In this weeks reading, one of the topics mentioned when discussing the importance of teachers knowing their students was different learning styles. The three learning styles were visual learners, auditory learners and kinesthetic learners. As the textbook mentioned, these learning styles were based on the VARK approach.
I thought it would be interesting to see if what I had thought my learning style was matched up with the VARK questionnaire results. I had always thought I
was more of a visual learning, but the questionnaire indicated a multimodal
preference, meaning I learn best when material is presented in more than one style.
Although many students may have a preferred
learning style, it does not mean that they fit into one of the learning style
categories perfectly. As a future teacher I believe it is important to
acknowledge this and be prepared to teach lessons that incorporate as
many of these learning styles as possible.
Some examples of incorporating these learning styles into a math class are:
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| http://www.snipview.com/q/Mathematical_manipulatives |
Manipulatives (Kinesthetic Learners)- objects
used to help illustrate mathematical concepts. For example, a set of play cards
can be used to demonstrate the concept of probability or 3-D objects to
demonstrate the concept of area and volume. Although more frequently used in
elementary school, this article argues that manipulatives are very useful for high school students too and are
a missing link in our high school classrooms.
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| http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/proof/puzzle/ |
Group Work (Auditory Learners)- Problem solving in
groups can be done with any math topic. It allows students to
work in groups and talk about their strategies and solutions when solving the problem.
Through my research I came across a fantastic
organization that focuses on teaching mathematics in a visual way. The video
below is of the CEO of the MIND Research Institute speaking at
a TED conference about the great success this organization has had helping
students learn math.
“The idea
worth spreading here is that all students, not just those with special needs,
can benefit profoundly from opportunities to learn without any words at all.”
CEO Dr. Matthew Peterson, Co-founder and
CEO, MIND Research Institute
MIND Research Institute has developed software to teach mathematical concepts from K to 12 without using words. These games
focus on the visual representations of math. For students struggling with
reading, math problems can be overwhelming if you cannot even understand the
instructions. And even if you aren’t struggling with reading, when learning
math all of the words can take away from true understanding of the problem.
This organization goes far beyond just
using technology or computer games in the classroom. They have developed these software games to allow students to really think about math. Students can problem solve their way through the
lesson and get immediate visual feedback. This visual feedback also provides an
understanding of why the answer is the way it is.
A free sample of the interactive software on a fraction lesson can be found here. If you have a couple minutes to spare, give the game a try! It really is interesting to experience this method of teaching.
This software is only available for school boards in the USA to purchase at this time. However, the idea of teaching mathematics without words is very interesting for future teachers to consider.
Thanks for reading.
Laura :)
Curtain- Phillips, M. (n.d.). Manipulatives: The Missing Link in High School Math. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/manipulatives.html
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
Mind Research Institute. Retrieved October 5, 2015 from http://www.mindresearch.org
VARK. (n.d). Retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://vark-learn.com
Laura, I absolutely loved your view points on the various learning styles and strategies that students have. I previous wrote a post ( http://mrstudenny.blogspot.ca/2015/10/approaches-to-instruction-developing.html ) on the importance of developing your own personal teaching identity where I focused on the importance of finding an approach to instruction that benefits the students individual needs.
ReplyDeleteThe points you have made through your post describe the other side of the topic I was addressing. It is so important for teachers to tailor their lessons, teaching styles, teacher identity, classroom management, etc. to the individual needs of the students. It is so important to understand that each and every student has a unique learning style.
The resource you have linked is a really interesting example of developing an instructional approach that reaches as many learning types as possible. After trying the example for fractions in mathematics I found that this was a great play based activity that was both challenging and fun!
Thanks for your insight to the different learning styles of students. This is a topic every teacher and prospective teacher should take into consideration!
Hello Laura Santi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the mention and descriptive overview of MIND Research Institute and ST Math!
I want to let you know that another avenue of our mission involves taking math outside of the classroom with events and activities including family math nights, math fairs and math camps. We recently hosted the Math Fair in Chicago, and you can find a list of free resources that anyone can use on our website: http://www.mindresearch.org/mathfair/#resources
I hope you find this valuable! If you would also like to be informed when we release ST Math for international users please sign-up at: http://www.mindresearch.org/request_program_info/
Thank you!
Calli Welsch
Communications Specialist
MIND Research Institute
Laura, you did a great job addressing the different learning styles of students. It is difficult as a teacher to adhere to each individuals learning preference but it also very important to make every effort to do so. I think the video you included was very informative, and the online activity that you included was great. The online activity link was great because it showed how an activity could appeal to different learners strengths. Group work, manipulative, and diagrams appeals to all different learning strategies and are all effective ways to communicate knowledge. I think you did a really great job with the flow of your blog topic and had valid and resourceful links. If I could make one suggestion, I would suggest trying to get feedback from a student/school who has used the "math without words" software; just to get a perspective on the program. Overall, well done. Again, I look forward to reading your next post :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job Laura! I really liked how you gave a specific example of using different learning styles in math rather than just describing what each learning style is and the benefit it has on different students. It was also really great how you had visual representation for each point you talked about. I had never heard of MIND Research Institute until I read your blog and I am really glad you talked about it. Technology in the classroom is a very prevalent topic and MIND Research Institute is a great example of how technology can benefit students and can be used in a positive way. Thanks for your insight on the different learning styles of students it is important that all teachers integrate different learning styles into their classroom to benefit all students in the class. Do you know anything about it being available to Canadian schools?
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