Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 7

Proverbs 9:9 ESVGive instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

This is the last learning style in Jung’s theory of learning styles. This one will wrap up the series and then we can start looking into applying them in the classroom.

The Interpersonal style of learning is the Sensing-Feeling learners and they are the friendly ones! These students are sensitive to people’s feeling and truly want to learn about you and your life. They often take a personal approach to learning and go with what “feels right” to them. They enjoy talking to and about people and find it interesting to learn what they can about people. These are the ones who enjoy biographies and true-to-life stories.

They are the helpers in the classroom and want to be recognized for their efforts. They look for that personal relationship with their teacher as well as their fellow students. They may come to you asking if they can help but many times it is just to engage in a conversation or are just seeking a little attention.

Interpersonal students are the social. They like to work with others, share their ideas and get input from friends. They are cooperative not competitive and they need reassurance that they are doing well at the task they have been given. They will complete tasks more for praise than their own interest in it. They may also think and read out loud even when it is on their own.

They want to know the value of learning and will want to make a connection to their lives and feelings. If a lesson doesn’t connect them to real-life then they may disengage and you will find them talking to a friend.

Here is the next list I took from the book So Each May Learn. I mentioned this in the first post on this subject. I highly recommend it as it has great charts, visuals, and ways to integrate all of this into your classroom.

Sensing-Feeling or Interpersonal Learners

Prefers to learn by:

• Studying about things that directly affect people’s lives rather than impersonal facts
• Receiving personal attention and encouragement from his/her teachers
• Being part of a team-collaborating with other students
• Activities that help him/her learn about his/herself and how he/she feels about things

Learns best from:

• Group experiences and projects
• Loving attention
• Personal expression and personal encounters
• Role playing

Likes:

• Receiving personal attention and encouragement
• Opportunities to be helpful in class
• Personal feedback
• Sharing personal feelings and experiences with others

Dislikes:

• Long periods of working alone silently
• Emphasis on factual detail
• Highly competitive games where someone loses
• Detailed and demanding routines.

 

One thing to remember, these are NOT “one size fits all” categories. Everyone uses all four styles throughout their life, but may show more strength in one or two of them. Depending on circumstance or context you may see a learning style descriptor which is quite different from their strengths.

A good place to start using these learning styles in the classroom is to differentiate instruction, integrate curriculum, show many ways to problem solve, and provide choices in learning.

Blessings to you,

Tammy

Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 6

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray. Proverbs 10:17

Today I present to you the third type of learning style. This one I can relate to most; it describes me for the most part. I fall into the Understanding style as well, but this one today has more of me than all the rest.

The Self-Expressive style of learning is the Intuitive-Feeling learners and they are curious, insightful, and imaginative. They go beyond the everyday; they “dare to dream” and are committed to their core sense of values. They continually search for new ways to express themselves and don’t necessarily follow convention.

 Self-Expressive learners ask “What would happen if…?” and though you may think they are trying to get you off subject, they truly are wondering these things. Let them express this through their art and writing. They love to explore different ideas and find new solutions to problems. They will help you think “outside the box” so to speak. If there is more than one solution to a problem, let them find it and share it. You may find that their way of thinking can help others comprehend the way to solve a problem that they may not have fully understood during the lesson.

 They like to use their imagination and do things in unique ways. These students are imaginative and have a variety of interests that highly motivate them if they enjoy what they are doing. If it is routine, they tend to move through it quickly to get it done and out-of-the-way so they can get to something they enjoying working on. Don’t be surprised if something is not fully completed by these students. Too much and they have lost interest and moved on to something else before the task is complete. That isn’t a problem if given the opportunity to take a break and then get back to the task-at-hand. If they are caught up in a project that engages them, time will be forgotten and they can spend a great deal of time on it. These students don’t care for schedules when it comes to something they enjoy. Think about your avid readers who get lost in the book and sneak a peek when they should be focusing their attention elsewhere.

 Some of these students seem to live by “the beat of their own drum”, know any of them? They don’t conform to the conventions of everyone else and they enjoy their uniqueness, they are not afraid to be different to some degree. They are sensitive to the beauty and symmetry around them and may comment on the aesthetics of things around them. Ever have a student comment about your shoes or certain décor in the classroom? They take notice of these things and have an interest in them.

 They may seem scattered or as if they are jumping from one thing to the next, but they are multi-taskers at their best. There can, however, be a problem with finishing what they started because the interest has faded and something new or more creative has come along. They may need reminders to finish a project or get back to an assignment at times.

