How+we+Learn

How We Learn

The one thing that teaching in the field teaches teachers, it's that nothing, no matter how well planned and stimulating, will work for every student. That's because students all learn differently. Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences indicates this clearly and efficiently. Gardner's theory is that students learn through a combination of at least three of the eight intelligences: linguistic, musical, logical, kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. My own intelligences are, in this order: kinesthetic, linguistic, and intrapersonal. This means that I learn best when presented with educational activities that emphasize these strengths. There are complicated, task-oriented assessments, developed by Gardner and his colleagues at Harvard, to determine which intelligences fit a given student, though most students could tell you just based on the description which intelligences he or she possesses.

The learning styles inventory we were required to complete for this class is different, though no less valid. My own are:
 * Act || Ref || Sen || Int || Vis || Verb || Seq || Glo ||
 * || 1 || 3 ||  ||   || 11 || 7 ||   ||

All students are different, and all students deserve an education that is accessible to them regardless of learning style. As teachers, we must be sensitive and willing to approach the educations of students with all learning styles with enthusiasm and alacrity.