Week 9: Learning styles and webtools

(copied from Lina)


For me, when hearing Learning styles I only associate it with Howard Gardner. Reading his article and my classmates comments I have come across that the list is still expanding. I come the conclusion that the human mind has so much to offer and we, educators, should try to empower our students and their potential to be what they want to be and be good at it.

Regarding teachers being aware of students different multiple intelligences, could we advice teachers in general to make like a quick survey or test to see what kind of intelligence are there in the class? Maybe even use any online test in English, so we shoot two birds with one stone.
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/choose_lang.cfm

http://www.literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html Take a look at this link for instance.

Now I have read Richard Felder's article
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Learning_Styles.html

Reading Felder and L.K. Silverman's article, I found interesting the way they categories learning styles, I have not read their names before, but heard of these learning styles but as a way of teaching or giving a class (referring to the inductive and deductive class). Interesting to know that they have deleted this categorization for several reasons (it can be read in their article http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/LS-1988.pdf).

On the other hand, the learning styles dimensions (Sensing/Intuiting, Visual/Verbal, Active/Reflective, and Sequential/Global
dimensions); made me think about how technology can facilitate activities for these learners. I think that forums, blogs, chats, webinars for instance are good to develop visual/verbal and reflective/active learners. These webtools are means in which students can reflect, share ideas, share questions on certain issues of interest (guided by the teacher or on their own). What is more, I have come to see that student interaction can jump to international levels and faster. Our students can write and speak to native speakers on skype, forums, chatrooms in regards to anything of their interest or particular assignments given in class.