 Remember, these are intuitive types, so they move by their own intuition and tend to trust it too. If they feel that step-by-step procedure isn’t the right course they will follow their own course to find a solution. They may work in an indirect manner and may not be able to explain their solution but they will find it. Their intuition works in many aspects of their lives and they can interpret a situation relatively well to find meaning or answers.

 The Self-Expressive learners are highly adaptable and don’t mind change. They are flexible and like to use many resources and a variety of materials as they work.

 Here is the next list I took from the book So Each May Learn. I mentioned this in the first post on this subject. I highly recommend it as it has great charts, visuals, and ways to integrate all of this into your classroom.

 Intuitive-Feeling or Self-Expressive Learners

Prefers to learn by:

• Being creative and using his/her imagination
• Planning and organizing his/her work in his/her own creative ways
• Working on a number of things at a time
• Searching for alternative solutions to problems beyond those normally considered
• Discussing real problems and looking at real solutions

Learns best from:

• Creative and artistic activities
• Open-ended discussions of personal and social values
• Activities that enlighten and enhance – myths, human achievement, dramas, etc.

Likes:

• Contemplation
• Being able to learn through discovery
• Opportunity to plan and pursue his/her own interests
• Recognition for personal insight and discoveries

Dislikes:

• Too much attention to detail
• Facts, memorization, rote learning
• Tasks with predetermined correct answers
• Detailed and demanding routines

There is one style left to cover in this series.

Blessings,

Tammy

Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 5

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15 ESV

It has been sometime since I have posted and I apologize. I will be finishing up this series within these next few weeks. Here is the next style of learning for you.

The Understanding Style of learning is the Intuitive-Thinking types and they are theoretical, intellectual and knowledge oriented learners. They like to be challenged and think things through. These are the ones who will work through a puzzle; they like the complexity of problems and are inquisitive about concepts. They break problems down into their independent parts looking for logical connections as they reason things out.

 They are well-organized with their planning, time and ideas. These are the students who will make lists, story outlines and the like. They like to have all of the necessary resources out and ready before they get to work. They look for significance, applicability, and meaning; they often ask the question “Why?” as they process information. Understanding learners will use a lot of detail to express their ideas. These are the students that give you great detail and reasoning in their writing. It needs to make perfect sense to them and they want that conveyed to the reader as well.

 The written word is practically their best friend! They love to read, learn, and collect data of all kinds to support their ideas. They enjoy playing “devil’s advocate” and take an opposing view just to bring about debate or to make a point. They are in search of objective truth more than fact. They look for logic and support in these truths.

 They can get lost in time if something is of high interest to them. Understanding learners don’t like to be pressed for time and have a great deal of patience and persistence when completing tasks that they enjoy.

Here is another great list I took from the book So Each May Learn. I mentioned this in the first post on this subject. I highly recommend it as it has great charts, visuals, and ways to integrate all of this into your classroom.

Intuitive-Thinking or Understanding Learners

Prefers to learn by:

• Studying about ideas and how things are related
• Planning and carrying out a project of his/her own making and interest
• Arguing or debating a point based on logical analysis
• Problem solving that requires collecting, organizing, and evaluating data

Learns best from:

• Lectures
• Reading
• Logical discussions and debates
• Projects of personal interest

Likes:

• Time to plan and organize his/her work
• Working independently or with other Intuitive-Thinking types
• Working with ideas and things that challenge him/her to think, to explore, to master

Dislikes:

• Routine and rote assignments
• Memorization
• Concern for details
• Rigid rules and predetermined procedures

Blessings to you,

Tammy

 

Simplify and Share with a Snowman Narrative Activity

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

I know I have to finish blogging about Carl Jung’s learning styles, but I thought I would pause with a teaching idea before the holiday break. I will finish the other within the next several weeks.

I follow Becky at http://www.cleanmama.net; she is currently blogging about her new series Simplify the Season. She has great ideas and it gave me inspiration to share one of my “simplify” moments. It has been my goal over the last few years to live smaller and simpler; so I have been reducing the “stuff” collected over our twenty-eight year marriage.

In one of my recent teaching years I reduced the number of my snowman collection! I decided to do a “musical chairs-grab bag” gift for my students; I chose 26 of my snowmen and put them in paper bags, while the kids were at lunch I placed one bag on each desk. Upon their return, I explained that there was a snowman gift for each one of them from my collection; I also add a little story about them as snowmen are my favorite and I always look for unique ones. I let them know they were getting a part of my unique collection.

