Learning Styles and Models

Interestingly enough as I was preparing this blog, I also just finished teaching a class for our TANF customers on Learning Styles. The Kolb model was used as a foundation regarding the formal distinct learning styles (preferences) and then restructured by Bernice McCarthy (1980) who came up with 4MAT learning for grades K-12. What is so funny is that while I was giving instruction to my class, I started to think about how my learning style (s) hinder for motivate my teaching styles. Like that of the generational classrooms, we have to take into consideration that every class of learners does not learn like you or think like the instructor thinks.

I had a chance to take the VAK on vark-learn.com and I was humored and surprised. It classified me with Multimodoal, Aural and Reading and Writing preferences for learning. I do love notes, textbooks, manuals, information and written documentation. However, the description made it seem as though I sit in front of Office Max stores and Libraries waiting to jump the first person with a dictionary or a handout in tow! I do converts notes that I write into well scripted detailed (color coded-pen and highlighted) documents with diagrams and the like so that I can get a better picture of the concepts that are being discussed. It helps me to make it relevant to me today so that I can use it more effectively tomorrow. the Aural strategy pegged me as a class/workshop attending , picture toting (viewing), sitting in corner of my home or quiet placed reciting information and talking to myself! LOL ( I do, but not loud enough so others can hear me...LOL)

Looking over how I learn, I notice that I sometimes communicate in the same way. I try to use my awareness with how my brain works to make it work for those who are attending my classes. Not everyone loves statistical information or diagrams, but I try to do all that I can to take what has made me excited and create an excitement in the hearts and minds of my students. Knowing those who are more abstract in learning, bombarding them with concrete experiences could hinder their abilities to see themselves in the learning process or as carriers of the information for future success!

My son is a very emotional converging/accommodating learner and because I am more converging and abstract (sometimes reflective) I have to think like he thinks in order to get him to understand those concepts and not get flustered in the process. Because I have a son who is dyslexic, it is important that I take things that are simple for me to understand because of how I process it to roll it over and translate it into something that is easier for him and not as abstract. Concrete concepts work for him more than those that are ambiguous. He can easily get confused and not want to do it (whatever it is) at all.

Learning experiences that match me completely is when I have taken a class that allows me permission to use all my love for information gathering, aural study strategies to help people help themselves learn more technical academic concepts. IT MAKES ME GIDDY when I had the opportunity to attend a class regarding Inductive study techniques. You take words that are repeated in a text and with colored pencils identify them with a shape or something that is reflective of that word. Then you as the following questions, who, what, where, when ,why and how. You use these questions and the symbols in the text to identify the context of the passage and the importance of the content! I LOVED IT. Because of this, I reclaimed my nerd status and wear it proudly.

There was an instance where I was given as assignment by my instructor, and the directives were not clear. She was a great instructor, however she made the assignment so ambiguous and choppy that my linear mind could not get it together. We had to write a paper on an experience that needed mediation between two parties. She gave no other info but, "Do it how you see the concepts working in the situation". I was stumped. I didn't know what to do or how to do it, because I needed clear precise directives on the how. I went to her on several occasions and she always put it back on me, " You know the situation, just write on what you think according to the text would have been the best solution" AAAGGGHHH!!! Completely paralyzed! Eventually, I did the paper with ambiguous instructions and got it done. That was the most difficult paper for me to write in my whole life. Her learning style ended up being the way that the class was conducted and it wore me out something awful! I did learn, that instruction and self reflection are so crucial as you share with different populations of people who have different approaches to learning you can't afford to TEACH how you LEARN. You loose a lot of people that way and they walk away from the experience feeling like they aren't as smart as their counterparts.

I try to incorporate this into every class that I teach. All people process information different and you have to accommodate them best you can. For those who are more information focused, give them handouts and statistics; those who are hands on learners, give them opportunities to work on the project or use a handout. Those who learn by visual stimulus, overheads, PowerPoint and other visual examples. I have had student who during a lecture are drawing pictures. But when I ask them questions about the information, they are well engaged and actively participate. You have to pay attention to the order of your class and continue to switch up in between concepts to gain better cohesion and facilitation of information!