WHICH IS YOUR LEARNING STYLE?
INTRODUCTION
At the moment, it is very important that teachers realise that every child is different, so it is necessary to adapt different teaching methods in order to help all students to learn in their best way.
In Spain, the teaching method has been the same for decades. When I was I child all the subjects were taught in a similar way: first of all, students read the unit from the textbook aloud. Then, the teacher asked students to do some comprehension exercises, and finally, students check them in class, and make an exam or a test.
The most important thing was to memorize the matter. In subjects as maths or physics, students were supposed to understand how to solve problems using formulas. In my case, I never was able to do the problems in a proper way; actually, I used to memorise the main steps and repeat them in the final exam.
In 1983, Gardner published the Multiple Intelligences theory. According to Howard Gardner, there are eight intelligences. All people have all of them but not all the intelligences are developed in the same way.
The intelligences are: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, body kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, spatial and naturalistic. There is a ninth intelligence which has been questioned called existential intelligence.
Obviously, teachers nowadays need to have into account Gardner´s theory. Teachers must change traditional methods in order to adapt every single child.
MY LEARNING STYLE
After analyse all learning styles, I think that I learn in a visual way. I prefer read than listen and I use different colours in the texts, so I can easily distinguish the parts of the matter. Then, I write brief outlines with a few words, for example: definition, main characteristics, …. With this steps I can easily memorize any matter but maths or logical subjects as physics or chemistry. For me, this kind of area is still very difficult to deal with.
To sum up I prefer to study on my own, using auditory methods. I consider myself as sensing learner because I like memorizing facts, and I hate complications. I am reflective, because I always take notes in a lecture, I write summaries and outlines to study and always by myself. And for me it is easily to learn something I can see, than if I listen to it.
HOW I HAVE TO TEACH
Knowing my learning style, and my weakness in some logical areas, I need to work in how to teach trying students to work in groups, doing solve problems exercises, and checking the results, showing them how to do concept maps etc…
I didn't use to learn using physical exercise when I was a child, but from my recent experience, I can claim that children learn in a better way if they use their body, doing some kind of activities.
CONCLUSIÓN
Currently, the main problem to create effective ways of learning is that there are about thirty students per class in Primary. It is very difficult for one teacher to adapts to every single child. Consequently, and from my point of view, the best solution is to work having into account all Gardner's Intelligences. Maybe teachers can work with two or three intelligences in each unit. This way all children will have the same opportunities to learn. Of course, it implies to change the assessment. We can't test always in the same way, so we need to work and look for resources to success in our profession.
