Learning+Styles

Learning Styles

Arguably no concept is more widely accepting in recent educational theory than the concept of learning styles. I can pretty much guarantee that you will get a question about this when you interview for a job later. While this concept is widely accepted, there are some movements challenging the concept and/or application of learning styles to education. For example, a book called "50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology" (Amazon Link) challenges the assumptions of learning styles in one of the chapters. Regardless of what you believe regarding the relevance and power of utilizing learning styles in your classroom, being aware of the concepts and applying them can help at least some of your students learn more deeply, and therefore are worth applying.

__**Strategies**__
 * 4MAT** - 4MAT involves taking students through a topic by going through a cycle of 4 stages based on their learning preferences. While this isn't a strategy that I have utilized in depth, some of the best teachers that I know utilize this strategy effectively. Click HERE for a more thorough explanation of 4MAT.
 * Student Choice in Assignments and Assessments -** This strategy is pretty straightforward and can be applied in a variety of ways. Essentially, as an instructor you design a number of different assignment and/or assessment options which allow students to demontrate their learning in a variety of ways. Students can choose one from a variety, or the instructor could select which items the students could use. For example, in the past for one of the projects I utilized in Geography, I allowed students to choose between developing a poster, writing a poem, or making a map, all designed to make the reader more aware of a world problem (such as hunger, disease, poverty, etc...).


 * Modifying Lesson Design** - Even if the core of your instruction is based around lecture, you can add a few different things to include considerations for multiple intelligences. This includes adding think-pair-share for the linguistic and interpersonal learners, movement review for the kinesthetic learners, map work for spatial learners, playing a song related to the topic for musical learners, etc... There are probably thousands of different little things you could do to incorporate a variety of learning styles.


 * Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences**
 * 1) **Musical** - Musical intelligence involves an individual's ability to recognize pitch, chords, harmony, patterns in music and to transition this recognition into performance through playing an instrument or singing.
 * 2) **Logical-Mathematical** - Logical-mathematical intelligence involves a person's ability to manipulate numbers to accomplish a task, to apply systems of logic to reasoning (as in philosophy), and to rapidly recall mathematical facts (e.g. multiplication tables).
 * 3) **Spatial** - Spatial intelligence involves an individual's ability to picture shapes, maps, and objects in their mind and manipulate those things to accomplish a task. Individuals that are good artists, construction workers and architects can be strong in this area.
 * 4) **Kinesthetic -** Kinesthetic intelligence involves the ability to perform certain movements with your body after observing them or seeing someone else do them, or the ability to improvise with your body. Athletes of all types generally are strong in this area.
 * 5) **Linguistic -** Linguistic intelligence involves a person's ability to learn, remember and apply languages in communication. Writers, debaters, teachers and politicians are strong in this area.
 * 6) **Interpersonal -** This type of intelligences involves individual's ability to relate to and understand other people. Anyone in the education field would be benefited greatly by developing this area of intelligence.
 * 7) **Intrapersonal** - Socrate's motto of "Know Thyself" really applies here. Intrapersonal intelligence involves your ability to reflect and understand yourself. Being able to objectively look at yourself, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and develop a plan of improvement is just one example of how this type of intelligence will aid a teacher in improving their craft.
 * 8) **Naturalist** - Naturalistic intelligence involves an individual's ability to relate to the environment, garden, understand pets and other animals, and be aware of problems in this area. Vets, biological scientists, and animal lovers would fit into this area. Indeed, if someone says they are a "dog person" or a "cat person," they in effect are saying that their naturalistic intelligence is high as it relates to that specific type of pet.

media type="youtube" key="l2QtSbP4FRg" height="315" width="420" Howard Gardner explains his theory of Multiple Intelligences

media type="youtube" key="sIv9rz2NTUk" height="315" width="420" Learning Styles Don't Exist - Dr. Willingham - University of Virginia

media type="youtube" key="lKkHiAA3xu0" height="315" width="560" Re: Learning Styles Don't Exist - Dr. Willingham - University of Virginia

media type="youtube" key="KLi-vJSNP6U" height="315" width="420" Learning Style - Ken Robinson - Discusses learning styles, how they influence education and how our education system is changing

Links Myth of Learning Styles - Article presenting a view that learning styles (in the sense that they are accepted in educational theory) do not exist. Howard Gardner's Website - Website of the most influential thinking in learning styles: Harvard professor Howard Gardner. Multiple Intelligences Overview - Gives a brief yet useful summary of the most popular learning styles concepts. Education Through Music - Organization "founded to promote the integration of music into the curricula of disadvantaged schools //in order to enhance students' academic performance and general development"//