Topic: M7 Journal Assignment
In your final journal assignment, create a final paper of 8-10 pages in APA style using at least 6 scholarly references. You can make use of information from your journal entries and discussions (citing yourself), or discussions provided by others in the course (citing that author) as additional sources. You may also have created an approved multi-media project.
Make this your own. You will already have demonstrated in class that you understand Learning Styles. This is your opportunity to demonstrate to yourself that they matter to you, and how they matter to you.
Heres one of my journal assaignments
I’m taking this course because; I’m pursuing a career as a board of education teacher. One of the biggest challenges within a classroom would be, getting kids to listen and keeping their attention. Ones Teaching styles must be flexible and adaptable in order to accommodate the learning style of Students. I’m hoping by the end of this course I would be able to distinguish the difference those type of style and provide a better teaching environment for my teachers. Every Human being in this world is unique and each individual has different ways in ways in which they learn. Learning styles have been formulated over the years to help is recognize the way we approach learning and methods we use to gain knowledge.
Based on the learning style assessment in module 1. I strongly agree that my strongest learning style is visual style, followed by Kinesthetic. I’ve noticed that I usually sit in front of the classroom because it helps me concentrate on what I’m doing and the lesson, and it helps me avoid getting distracted by sights of activities going on around me. I tend to lose focus when there are other things going on around me. I have learned a lot about myself and how to study from reading the first module that I read in the ‘Introduction to Learning Styles’. Before I never realize how many different types of learning styles there were. When listening to lectures, I prefer to take notes for the sake of moving my hands. Not only does this keeps me focus but writing helps me understand and process the “Lecture” better. Also, when given an assignment or even a passage to read I like to scan the material first, and then focus in on the details to get the big picture.
According to the text, a person with Bodily-kinsthetic intelligence their sense is usually well developed, and they enjoy physical challenges and pursuits. These learners learn best by doing, moving and acting things out(Silver, Strong, and Perini p 8). This gave me a better understanding of how my sensory processes are influenced by my environment.
“So Each May Learn”, Silver, Strong, and Perini, ASCD, 2000
Heres another journal entry:
The learning style I wanted to use for my journal is kolbs model of learning. Psychologist David Kolb first outlined his theory of learning styles in 1984. He believed that our individual learning styles Emerge due to our genetics, life experiences, and the demands of our current environment. As I read more about his experiential theory, The learning styles described by Kolb are based upon two major dimensions: Active/reflective and abstract/concrete. The four learning styles that Kolb identified are: Divergers, Converters, Assimilators, Accomodators.
After determing, the learning style that best fits me from the readings through the module and additional websites( Changingminds.org), I have concluded that The “Accomodator” suits me best because I have a hands-on approach, with a strong preference for doing rather than thinking. I do at times, catch myself asking ‘ what if ?’ And ‘why not? to support my action-first approach. I also tend to be a great risk- taker. I feel I’m good at thinking on my feet and changing my plan spontaneously in response to new information.
What I’ve learn in comparison to Jungian adult learning style inventory, is that, I’m a Intuitive-Feeling learner. My assessment showed that I prefer to work in short sessions, rather than finish a task all at once. I see that my work is sometimes scattered and may look chaotic to the thinking types but it works for me when I often engage in a number of activities at the same time and I move from one to the other according to where my interest takes me. Often, I start more projects than I can finish. The assessment seemed to be pretty accurate to my learning style.
Through my assessment I realized that I was that I am a Kinesthetic learner and I’m able to process information by muscle movements and experience that are hands-on. Which made sense to me because I am aware that I am also a visual learner, when I am shown how to do something I catch on quickly .
The things I do now in studying that are within the guidelines includes: read the book chapters and highlight or even sometimes I would read the end of the book to see if it’s necessary to read the whole thing. Before I never really understood the different ways I studied, I just knew what seemed to work. I now understand why those techniques were successful. Now that I am know that I am a kinesthic learner, and have bodily kinesthic intelligence, I look forward to implementing the newly learned studying techniques.
Source
https://changingminds.org/explanations/learning/kolb_learning.html
Silver et al.: So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences
Heres a discussion I submitted:
I choose to focus on comparing and contrasting ‘The African Indigenous way of knowing’ and ‘The Maori Indigenous way of knowing’. While reading page 117 in ‘Merrian and Associates, 2007’ text, I became interested in the The African tradition. The text explained how the African tribe had to observe, imitate, and continuously practice what was being taught. They also focus on several ways of providing learning/knowledge through out their community. First, It is the responsibility for the elders to share their knowledge they have acquired throughout the years to the young, by means of oral instructions and practical activities. Such as, Skills like carving, clay working, and home management(woman only learned this). This is how their community will flourish. In the textbook , they say a major principle the Africans believed in was that knowledge is to “live usefully And happily with ones family, with ones community one’s society, and the sports of one’s ancestors”( Merriam et. Al. 2007, pg 235). Africans generally have deep and ingrained respect for the elders they’re respected, obeyed and considered a source of wisdom. Second, they feel knowledge is stored in the cultural and physical belief, taboos, folklore and myths and an individual’s experiences.
The Maori way of learning drew a similar resemblance with the Africans. The Maori learning is a lifelong and centralized, as they feel Knowledge is to be a collective unit in society. Extended families are a fundamental part of living and learning.
While reading page 80 in the ‘Merrian and Associates, 2007’ text, I read how ‘The Maori Indigenous way of Knowing’ explained how the Maori tribe members would get together formally. They would get together, dine, discuss issues, and collaborate on the knowledge that they were obtaining. Both male and female, played separate roles. The males were to share stories and the females would be in charge of the dining and the kitchen area. The males were taught oratory skills and the females were taught hospitality skills. This is a great example of how similar the African tribe is to the Maori tribe, men and woman learn separate roles that are similar to both tribes.
If I were to select a learning style, I would go with the African way. I feel that because of my learning style (visual/kinsthic) I would be a great hunter and be extremely knowledgeable about my environment and land. I consider myself to be hands on and can see myself dealing with home management. I also can see my family following this way of learning because my wife is a hard working teacher but still is dedicated to taking care of our home. She loves to cook and be a hostess. The difference in our roles as male and female from the African and Maori way is that we both do our parts cleaning the home, washing cloths, washing dishes, etc.
The following are required texts for this course:
•Merriam, S. and Associates, Non-Western Perspectives on Learning and Knowing. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing
•Silver, F. H., Strong, R. W., Perini, M.J., So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences. Alexander, VA: ASCD.
•Sprenger, M., Differentiation Through Learning Styles and Memory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
•Jensen, E., Brain Based Education: The New Science of Teaching and Training. (revised edition) San Diego, CA: The Brain Store.
•Celli Sarasin, L., Learning Style Perspectives: Impact in the Classroom. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.
