Basic Learning Styles - VARK method

People learn through a variety of styles, and a way of distinguishing these different learning styles is  through the VARK method which include: Visual Learners, Kinesthetic Learners,Auditory Learners and Read/Write Learners.


Heres a basic examples of Learning Modalities:

Read/Write -   Notes, Essays, Story Writing, Comprehensions, Book reviews.Visual  - Pictures, Drawing, Scribbles, Paintings, WordMaps.
Kinesthetic - Gestures, Practical Tasks, Body Movement, Positioning, Body Manipulation.
Auditory - Listening, Sound Patterns, Rhythms, Songs, Chants.     





I think its important to establish the best type of learning style for an individual in order for them to get the best out of learning. Providing them with examples of suitable strategies and methods to interperate into their learning to achieve top results!

On the folloing link, is the VARK questionnaire so that you can take the quiz yourselves to find out what type of learning style suits you best! : http://www.vark-learn.com/documents/the%20vark%20questionnaire.pdf

Advantages of Technology in the Classroom

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The use of technology within the classroom can be very beneficial; children are able to become more actively involved with their learning, engaging in learning subconciously through games and set activities within the classroom.

                     

Technologies could include the interactive whiteboards, ipads, and even web based interactive activites and chatrooms- all with appropriate privacy and parental blocking systems to ensure safe use!

With the use of technology, children are able to gather information faster and easier; looking through numerous types and styles of resources in comparison to the tedious task of looking through books and other 'boring' means of information. 

Children can also use Technology as a way of displaying and processing information, creating presentations, images, and documents. encouraging ICT skills and creativity simultaneously.

 Technology also allows the children to work independently or as part of a team; depending on the task they are set. This allows the teacher to take a step back, in order to observe and help when guidance is needed; allowing the children to create individual and unique pieces of work through the different types of techologies. 

The use of technology will overall improve the childs creative skills, their ICT and keyboard skills, thinking skills and their motivation to learn and work independently as well as with peers. lt may enhance their ability to learn as this time of learning may meet the needs of their personal learning style, encouraging them to flourist and work harder!

Conditions for Learning

"We need to make the most of our minds" -and to do so, we should understand and attempt to improve the conditions of the learning environment, making ourselves aware of how the brain works in order to get the best from education.

 

Optimum conditions for learning are reliant on the current condition of the brain.

Basically, our brain works well when:

 It is hydrated

Drinking water helps the brain to fuel the electrical connections within the brain. When the brain is denied the amount of oxygen and water it needs to function, attitude, behaviour and motivation are all affected.

 It has had sufficient restLack of sleep will ultimately affect the brains performance. A student that is physically or mentally not read to learn, simply will not.

 It is not stressedWhen the brain is stressed, it can only focus on ‘escape’, attempting to find a ‘way out’, of the current stressful situation.

 

It’s dealing with something its seen before

Neurons have already been created, so the brain isn’t creating fresh connections, its simply making the initial connections stronger; building on them.

 

It's dealing with something it enjoysIf we enjoy something, we show it more interest, same applies to learning. If we can find a connection or relate to the information, our interest in the matter is stimulated; increasing the chances of being able to recall the information we’ve been exposed to.

“Learners need to be motivated”
(Teachthought.com)

Educationalist Approach

Various education theorists, for example, Dulay & Burt, 1977 and Krashen 1982 anticipated the fact that learners retain what they learn whilst it is in association with  positive feeling and emotion. Cognitive psychology studies provide quantifiable evidence that stress, confusion, boredom, anxiety and a lack of motivation can individually and more profoundly in combination, interfere with learning.   

Neuroimaging studies and measurement of brain chemical transmitters reveal that a students’ comfort level can influence information transmission and storage in the brain. (Thanos et All, 1999)

When students are engaged and motivated and feel minimal stress, information flows freely through the affective filter in the amygdale and they achieve higher levels of cognition, making connections and the experience of ‘aha’ moments. (Kohn 2004)

It is crucial that teachers and educators use classroom strategies that reflect what we know about the brain and learning. We need to be able to create an environment where anxiety is low, while providing enough challenge and novelty to stimulate the brain.  This could be done through examples such as:

·        Providing a small mental break for students, lasting roughly around 3 minutes to let the amygdala within the brain too cool down and allowing neurotransmitters to rebuild.

·        Providing relevance; making lessons personal, and expressing relevance to learning in order to create motivation and maintain interest.

 

Image;

(http://www.hcocinc.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock_Successful_Business_Man_5763823.jpg)

 

 

 

Wordle

 

Wordle is a tool designed to generate and create word inspired images from text that you provide.

 

Experimenting with Wordle

The images that are created with Wordle are yours to use however you wish to. The Wordle generator creates images with text in varied fonts, sizes, layout and colour schemes; all which you can tweak to suit your personal requirements. The created images can be printed out, or saved to the Wordle gallery in order for them to be shared with friends via blogs and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  

 

I think Wordle is a great tool to use, as it allows the user to be creative with their presentation, enforcing personal aspects to the work they create. All images are devised from words based on the ideas and requirements of the user which means that the user controls what and how they want to display and how they want to display it; having full control of the image.

 

 

 Ideas for creating an image could stem from thoughts and feelings of the user, maybe even as a revision method- including words that act as a stimulus for certain subject classes and even module areas that need attention.