I asked them to stand at any desk they wanted and if they chose a bag right away they needed to move away from the desks as we circled them with music. Some chose a bag immediately and others played the game. When the music stopped they could pick the bag in front of them or continue playing. Each round became smaller as they circled the room. Once all the bags were selected, they opened them together to reveal a snowman.

At this point, I added one more element; I told them that they could do a two-minute exchange if they so chose. I turned on the music once again to give them time to view the chosen snowmen. Once the music stopped they could return to their desk or exchange. Only one exchange happened as one was ceramic and the other plush and those two students wanted opposite of what they had picked.

The snowman gift was done on the day before our Christmas break. I believe when I do this activity again, I will have them write a narrative in January about the journey of their snowman. Now to write the objectives and rubric…..!

Merry Christmas!

Blessings to you and yours,

Tammy

Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 4

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, Prov. 1:5 ESV

So let’s dig into the Mastery style of learning. Remember, these are the Sensing-Thinking learners; realistic, matter-of-fact, and practical. These students will complete their work in an organized and efficient manner. They have materials in place and are ready to get to work. You will probably see organization in their desk even if it isn’t always tidy!

They focus on the “things”; they like hands-on learning, and are project oriented. They don’t like to plan and bounce ideas around as much as they like to get straight to the task-at-hand. So you may not see outlines and story boards and idea clouds; they know the plan in their head and don’t want to waste their time planning it on paper.

They enjoy working and will always want to be busy, but may want to get out of their seats to do so. Movement is the key, even if it is seat work; so reading, writing, math; keep their hands busy and they will produce results. They are results driven and will want to please, they may check-in to see if they are on track just for some movement, but also for feedback, that’s what drives them!

They are the learners that ask “What?” and “How?” They prefer step by step instruction, but if it is too long they lose interest. They want the directions precise and to the point. They like structure and want to master the task. They like right or wrong answers rather than vague interpretations. They are motivated by competition even if the prize is a good grade!

Here is a great list I took from the book So Each May Learn. I mentioned this in the first post on this subject. I highly recommend it as it has great charts, visuals, and ways to integrate all of this into your classroom.

Sensing-Thinking or Mastery Learners

Prefers to learn by:

• ·         Seeing tangible results
• ·         Practicing what he/she has learned
• ·         Following directions one step at a time
• ·         Being active rather than passive
• ·         Knowing exactly what is expected of him/her, how well the task must be done and why

Learns best by:

• ·         Drill
• ·         Demonstration
• ·         Practice
• ·         Hands-on experience

Likes:

• ·         Doing things that have immediate, practical use
• ·         Being acknowledged for thoroughness and detail
• ·         Praise for prompt and complete work
• ·         Immediate feedback (rewards, privileges, etc.) 

Dislikes

• ·         Completing tasks in which there is no practical uses
• ·         Activities with complex directions
• ·         Open-ended activities without closure or pay-off
• ·         Activities that focus on feelings or intangible results

Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 3

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Proverbs 2:6

Did you take and/or administer the tests? What did you find out? What two areas did you fall in? The two areas where you and your students fell are the learning styles I will be discussing in this post.

Let’s begin with a simple explanation of each learning style. If you are Sensing & Thinking you are considered Mastery learning style. Mastery learners are realistic, practical and matter-of-fact. They are efficient and result-oriented, preferring action to words. They have a high-energy for doing things that are logical and useful. (This one was my lowest score). You will probably find a lot of the Type-A personalities fall in this learning style.

If you are Sensing & Feeling you are considered Interpersonal learning style. Interpersonal learners are sociable, friendly, and interpersonally oriented. They are sensitive to their own feelings as well as others’. They want to learn about things that affect them directly. It’s not about the facts to them; it’s about social interactions about the world around them.

If you are Intuitive & Thinking you are considered Understanding learning style. Understanding learners are theoretical, intellectual, and knowledge-oriented. They like a challenge and the ability to think things through. They are curious, like to know the theory behind the learning, and like complex problems.

If you are Intuitive & Feeling you are considered Self-Expressive learning style. Self-Expressive learners are curious, insightful, and imaginative. They dare to dream, are committed to their values, and open to alternative ideas. They search for new and unusual ways to express themselves. (This was my highest score on the test!)

