Today
is a fantastic time to be a student in the United States. Education is a hot
topic with concerns that range from teacher benefits, budget problems, the necessity
of the arts in schools, and the list continues. More recently the hot issue in
schools has been how can teachers improve their students' learning? As a
student I am very aware of how I learn and what I would like to see changed,
but my learning style is most likely pivotally different from the person
sitting in the desk next to me in any given class. The question then becomes
how do teachers satisfy every students learning needs? I can testify as a
student that we as students are demanding. We would also like to tell you that
teachers are demanding in a different way. The discussion between teachers and
students doesn't have to be a battle; it should be an enlightening
conversation.
The real problem is this: Sitting at home with
an assignment that makes no sense to me, not knowing how and where to begin,
and then coming in to class and being the only one who is as clueless as you. Every
student has his or her own personal learning styles and habits, and when a
student is stuck mentally it can be good and it can be bad. Challenge is good,
discomfort and failure are not. We students are frustrated but we, unfortunately,
can't strike. Luckily our cry has been heard by many teachers and researchers
and there have been amazing and numerous results.
Debbie Jacob writes the article attached to this
blog. The article references Gardener's Multiple Intelligences, a theory
that breaks up humans intelligence into categories based on learning
preference. More teachers are moving to teaching methods that effectively are
inclusive of a variety of learning methods. This article suggests that if you
know your specific learning style you are more likely to not only be more
successful in learning in an educational environment, but also you are more
likely to feel more comfortable with yourself in daily life!
This is different from just knowing what you are
good at. Most students today are incredible multi-taskers. Most students are
involved in a multitude of activities, and this confuses our brains ability to
know what we are truly most comfortable with. It is also not uncommon to have
more than one best learning intelligence. When teachers and students are both
aware of the students learning style the student will learn better. It is huge to
know this information! Teachers now have the potential to change the way we as
students learn, and students have the opportunity to really invest in learning
and not mindlessly complete tasks! The only real question is how will we utilize
this information? It truly is a fantastic time to be a student in the United
States.
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