Teacher Skill 07:Differentiation by

utilising learning styles

Super Teacher Power 07: Utilising learning styles

OBJECTIVESConsideration of:1. VAK learning styles2. Multiple Intelligences3. How to use these in lessons

Learning style theory arose out of the development of magnetic resonance imaging in the 1970s. As doctors used MRI scanners to treat brain-injured patients, they accumulated a mass of data about how the brain processes information.

Researchers took the results and added them to developing theories in psychology to produce brain-related approaches to learning.

The beginning of the learning styles theory

Tuesday May 31, 2005The Guardian"Learning styles" is one of the fashionable phrases at the Department for Education and Skills. In part, this reflects the new emphasis on choice, but underpinning it is the theory that everyone has an individual style of learning and that working with that style, rather than against it, will benefit both pupil and teacher.

"Through an understanding of learning styles, teachers can exploit pupils' strengths and build their capacity to learn," The theory of learning styles is based on "tried and tested techniques" and draws on "academic research and the experience of practising teachers".

A newspaper in England

A B C D E F G HL R B L R B L R

I J K L M N O PB L R B L R B L

Q R S T U V W X Y ZR B L R B L R B L R

Alphabet Edit

• The idea of individualized "learning styles" originated in the 1970s, and has gained popularity in recent years.

• Learning styles are, various approaches or ways of learning.

• They involve educational methods that are presumed to allow an individual to learn best.

• Learning style has been defined as an individual's characteristic method of responding to and processing learning events as he or she experiences them.

Learning styles

• Studies of individual differences indicate that people have different styles of thinking about and representing information

• About 71 different theories/models of learning style were advanced to explain the concept

• These different models provide different perspectives for understanding and explaining a person's preferred or dominant thinking and learning style, and strengths

Learning styles

What is Learning?

Learning is the lifelong process of transforming information and

experience into knowledge, skills, behaviours, and attitudes.

What is Intelligence?

Intelligence, as defined by Howard Gardner:

• The ability to solve problems that one encounters in real life

• The ability to generate new problems to solve

• The ability to make something or offer a service that is valued

within one’s culture

VAK learning styles

Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic

Visual / linguistic

•Like to see things written down•Remember things once they have written them down•Like to take notes

Visual / spatial•Can easily visualise in pictures and use their imagination•Like to see things to learn•Use visual descriptions

Visual learners

Auditory tonal•They can repeat things back to you easily and learn by listening•Responds to a certain tone of voice .•They will be interested in what you have to say

Auditory digital•Often talk to themselves•They will want to know if things “makes sense”.•Have a lot of internal dialogue going on

Auditory learners

Emotion•They check out their feelings prior to expressing their thoughts.•They will be interested in something if it “feels right”.•They often move and talk very slowly.

Movement and touch

•They memorise by doing or walking through something.•They respond to physical rewards and touching.•Need physical activity to learn

Kinaesthetic learners

Preferred learning style exercise

•Which is your preferred learning style?•How do you know?

•How would you communicate more effectively to someone you are mentoring who is a visual, or auditory, or kinaesthetic or auditory digital representational system?

Visual• Use pictures,

graphs, diagrams etc

• Use visual language• Visual activities

such as drawing pictures

Auditory• Telling, instructions• Tapes, mp3s• Auditory activities

like brainstorming• Put things in logical

sequence

Kinaesthetic• Give them things to

do or make• Give them breaks to

move about• Kinaesthetic activities

such as visiting other departments, trying out new ideas

Example answers

• You can also communicate and mentor some one more effectively if you fit your language with the learning style

• This enables you to create greater rapport and to fit in with your clients way of thinking much more easily

Predicates

Visual•See•Appear•Visualise•Reveal•Imagine•Examine•Watch•Light•Dark•Brilliant•Picture

Auditory•Hear•Listen•Sound•Resonate•Silence•Harmony•Deaf•Buzz•Accent•Shout•Ring

Kinaesthetic•Feel•Break•Grasp•Solid•Stress•Gentle•Seize•Rough•Push•Hard•Contact

Auditory digital

•Consider•Think•Understand•Evaluate•Motivate•Learn•Describe•Process•Know•Connection•Memory

Predicates

Phrases using predicates

Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic

I see what you mean That sounds right to me That feels right to me

Look back on That rings a bell I’ll be in touch

Pretty as a picture Singing of the same hymn sheet

Get a grip

Showing off Loud and clear Jump for joy

Clear cut Unheard of Warm hearted

See to it Its music to my ears Hang on

New perspective All on the same wavelength

Cool off

Predicate exercise

•Write half a page using visual words to explain to someone about teaching?•Now write on the same topic for half a page using auditory words

•Now write on the same topic for half a page using kinaesthetic words•Now write on the same topic for half a page using auditory digital words

Q1. How can you bring the VAK learning styles into your lessons?

Activity 1

Multiple Intelligences Test

Howard Gardner's model

• Howard Gardner theorized that there are multiple intelligences, and

that we all use one or two for the most effective learning.

• Our culture teaches, tests, reinforces and rewards primarily two kinds

of intelligence: verbal/linguistic and logical/mathematical.

• His theory proposes that there are at least seven other kinds of

intelligence that are equally important.

Howard Gardner's model of the seven Multiple Intelligences

1. Logical-Mathematical2. Linguistic3. Musical4. Bodily-Kinesthetic5. Spatial-Visual6. Interpersonal7. Intrapersonal8. Naturalist9. Existential intelligence

• Teachers have embraced this theory because it is easy to apply to teaching and learning

• This theory also provides for alternative forms of assessment. Instead of answering the question “How smart are you?” assessment becomes “How are you smart?”

• All intelligences can be taught & nurtured

How teachers have adopted multiple intelligences

Applications• Dr. Gardner says that our schools and culture focus most of

their attention on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence, where some unique ways of thinking aren’t addressed.

• This often leads to kids being labeled as “learning disabled” or “hyperactive” when they may not be.

• The theory of multiple intelligences proposes a major transformation in the way our schools are run. It suggests that teachers be trained to present their lessons in a wide variety of ways using music, cooperative learning, art activities, role play, multimedia, field trips, inner reflection, and much more.

Implementing Gardner

• Lesson Design Using all or different intelligences and asking students for opinions on them.

• The personalization of education. The centre of this perspective is about taking human difference seriously.

• An awareness by teachers. An awareness by teachers of Gardner’s multiple-intelligence theory provides them with the knowledge necessary to satisfy the educational needs of many more students. The application of multiple intelligences in the classroom can stimulate a student’s learning in new ways.

• An awareness by school leaders and parents. Can bring about a better understand the different possibilities of each students’ learning preference.

Q2. How can you bring the ideas of Multiple Intelligences into your lessons?

Plenary

What action will you now take based on what you have learnt from Teacher Skill 7?