However, I do not think that teachers should limit students to one learning style. Just because one student usually learns best visually, does not mean everything they learn needs to be presented visually. Students will benefit from learning in a variety of different styles. Therefore, teachers should use the learning style that best fits with the content. Educators need to be intentional about using a variety of different methods to effectively present information. My high school Great Books teacher was good at using a range of strategies to help us understand the difficult books. She had us listen to recordings, read silently, read aloud, act out the stories, teach chapters to the class, and complete projects. The combination of all of the strategies was extremely helpful to me as a student.
ReplyDeleteKatrina, I agree with you that the classroom atmosphere is much more positive when the children are actively engaged in their learning. I witnessed this during my field experience this week. The students were learning about measurement. They could have completed a worksheet and measured lines on a piece of paper to practice measuring in inches. Instead, they received a list of mystery measurements. They went around the classroom measuring items to find which objects matched the mystery measurements. I noticed that the students were very excited when they discovered an object that matched a measurement. They were actively involved and the classroom atmosphere was energetic and positive.
ReplyDeleteMolly, I know how it is to be a visual learner as well, and I dont think that people actually understand how many students are actually visual learners. The more experience I get and the more students that I get to see, I recognize that a lot more are visual learners, although there are many styles of learning. I feel as if finding a way for all of your students to learn your units would be ideal and I feel like teachers have the most trouble with this. Especially incorporating special needs students and also students with enrichment.
ReplyDeleteKristina Srog
I agree with this statement completely. Not only have I benefited from this style of teaching as a student but I am now seeing firsthand how differentiated instruction can reach the diverse student learning styles of a class. Not only do I think it is great and effective for a teacher to come into a lesson with different strategies for teaching the lesson, but also different assessment plans. Once the lesson has been created with the different needs in mind, the final assessment must be taken into consideration as well with options given for the student on how they choose to be evaluated. This will give students the option of choosing an assignment they will enjoy hopefully and create a student-centered learning environment.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Bethany:
ReplyDeleteI take the same position with you on not limiting a student to one specific style of learning. Although one style of learning may be preferred by a student, it should not be expected of them or limited to this one style by educators. A class I have had here at the university worked extensively on creating lessons that covered a wide range of learning styles and student ability levels by including the arts and multiple intelligences in the planning of the lesson. While working with a group of four students over a month, I was able to see how although some students preferred a style to another, the different lessons and activities we created gave them different learning opportunities that they enjoyed because of the new experiences that were created.
I agree with this statement. I have had some horrible teachers that just stand in front of the class and lecture and I feel as though the information just went in one ear and out the other. I have also have had some really good teachers that made sure everyone was learning in their own way. The best experience that I believe I have had in a classroom is from a past teacher who when they taught a lesson they made sure we were getting information told to us, were writing information down, and we were also participating in some form of action in order to learn the materials. I have also learned in many of my classes at UNI about different ways of learning and how we need to make sure to consider all different types when we teach a lesson.
ReplyDelete