Engaging activities for the BHS Classroom

Spotlight on Learning Styles

META Webinar7 October 2015Marjorie Rosenberg

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I never knew there were different styles of learning. I thought I just couldnt learn a foreign language.

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What are learning styles?Perceptual filtersStrategies to perceive, store and recall materialCognitive processingOrganisation of perceived materialApproaches used by individualsPatterns of behavior

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Learning styles in the classroomMost classes have variety of learner typesTeachers often teach in the way we learnMix of methods can reach more learnersHelp learners stretch out of preferred stylesEncourage learners to develop successful strategiesHarmonise and challenge learnersMetacognition of styles gives learners more insightTolerance grows from acceptance of other styles

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What styles are notAn excuseA way to pigeon-holeRight or wrongA limitation with no possibility of stretchingAn indication of competenceJudgemental

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Three modelsSensory-perception: VAK

Cognitive processing: Global-Analytic

Behavioral: Mind Organisation

Read Andrew Cohens quote

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VAK Model Visual

Auditory

Kinesthetic motoric

Kinesthetic emotional

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VAKAVKVAAKVKStandard VAK Model

Visual Handwriting Example

Visual Handwriting Example

Auditory Handwriting Example

Kinaesthetic Handwriting Example

Global / Analytic Model Global

Analytic

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Mind Organisation

Perceive concretelyOrganise non-systematicallyOrganise systematicallyPerceive abstractly

Power PlannerExpert InvestigatorRadical ReformerFlexible Friend

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A complete profileWhich of my senses do I use to perceive information?How do I store and recall information?Do I prefer abstract ideas or concrete situations?Do I use emotions or logic to understand?Do I organise systematically or non-systematically?

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What makes activities appeal to different learner types?Use different sensory channelsMake use of different cognitive processingAccept different forms of organisationHelp learners make use of strengthsCreate possibility to discover new strategiesAccept how students learn Give feeling of progress

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Activities

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VAK Activities

What have I changed?Put learners in pairs.Have them look at each other.Ask them to stand back-to-back and change something about their appearance.Have them look at each other again and find out what has been changed.

Extension: first in pairs, then walk about to music, find each other what has they other changed.

The StatueCall learners up one by one.The first makes a pose as a statue.The second adds to the statue.This continues until several learners have created a final statue.Have them sit down and recall what happened.

Extension: Write out the sequence of what happened.

Can you describe the drawing?

Global / Analytic Activities

What would you do if ...?Send two people out of the room and choose a topic.Bring the two people back in and have them ask the others What would you do if this happened to you? Based on the answers they get, they should try to guess what happened. ************************************************it began to rain ice cream?You had to come to work in your pajamas?

The Yes-No HotseatAsk for a volunteer to think of an activity.Have the others ask questions to try and guess what the activity is.The person answering is not allowed to say Yes or No but must find alternative ways to answer.If the person says Yes or No they tell the group the activity and another volunteer is chosen.

Yes!

No!

The envelope gameBrainstorm jobs.Hand out envelopes and small pieces of paper to each of the learners.Have them write their names on their envelopes.They then pass their envelopes to the person on their right who writes a job on a piece of paper they think the person is suited for and puts it in the envelope.The envelopes are passed around till they come back to their owners who take out the jobs and look at them.The learners discusses the jobs they feel they are suited for and why.

Mind organisation activities

Can you sell it?Brainstorm persuasive language.Discuss USPs.Divide the group into buyers and sellers. Tell the buyers that they can buy a total of three different products.Tell the sellers to look around the classroom and find an object they can sell. Give them a time limit and then debrief to find out who was successful and why.

My personal mindmap

Marjorie

UB

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1975 voice

Opera Camarata 1981 NLP

Santa Cruz adult ed Graz University methodologybusiness English

teacher training

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This activity is from page 87 ofSpotlight on Learning Styles

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ActivitiesWhat have I changed?The statueCan you describe the drawing?What would you do if ?The yes-no hotseatThe envelope gameCan you sell it?Personal mindmaps

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Where do learning styles fit in?A way to raise awarenessLearners take an active partCan increase motivationLearner-centredHelp learners develop successful strategies

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Time for ReflectionWork in small groupsDiscuss which activities you personally enjoyed mostCompare the activities with your stylesDiscuss which activities will work in your classroomIdeas for adapting the activities

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Any questions?

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Thank you for your attention.

marjorie.rosenberg@tele2.at

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AcknowledgementsPhotos usedby Sandy Millan, @dfogarty and @val360 for www.eltpics.com (crowd-sourced, Creative Commons licensed photo resource by and for teachers)

Activities taken from Spotlight on Learning Styles, Marjorie Rosenberg, Delta Publishing 2013