Many ways to learn
Language skills can be a little hurdle to the successful learning experience within a classroom. But there are many ways to teach that might put less emphasis on distinct language skills but more cognitive understanding methods. Sometimes it is a good philosophy to teak using example than trying to lecture your way out of it. What are your thoughts?
Rachael,
this is a great point you make here. The examples whether real life or illustrations help the students see the ideas rather than just hear the language.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Often I revert to a poem so that students can share both common cultural experiences and the English vocabulary that surrounds the telling of the experience through a poem. For example, I can use Goethe's "Erl King" to share the experience of losing a child through death. It is fearsome, something that some of the students may have experienced in family life at least, if not personally. Also, it clothes the particular example in the concepts popular in Romanticism, when people began to mistrust Reason and to go back to other methods of "knowing" Truth after the horrid mess-up of the Reign of Terror in the Era of Enlightenment (18th century). In the poem, going to Truth about life experience through legend and "the far away" of other times and places can set us to thinking/knowing/experiencing like knowledge and experience in the present age. Certainly, we can learn to empathize with the experiences of others down through the ages in a very memorable way, more so than simply discussing "Death" and "Death of a Child" in a lecture/discussion. Here, too, students can learn new words simply through listening/reading the poem together. The exposure of context is always memorable!
I know from a learning stand point realting things to real life or events that directly relate to me help me understand a little better. I know every student has a different learning process so when you see a student struggling sometimes it's just because they got left behind due to not understanding. Some students are not comfortable to approach a teacher or ask for help so they end up sliding by.
Melissa,
great point made here & those stories or illustrations can truly be the "light bulb" for some students. As they hear about how this theory applies or works in a real setting, they then understand so much better.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I like to use word association. If for example, I am teaching how to take blood pressure. I was say Systolic is the top number and Diastolic is your bottom numer, Diastolic-remember D is for down number. Also, your branchial artery is located on the arm. Like a branch from a tree. Your arm is a branch from your body. This approach has been working well.
Yolanda,
these types of techniques are great for the learning, visualization, & ultimately for retention of information.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles and techniques. Learning styles group common ways that people learn. Everyone has a mix of learning styles.
Antonio,
this is true & so when we teach to a variety of styles we have a much better chance of reaching all of our students.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
