WEEK ONE

Week One | Learning styles

Jessica Andrews- Learning styles results
(Felder & Solomon, 1991) 

 As shown above, the Felder and Solomon's online learning styles test shows the results of how I learn and obtain information. From my understanding of the results of the first scale, I am an active learner rather than a reflective learner. I am a learner who best obtains information by actively applying it or discussing it with others. I work best in a group simply because I love hearing the creativity of others and then I love applying some of that creativity and inspiration into my own work. I learn best by listening to what others have to say about their understanding of information.

The second scale shows that I am a sensing learner. To my understanding, a sensing learner is very good at remembering facts. I find that I have a very good memory to facts that I can relate to my everyday life. I often work carefully and slowly to ensure that my work is neat and tidy and also to make sure that I have obtained the information effectively. However, I find that I do not obtain information that I cannot relate to. I normally require extra assistance to broaden my unuderstanding.

The third scale shows that I am a visual learner. I learn best by seeing rather than hearing and listening. As a visual learner I need to be be shown diagrams and charts that relate to the information rather than hearing about it and listening to others. As an aspiring primary school teacher, I need to ensure my teaching habits teaching vary between activities that require group work, hands on activities, classroom discussions and activities with movement (this activity is important in a performing arts class such as, music or drama) and visual activities where students need to sit and to listen and write. As an aspiring teacher is it in my best interest to ensure that I am completing the needs of each my students by observing how each student learns best. As a student myself, I often learnt best by seeing 'examples' of how the teacher wanted the activity to play out. By ensuring that each student is learning effectively, the teacher needs to ensure that they are mixing up the learning styles rather than keeping it one style that may not suit the needs of the other students in the class.

The final scale of the diagram shows that I am a Global learner. A global learning to my understanding means that the learner may understand the information but the educator needs to explain the information in more detail so that the student can relate it to something that they already know and understand. As a Global learner myself, Information often needs to be exaplined in more detail so that I can obtain it and understand it. I need the information to come with examples and disagrams.

REFLECTION | 
I feel that if the quiz wanted to discover every detail of how I learn it would go for pages. Having only the choice to pick one of the two answers during the quiz made me question if I was picking the 'right' answer for myself.
 At the age of 22, I am finding that I am still learning about how I learn everyday. I feel as if though I am learning better by doing my univeristy work on the internet because I can read information and have time to reflect on it and print it out and read up on it at a later date.

In relation to applying this to my students in a classroom, it would become important to identify which students participated in what activities such as, reading and writting or classroom discussions and debates and which students did well in practical activities. By reading and educating myself with the different learning styles I will then be able to apply this to my teaching plan which will ensure that I am attending to the needs of my students.

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowlege".
- Albert Einstein