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;

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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