Learning Styles...The Discovery of Learning
What type of learner are you?
About Me
- Shelley B.
- I'm enrolled in the Adult. education program at Bellevue University. Come learn with me...
Welcome...
Welcome to my blog!
I define learning as taking a response or knowledge and applying it to real life. Learning can take place by formal education or just by the learning of new skills and is a continual process throughout our lives. I always feel fulfilled if I learn something new every day.
As learners, each of us bring a range of experiences, competencies, and interests to the table. Face it...our entire lives have been defined by how we learn. Growing up my sister loved to read....and I didn't. She followed directions word-for-word...I didn't. I would look at the finished product (or a picture) and put whatever it was together...she couldn't. I was mechanical...she was anything but mechanical.
Face it, our brains are all wired differently. One of reasons people learn differently is associated with the dominent side of their brains. Some people are left brain dominent, some people are right brain dominent, and some are split right down the middle and use both. There are very specific characteristics pertaining to each and each has an effect on how we, adult learners, actually learn.
I define learning as taking a response or knowledge and applying it to real life. Learning can take place by formal education or just by the learning of new skills and is a continual process throughout our lives. I always feel fulfilled if I learn something new every day.
As learners, each of us bring a range of experiences, competencies, and interests to the table. Face it...our entire lives have been defined by how we learn. Growing up my sister loved to read....and I didn't. She followed directions word-for-word...I didn't. I would look at the finished product (or a picture) and put whatever it was together...she couldn't. I was mechanical...she was anything but mechanical.
Face it, our brains are all wired differently. One of reasons people learn differently is associated with the dominent side of their brains. Some people are left brain dominent, some people are right brain dominent, and some are split right down the middle and use both. There are very specific characteristics pertaining to each and each has an effect on how we, adult learners, actually learn.
WHAT IS YOUR LEARNING STYLE?
Do you think that teachers/instructors need to adapt to the students learning style?
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Left, Right, or Middle Brain...Which Is Your Dominent Side?
How we learn is a result of the dominant hemisphere of our brains. Our brain functions dominants both our strengths and our weaknesses. Looking at our brain (cognitive) functions, there are distinct differences in the two sides. Learning all goes back to our cognitive functions of our brains.
According to scholastic.com, here are brief descriptions of each left and right side learners and teachers, as well as middle brainers. Let's take a look at each:
The Right-Brain Student prefer to work in groups. They like to do art projects, industrial arts electives in middle school, and graphic design. They would prefer to design and make a mobile rather than write "another tedious term paper
The Left-Brain Student prefer to work alone. They like to read independently and incorporate research into their papers. They favor a quiet classroom without a lot of distraction.
Those who are middle-brain dominant tend to be more flexible than either the left- or the right-brain folks; however, you often vacillate between the two hemispheres when you make decisions. You sometimes get confused when decisions need to be made because, neurologically speaking, you could do most tasks through either a left-brain or a right-brain method
Well, I thought we could entertain ourselves with this very quick quiz—which is also very revealing. So my question(s) to you all is: Are you a Left or Right Hand Student…or are you a Middle Brainer?
Take the Cognitive-Style Quiz quiz below and find out your dominate side. Choose the one sentence that is more true. Do not leave any blanks. Go ahead...
A ) It's fun to take risks.
B ) I have fun without taking risks.
A ) I look for new ways to do old jobs.
B ) When one way works well, I don't change it.
A ) I begin many jobs that I never finish.
B ) I finish a job before starting a new one.
A ) I'm not very imaginative in my work.
B ) I use my imagination in everything I do.
A ) I can analyze what is going to happen next.
B ) I can sense what is going to happen next.
A ) I try to find the one best way to solve a problem.
B ) I try to find different answers to problems.
A ) My thinking is like pictures going through my head.
B ) My thinking is like words going through my head.
A ) I agree with new ideas before other people do.
B ) I question new ideas more than other people do.
A ) Other people don't understand how I organize things.
B ) Other people think I organize well.
A ) I have good self-discipline.
B ) I usually act on my feelings.
A ) I plan time for doing my work.
B ) I don't think about the time when I work.
A ) With a hard decision, I choose what I know is right.
B ) With a hard decision, I choose what I feel is right.
A ) I do easy things first and important things later.
B ) I do the important things first and the easy things later.
A ) Sometimes in a new situation, I have too many ideas.
B ) Sometimes in a new situation, I don't have any ideas.
A ) I have to have a lot of change and variety in my life.
B ) I have to have an orderly and well-planned life.
A ) I know I'm right, because I have good reasons.
B ) I know I'm right, even without good reasons.
A ) I spread my work evenly over the time I have.
B ) I prefer to do my work at the last minute.
A ) I keep everything in a particular place.
B ) Where I keep things depends on what I'm doing.
A ) I have to make my own plans.
B ) I can follow anyone's plans.
A ) I am a very flexible and unpredictable person.
B ) I am a consistent and stable person.
A ) With a new task, I want to find my own way of doing it.
B ) With a new task, I want to be told the best way to it.
To Score, give yourself one point for each time you answered
"A" for questions: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21.
Give yourself one point for each time you answered "B" for questions: 4 ,5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18.
