5200 SECTION 3: FACTORS IMPACTING LEARNING

LEARNING STYLES PT 2

"In reality, only 20 percent of high school students are auditory learners, meaning that they learn best by hearing information. About another 20 -25 percent are visual learners. They learn best by seeing information. The majority of our students are tactile learners. They learn best by manipulating things" (Nunley). In this quotation, Nunley is lumping tactile/kinesthetic learners into one category she calls tactile. But as she notes, they are a majority of students today. **"With so few auditory learners in our classrooms, why are so many teachers lecturing to their students? Most likely because the vast majority of us are auditory learners. We all went to college. Just like natural selection, college 'selects' for auditory learners. We are the ones who are successful in college, not because we are necessarily smarter, but because college catered to our preferred learning style. Therefore, since most people teach in their own learning style, most teachers like to lecture. Who succeeds in these classrooms? The smartest kids? No, it is the ones who happen to have a learning style that matches our teaching style."**

LEARNING STYLES

"Learning style is that consistent pattern of behavior and performance by which an individual approaches educational experiences. It is the composite of characteristic cognitive, affective, and psychological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment." (Bennett, 1990). In addition to learning about your students' backgrounds, interests, and academic ability, it is very helpful to learn about how your students prefer to learn. the idea of learning styles has become a controversial topic in the field of education. You may have heard of the idea that some people prefer to learn by listening, while others prefer reading or seeing information, while others learn best by doing. Some researchers believe this is the case, while other scholars argue that there is no evidence that people have a set "learning style." it is important to acknowledge that there are several different ways (modalities) to present the same information. If the method you are using for a given lesson does not seem to be working, consider trying a different modality. Ideally, you will plan lessons to incorporate several different ways of teaching and re-teaching the same content during a given lesson so that all learners will have the chance to grasp the concept and clarify misconceptions. It is a consistent pattern; it does not change from day to day or from year to year. It is the learner's composite behavior that includes how they think, feel, and their mindset as they approach a learning task. How do learning styles develop? Advocates of the theory argue that some of your learning style is genetic and inherited. Other parts of learning style are based on the environment in which you were raised. Some families are highly cooperative and others train their children to "stand on their own two feet" and to be independent. Students from these two environments will have very different reactions when the teacher says, "We're going to break up into small groups and solve some problems today."

CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERNALLY MOTIVATED STUDENTS

** If their internal motivations match your goals, you will not have to motivate them. **If their internal motivation does not fit your goals, you will have to convince them that doing your task will meet one of their goals. If you cannot do that then you may have to fall back on external reinforcement to convince them to do what you want. They may want a sticker, too.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EXTERNALLY MOTIVATED STUDENTS

**Motivation is a matter of finding a reinforcement that they want. Reinforcement might be a tangible reward, a word of praise, or some other indication that they have achieved. **Different students will be motivated by different reinforcement. One may do the work for a sticker, but someone else might want a candy bar. The challenge is to find what will work for each student. **The other side of reinforcement is punishment. Rather than offering a reward for doing homework you can threaten a punishment for not doing it. Punishment is not very effective for many students. In addition, it makes them hate the teacher and school, which is not effective in the end.

TEACHER EXPECTATIONS (cont)

1. Support - Young people need to be surrounded by people who love, care for, appreciate and accept them . 2. Empowerment - Young people need to feel valued and valuable. This occurs when youth feel safe, believe they are liked and respected and when they contribute to their families, schools and communities. 3. Boundaries and Expectations - Young people need the positive influence of their peers and adults who encourage them to be and do their best. 4. Constructive Use of Time - Young people need the opportunity to learn and develop new skills and interests. 5. Commitment to Learning - Young people need a variety of learning experiences that cultivate a desire for academic success, a sense of the lasting importance of learning, and a belief in their own abilities 6. Positive Values - Young people need to develop strong guiding values, such as care for others, high standards for personal character and belief in protecting their own well-being. 7. Social Competencies - Young people need the skills to interact effectively with others, to make difficult decisions and choices and to cope with new situations. 8. Positive Identity - Young people need to believe in their own self-worth, feel they have control over the things that happen to them and to have a sense of purpose in life.

HEALTH AND HOME LIFE

A student's personal health and home life are significant factors to their readiness to learn. If a student does not have enough to eat, hunger pains will drown out their ability to concentrate on the lesson at hand. Similarly, if a child is experiencing family tension or if the student's family does not place a high value on education, learning will be hindered. You cannot control your student's home life, but getting to know your students in a personal way will help you to account for distractions they may carry into your classroom. Learn more about the resources at your school, whether free and reduced lunch or a counseling referral, to help minimize the negative consequences of a difficult home life. Equally important, be compassionate and listen to the specific concerns and burdens your students may be carrying.

