Working with

Children

The easy job

 That’s
Mr. Brown
Electronics Policy to you!

#5 Electronic equipment -
including but not limited to cell
phones, radios, video game players,
MP3 players, laser pointers and/or
other prohibited communication
devices. A violation may result in
confiscation.

1st offense- Confiscation of

the device until the end of the
following school day. One hour
weekday school may be assigned to
student for violation of LI #5.
Here is a one-question test to give “food for thought”
the rest of the day...

A person who can not speak (dumb) enters a drug store

wanting to buy a toothbrush.
By imitating the action of brushing one's teeth, he
successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper, and
the purchase is done.
Now, if there is a person who is blind and wishes to buy
a pair of sunglasses-
-How should that person express him or herself?

Think about it first before writing your answer...

How about:

The person who is blind

opens his or her mouth and says,
"I would like to buy a pair of sunglasses"

It’s all in the perception / point of view!

(and easy if you already knew the answer-
or if you are used to thinking in that way…)
It is a bit like that with Learning Styles:
Easy if you are used to thinking in that way---
but if a student thinks in one learning style
while a instructor is teaching in another…
Learning
Styles
At
WCSCC

Wayne County Schools

Career Center
Martha Miller-Plumb
What to expect:

I. The brain and why the learning

environment is important
II. Learning styles simplified

III. Learning style

instruments
IV. Suggestions for varied teaching
I. The brain and why the learning
environment is important
 Learning Styles

The human brain-

-Obviously quite complex
-The “seat” of both logic and
emotion
Humans tend to learn
-More
-More quickly-
-If we are in a non-threatening environment
-If we like what we are learning
Inside the brain:
Learning Styles
The amygdala and the hippocampus

1. Work together to help humans survive

2. They can trigger the “fight or flight”
Amygdala

response
And
Temporal Hippocampus
lobe

3. Some believe that this area is the physical

origin of phobias (irrational fears)
 Learning Styles

Amygdala
1. Part of the limbic system
2. Associated with unconscious
behavioral/ emotional (procedural)
memories
3. Like the brains’ "9-1-1 Response" system:
It rapidly processes information
related to fear (or other emotion)
 Learning Styles

Hippocampus
1. Part of the limbic system
2. Associated with conscious, factual
memories
3. Can store information for
-Short periods of time or
-Long periods of time
Depending on type of information stored
What to expect:

II. Learning styles simplified

 Learning Styles/
Teaching Styles

1. Learning styles-
Different approaches/
ways of learning

2. We tend to teach the way

we were taught
 Learning Styles

1. Learning style research popular in

the 1980’s

2. Many different systems of labels for

learning
styles
3. Some systems are complicated

4. One of the simplest is:

Visual, Auditory, Tactile Kinesthetic
 3 learning styles- 1. Visual

Visual Learners:
Learn through seeing…

1. Need to see body language and facial

expression to fully understand lesson
content

2. Tend to prefer sitting at the front of

the classroom to avoid visual obstructions
(e.g. people's heads)
 3 learning styles- 1. Visual

Visual Learners:
Learn through seeing…

1. May think in pictures and learn best from

visual displays including:
Diagrams, Illustrated text books,
White boards, Videos,
Flipcharts, Hand-outs

2. During a lecture or classroom discussion,

may take detailed notes to absorb information
3 learning styles- 2. Auditory

Auditory Learners:
Learn through listening...

1. To verbal lectures, discussions,

Talking things through and
Listening to what others have to say

2. Interpret the meanings of speech through

listening
-To tone of voice,
-Pitch,
-Speed
-Other nuances
3 learning styles- 2. Auditory

Auditory Learners:
Learn through listening...

Written information may have little meaning

until it is heard

These learners often benefit from reading

text aloud and using a tape recorder
 3 learning styles-
3. Tactile/Kinesthetic

Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners:
Learn through , moving, doing and touching...

Learn best through a hands-on approach-

Actively explore the physical world

 3 learning styles-
3. Tactile/Kinesthetic
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners:
Learn through , moving, doing and touching...

