Learning Styles Paper

Kelly Clardy

AGSC325

Multiple Intelligences and Learning Style Discussion Paper

            There are several students with learning disabilities in our world today.  Some of their fellow classmates may not even know that their friend has a learning disability.  During this week I took a Multiple Intelligence Inventory test on the Learning Disabilities Resource Community website.  I found some very interesting information.  My top result found that I was a Naturalist learner, which meant that I like to learn outside with my surroundings, animals, and weather.  As soon as, I read this I knew the test was completely correct.  I have always love animals, the weather and anything else that has to do with the outdoors.  It showed some other facts about me for example, good at categorizing, organizing, and planning trips.  Naturalist also learns best by studying in a natural setting.  All of this was one hundred percent me.  The next learning style was body/kinesthetic.  A person that learns bodily is a person that moves around, talk or touch in order to learn.  This person also uses body language.  This again would be a perfect description of me.  Everyone in my family will joke around and say that “If we sit on our hands, we would not be able to talk.’  Following bodily was a tie for, mathematics and interpersonal.  One thing in mathematics that stood out was the description which said “ask questions.”  Once I get started on a subject I can ask tons of questions.  I may not find out the answers, but I can come up with a question.  Interpersonal learner is some one who likes to talk to people, be in a group, and can understand people.  They learn best by sharing, comparing, or relating.  My next learning style was music, and I love music.  While in junior high school and some in high school I played the trumpet.  Ever since I picked up that trumpet I have loved music.  Musical learners learn best by having a rhythm, melody, or some type of music in the background, so they can process the information better.  Following, music I had another tie.  This time it was between spatial and intrapersonal learning.  Spatial is someone, who likes to draw, build, create or watch movies.  They are good at sensing changes, imagining things.  They learn best by visualizing, and working with colors or pictures.  Intrapersonal is a learner that likes to work alone and pursue own interests.  I do not feel as if this is completely me.  I like to have my space sometimes and work alone, but I like to have someone join me in some of my interests.  The last learner was some who learns linguistic.  A linguistic learner is a person who reads, writes or tells stories, and is good at memorizing.  They learn best by saying, hearing, or seeing words.  I am good at memorizing and remembering words by repeating and seeing the word, but I hate to read and write.  I just dread having to write papers.

            After taking my Learning Styles test I was amazed at some of my results.  I seemed to be balance between active and reflective learning.  I assumed that because, I usually think about everything that I would be more reflective than active.  The active part of my learning process is that I find it hard sometimes to just sit in lectures and just take notes and not be doing anything else.  Especially, in large number classes, for example, animal science.  My strong preference was sensing vs. intuitive learning.  I rely heavy on learning the facts instead of trying to learn about the possibilities and what might be, which makes me a sensing learner.  I tend to be able to memorize facts more than anything else.  Hands on learning are another strong trait of mine.  Visualization is a key in my learning process, which is hard to do in most of my classes.  I tend to have primarily verbal teachers, so it makes me have to struggle in order to learn the information.  The last learning style that fits me is sequential learning.  When learning math or any other subject, I have to learn step by step, and catch every detail.  It has to go in order.  I always assumed it was because I keep things organize, I never knew that it was because I was a sequential learner.  There are times when I know the details of a specific topic, but I will have problems relating it to another subject.  This is just one of the learning styles that I have as a student and teacher.

            I feel that after taking these tests I know exactly what type of teacher I will be.  To me it’s obvious that I will be a kinesthetic, visual teacher.  Teachers tend to teach the way that they are able to learn, and assumes that every student can learn that very same way.  This is not always true.  There are always going to be students with different learning styles.  I am more of hands on and visual, so that is the way I will probably teach.  I know that I have to mix it up, and throw it verbal, linguistic, interpersonal and intrapersonal, but primarily it will be visual.  I now feel like one of the first things I should do when I teach is to ask all of my students what type of learner they are, so I can incorporate that style in my lesson.  For example, teach one day using primarily visuals, and then the next day use outlines and keep it verbal.