Learning Styles! What are they? According to the text book, "Learning Style Perspectives," by Lynne Celli Sarasin, "The concept of learning style has been defined as a certain specific pattern of behavoir and/or performance according to which the individual approach a learning experience a way in which the individual takes in new information and develops new skills, and the process by which the individual retains new infromation or new skills." Personally I believe the concept of learning styles is beneficial to educators to better understand the individual needs and strengths of their students. However I do agree to some degree with the arguements that Cognitive Scientist have developed according to this website, "http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2009/12/report_debunks_learning-style.html." The basic conclusion of this article was learning style theories lacked significant scientific evidence to support their claims therefore," the 'widespread use of learing-style measures in educational settings is unwise and a wasteful use of limited resources.'"
Educators should create assignments for every learning style so that students have the best environment to learn in.
-I think it would be beneficial for educators to create assignments for every learning style, but I do not believe it is completely necessary if the majority of students learn best in one particular learning style. I think it is important as an educator to remain flexible with your teaching style and do your best to acknowledge the invidual needs and strengths of your students before introducing an assignment. What works best for one group of students may not apply to another group of students.
Too bad about learning styles, if a student doesn't learn what is being taught, it is their own fault.
-I believe this is an unfair stance to take as an educator. As an educator your primary responsibility is to help your students learn the information being taught in the best possible way that you can.Cater to their students individual needs and strengths. Only after you have exhausted all reasonable means of educating your students that I think it may be fair to take the stance that if your student doesn't learn what is being taught, it is their fault. Sometimes students are not motivated to learn or they have outside factors and variables that distract them or hinder them from learning such as conflicting roles of responsibility.
In order to best help learners learn, it is better for educators and learners to know their learning styles.
-I agree with this statement. Unless an educator knows about himself completely and how he/she learns they cannot accurately identify the learning style of others and help them learn better themselves. I think it is important for educators to be in tune with their very own personal learning styles so that they can help other identify with their learning styles and learn information better.
Learning styles cater too much and create too much hand-holding in education today...
-I think learning styles do create too much hand-holding to a degree in todays education system. At the end of the day I believe it is the students responsibility to learn the material being taught. Educators cannot be held entirely responsible for the success and failure of their students. Individual accountability has to play a factor at some point in the education process.
Survival of the smartest!
-At times life can be unfair. I think it would be naive to believe it is a level playing field when it comes to the academic environment. I believe success is relative to the specific values and beliefs that people have. I believe that the education system as a whole is only one vehicle on the road to success. However I believe the value of education is underestimated in todays society and sometimes taken for granted. Sometimes achieving the ordinary is an extraordinary achievement.
