Using Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences to Teach

There are many teachers who want to know how best to meet their students' needs. Some times they are given guidance and sometimes they are left to their own devices. This article provides teachers some insight of how to use learning styles and multiple intelligences to improve their lessons and consequently their students' comprehension.

With the implementation of No Child Left Behind Act, there is a greater emphasis on ensuring ALL students succeed and pass. In order to accomplish this mission, there is a strong demand for using data. Two sources of initial information should include the learning styles and multiple intelligences testing. From these, teachers can gain insight in how they should develop their lesson plans to match the way their students learn.

LEARNING STYLES TEST

If a teacher is unable to give both of the tests and wants a quick analysis, this one will provide a basic understanding of the ways the students will learn. It doesn't, however, go into details or specific categories as the multiple intelligences test. The type of information you will get is as follows:

1. Visual: This student watches the speaker, has to have visuals such as a teacher's facial expressions, looking at maps, or other visual aids. This student is also known for taking detailed notes which provides a visual in itself.
2. Tactile/Kinesthetics: This student likes to move, do, and touch everything. S/he learns by manipulating objects and materials. One of the hardest things for this type of learner to do is to remain seated.
3. Auditory: This student listens to the sounds in the environment. S/he may be the one tapping on the desk or doing a drum roll. The student doesn't mean to be disrespectful, s/he simply learns through rhythm and music. It can also act as a disturbance to the student. Sounds will easily distract this type of learner.

Available Cites:

The Internet provides several cites including those listed below. They can take anywhere from 5 to 20 or so minutes. The results are instantaneous.

1. http://www.wright.edu/~carole.endres/learnstyles.htm: This site provides 13 questions and an explanation at the bottom of the page explaining the best study procedures.
2. http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/stylest.html: This site provides 16 questions. Once submitted, you are told the type of learner you are and given an explanation of each category.

Deciphering the Information

Take some time and create a chart or table. A two-columned table can be beneficial in this kind of analysis. Label the first column "Type" and the second column " Frequency". List the three different types (visual, tactile, and auditory) under the first heading. Under the second one, place a mark or, if you prefer, the student names next to the corresponding "type". Please note that one student can be in one, two, or even all three categories.

If, however, you have a student who learns in only one specific category, put an asterick by their name as well as the entry in the second column. This is of significance because you, as the teacher, must take affirmative action to ensure this child's needs are being met.

Next find the average for each category or type. The total of students and the total of entries under the "frequency" label should differ. As explained previously, students can be in more than one category. If your total entries in the frequency column is, say, 32, then that is your total. (See Diagram 1)

TYPE / FREQUENCY TOTALS

Visual/15 (*3)

Tactile/5 (*1)

Auditory/12

The frequency total is 32. Visual is 15/32 or 46.8 percent. Tactile is 5/32 or 15.6 percent. Auditory is 12/32 or 37.5 percent. What this tells you is that your highest to the lowest learning styles in order are: visual, auditory, and tactile.

Take a look at Diagram 1. Notice that there are 3 students with asterisks who learn only through visual lessons and 1 student who learns only through tactile manipulation. The three visual learners are in a good category, since the majority of the students learn through visual representation. However, there is one student who has a learning tactile style. This is telling the teacher that they need to include tactile items as well as visual aids within the lesson to reach the applicable student(s).

Using the Information in Lesson

Visual Learners--This is usually the highest category of learners. Anything visual can help them learn. Activities might include graphing, reading, writing, or drawing pictures.

Tactile Learners: Needs a hands-on approach. As long as they are interacting with the item, then they will learn. Activities may include writing a letter, building a tower, or flying a plane.

Auditory Learners: Anything that they can hear will help them learn, but also can act as a distractor. Activities may include reporting, explaining, demonstrating, or anything musical or rhythmic.

Teacher's Learning Style

It is important for teachers to know what their own individual learning style is. Many teachers teach in the way that they learn. Teaching different types of learners requires teachers to step out of their safety zone. For example, if a teacher is an auditory learner and has all tactile learners or even visual learners, there will be a discrepancy in the students' learning process. By teaching out side of the safety zone, teachers can take every step possible to assist their students in their learning adventure.