Add all points. Totals imply:
0-4: strong left brain
5-8: moderate left brain
9-13: middle brain
14-16: moderate right brain
17-21: strong right brain
So, what does all this mean?
Description of the Left-Hemisphere Functions:
- Constantly monitors our sequential, ongoing behavior
- Responsible for awareness of time, sequence, details,
and order
- Responsible for auditory receptive and verbal
expressive strengths
- Specializes in words, logic, analytical thinking, reading,
and writing
- Responsible for boundaries and knowing right from
wrong
- Knows and respects rules and deadlines
Description of the Right-Hemisphere Functions
- Alerts us to novelty; tells us when someone is lying
or making a joke
- Specializes in understanding the whole picture
- Specializes in music, art, visual-spatial and/or
visual-motor activities
- Helps us form mental images when we read and/or
converse
- Responsible for intuitive and emotional responses
References:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3629#quiz
‘Left Brain/Right Brain, Pathways To Reach Every Learner’ By Diane Connell
The Alert Scale of Cognitive Style, by Dr. Loren D. Crane, Western Michigan University, 1989.
According to scholastic.com, here are brief descriptions of each left and right side learners and teachers, as well as middle brainers. Let's take a look at each:
The Right-Brain Student prefer to work in groups. They like to do art projects, industrial arts electives in middle school, and graphic design. They would prefer to design and make a mobile rather than write "another tedious term paper
The Left-Brain Student prefer to work alone. They like to read independently and incorporate research into their papers. They favor a quiet classroom without a lot of distraction.
Those who are middle-brain dominant tend to be more flexible than either the left- or the right-brain folks; however, you often vacillate between the two hemispheres when you make decisions. You sometimes get confused when decisions need to be made because, neurologically speaking, you could do most tasks through either a left-brain or a right-brain method
Well, I thought we could entertain ourselves with this very quick quiz—which is also very revealing. So my question(s) to you all is: Are you a Left or Right Hand Student…or are you a Middle Brainer?
Take the Cognitive-Style Quiz quiz below and find out your dominate side. Choose the one sentence that is more true. Do not leave any blanks. Go ahead...
A ) It's fun to take risks.
B ) I have fun without taking risks.
A ) I look for new ways to do old jobs.
B ) When one way works well, I don't change it.
A ) I begin many jobs that I never finish.
B ) I finish a job before starting a new one.
A ) I'm not very imaginative in my work.
B ) I use my imagination in everything I do.
A ) I can analyze what is going to happen next.
B ) I can sense what is going to happen next.
A ) I try to find the one best way to solve a problem.
B ) I try to find different answers to problems.
A ) My thinking is like pictures going through my head.
B ) My thinking is like words going through my head.
A ) I agree with new ideas before other people do.
B ) I question new ideas more than other people do.
A ) Other people don't understand how I organize things.
B ) Other people think I organize well.
A ) I have good self-discipline.
B ) I usually act on my feelings.
A ) I plan time for doing my work.
B ) I don't think about the time when I work.
A ) With a hard decision, I choose what I know is right.
B ) With a hard decision, I choose what I feel is right.
A ) I do easy things first and important things later.
B ) I do the important things first and the easy things later.
A ) Sometimes in a new situation, I have too many ideas.
B ) Sometimes in a new situation, I don't have any ideas.
A ) I have to have a lot of change and variety in my life.
B ) I have to have an orderly and well-planned life.
A ) I know I'm right, because I have good reasons.
B ) I know I'm right, even without good reasons.
A ) I spread my work evenly over the time I have.
B ) I prefer to do my work at the last minute.
A ) I keep everything in a particular place.
B ) Where I keep things depends on what I'm doing.
A ) I have to make my own plans.
B ) I can follow anyone's plans.
A ) I am a very flexible and unpredictable person.
B ) I am a consistent and stable person.
A ) With a new task, I want to find my own way of doing it.
B ) With a new task, I want to be told the best way to it.
To Score, give yourself one point for each time you answered
"A" for questions: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21.
Give yourself one point for each time you answered "B" for questions: 4 ,5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18.
Add all points. Totals imply:
0-4: strong left brain
5-8: moderate left brain
9-13: middle brain
14-16: moderate right brain
17-21: strong right brain
So, what does all this mean?
Description of the Left-Hemisphere Functions:
- Constantly monitors our sequential, ongoing behavior
- Responsible for awareness of time, sequence, details,
and order
- Responsible for auditory receptive and verbal
expressive strengths
- Specializes in words, logic, analytical thinking, reading,
and writing
- Responsible for boundaries and knowing right from
wrong
- Knows and respects rules and deadlines
Description of the Right-Hemisphere Functions
- Alerts us to novelty; tells us when someone is lying
or making a joke
- Specializes in understanding the whole picture
- Specializes in music, art, visual-spatial and/or
visual-motor activities
- Helps us form mental images when we read and/or
converse
- Responsible for intuitive and emotional responses
References:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3629#quiz
‘Left Brain/Right Brain, Pathways To Reach Every Learner’ By Diane Connell
The Alert Scale of Cognitive Style, by Dr. Loren D. Crane, Western Michigan University, 1989.