Workshop Reflection 3|27

     Taylor-Jayne encouraged me to use better vocabulary as I write so that it sounds more collegiate. She also suggested in the second paragraph of my 3rd article I should take out some of the summarizing and add it to the paragraph above. Lastly, she suggested I change the numbers in my paper and make them into words.
     Brandon agreed that I needed better vocabulary and that it would make my paper less personable which is what he need for our final paper. Brandon liked my quotes and said they were good support for my topic.
     Rhett thought my topic was interesting and I had a good basis to start out with. He said I introduced my topic well. Rhett helped with grammatical errors that I had.
     Jared thought I had interesting quotes that related to my topic but also raised ideas and questions. He said I had a good start to my paper and the path I was taking with learning styles was interesting. He also liked the fact that I had different views from different authors about the kinesthetic learners.

     The most helpful piece of advice I received was to focus on the summary and analysis parts of my paper and make sure they're not saying the same thing. I will probably have to move some stuff from the analysis paragraph into the summary paragraph so that I'm not being repetitive.

     The least helpful piece of advice I received was corrections on my grammar. While I value these suggestions, I would rather have help in areas dealing with summary, analysis of the authors point, and setting up my paper.

     I plan to correct all the grammar that went wrong in my paper while at the same time adding better vocabulary. I plan on moving some sentences from every analysis paragraph into the summary paragraphs and combining the alike ones so that I'm not being repetitive. I will spell out numbers in the paper when I revise.

Annotated Bibliography Draft 1

Ivey Lee

ENG 1102-025

Megan Keaton

25 March 2013

Annotated Bibliography

1. Prevention India. Mar2011, p17-17. 1p. 11 March 2013.

This article is a good article to start out with for my topic because introduces me to the vital basic information in order to understand the three different learning methods. It includes that the visual learner stays focused by taking notes and highlighting. A visual learner is said to be good a spelling, reading fast, puzzles, and drawing. They prefer studying alone and tend to be neat. The auditory learner stays focused by listening, answering questions, and studying with a partner or small group. They have a wide range of vocabulary and excel in theatre and debate. They can to be easily distracted by noise. Lastly, the kinesthetic learner retains most information when they are active and moving around. They gesture a lot when speaking, can’t sit still for long, and tend to love open spaces. These kinds of learners excel in outdoor activities and making models. These people also tend to be unorganized.

The author explains herself well because they give a basic overview of each learning style and then list characteristics of each style so that the reader can get a deep understanding of each one. At the end of the article, she talks about her family members and their styles. This supports her argument because she is giving a real life situation, which helps the reader understand the three learning methods better.

This is a good starting article to use in my paper so that when I start, I can give a basis of the different learning methods so my readers won’t be lost. This is less of an argument and more of a fact-based article. I can use these facts in the beginning of my inquiry paper.

Quote 1: "With an understanding of this paradigm researched extensively by Dunn & Dunn (2000), learning becomes more fun and certainly more productive” (2).

Quote 2: “One child may learn by writing notes or making diagrams, whereas another may learn by reading aloud, through brainstorming” (1).

Quote 3: “Most of us are a mix of different learning styles. However, each one has a preference for a particular modality” (1).

2. Leopold, Lisa. TESL Canada Journal, v29 n2 p96-102 Spr 2012. 11 March 2013.

The main points of this article are basically stating the three main learning methods; auditory, visual, and kinesthetic; and how a teacher should go about teaching this information to accommodate for each learning preference. This article lists ways in which a teacher can teach a student so that a student from each style can comprehend it. The examples for an auditory learner include reading aloud, discussion, debate, and lectures. The visual learner learns best through the use of charts, drawings, and pictures. Finally, the kinesthetic learner understands material through the use of movement, drama, competitions, and handling objects/models. This article also talks about different cultures and the learning methods they prefer. For example, the article states that Asian international students don’t work well with auditory learning. It also states that students who are enrolled in intensive English programs in the US prefer kinesthetic learning.

In this article, the author is arguing that in order for students to retain the most information they can and make it easy for them to understand it, the instructor must accommodate for each students’ learning preferences. They make this argument by proving how well learning works when a student is taught with his/her preferred learning method. The author also argues that teachers should try to combine all learning methods into their curriculum in order to reach maximum amount of learning for all students. She clearly makes this argument because she states it when explaining about teachers and their teaching methods (98, paragraph 2).

Before this article, I was more interested in the correlation between gender/age and learning styles but this article introduces me to the idea of a correlation between cultures and learning styles. I agree with the writer in the aspect that a teacher should accommodate for all learning styles in a classroom. This article opens the idea of focusing on cultures but also gives me a basis of the three different learning styles I am researching.

Quote 1: “Several Scholars conclude that culture is one of the determining factors that affect a students’ preferred learning styles” (97).

Quote 2: “Among children of cultural minority groups, a mismatch in teaching and learning styles has been linked to poor academic performance and negative attitudes toward education. Conversely, a match between learning and teaching styles has been correlated with higher student achievement rates” (97).