AUDITORY LEARNERS

Auditory learners have a strength or preference for the teacher to provide verbal instructions. They find it easy to learn by listening. They enjoy lectures, dialogues, discussions, and plays. These learners often remember names but forget faces. They often do well working out solutions or problems by talking them out. They are easily distracted by noise and often need to work where it is relatively quiet. If you are an AUDITORY learner, you may wish to use tapes. Tape lectures to help fill in gaps in your notes. But do listen and take notes. Also review your notes frequently. Sit in the lecture hall or classroom where you can hear well. After you have read something, summarize it and recite it aloud. Talk to other students about class material. CHARACTERISTICS *Prefers verbal directions *Remembers names but often forgets faces *May be a slow reader *Retains most points in a lecture without taking notes *May appear distracted during a lecture (looking out the window) but is actually hearing everything that is said *Can concentrate better with instrumental music in the background because it covers distracting noise *Can recall the words to songs and jokes easily *Can explain things well *Likes a quiet classroom *May have trouble obtaining information from charts and graphs *Writing lecture notes may distract them from focusing on the spoken word *Strong language skills, including a well developed vocabulary TEACHING TECHNIQUES *Provide verbal instructions *Talk to them rather than having them do extra problems or other homework *Do not pressure to write lecture notes *Have them give oral reports *Show videos *Use small group discussion

SELF EFFICACY AND READINESS

Building students' self-concepts increases their learning effectiveness. There is one critical factor which determines the behavior of people. That factor is self-concept. Self-concept is the impressions, feelings, attitudes, and beliefs we have about ourselves. If one student thinks he is a dumb loser who never does anything right and another student thinks he is smart, capable, and has a history of success, which would you bet on to make an A on the test tomorrow? We only do those things which we believe we have a reasonable chance to be successful. Many students who are convinced they are "dumb at math" will turn the assignment upside down when they receive it and put their head down on their desk. It is not that they can't do it; it is that they believe they can't do it. Often self-concept and reality are not the same thing. How does that happen? If a child hears constant put-downs and if they seldom do well enough to please their parents, they will develop a negative view of themselves. When you have a negative view of yourself you automatically notice negative things. "People put you down enough and you start to believe it." Why should you, as a teacher, care about self-concept? Self-concept is positively correlated (they go together like a hand and glove) with good grades, good behavior in school, ability to get along with other students, self-reliance, ability to accept occasional failure without damage, learning from mistakes, accepting responsibility, and setting goals. As a teacher, be positive. If a student has a poor performance, focus on the positives. If their test score is better than last time, even if it is still not acceptable, focus on the improvement. Help them set a goal for a little more improvement next time. do everything to help your students be successful and celebrate their successes. It is amazing how far a comment like, "I knew you could do it, Taylor!" will go, especially if the student hears it often. Nothing succeeds like success. After a while they will start to believe the "good stuff." Provide positive reinforcement frequently. Kind words, gold stars, certificates and awards, or no homework for those who made a B or better on the test are just some of the possibilities. ****Make yourself available to students and be a good listener. Help them to see the possibilities in their lives. Be an encourager. Make positive eye contact with a smile with every student every day if possible. Use their names frequently, and try to speak personally with each student often. Show them they are special.****

PERPETUAL STYLES

In terms of listening, seeing, or doing, each student has a preferred style of taking in material. Usually they have strengths in two of the three perceptual styles, combining tactile and kinesthetic into one category, and the third is usually very weak. There are four modalities of learning. They are: 1. auditory, 2. visual, 3. tactile, 4. kinesthetic. Often the last two categories are collapsed into one category.

INCREASE READINESS TO LEARN

In your classroom, nurture your students' self-efficacy. Convince each student that he or she has the ability to succeed in your class. You can build a classroom to eliminate physical and emotional threats and increase the likelihood of success. Educators can add meaning and relevance to their daily lessons by finding out what lights a student's fire. Youth do best in school, and in life, when they feel connected and have a sense of belonging. According to "Flip" Flippen in his Capturing Kid's Hearts workshop, the root cause of most 'kid problems' such as drugs, gangs, low grades, failure, discipline problems, low self-esteem, etc. is the lack of a relationship with an appropriate adult As the teacher, you have the opportunity to be this appropriate adult. By shaking hands with, smiling at, and talking to the students each day, you can make them feel reassured and engaged. You can also encourage critical thinking skills which give students the confidence and motivation to voice their opinions. You must take everyone's comments seriously, acknowledging them without sarcasm and providing ways for everyone to contribute. As a teacher, it is important to celebrate students' accomplishments both in and out of the classroom. Research shows that rewards do not negatively affect intrinsic motivation. It is important to make the recognition personal to the student instead of just recognizing a group or the class as a whole. A reward is most effective when contingent on the attainment of some standard of achievement. It is appropriate to give students tangible rewards, such as stickers or notes on their papers. Students of any age find rewards important.

