Learning Styles

     I feel like I have been going to college for an eternity.  I will graduate in 2013 with a double major in Psychology and Elementary Education.  I also have a one-year Accounting degree, an Associates Degree in Arts and Science, and extensive schooling and experience in Integrated Pest Management and Tree Fruit Research.  I am blessed to have all of this education, and I know that God has a plan for me that wraps it all up into one fantastic package.
     I  am very fortunate to have my job as a substitute teacher.  It has provided many learning experiences for me and has shown me that I have the ability and the personality to be a very competent teacher. One of the first lessons I learned is that having a handle on classroom management is essential!  Another aspect that I have had to think about is learning techniques.  I firmly believe that the right environment always supports better learning and that the teacher must make a sound decision as to which style best fits the objectives of his/her students.
     I like the ideas of both teacher-centered and student-centered teaching.  To have a student-centered, or constructivist style of teaching is very effective if the curriculum supports it.  Teaching problem solving skills, and allowing student collaboration is a wonderful way to learn science and many other subjects. However, their are times such as in the lower elementary grades where cognitive learning styles and a teacher-centered environment might be more appropriate.  Letters, numbers, math and vocabulary require constant processing of information through working and long-term memory.  Therefore, it makes sense to teach the information repeatedly, allowing the student ample time to process the information so that the basic skills will be remembered.  These years are also the time when the child will retain the most information, so concepts of cognitive learning, such as rote memorization, mnemonics, and visuals are beneficial.

Woolfolk, A.E. (2007) Educational Psychology (10th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.