May find it hard to sit still for long periods

May become distracted by their need for

activity and exploration
What to expect:

III. Learning style

instruments
Ideas to Remember:
Learning Style Instruments:
1. To find perceived
learning style preference(s)
2. No one learns only one way
3. Learners can learn new ways
 Learning Styles
The following chart can help to determine
ones learning style preference…
1. Read the word in the left column
then
2. Answer the questions in the successive three columns
-Answers may fall into all three columns, but

-One column will likely contain the most answers

3. Circle the block that is most often true in each category

The dominant column indicates a

primary learning style preference
 Visual
When you..
Spell Do you try to see the word?
Do you sparingly but dislike
listening for too long? Do you
Talk favor words such as see,
picture, and imagine?
Do you become distracted by
Concentrate untidiness or movement?
Do you forget names but
Meet someone
remember faces or remember
again
where you met?
Contact
Do you prefer direct, face-to-
people on face, personal meetings?
business
Auditory
Do you sound out the word or
use a phonetic approach?
Do you enjoy listening but are
impatient to talk? Do you use
words such as hear, tune, and
think?
Do you become distracted by
sounds or noises?
Do you forget faces but
remember names or remember
what you talked about?
Do you prefer the telephone?
Kinesthetic & Tactile
Do you write the word down to
find if it feels right?
Do you gesture and use
expressive movements? Do you
use words such as feel, touch,
and hold?
Do you become distracted by
activity around you?
Do you remember best what you
did together?
Do you talk with them while
walking or participating in an
activity?

Do you like descriptive scenes Do you enjoy dialog and

Do you prefer action stories or
Read or pause to imagine the conversation or hear the
are not a keen reader?
actions? characters talk?
Do you like to see Do you prefer verbal instructions
Do something Do you prefer to jump right in
demonstrations, diagrams, or talking about it with someone
new at work and try it?
slides, or posters? else?

Put something Do you look at the directions Do you ignore the directions and
together and the picture? figure it out as you go along?

Need help with Do you call the help desk, ask a

Do you seek out pictures or Do you keep trying to do it or try
a computer diagrams?
neighbor, or growl at the
it on another computer?
application computer?
 Learning Styles/
Teaching Styles

1. Learning styles-
Different approaches/
ways of learning

2. We tend to teach the way

we were taught
 Learning Styles/
Teaching Styles

Problems:

Learning Style Preferences Vary

-From person to person

-From situation to situation

 Learning Styles/
Teaching Styles

One good solution:

Use a variety of teaching styles!

What to expect:

IV. Suggestions for varied teaching

 visual
Reading a book- Visual
If primary learning style is visual:
-Draw pictures in margins (if book is theirs)

-Look at graphics (maybe do this first and predict?)

-Read text that explains graphics

-Envision the topic or play a movie in thoughts

of how subject matter could be acted out
 Reading a book- Auditory
If primary learning style is auditory:

-Listen to the words being read

-Try to develop an internal conversation between

listener and text

-Do not be embarrassed to read aloud

-or talk through the information
 Reading a book-
Tactile/Kinesthetic
If primary learning style is tactile/kinesthetic:
-Mark meaningful passages
-Take notes,
-Transfer information learned
To margins of book (if one owns it),
Into journal, or

Onto computer.
-Doodle whatever comes to mind
-Hold the book in hands instead of placing on table
-Walk around while reading
-Feel the words and ideas
Get busy—both mentally and physically
What this presentation
mentioned:

I. The brain and why the learning

environment is important
II. Learning styles simplified

III. Learning style

instruments
IV. Suggestions for varied teaching
Here’s to a fantastic school
year!
 Sources and Further Reading
http://agelesslearner.com/assess/learningstyle.html
http://bostonreview.net/BR25.6/gardner.html
http://www.fortnet.org/ParentToParent/PFellers/par_lern.html
http://jeffcoweb.jeffco.k12.co.us/high/wotc/confli3.htm
http://members.aol.com/Rss51540/brain.html
http://school.familyeducation.com/intelligence/teaching-methods/38519.html?f
http://surfaquarium.com/MI/
http://www.chaminade.org/inspire/learnstl.htm
http://www.abacon.com/slavin/glossary.html#a
http://www.edutopia.org/php/people.php?id=c502824
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000718.shtml
http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm#What%20are
http://www.udel.edu/bateman/acei/multint9.htm