re:teaching the teachers/long
Steven and Jane Eubanks (eubanks@en.com)
Sat, 4 Jan 1997 14:14:07 -0500
There is a set of tests that can show a teacher groupings of learning
styles which would help in understanding differences in students and
differences in teaching styles, which reflect the teacher's own learning
style.
The tests are the "Kolb Learning Styles Tests" and in them the learning
styles are broken down into four main categories. Each of us uses all of
the learning styles to some extent.
These tests apply to children and adults.
1.Theoretical learner: learns by reading, researching, listening to
lectures Needs a quiet library and space for learning to take place.
2.Reflective learner: has a matrix brain and needs to take all available
information and quietly and slowly
sift through it before making any conclusions. Usually conclusions are
right on the money, and this person can see a problem from all angles.
This person can usually see "down the road" problems with a course of action
3.Process learner: things become real to this person with talking. Talking
is the learning process, this person is good at brain storming, is good in
small groups...lecture is deadly.
4.Do it learner: Things become real to this person when he/she does the
process. Wants an immediate response, hands on, get the job done. This
person has a tendency to not see beyond the project at hand.
These are the bare bones of the types.
Now it gets a little more complex when you place the learning styles in a
matrix and couple two of the styles. Everyone has two main learning styles
which result in learning "categories"
1. Reflective/Theoretical=Assimilater
This person takes abstract concepts and can turn them into practical use
(In terms of music--someone who studies theory and the abstract ideas of
style and can then turn them into music from different time periods,
perhaps would feel more comfortable with lots of lessons)
2.Processor/reflector=Diverger
This person is strong on imagination, and can view a concrete situation
from a variety of perspectives
Still needs the brainstorming and the verbalizing, but also reads and does
research (this person would do well in a music group who was working on
their own style from the perspective of many different backgrounds, would
do well with an energetic, talk it through, work it out in lessons type of
teacher)
3.Processor/doer=Accomodater
This person talks and does to make things real. Can make any situation
concrete. Good adaptor, can survive any situation. The example given was
"drop this person off in a jungle and watch them survive"
(Again in terms of music--workshops rather than private lessons..would do
best in a processer workshop
where talking was not discouraged. Very likely to go the no lesson route
and do well that way.)
4.Doer/Theoretical=Converger This person can take ideas and turn them into
concrete situations.
Practical application of ideas is a great stregnth. (So here we have the
harp builder who can study the pictures of the ancient harps and read some
descriptions and make the harp)
Now, I say again that these are the barest of descriptions, but you can see
that if you have a reflective teacher and a doer student the combination
could have problems.
I can see that if the teacher was aware of her own learning/teaching styles
and the learning styles of the students the situation could be made better
by allowances and accomadations on both sides.
So that the information and enthusiasm could be transferred from teacher to
student and back without a lot of the trauma we all encounter. jane
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Steven and Jane Eubanks eubanks@en.com
427 Beech Street 216.234.9671
Berea, Ohio USA 44017