Students Assessment Book

Once you have this data, what do you do with it? This information should be kept in a student assessment book, in both the overall class assessment information section as well as individual student assessment sections. If you don't have a book to compile all of your students' assessments, then get one. All teachers should have one. This is especially helpful when talking to administrators, team members, or parents regarding a specific child's needs. The idea of an assessment book will be discussed in further detail in another hub.

TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER: MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE LEARNING

Learning styles is the basis of what teachers need to know in order to teach their students. Taking it a step further requires knowing what the students' intelligences are. There are seven different types, as designed by Howard Gardner. Usually, people do not have just one type of intelligence, but instead, a variety. Kind of like a hodge podge or Heinz 57, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. But by understanding the different types and which ones your students favor, it will only help you be a better teacher.

Available Cites:

1. http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html: This site provides a 56-question test to determine what your personal multiple intelligences are. In additional there is instantaneous feedback that reveals your top three intelligences along with an explanation and examples of activities that can be used in the learning process. Great way for teachers to get some ideas of items to include in their lesson plans.
2. http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/questions/questions.cfm: Provides an explanation of each type of intelligence, a 40-question test, and ends with a graph displaying the percentage of answers in each category.

8 Types of Intelligences

1. Visual/Spatial--watching the speaker, seeing visuals (graphs, etc.), taking detailed notes, and manipulating objects
2. Verbal/Linguistic--using words in all ways from acting, reading, writing, speaking, etc.
3. Logical/Mathematical--using numbers and solving problems
4. Bodily/Kinesthetics--moving and interacting with the space around them and objects
5. Musical/Rhythmic--learning through music, sounds, or song, very conscious of the sounds around them
6. Nature--understanding of nature and its creatures, plants, etc.
7. Interpersonal--understanding of others around them, organizes
8. Intrapersonal--understanding of oneself

Teaching Intelligences with Small Group Activities

One great way of teaching multiple styles and intelligences is small group activities. For example, let's say that the roles for such include a facilitator, orienter, timer, and reporter. Let's take a look at just the facilitator.

1. Visual/Spatial: finding a location, organizing, taking notes
2. Verbal/Linguistic: giving directions, having person-to-person or person-to-group interaction
3. Logical/Mathematical: giving directions, clarifying understanding, and discussing the activity
4. Tactile/Kinesthetics: moving around, handling information or objects, actively participating
5. Interpersonal: getting along with others in the group

This shows that 5 out of 8 intelligences were used in small group activities versus one or two using the traditional methods of teaching.

Storing and Using the Information

The intelligences testing as well as the learning styles assessment need to be maintained in your students' assessment book. Again, you will need to develop a condensed listing of the percentages of learners in each category. You will find that most if not all students will have quite a variety of intelligences. This knowledge helps in providing lessons that are well-tuned to the student's individual learning styles and intelligent.

By using the different learning styles and intelligences, teachers cannot help but be successful. On the same token, one must realize that it is important to always critique and evaluate. Does what you are doing actually meet the needs of the students? Are you using as many of the intelligences as possible? In addition to this awareness, another important component to consider are the students' mobility. Students often move away and new students arrive. This can change the dynamics of a classroom and the overall needs of the students. It is imperative that teachers maintain knowledge of their students intelligences and learning styles.

Additional information about Garnder's multiple intelligences can be found at http://www.businessballs.com/howardgardnermultipleintelligences.htm.

Additional Resources on multiple learning styles:http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=learning+styles&x=0&y=0

Additional Articles by NJs Ponderings:

1. School Suspensions: Pros, Cons, and Ways to Improve, http://hubpages.com/hub/School-Suspensions-Pros-Cons-and-Ways-to-Improve
2. Multiple Suspensions: A Cry for Help, http://hubpages.com/hub/Multiple-Suspensions-A-Cry-for-Help
3. Creating Lesson Plans for Today's Students, http://hubpages.com/hub/Creating-Lesson-Plans-for-Todays-Children
4. Should students be told there is more than one answer to a problem? http://hubpages.com/hub/Should-students-be-told-there-is-more-than-one-answer-to-a-problem
5. The Teacher's Role in Adapting Curriculum for Students' Needs and More, http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Teachers-Role-in-Adapting-Curriculum-for-Student-Needs-and-More

Other Related Hubs:

1. http://hubpages.com/hub/identify-your-childs-learning-style-to-create-the-right-atmosphere-for-learning
2. http://hubpages.com/hub/identify-your-childs-learning-style-to-create-the-right-atmosphere-for-learning