I have always been a visual learner, but more specifically the verbal/linguistic kind....if I could read about it, I could do it. If I could write, I could tell you what I mean. This probably explains why I have done as well as I have in school, especially at the university level. This hadn't really occurred to me until just now, but I realize how true it is. I can remember a time in middle school where my social studies teacher asked us to visually represent an idea that was found in the Bill of Rights. I don't even remember what idea I was assigned, but I really struggled with that assignment. In college, I may not have liked have forty billion pages to read, but I never struggled with learning the content, especially if it was followed up with a powerpoint or lecture that involved me taking notes. Over all, if an instructor were to say something like, "Do X and just be creative about it/surprise me" I would not do well. But if teachers can give me written explanation or set of steps with a rubric, I can complete the assignment without a problem. This probably also explains why I was on the speech team, and why I continue to coach it....
Thinking about the classroom from the other side of the desk, I know that I am rather guilty of being on heavy on text, reading, lecture, notes etc. When I think about approaching learning styles as an educator now, I think that perhaps the best route is one similar to UDL. We know that we can't make every adaption for every student every single time, but when we think about and plan our classroom instruction, we can take learning styles into consideration and allow for alternate ways to be made available. And I do not think that it is "wrong" to have students working in their 'weak suit' sometimes. I know that I did not like making that Bill of Rights poster, but it was probably to my benefit that I had to think and express myself in another way. And looking back now, I realize that that assignment was probably one that some students had been dying to get all semester because all we had been doing was reading and writing. Making sure that we allow all students to feel successful is too important a goal to let slip by simply because we "don't want to make extra work for ourselves".
I think you are on the right track, when you mentioned that it is best to teach to all learning styles. It is uncomfortable to work outside your favored one - however, it is these types of experiences that help strengthen the lower - less preferred ones. If a teacher provides a variety of activities in different learning styles throughout the year. The student is exposed to both. Right now, I'm working on an RTI model for a couple of my students. Here is a pdf to a document I compiled that covers both learning styles and MI strategies that can be used with students.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.msu.edu/~wrigh126/MI and Learning Styles.pdf
ReplyDeleteWow, I could have written this. This is exactly how I learn. I hated in school and still do when in workshops they will ask you to visually express yourself. There are a couple of people at the ISD who we just hand the pen and say go for it!
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