This post will be about determining what type of learner am I and what type of learning I prefer.
As
you already read from my first two posts, I do a lot of reflection, and
intrapersonal thinking. I try to think about multiple ways to approach a
problem before starting out. At the same time, I am very visual. In
the morning, while laying in bed before starting my day, I visualize what
I am going to do during my day. I visualize how this blog will turn
out. My wife can tell that I am thinking without even looking at me,
she tells me: "Paul stop thinking; go to sleep." I ask her how she knows
I am thinking; she says my breathing changes. I do this during the
day at times. I will often just stare at something, or do something like
type this blog, and visualize the occurrence. I also have an
anxiety problem, which causes me to replay daily events in my mind over
and over. Additionally, I have what I consider a semi-
eidetic memory. This is
what saved me in pharmacy school. If there is a picture on the page, I
remember the page number and the information in relevance to the
picture. I remember an instance in the hospital when the emergency room
called down in a frantic voice needing to know the I.V. rate to give a
2000 mg solu-medrol dose to give to a head trauma patient. I knew
it was on the top left-hand side of page 256 of the American Hospital
Formulary book, one page after the picture showing an I.V. bag
with a syringe of solu-medrol being pushed into the bag. I can't do that
all the time, but if I feel I need to know a topic backwards and
forwards, I know pictures help me. This is why I like the pictures Dr.
Lamb puts on the websites. I associate the material we learn with those
pictures. Websites do not have page numbers, but at least I know the
material is somewhere with the picture. My only criticism is that the
slide shows, which are contained at the beginning of our lessons, all look
the same when they first load in. I would like to see a different
introductory slide, so I could quickly go back and say that information
was on that presentation. I am also very good with numbers. I admit I
am very good in math; I think I scored a 780 on the math portion of the GRE without much studying.
The reason I feel that I am so good at math is that I have a built-in
chalk board in my head. I can draw, place numbers, see the problems,
and keep track of the "carrier-over digits." For some reason, I am attuned
to doing math a different way than most. For instance, if I am asked "What is 26 x 13." I would write on my mental chalkboard 26 x 10= 260, and
then 13 x 6 = 78, so 260 + 78 = 338. Easy to do if one has a mental chalk
board.
When performing the exercise in class to
determine what type of learner I am, visual came up in both
instances. The survey exercise shows me equal in math and intrapersonel
learning. This make sense to me, as I seem to have three learning
styles that work for me. However, I prefer visual in some ways. Although, I might also say visual with logic and reason
behind it. I am not the type of visual learner that can decipher art. I
can see patterns with logical meanings. I guess, I am making an
argument that just saying someone is a visual learner is still too
general. I believe subcategories can come into play. I think
different learning situations allow me to utilize skills given the
learning environment. I like the Kolb learning-style explanation.
Divergers
view situations from many perspectives and rely heavily upon brainstorming and generation of ideas.
Assimilators
use inductive reasoning and have the ability to create theoretical models.
Convergers
rely heavily on hypothetical-deductive reasoning.
Accommodators
carry out plans and experiments and adapt to immediate circumstances. - (Koçakoğlu, 2010)
Sometimes I make things more complicated
than they should be. As I have tried to find articles for this section
of the blog, I have sifted through articles trying to find evidence of
some kind of mixed learning styles. None of the articles I came across
want to approach that subject. All the study participants fit nice and
cleanly into categories. I DON'T LIKE THAT! Something seems very
'fishy' here. I did not have the time to look at the psychology
databases. Surely, somebody has written a paper on "I am not a
Diverger; I am not an Assimilator; I am not a Converger; I am not an
Accomodator; I am ME." Maybe I need to write that paper :).
How
does this play out in information inquiry? I would say, I dance. You
probably think I have had too much go-go juice. What I mean by 'I dance'
is that I dance between learning styles.
Dance Step 1: Examine the possibilities from many different angles. Are there patterns or relationships?
Curling.
I am out on the ice. I want to curl, but I do not how to curl. People
in the stands are going to laugh at me if I fall on my face as I
curl. What do I need to know to curl? Replay the Olympics tape in my
brain: the Canadians are out on the ice. They
have sweepers and a team leader pointing directions. I see their footware.
I see a circle with a bulls eye. I see the commentators talking
about rocks pushing out other rocks. There is a device that
measures the distance from the bulls eye. - Intrapersonal Reflection Learning and Mentally Visual Learning: picture the question
Dance Step 2: Consider where they may lead mentally. Draw connections between materials.
Mental
Chalkboard time, classify this information: Equipment, Strategy,
Duties of Players, Scoring. Abstract thinking: History of curling? - Visual and Mathematical Categorization of Information
Dance Step 3: Argue with myself as to which way I want to proceed.
What
is a good way to proceed with this paper? History - Argument for:
Adds more substance to the material, possibly why it has developed into
the sport it is today. Argument against: Why add this information? It does not
have much to do with the actual process of curling. - Intrapersonal Reflection
Dance Step 4: Form a search strategy. Analyze the weakness in the strategy. Always wonder if there is a better strategy.
Search
the books. Oh no! The library does not have enough books on the information. Analyze the date
of the material. Wow, the best book is 2007. Is five-year-old information
good enough? Where else can I find the information? - Mathematical Strategical
Dance Step 5: Gather information. Analyze the information.
Okay,
I got all my articles, books, videos, etc. What does the information
mean? How do I put it together to make a coherent piece? - Intrapersonal Reflection / Mathematical Organization
Dance Step 6: Presentation.
I
need to figure out a good way to present the information. I do not want the
audience to be bored. I will picture myself giving the presentation.
Play version 1 in my mind: I am reading to an audience... they look
bored. Play version 2 in my mind: I am using a PowerPoint. Is that
going to work for curling? Hmm... Play version 3 in my mind: Bring in an
sweeper broom. What am I going to do with it? There is no ice in the
classroom, but this could still be interesting. Think about that some more.
Play version 4: Bring in a curling rock, okay what you going to do with
that? Think about that some more. Play version 5: Take them to a
curling ring. Yeah, I like that, but is that feasible? Play version 6:
Get a shuffle board, modify it with a bulls eye, and demonstrate using shuffle board equipment. Hmm... I'll need to think about that. Play version
7: Make a video of myself curling in order to explain curling. I could if I had
access to the rink, but I do not. Play version 8: Find a curling
computer game and explain curling utilizing a game. Possible, but not sure.
Play version 9: ... As you can see, this step plays over and over in my mind. - Visual Mental
The next
step is not part of the Information Inquiry, but I did it as a student
and will perform it as a teacher. The reason I did it as a student was
to become a better student.
Dance Step 7: Reflect and evaluate if what I did worked.
I
presented the material. I had trouble in area X. I wonder if there
was another way I could have presented the material. Conversely, that went really
well, and I need to remember that is a good way to present X. I could tell
by the audiences faces that I had connected. The survey after class told
me I did this either really well or poorly. - Intrapersonal Learning with some visual components as well as some mathematical strategy
I believe this is an important step not only to understand if the students learned what they were supposed to learn, but also for learning to be a good teacher.
Okay, I hope that gives everyone insight into my learning styles.
God help you all for trying to understand me, because my wife sometimes has a hard enough time doing so.
References
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy2.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=49162695&site=ehost-live.
Image:
Enders A, Brandt Z. Mapping disability-relevant resources. Map. Journal of Disability Policy Studies [serial online]. Spring 2007;17(4):227. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 14, 2007.