             Wordle Create Tool

WordNik

                                

Wordnik is an online tool and is a fully functioning dictionary providing an explanation and context for a word. With the influence of modern technology, students tend to avoid using books! – they seem to be referred to as ‘old fashion’ and ‘time consuming’, however, Wordnik offers all the resources that your ‘usual dictionary’ can, but online, making it easier and quicker to access.

Wordnik provides both the dictionary definition as well as providing an example, to ensure better understanding for its user.

Here's an example!

I typed 'exciting' into Wordnik's search bar, and here are my results:

The benefits of using WordNik are that it provides various definitions for users; helping them to understand the meaning of a word, as well as the context of which it can be used. With this tool being online, as long as the internet is accessable, it allows 24 hour access, without passwords or hesitation.
Easy-Peesy!

This is a prime example of a good online resource, and can easily be interprated into lessons of all subjects across the curriculum. An example being story writing in literacy lessons, where pupils can use this technology to understand words they want to use, or look up synonyms and word equivalents. A benefit to this, is that the pupils will gain a better and stronger understanding of the

vocabulary that they are using, improving knowledge and spelling subconciously.

 

"Wordnik is a place for all the words, and everything known about them.
Our goal is to show you as much information as possible, as fast as we can find it, for every word in English, and to give you a place where you can make your own opinions about words known."

- http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/captivated-words-youll-love-wordnik.htm

 

Internet Safety

                        

 

         Students need to understand 

how to use the internet in a safe,

efficient way as well as how to

 protect their privacy.

 

 

 

I think it is important to deal with the issue of Internet safety, especially as the internet has so many users, of all ages! - the problem with using online technologies, is that the damage carlessness can create, for example, the misuse of personal information may lead to such things like having your identity stolen. Misuse may influence an individuals employment status, matters may lead to an individual being sexually exploited and some may even fall victim to cyber-bullying. Therefore i think its important that all these types of issues are brought to attention in the classrooms, so that it improves a childs' awareness on the matter, helping prevent future issues!

"This would never happen to me"

Unfortunately this has happened to hundreds, potentially thousands, of young people in the UK. This has happened to boys and girls. This may have happened to someone you know. If it has, you probably wouldn’t know about it.

Abusers try all sorts of tricks to make you think it’s safe to share an image or video with them.

 They often pretend to be a girl or boy your age

They send sexy pictures or webcam video of other people to get you to flirt

 You might not be able to tell they’re an abuser until after they’ve got a video or picture of you

Once they have an embarrassing video or picture abusers try to convince young people that they are more powerful than them. They’re not. They lie to try to scare people into doing what they want.

- http://ceop.police.uk/Documents/Webcam%20fact%20sheet%202.pdf

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_gDsHSjZAE&feature=player_embedded

How can this be prevented!?

Teachers can help to protect students from the dangers that are online, they can help by relaying the message of digital safety to students that use the latest technology, both inside and outside of the classroom. Such tips include:

 

Safety Tips For Kids

I won't give out my name, age, address, school, phone number, picture about myself or anyone else without my parent's permission. This includes chat rooms, instant messages, email, surfing the net and even entering contests or registering for clubs online. I won't send my picture to anyone online without my parent's permission. I won't meet with someone in person that I met on the Internet unless my parent has agreed and will go with me. I realize that people aren't always who they say they are and that an adult can pretend to be a kid online. If I receive or see something online that seems bad or weird, I won't respond and will log off and tell my parents right away. I will not open or accept e-mails, enclosures, links, URL's or other things online from people I don't know. I won't give out my password to anyone except my parents… not even my friends. I will follow my family's rules for online safety at home, at school, at the library or at a friend or relative's house. - http://www.protectkids.com/youthsafety/safteytipskids.htm



Swansea Museum - Educational Context

Me and my friend Jodie visited Swansea Museum to see what it had to offer for the local primary schools. 

 

Swansea Museum is based in the city centre and offers a fantastic learning experience for all children offering fascinating facts about archaeology, the first and second World War, Egyptology, the animal world, Wales as a country and a culture and also Swansea’s very own history.

 

Primary Schools from all over Swansea are invited to attend day long visits at the museum, the day entails of a talk from the historian hosting the day, which consists of some background history of the museum and what the museum has to offer. The children also engage in a variety of different tasks. One for example is role plays where they get to dress up and put on a show for their fellow pupils.

During their visit’s, the children are given several tasks to complete. They are given the job to find certain artefacts on a map they are given, poster work either in groups or individually and written work.

Whilst walking through the galleries there were small tables and chairs present to allow children to express what they learnt through drawings, playing and other arts and crafts.

After reflecting on our visit at the museum, we came to the conclusion the museum is a  fantastic place to encourage learning outside the  traditional classroom.

Our reasons for our reflection are based apon;

The museum staff set incentives such as work being displayed on the walls with your photo.  As the majority of children want this opportunity, they ensure they learn the work they are trying to present in written form or posters. Children are able to interact with each gallery they enter as booklets (in English and Welsh) are available at the entrance to each gallery.The children are able to engage in a variety of tasks. They don’t spend the day being spoken to, they take an active roll in their learning by participating in role plays,  group work as well as individual work. By providing a variety of different learning techniques,  children who are kinaesthetic learners, visual, audio etc are all able to learn something from their visit.