MOTIVATION

Learning is most effective when students are motivated. There are two different ways to motivate students and neither is effective for ALL students. Some people are motivated by rewards. "What's in it for me?" motivation, and it is very common. These strategies appeal to people who are externally motivated, that is, motivated by rewards outside of themselves. Others are motivated by their internal goals and desires. They may be driven to sell products because they want to sell more than they sold last month or to become the best salesperson in the company. These people may have decided they wanted to be a doctor, and they will work long hours and sacrifice almost everything to reach that goal. These people are internally motivated. Rotter says that some people, those who are externally motivated, believe that life is not in their control and that control is in the hands of others or is up to fate. A person with this mindset may say, "Why work hard? Someone else will probably win. If the forces of fate want me to win then I will win whether I work or not." This second group will be slow starters and need external motivation to give them a reason to put forth effort. In their mind they may think, "Teacher, I don't want to do that homework, BUT since you are offering a beautiful sticker, (substitute any type of reward) I will do that homework to get the sticker." Other people, internally motivated, believe they are in control, or reasonably so. They have a positive sense of self-efficacy, or belief about what they can accomplish and control in their lives. If they set their mind to it, they can achieve whatever they want to achieve. This person will believe that they can be successful in whatever they choose. All they have to do is decide what they want, and work hard. These people are self-starters.

STUDENT READINESS

She had assumed that being thirteen years old and having lived all their lives in the U.S. they knew what democracy was. The teacher had incorrectly judged her student's readiness to learn, so she had to go back and re-teach needed background information before they were ready to learn the new material she had planned. The students might have been motivated, but there were gaps in their knowledge that limited their ability to learn the new material. You will avoid much wasted time and student frustration by gauging students' readiness early and often. Even with knowledge of the various learning theories and understanding of motivation acquired in the previous section, you will face an uphill battle as a teacher if the students in your class are not ready to learn. As you review the following factors, you will notice that in order to help students develop greater readiness, you will need to get to know them. This is tremendously important. Each student in your class is an individual, with thoughts, feelings, experiences, interests, and challenges unique to him or her. try to become an expert in the kids in your classroom. You can do this with "Getting to know you" activities at the beginning of the school year, through formal or informal assessments of their current knowledge (more on this in the next course), through a review of their prior work or by talking with last year's teachers

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Students are not "blank slates", as once thought, but come to school with a wide variety of experiences, beliefs, concepts and misconceptions, knowledge and things they think are true. When students, even preschool students, come to class, they have a head full of information and misinformation, beliefs about life and the people in it, and concepts and misconceptions formed from experiences they have had. Since each child's experiences are different, each child may react differently to what you say and do in the classroom. The more you can know about your students and their experiences, the more you will be able to teach in a manner that will connect with what they already know. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can ask them to fill in a form that asks questions such as: What is the most interesting place you have visited? What is your most exciting experience? Another way is to ask questions as you teach. If Montana comes up in a lesson, ask: "Who has been to Montana and can tell us what it is like there? Diverting from the specific lesson to review your students' experiences and concepts is an excellent way to connect the curriculum to their life experiences. That leads directly to the next principle. When talking about learners' previous experiences, do remember that socio-economic level can influence how much previous experience a child has. Children from low-income families may not have traveled as widely, or have had as much exposure to certain learning opportunities, as children from more affluent families. Try to relate your lessons to a variety of experiences which will be relatable to many or most of your students, and express equal appreciation for each student's frame of reference, no matter how varied.

TACTILE AND KINESTHETIC LEARNERS

Tactile learners learn by touch and kinesthetic learners gain from a sense of position and movement. They are usually considered together because both types are "hands-on" learners, that is, they learn best from experiencing and doing things. They are not good at sitting and listening or reading. Tactile students who have a tactile strength or preference often do best when they take notes either during a lecture or when reading something new or difficult. They often like to draw or doodle to remember. These students do well with hands-on activities such as projects, demonstrations, or labs. If you are a TACTILE learner, trace words as you are saying them. Facts that must be learned should be written several times. Keep a supply of scratch paper on hand for this purpose. Taking and keeping lecture notes is very important. Make study sheets. Associate class material with real-world things or occurrences. When appropriate, practice role-playing. KINESTHETIC Kinesthetic students have a kinesthetic strength or preference and often do best when they are involved or active. These students often have high energy levels. They think and learn best while moving. They often lose much of what is said during lectures and have problems concentrating when asked to sit and read. These students prefer to do rather than watch or listen. They learn best through skits, acting out historical characters, science labs, and games. CHARACTERISTICS: *Likes to touch things in the room, maps, globes, models, almost anything *Remembers best the things they do *Does not have good handwriting and are not good spellers *Likes to take things apart and put them back together *Likes labs *Have good motor coordination *Prefers adventure books and movies *Likes to chew gum or eat in class *Needs frequent breaks when studying *Gets fidgety during lectures—tap pens, fiddle with keys or combs *Cannot sit still long *Is comfortable touching others as a show of friendship—hugging *Likes to collect things *Likes to role play *Often does not have good handwriting *Prefers to get working on a project immediately, only checking the directions when stuck *Talks fast and use hands to communicate *Prefers to stand while working *Interested in the practical application of ideas TEACHING TECHNIQUES *Use puzzles, word searches *Vary activities every 15-20 minutes. Offer hands-on science or social studies labs. Take field trips *Use learning memory games for review—Jeopardy, etc *Use flash cards *Any activity is preferable to sitting and listening or reading

