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

 

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