Back to: TIP Block 1: Foundations
I’m only 36 years old, and if I was to say anything about my life, it’s that I always have had to learn something new. Whether it was to keep up on my favorite technologies, learn a new craft, pick up something at work, repair something that broke in the home, research the new technology of an appliance I need to replace, or even to sing along with the new song I’m obsessed with. After all, “no learning is ever wasted”
So, since we’re going to be learning, we might as well do it well. Everyone has their own strengths when it comes to HOW they learn. I was taught very late that there are different kinds of learning styles, and once I became aware of them, I realized that I had strengths in some more than others. I’d already been using my preferred methods, but in a round-about approach. But knowing what the learning styles are, allowed me to more directly target how I wanted to learn something. And the wonderful thing about it today, is we’re not limited to what I had in my childhood. Although nothing beats that nostalgic feeling of going to a library, sifting through the card catalog or the computer catalog, and headed to those slightly musty, slightly vanilla scented stacks to burrow through a pack of books, we have the internet for options now! The ranges of text, image, audio, and video we have now can accommodate nearly any blend of learning style! Although this program is mostly written text, it will hopefully be expanded to include audio too. So while knowing your learning style won’t necessarily help you now, it will help you in other areas of your life, and how you will teach if you are mindful of your learner’s style.
With this in mind, please head to this website and read over what’s considered the core learning styles of today. Naturally, as all studies of the mind, this changes as our understanding grows but for now, this is a good starting point for how we operate.
As Talon reminded me, remember, since this is a field that studies the mind, research is mixed on this topic. Some found a benefit, others found no difference in studies. Learning styles are something that we should be mindful of, but be open for adaptation between different subjects, teachers, students, and available resources. Do not strictly rely on this theory. It can be helpful but like anything, if taken too far, it can be a detriment
For your journal work, write about a situation in which you had learned in each style (or if none comes to mind, how you experienced another person). How well did it work for you? Did you find yourself adapting a different learning style than the one you were being taught in? Which learning styles are you best suited for?
Please add your answers to your TIP Journal located in the forums, and don’t forget to cite any material you used in your lesson!