TEACHER EXPLANATIONS

The teacher must have and communicate high expectations of the students. At firstt might seem counterintuitive—after all, if you set low standards, surely your students will be able to meet them and feel better about themselves. However, students are perceptive. They can sense if you are "dumbing down" your expectations for them. Instead, maintain high expectations and then reassure them that, together, you will reach the learning goal. When students surprise themselves at how much they can do, it is a rewarding moment for the them and their teacher. Students work up to the level of expectation. If a teacher says, "These kids cannot learn much," and dumbs down the curriculum, then the prophesy will be fulfilled: they will not learn much. On the other hand, if the teacher has high standards and holds to them, many students will stretch to meet them especially if: 1. the teacher expresses confidence in the students 2. the teacher and/or school provides the resources necessary for the students to achieve Overall, high expectations achieve better results than taking the easy way out and not expecting very much out of the students. Students should feel they have the potential to be successful in and out of the classroom. Teachers can encourage this sense of capability by maintaining and expressing high, but realistic expectations. By reinforcing effort, you can teach students a valuable lesson - the harder you try, the more successful you are.

VISUAL LEARNERS

Visual students have a visual strength or preference and like the teacher to provide demonstrations. They learn best when using their eyes and find it easy to learn through descriptions, pictures, and movies. Visual learners often use lists to keep up and to organize thoughts. They often recognize words by sight. They often remember faces but forget names. These students often have well developed imaginations. They are easily distracted by movement or action in the classroom but tend to be unaware of noise. If you are a VISUAL learner, be sure that you look at all study materials. Use charts, maps, filmstrips, notes, videos, and flash cards. Practice visualizing or picturing words and concepts in your head. Write out everything for frequent and quick visual review. CHARACTERISTICS *Likes written directions ("I see what you're saying.") *Understands/likes charts, pictures, diagrams *Often gets the words to songs wrong *Remembers faces but often forgets names *Needs to take notes during lectures *Watches the speaker's facial expressions and body language for clues *Can recall the words to songs and jokes easily *Can explain things well *Has well-developed imagination *Has to think awhile before understanding a lecture *Gets lost in verbal directions *Can understand and follow directions on maps *Is good at spelling *When reading, often pictures the material in his/her head *Tends to be unaware of noise *Difficulty in explaining self verbally TEACHING TECHNIQUES *Have plenty of content-related visuals in the room—pictures, diagrams, bulletin boards *Use the chalk or white board frequently *Repeat verbal directions or write them on the board *During instruction include diagrams, illustrations, graphs, photographs, cartoons, PowerPoints, posters, movies, transparencies, games, bulletin boards, charts and maps *Require written reports

MOTIVATION (cont)

Your challenge is to direct the motivation of the internally motivated students and find ways to motivate the externally motivated students. This is an important and difficult challenge. Remember, after second grade, few students will memorize the preamble to the Constitution just because the teacher said so. So, your task is to assign work that students see as valuable; it does not matter if you think it is valuable. No busy work! Sometimes that takes a great sales job on your part. Either the task must be motivating or the reward/reinforcement must be compelling. Even if the task is seen as valuable, if the students do not think they can do it, they will not invest the time and effort to do the task. If they have been successful in the past or if there is an absence of threat, the student may try to do the task. Many students will take an assignment distributed by the teacher, look at it, turn it over, and lay their head down on the desk. If students do not think they have a reasonable chance of succeeding, they will not try. If the student is going to try and still get an F, he reasons, "Why not catch some sleep?" AND the student can then lie to himself and say, "If I had tried I could have done it." You must help students feel capable, help build their confidence, and give them the courage to try. Often teachers use grades as a reward or a threat. "If you do not get this assignment done, you will not make a good grade." Teachers say this because grades are important to teachers. Many students do not care about grades. They are just staying in school until they can drop out. Others just want to make 70 so they can stay on the football team. Grades are not important to them. ****What are you going to teach? Start thinking to yourself: How can I get students to see my classroom assignments as valuable? How can I encourage them to try my assignments and be successful? You will learn more in the next course, 5300, about clearly defining learning goals for your students. For now, though, keep in mind that a clearly defined purpose for learning is essential to your students' motivation.***