Learning Theories

This is a work in progress

Image from mycouponexpert.com

Week 1 reflection:

What a great read and insight into how a brain takes and relays information and the different learning styles and practices to enhance students abilities to retain information! It certainly shows and helps how you need to know your learner and their brain.

I really related to Howard Gardener's theory that we have "multiple intelligences" and that the word "intelligence" is too broad and subjective to be proven. This really highlighted the purpose and importance in understanding that every brain is different and each individual has different capacities in different areas of learning. While some students may excel in art, they may underperform in math and vice versa.

The 2005 studies done on the teenage boys whereby average and bright math students were given a difficult math problem to work out was interesting. By seeing the pictures of both the bright and average brains figuring the math problem out and how the bright brain lit up significantly more, reinforced the study immensely.

Dr Judy Willis' video lecture on the "reticular activating system or RAS, was fascinating. It really helped to break down the way the brain works and relays information to different parts of the brain based on sense, memory and new and old stimuli.
Also by breaking down the way a student can disconnect from learning into the three modes: Fight, Flight or freeze - and her tips on how to combat these situations, Dr Willis really opened my mind to different approaches and how to relate to each student in whatever situation may arise.
By keeping it interesting, stimulating and by relating to their personal goals, you can really make a difference to each and everybody's learning abilities.


So in summary, although there is no scientific evidence to support that using different learning styles will allow the students to gain a greater level of knowledge acquisition, there is evidence to show that   Learning and practicing certain skills will enhance other parts of the brain to improve and grow.  As we were told as children: practice makes perfect!

Ps. I didn't see the second "the" in "the bird in the bush" picture! I was shocked...:)