The visual below shows you the relationship of each function and style. My Highest score was Self-Expressive and my lowest was Mastery, they are opposites, you will usually find this in most cases. You may also find that one of the adjacent styles has a score close to your top score. Tendencies toward two styles are not a rarity, as you read the above descriptions you might agree that you fit into more than one, maybe not completely but in some respects. Remember, we are not trying to put students into a box; we are trying to see and help them work within their learning styles, whether it is one or more style.

Ponder over these a bit; in the next few post I will go into more detail on each of them and then offer some ways to incorporate them into your classroom.

Blessing to you,

Tammy

Learning Styles-Carl Jung/Myers-Briggs Theory Pt. 2

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Continuing from the last post on Carl Jung’s Theory of Learning Styles; let’s continue with the Judgment Functions. The two judgment functions are thinking and feeling and they help one put to use the perception functions, sensing and intuition.

Thinkers are objective, use logic and reason to analyze decision making. They are rational and use order and organization in situations when making a decision. They are uncomfortable in emotional situations. Everything can be treated rationally and they don’t need the approval from others when making decisions.

As suspected; feelers are subjective, allowing personal perspectives to develop. Decisions are based on values and personal beliefs, likes, and dislikes. They look for human connections that make life rich and meaningful. They make decisions with their hearts, they like to bounce ideas off of others and give purpose to decision making. Everything is personal and they look for approval from their peers.

This post was a bit shorter, but check out the site below for thinking and feeling to see where you fall in the spectrum.

Self-assessment (judgment)

What is your preference when it comes to thinking and feeling? When you make a decision, do you rely more on logic and objectivity (thinking) or do you go on how the situation feels to you (feeling)? Are you somewhere in-between or do you fall closer to one side than the other? Thinking_________________Feeling

If you need more questions to help you figure out where you are in the judgment preferences try this site

In the next few posts I will put them together to explain the four learning styles and how to put them to use in the classroom.

As a side note, I have come to discover over my first year of blogging, as much as I enjoy the research and sharing, I am not going to put pressure on myself to stay on a schedule just to get a post out. I want the post to have meaning and purpose; being well thought-out and written, would we expect any less from our students?

Blessings to you,

Tammy

9 tips for an almost free educational summer

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Because we are nearing the end of a school year, I am going to start with summer tips.

1. If your child’s teacher doesn’t send home a summer reading list, go to your local library, they have them. I must add to this:  PARENTS, pick books for you too! If you want your kids to put down the electronics then so should you. As we have heard a thousand times “lead by example”. Take a half hour in the evening and spread out on the floor and read with or alongside of your children. It’s rewarding for everyone! Here is a  link to my Pinterest book board. Click on the picture for a list of 100 chapter books for kids.
2. Visit museums. They have free days if your budget it tight. Prepare for crowds on free days, everyone likes to save a buck or two! Remember to have conversations at the exhibits, take time to read the boards. Make a day of it!
3. Go to the zoo. It’s fun, entertaining, and educational. Look for the times when trainers are at the exhibits and take time to watch and learn about certain animals. Exhibit demos are free!
4. Member of a church? Volunteer for VBS if you can. Summer Bible School is good for you and your kids. Check into hosting a Backyard VBS for your neighborhood at a time that works for you. Picture links to the Vacation Bible School website.
5. Go on a picture walk. Exercise and education! Take your camera or phone and a bag or basket. Take pictures of trees, leaves, flowers, birds, etc. Also, collect some of these items along the way. If you made a day of it with a picnic and play time, that’s great! Save the project for another day.
6. Picture/collection project for the above outing….create a collage or scrapbook out of the things you found. In addition to this, look in books that you checked out from the library or have an internet hunt to identify your findings. Add the identification to your collage or scrapbook and you have a project and a memory all in one!
7. Have an ABC scavenger hunt. If your kids are working on letters or reading, this can make it fun. Have them find as many things (or give them a number) around the house that start with the letters of the alphabet. Have them write it down, draw it, or take a picture of it. If you did 2-3 letters a week you will have gone through the alphabet before school begins.
8. Of course, there are always board games for the evening. Have your kids be the banker, or take on the role of the person in charge of counting something. Need a new game? Go to a garage sale or second-hand shop and find something new. Let you kids pick it, give them the money so they know how much they can spend on a game.
9.  Let your kids bake or cook with you. They will learn the importance of measurement and how it connects to everyday life.

The list can go on and on. Please comment and add something you do to help your kids continue learning throughout the summer.