Quote 3: “Without abandoning the principal tenets of the process approach to writing, I argue that instructors should attempt to diversify their writing pedagogy to include all learning style preferences” (98).

3. Sprenger, Marilee. Differentiation Through Learning Styles and Memory. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press, 2003. Print.

          The main points of this section of the book explain how information is processed into the brain, some characteristics of people who are different learners, and in-depth studies of the different types of learning. This book goes into detail about each type of learning style which are still visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. This book introduces new sub-categories to the kinesthetic learner. These categories include  “hands-on learner”, “whole-body learners”, and “doodlers.” This book also goes into detail about the different ways in which a child can be introduced to new material and emphasizes that an order for these methods is important. 

          The author is arguing that information enters the brain through the senses. Smell is the only sense that isn’t processed the same way. The information then enters the thalamus where the information gets sorted. Visual information goes to the visual cortex, auditory information goes to the auditory cortex, and kinesthetic information goes to the motor strip and the cerebellum. If the information is deemed important, the hippocampus labels is for long-term memory. The author also argues that our senses are extremely vital in the learning process. Sprenger also argues that each person has a preferred sensory system. The main point that the author is trying to point out is that it is up to the student to figure out his/her preferred learning method opposed to the teacher conforming to the students’ needs.

          From this section of the book, I plan to introduce the three new kinesthetic categories. These are helpful because it will give the reader a better understanding of exactly what that learning style is. I plan on listing the characteristics that a person will most likely have depending on their learning style preference. I find it interesting that someone can most likely determine a personal characteristic based off of learning style. I like this text because it gives lots of vital information necessary to have a thorough factual paper.

Quote 1: “But it is more important that the student understand their preferences, so they can learn with their strengths” (35).

Quote 2: “All of your sense are always “on”… Since all information is received through our five senses, many researchers feel that a preference is developed for a specific sense” (33).

Quote 3: “Information enters the brain though the senses. All sensory information except the sense of smell is processed the same way” (32).

4. Gregory, Gayle, and Carolyn Chapman. Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn't Fit All. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press, 2007. Print.

This article includes information about the three learning styles and also introduces 2 new styles. The new styles that this books includes are “tactile” and “tactile/kinesthetic.” Tactile learners learn best by handling objects and being involved with concrete objects. This book also denotes that learning is affected by many factors. Time of day, background sound, and design structure can affect a person’s ability to learn depending on his/her learning preference. This book includes the % for which a person is more likely to retain something and what they should do to make this happen. This book breaks down each learning style in a different way in order to get more familiar with each method.

The very first page of this book argues that all students are different and that one learning style certainly does not fit everyone. The authors of this book argue that student differ in physical abilities and social development. In this book, the author is also arguing that a person can be intelligent in many different ways and those ways are influenced by learning style. The authors of this book introduced a new learning style: tactile learning. They are arguing that this style is just as important as the others and some students prefer this to others. As stated above, the authors believe that many factors affect a person’s ability to learn. Cooperation, time of day, lighting, noise, and design structure are all factors that can help or hurt a student when trying to learn. The authors argue that the sense someone prefers to learn with correlates to the factor that can hinder or help ones learning. 

I agree with the authors’ arguments that learning styles differ from person to person. I am a visual and kinesthetic learner and dislike auditory learning. I can’t retain information well when I hear it but I prefer seeing it. This book made me think about factors that affect learning. How does the factor correlate with learning style? This text provides my factual paper with more information about the three topics of learning.

Quote 1: “Experience, as well as the research we now have about the human brain, tells us that students are different, that they learning differently and heave different likes, preferences, and needs” (1).

Quote 2: “It is important for teachers to be aware of the different modalities and provide adequate activities that tap into each of them during the school day. The more teachers can involve all modalities and learning styles, the more chances they have of engaging learners in using their whole brains” (24).

Quote 3: “It is with utmost importance that we recognize and nurture all of the varied human intelligences, and all the combinations of intelligences” (Gardner 33).

5. Gregory, Gayle, and Lin Kuzmich. Differentiated Literacy Strategies for Student Growth and Achievement in Grades K-6. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press, 2005. Print.

This book is like the others in the way that it talks about the different learning styles. The difference is that this book associates those styles with genders. This book also book breaks down the learning stages of children into two sub categories: reading and writing. Developmental stages are introduced into the idea of learning styles. Ones style may change as he or she grows. This book also introduces the new idea that “learning involves conscious and unconscious attention.” This means that the brain’s ability to retain information is affected by stimuli such as body language, classroom climate, and orderliness.

The arguments being made deal with gender, age, and stimuli. This book is arguing that girls are more likely to be smarter than boys, measured by how much they read and the ratio of boys to girls in special education classes. The authors argue that the critical learning time in a person’s life is ages 5-12. They argue that 5 year olds need to be taught things one at a time, 8 year olds are talkative and have lots of energy, and that by 12 years old the students are self-aware and have an interest in current worldly events. Lastly, the authors are arguing that outside stimuli can affect a students learning. The authors believe that the temperature of a room can alter ones ability to learn material.

