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 Not Everyone Learns AlikeHow to teach in the ways people learn best.
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We're inundated with "right brain, left brain" jargon. We hear that some people think with their feelings, senses, and emotions; others with facts and figures. Clearly we don't all think—or learn—alike. Educators have found at least four separate learning styles, each with its own optimum teaching methods: innovative learners, analytic learners, common sense learners, and dynamic learners. Innovative LearnersInnovative learners seek meaning. They learn as they listen and share ideas. For them, being personally involved in the learning process is important. Bernice McCarthy writes, "They are divergent thinkers who believe in their own experience, excel in viewing concrete situations from many perspectives, and model themselves on those they respect." Innovative learners like to participate in small-group discussions. They're idea people, whose favorite questions are "Why?" and "Why not?" They are often found in careers in the humanities, personnel work, counseling or organizational development. Analytic LearnersAn analytic learner says, "Just give me the facts." They like to know the mind of the experts. For them, learning comes through thinking through ideas to form reality. They tend to have less interest in people than in ideas and concepts. They like to critique information and collect good data. These are the people who love the traditional classroom. Straight lecture suits them well, as long as the lecturer is qualified. They are willing to do the memory work and lap up all the facts. It's easy to like these students because they are happy to sit still and listen. Learners like these excel at creating concepts and models. They cluster in careers like math, research, the basic sciences, and planning departments. Drama, art, or small groups seem a waste of time to them—fluff when they are looking for information.
These people don't want to talk about something; they want to do it. Nothing is more important for common sense learners than practical, hands-on approaches. Learning is filtered through the screen of usability. A "fuzzy idea" that they can't take apart to see how it works makes them uneasy. You'll often hear from them, "How does this work?" But they may actually resent being given answers. They would prefer to solve the problems themselves. Grown-up common sense learners can be found working as engineers, nurses, technicians, and physical scientists. If the Bible lesson is on stewardship, the common sense learners would enjoy working on a project to pay the church bills. Give them a copy of the church budget, the income, and the possible ministry expenses. Then set them loose to plan, to experiment, and to solve the problem using their practicality. |              |
