assignment 2.2:Learning Styles: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Some people might say we've gone from "spare the rod, spoil the child" to "spoil the child because we don't want hurt feelings." I say, "all things in moderation". I have learned enough so far about learning styles to believe that they are a great learning/teaching tool. In my opinion, it is doing the student (every student) a big favor to assess his or her learning style and then give him or her the appropriate information and study tips for their particular learning style. By doing this, we are giving the students the information they need to help themselves and take responsibility in the learning process.

Should a teacher have to create assignments for every single learning style? Certainly not! But there are ways to make assignments work across several styles. For instance, the teacher could allow students to write a paper, record an oral paper, or do a video or PowerPoint of their paper. In the classroom, lectures could be accompanied by a written outline to fill in or or graphs and pictures. The lecture could be recorded for listening to later. Allowing students to work in small groups could reinforce the material in multiple styles. While students should learn in their preferred styles, they need exposure to other styles also; being comfortable with more than one style increases their chance for success.

The points below sum up my feelings about learning styles:

• They are an important tool; not a crutch
• Students should be made aware of their learning style(s)
• Teachers should coach students on how to learn with their learning style
• Teachers should NOT provide separate lessons for each student's style
• Teachers should plan assignments (when possible) that could be completed in a variety of ways according to learning styles
• Students should be held accountable for learning