I will use the information given to me about stimuli to relate it to the other book. These points will help add to my factual paper about learning styles and the ages and genders of each. I agree with the writers in the fact that “every brain is unique.” Many authors from the other books have added that each student learns differently and this will be the main focus of my paper. Lastly, this book provides me with the finishing pieces of information to finish my factual paper.

Quote 1: “The brain is very susceptible to school, home, and life experiences that are either positive or negative. Any experiences that affect our emotions affect our learning” (40).

Quote 2: “This is a result of nature and nurture…These differences play out through leaning styles and different strategies in areas of intelligence” (42).

Quote 3: “Peripheral stimuli include everything from body language to classroom climate to physical environment, including décor and orderliness” (42).

Dialogical Journal #2

Corrections on the before questions (ignore what I put in the picture for this portion):

1. I'm reading this piece for more information about the learning styles and the type of people who use the different methods.
2. I'm reading this piece in hopes to find out more about each type of learning style and why we need different styles for different people

Dialogical Journal #1

Corrections on the before questions (ignore what I put in the picture for this portion):

1. I'm reading this piece to find out more about the different types and hopefully make a connection between the types of people and the methods of learning.

2. I hope to find out about genders and ages of people and how that relates to types of learning

Corrections on the after questions (ignore what I put in the picture for this portion):

1. This reading was useful because not only did I get a deeper knowledge for the different learning types but I also was given information about different cultures and their learning preferences. 

2. The reading told me that most Asian grad students preferred visual and didn't work well with auditory learning. 

Conference Reflection 3|12

1. During my conference, I was given the advice to not look into the correlation between personalities and learning styles. I was also given websites like "opposing viewpoints" and "JSTOR" to look for more information on my topic. I was asked the question "are you focusing on learning styles from the viewpoint of the student or teaching styles from the viewpoint of the teacher?" This cleared up my topic more and made me realize I was focusing on the student's learning methods. I was also advised to maybe pick either gender OR age to study because I have 4 methods of learning that I will also be researching.

2. The most helpful piece of advice was to focus on the student's learning styles instead of the teachers teaching methods. This advice help me put my idea in perspective and realize who I really wanted to research.

3. The least helpful piece of advice was to focus on just one method of learning, which I put on the table as an option. I questioned my advice and realized that I needed to look at all the learning styles because without having other styles to compare one to, my paper won't make sense.

4. I thought the conference was very beneficial because they posed questions that I hadn't asked myself yet which made my topic more clear in my head. They also gave me ideas on what to research so I wasn't researching too much information. They helped my narrow down my search engine also.

5. All of my questions got answered.

6. I plan on looking into the ages and genders of people and what learning styles they prefer. I ruled out using personality because it's too hard to indicate someones personality. My main goal is telling my readers about the different learning styles and finding the correlation between age and gender for the different methods.

Comments on final draft of EE 3|12

1.      What was the most helpful piece of advice you received? Explain.

2.      What was the least helpful piece of advice you received? Explain.

3.      What questions do you have about Megan’s comments?

4.      What are your plans for revision?  Be specific.  I should be able to understand exactly how your work will change in exactly which places.

1. The most helpful piece of advise was to find a better way to make my questions and sentences flow together. Instead of asking a question and then stating another sentence that is unrelated to the question, I need a sentence in between than joins the two. 

2. There really wasn't a piece of advice that didn't help me in some way but if I had to pick the least helpful, it would be my MLA format corrections. I still appreciate the correction though! 

3. I don't have any questions for Megan. I understand what she was critiquing about my piece and I realize what I can do to fix the problems. 

4. 

1) I will put "Throughout the article on the American Montessori Society website..." instead of saying it was Montessori's article.

2) I plan on explaining how the younger children can learn better from the older children by the idea that the younger children never oppose to the idea of learning from their older peers.

3) I will capitalize the first letter of a quote I used from Montessori

4) I took out the sentence that started to answer my question I had asked 

5) I added a phrase in between a question and another sentence to help them flow better

6) I changed the word "matured" to "surprised" to make my sentence more coherent 

research proposal 3|11

13 March 2013

Research Proposal

Dear Megan and peers,

            For my inquiry project, I am interested in studying the different methods of teaching and learning. I will research the different methods of learning that have been tested like visual, auditory, kinesthetic and reading/writing. I came upon this topic through the article we read about a liberal education and how teaching using senses to help retain information. I’m curious about why people learn differently and what personalities, genders, and ages of people learn from each method. The different methods of learning are typically visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading/writing. The visual method teaches using charts, tables, and diagrams. The auditory learner learns through hearing someone explain a concept or read directions. The kinesthetic learner retain information by physically interacting with the material like building a model or doing a dance to a song that relates to a topic. The reading/writing learner learns through taking notes and reading material. I plan on finding sources that deal with different methods of learning and talk about how they affect different age groups of people. I want to find out more about the correlation between personality and learning style preference. I can find this out from reading studies about testing for learning style preferences. From there, I plan on getting all the information I’ve gathered and putting my findings into small paragraphs. From this point, I can gather all my ideas together into a well-organized paper.

Thank you, Ivey Lee