Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligencies

The relevance of learning theories and conceptual frameworks helps to put emphasis on how students of today need information best delivered in order that they achieve their potential. In this fast moving, 'twitch speed', technology filled world in which these digital natives are growing up, the way they think and therefore learn is very different to the way digital immigrants learned at school.  Therefore it is important to understand how students learn best in order for learning managers to design lessons that are both interesting and will achieve learning outcomes.

I completed the learning styles questionnaire from Felder and Solomon (retrieved from: http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html). Checking up on the background and authority of this information, I learned more about Dr Felder and

Dr Richard Felder's homepage gives an insight into his many areas of expertise, but most particularly how teaching and learning styles relate when Understanding Student Differences and steps to suit all learners in Second Language Teaching an insight into some "well-defined instructional techniques that make teaching more effective".

I was not surprise at the first result.  As an 'active learner', I enjoy discussing activities associated with learning, but do also like to spend the time thinking things through and reviewing my notes from lectures as a 'reflective' learner is prone to do.  After lectures, I tend to do both discussing the detail with others and also writing my own summary, but often focus on details, am then inclined to go off on a tangent spending too much time on this!

I was surprised at the second result, as I thought I would be more of a 'sensing' learner, liking connection to the real world, not liking written tests and particularly if they are not on facts that I have 'learned'.  And unlike an 'intuitive' learner, I enjoy some repetition to make sure I understand, but I must also learn to read the whole task before embarking on it, so I can help myself there!

The balanced result indicates that I am like everyone else, learning when both 'visual' and 'verbal' instruction are used.  I think it also emphasises the detail that I like to go into understand a topic as well as I can.  I enjoy a mixture of pictures and words.

For the final result, I would have put myself at the top of the scale as a 'sequential' learner, enjoying logical steps and often being very slow to reach the true 'light bulb' moment focussing on too much detail on the journey.  I like the suggestion of relating to real life to increase 'global' thinking.

                 Results for: Sharon Renardson


      ACT                          X                        REF
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEN                  X                                INT
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      VIS                      X                            VRB
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEQ              X                                    GLO
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

Results of The Birmingham Grid for Learning Multiple Intelligences Test (Primary) retrieved from http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/ict/multiple_int/what.cfm

It was Howard Gardiner who suggested in 1975 that there were eight types of intelligences that learners could draw upon to assist learning. He noted the different strengths in each accounted for the way students learn resulting in varying abilities.

This was an interesting test to take to take note of my strengths but more notably my weaknesses. If I know my own capabilities and weaknesses as well as knowing my learners', this will be vital when designing learning experiences to achieve outcomes for all. It will also help to ensure lessons are varied to incorporate all intelligences and diversity in the classroom. It could be useful also to help learners aware of their own ways of thinking, learning and doing and how we all do them differently, preparing them for successful communication both in society and globally. This would also assist with integration of all in the classroom particularly when working collaboratively.

eSchool widget

Here is the widget link to eSchool Technology news - where one of Wendy's recommended readings for Week 4 came from. There are many interesting articles and we can subscribe for free. http://www.eschoolnews.com/ There is also a widget link to their "top news"!

Netiquette and collaboration alive!

I have obeyed a rule of netiquette and checked with our eLearning guru

(and if you so wish, you too can follow her geniatric, exquisititious, superduper BLOG, by clicking on her sparkly name and it will lead you to her expert bloggings - a treat I promise!).  I followed netiquette procedure and checked with Kat (just in case you missed the last chance!) for permission to do this!

Bye for now

  

Thanks Kat, for the collaboration with these Fish!

Fish: Add a touch of nature to your page with these hungry little fish.  Watch them as they follow your mouse hoping you will feed them by clicking the surface of the water. (Click on the word Fish to get some yourself or if you fancy a green tree frog).  Thanks and all credit must go to aBowman who generously has plenty of "gadgets" to share - take a look at his site!)

Voki Mark 2!

I had another play with this to try and make myself more realistic (LOL!), so I've recorded my voice and made myself wider, but cant find anything to make any wrinkles so the rest will have to stay! I can see these being used as hooks in class and like our course coordinator has used on the moodle site to give directions in a topic.

Voki!

This is my 3rd attempt at commenting under my Voki I went to preview then must have inadvertently pressed something else and lost the lot! "Control Z" (that normally undoes your last instruction) does not work on these postings! After looking at other Voki's and admiring their talents - K (we all know who this is, but being safety conscious and respectful, I know I should check with you to ask if I can link your Voki to your name here! BTW (isn't that cool digital native talk from a digital immigrant?), just how did you manage to get your girl to look so like you? Thanks for the inspiration and giving me the confidence to 'have a go'! I had to wait my turn though as my 9 year old spotted what I was attempting to do over my shoulder and he was desperate to design one himself! If only the enthusiasm for his "boring writing homework" was as high! After watching him try every style of hat, piece of clothing, theme, bling, character and colour, then to listen to him record his voice in a funny way, a serious way and finally decide to use his normal little voice, I realise I would definitely use this 'widget' in a classroom. I would demonstrate and allow a small amount of time to practice to ensure ease of use, then encourage the students to complete their Voki outside of lesson times (or in free time), when they could choose how much time they wish to spend designing their representative of themselves! (Of course, I would ensure opportunities or library/computer access for those unable to access at home). What looked daunting was quite fun and easier than I expected and I now feel confident to share this widget with others!

And another Science Weebly on Life Cycles!

Another Weebly; this time on Life Cycles!
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php
Recognition must go once again to 
www.weebly.com - thank you for your inspiration to this digital immigrant! Thanks to Shelley checking out this link, I realised I had linked it to the editing page of my Weebly - only accessible to me! Apologies, click on the coloured words here and they will lead you to correct link for my Science Weebly on Lifecycles for Year 4 Thanks for helping me add another rung to my the learning ladder! Sharon :)