It was a busy spring with our daughter’s wedding, all of our traveling and now we are preparing for a move. With that said, posts will be about once a month this summer. I will be taking time this summer to work on more post in the Learning Styles series. I am also working on research for STEM skills and will post about that in the fall. Enjoy your summer and I will pop in once in a while with a new post!

 

Blessings to you,

Tammy

Easy Organization for Crayons and Other Supplies

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23)

I was noticing all of the sites out there about organizing; it seems as though it is the thing to do these days. I am one of those people who are naturally organized. It is a gift and a curse! However, with spring around the corner, why not share an easy organizer for crayons, markers, glue sticks, and the like.

I decided to make an organizer for all of the crayons we have collected.

This concept can be used with just about anything.

In my classroom I collect all the pencils, paper, and glue sticks from my students at the beginning of the year so there is less clutter in their desks. We have a community area where students can go and get what they need when they need it.

I cut toilet paper tubes in half. If you were to use this for markers or colored pencils leave them whole and maybe use a deeper container.

I did a trial run on how it would fit in the drawer. (the drawer came from a broken cabinet and the crayons were just a messy pile in the drawer. Use what you have; a shoebox, basket, or bin will work just as well.

Glue the tubes together so they don’t flop all over the container. I held mine together with some rubber bands around 4 at a time as I glued.

Now sort and add the crayons, or whatever you are organizing. You can even use the rainbow colors to order them if you choose…remember ROY G BIV?

I chose my own color combo according to the space and amount of tubes I had in the box.
Done!

Allow the kids to get five crayons at a time, this way they will easily go back to the right spot before they choose to take their next five.

Use your kids to help in the process and they will take ownership of the organized space!

This can also be a great lesson in sorting.

Trying it this time of year will give you a good test of where you want community space in the classroom and how to best use it. This may not work in every classroom, but it is worth a trial period. You may also want to try this if you have tables instead of desks in your classroom; this way there is a table community of supplies instead of the whole classroom.

Let me know what you organized and how this method works for you!

Blessing to you,

Tammy

Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles Pt.5

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, Proverbs 1:5 ESV

Multiple Intelligences tap into interests of students. It is the realm of which they think and can best display their learning.

Many teachers try to incorporate M.I. into every lesson and that can be an exhausting task. May I suggest starting slowly with a few lessons at a time that you find easier to bring in M.I. options? The more you practice these types of lessons, the easier it will be to offer options in other areas of learning.

By allowing students to work within their Learning Styles and offering M.I. options with some lessons those particular tasks are going to let the student show their best work. Soon you will find yourself wanting to incorporate M.I. into many lessons throughout the year. There are web-sites that show some menus of lessons that you can offer to students. I did get a bit side tracked in my list because there are so many great sites and resources for teachers within these sites. Enjoy!

• This site has a nice menu. You need to subscribe to Scribd in order to print or download it, but you can take a look at what she did for some ideas if you would rather not subscribe. She also has freebies and is part of a community of blogging teachers that share many of their ideas and lessons. (You can see them on her freebies page).
• What a great site to hear and see what other teachers are doing in their classrooms. If you want inspiration, follow this site. There is a treasure trove found here. I also follow them on pinterest so I can pick and choose some of the things that interest me most. You can also follow teachers teaching the same grade level as you. (This is my side track site)     But here is a link to some differentiation menus
•  This is from the ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)   and it has an excellent article that explains parts of a lesson for using M.I. It also offers some ideas for using an M.I. menu. It is an older article but still has relevance today. There is plenty more if you click on the menu tabs including some interesting professional development course. You can also subscribe to their many podcast and webcast through iTunes.
• This lists so many resources for educators. It is from the University of Georgia. It includes links to learning theories and Bloom’s Taxonomy (new version with links), M.I. and Learning Styles, PBL and other learning strategies, teaching tools and direct teaching strategies. Many of them are articles with good information and many include charts that are printable. This page should be a definite bookmark on your computer.
• These are actual lessons share by the teachers who created them. There are many subjects and grade levels to search through. You can sign up for a free 10day trial and then it is about $60/yr to get access to all of the lessons plans and worksheets. You can even add your lesson to this list.
•  Here you will find a great graphic organizer for creating a lesson plan using the multiple intelligences.

I hope you find these helpful. I am taking a bit of an education break and am going to post some fun crafty kinds of things in the next few posts!

 

Blessings to you,

Tammy