Learning Styles:

After taking the tests posted in our coursework, I quickly deduced that my new name should be Miss Kinesthetic!

I posted these comments in the course discussion area:

I just had a funny experience with the Learning Styles
Inventory. I had been on-line for a while and had just started to get into the quiz when I jumped up and took a quick break to grab a drink, some chips and a pen. Then as I continued through the questions, I was asked "Do you fidget while studying?"
and found that I was flipping my pen around my fingers (a habit I picked up in university which I often revert back to when reading/studying).

The next question asked me about snacking...I answered that one with a mouthful of chips...and then somewhere in there it pegged me with the break I had taken to get the chips.

Guess I'm a cookie-cutter tactile learner..leaning slightly towards the auditory side.

When I looked a the tips, I found that I employed a lot them
during my schooling. Things that really resonated with me were drawing words out in the air and reciting things out loud with the study cards in hand. I had a roommate in university who always wrote out her vocabulary/bio definitions/etc a million times. I tried to follow suit, thinking "she must know what she's doing, her Mom's a
teacher" and became very frustrated very quickly.

So, while she locked herself in the study cell to write things out, I was back in the room, talking to myself, begging for someone else to talk the material over with. Funny how I thought that the way I did it was "wrong".

I love the study hints posted at this site!
http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/lsi/lsitactstra.html

=> To memorise, pace or walk around while reciting to yourself or using flashcards or notes.

=> When reading a short story or chapter in a book, try a whole-to-part approach. This means you should first scan the pictures, then read headings, then read the first and last paragraphs and try to get a feel for the book. You could also try skim-reading the chapter or short story backwards, paragraph-by-paragraph.

=> If you need to fidget, try doing so in a way which will not disturb others of endager yourself or others. Try jiggling your legs or feet, try hand/finger exercises, or handle a koosh ball, tennis ball or something similar.

=> You might not study best while at a desk. Try lying on your stomach or back. Try studying while sitting in a comfortable lounge chair or on cushions or a bean bag.

=> Studying with music in the background might suit you (baroque music is best - as opposed to heavily rhythm-based music).

=> Use coloured contruction paper to cover your desk or even decorate your area. Choose your favourite colour as this will help you focus. This technique is called colour grounding.

=> Try reading through coloured transparencies to help focus your attention. Try a variety of colours to see which colours work best.

=> While studying, take frequent breaks, but be sure to settle back down to work quickly. A reasonable schedule would be 15-25 minutes of study, 3-5 minutes of break time.

=> When trying to memorise information, try closing your eyes and writing the information in the air or on a surface with your finger. Try to picture the words in your head as you are doing this. Try to hear the words in your head, too.

Later, when you try to remember this information, close your eyes and try to see it with your mind's eye and to hear it in your head.

=> When learning new information, make task cards, flashcards, electro-boards, card games, floor games, etc. This will help you process the information.

Check out the site for yourself and see how you make out!
Abiator's Learning Styles Inventory