Running head: KNOW THY LEARNER

Know Thy Learner

Michelle McCormick
OTL 545: Technology and Innovation
CSU Global
August 21, 2016

KNOW THY LEARNER

Know Thy Learners

All students learn in a different way! It is important for
educators to be aware of their students learning styles as it will
help when planning and developing lesson plans. Below I have
included a description of each learning style. During school this
last week, I gave my students a learning style inventory to
determine what learning styles I have in my own classroom. I have
presented the results below in a table, which also include ideas to
make lessons more engaging with each type of learner. I have also
placed the results in a pie chart so I can see the learning styles in
my classroom at a glance. I found the results to be very interesting
and it definitely makes me think about lesson planning differently
now. I assessed 24 kids but as I was analyzing the results, some of
my kids are two types of learners, which is why the total number of
students doesnt amount to 24.
Kinesthetic Learners:
According to Sumner (2014) kinesthetic learners:
Take breaks and move around during your breaks.
Act things out, use gestures, or move around while studying,
all of which helps to engage the kinesthetic learner.
Use models, charts, or diagrams to show relationships.

KNOW THY LEARNER

Auditory Learners:
According to Sumner (2014) auditory learners:
Process the information aloud. This involves asking
questions and answering them using your voice. The more
you discuss the information aloud the better.
Attend recorded and/or live webinars.
Use verbal analogies and storytelling to demonstrate and talk
through your point.
Visual Learners:
According to Sumner (2014) visual learners:
Include drawings and pictures in your notes to illustrate ideas
and use COLOR!
Read the text and then convert the information into pictures,
notes, diagrams, or mind maps. Learn more about making
mind maps and using mind maps on YouTube (videos are a
great learning tool for visual learners, too!).
Study in a quiet place away from distractions.

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Learning
Style:

Number Ideas to make content more engaging

of
for this type of learner:
Students:
14

Digital Tools for Kinesthetic

Learners:

Kinesthetic

Gonoodle- https://www.gonoodle.com This is a

website that provides brain breaks for the kids and
supports movement.
Educationplace- http://www.eduplace.com/activity/
This website is designed for kinesthetic learners to
explore various subjects K-12.
Google Sketchup- http://www.sketchup.com This
website allows kinesthetic learners to create,
modify, and share 3D models.
Storyboard- http://www.storyboardthat.com This
website allows kids to create stories using short
movies.
Tumbletown Movie Makerhttp://www.tvokids.com/games/tumbletownmoviem
aker This lets kids create a movie as their project
since this kind of learner learns by doing.

Teaching Strategies:

Action-based learning-activities that involve

movement, such as experiments, role playing, etc.
Allowing these types of learners to move while
learning, such as stretch out or fidget. Maybe
moving this type of learner to a place where it wont
be a distraction for him/her to move around.
Brain breaks-take a break from learning and allow
the kids to move around
Acting things out or using gestures for vocabulary
words or concepts they are learning.
Use maps or charts to show relationships of
concepts.
Use of manipulatives
Use space-these types of learners like to spread out
and make sense of what they are learning
Using motions and movement to help teach
concepts

Digital Tools for Auditory Learners:

KNOW THY LEARNER

Auditory

NaturalReaderhttp://www.naturalreaders.com/index.html This
website will read the text to you. So, the kids type a
sentence or paragraph and it will read it back to
them.
StoryLineOnline- http://www.storylineonline.net
This website will allow kids to listen to stories being
read aloud to them by celebrities. They will be able
to listen to a fluent reader reading.
Storynory- http://www.storynory.com This is a
website that allows kids to listen to audio stories,
poems, and other various texts.
Listening Center-Books on tape
Fluency Practice-Read into recorder or using an
IPAD and have them listen to themselves reading to
see if they read with expression and at just the right
pace. They will know if they sound like a fluent
reader.

Teaching Strategies:

14

Processing information aloud or reading out loud.

Allowing them to ask and answer questions out
loud.
Need a quiet environment for them to listen to the
teacher.
Allow for self-talk
Use auditory material such as audio books on tape
Allow them to give verbal responses
Repeat facts out loud
These types of learners enjoy communicating with
others before working independently
Allow these types of learners to make noise.
Sometimes they will hum or sing as they are
working or learning.

Digital Tools for Visual Learners:

TeacherTube- http://www.teachertube.com This is

similar to youtube but for teachers to use for
instructional videos. Visual learners need visuals
such as videos to help them learn. This would be a
great resource.
Bubble.us- https://bubbl.us This website lets kids
create story maps or graphic organize to help them
organize and visually see their information or
knowledge.

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Visual

Pics4Learning- http://www.pics4learning.com This

website provides kids with visual images on a
variety of different topics. It is a great resource for
students as well as for teachers.
Prezi- https://prezi.com Students can create a prezi
presentation, which is similar to PowerPoint to
showcase their learning.

Teaching Strategies:

Lots of pictures and videos to incorporate your

lessons.
Using color with pictures, charts, maps, or
diagrams.
Need a quiet environment to work with no
distractions.
Have them draw pictures next to vocabulary words
to help them visualize the word and its meaning.
Often times, these types of learners are artistic so
incorporating projects like that will enhance their
learning.
Allow them to represent learning in some visual
creative way.
Incorporate projects that spark or enhance their
creativity.
When giving directions, use pictures or symbols to
help them follow those directions. Write down the
directions as they have a difficult time following
and remembering verbal directions.
They need a visual outline of the lesson before it is
taught.

KNOW THY LEARNER

16
14
12
10
Kinesthetic

Auditory
Visual

6
4
2
0
Learning Styles

Learning Styles
Kinesthetic
Auditory
Visual

KNOW THY LEARNER

Reflection
As I was analyzing my data from the learning styles inventory I
realized that majority of my class are kinesthetic and visual learners. I think
those two types of learning styles go hand in hand somewhat. Quite a few of
my students were both kinesthetic and visual. I am going to try to implement
some of the ideas above into my daily lessons. Some of which I already do
so it is reassuring that I am accommodating to meet their learning style. We
do brain breaks everyday to help our brains focus more and to give them a
chance to move around. Also, I provide a lot of visuals because I think in
first grade it is crucial for them to visualize what we are learning. I also
incorporate a lot of videos that supplement my lesson. I find it challenging to
try to accommodate for all three types of learning styles because even
though I have majority kinesthetic and visual, I do have a few who are
auditory. So, in my daily practices and in every lesson, I need to make sure
to include a way to engage each of my learners. There are many websites on

KNOW THY LEARNER

my PLE that I will use to help support each learner. I have website that help
get kids moving, websites that allow them to listen, and then websites that
are very visual for them.

Reference
Sumner, E. (2014). 3 Types of learners: Which one are you? Western
Governors University. Retrieved from
http://www.wgu.edu/blogpost/3-types-learners-which-one-are-you#