I Have Collected Artifacts For The Association For Middle Level Education Standards Essay

They were interviewed at the beginning and end of the school year. The interviews were coded for quanitative analysis. The participants were practicing science teachers from a large urban school district in the western United States. The district’s student population was ethnically diverse Participants were recruited by an email to all high school Earth science teachers. Benchmark exams that measure student progress on important Earth science concepts at the beginning and end of each school year to provide a standard of focus.

In school everyone learns differently; however, according to the article The Myth of Learning Styles, “The idea of learning styles is based on a theory… developed in the early 1980’s.” (pg 1.) A lot has certainly changed from the 1980’s as we learn new more material in every class we take. With this being said, someone the scientists referred to in the article “assumed” that learning styles challenged the way of the educational system when in reality, it is simply a myth. Students, like myself, only prefer to process information that they find useful or interesting to him or her. Thus giving us the problems of that teachers may take too long to cover one idea, and students may miss out out on information because he or she did not prefer that learning style.

For years, there have been many theorists who have shared their views on how individuals learn. Such research has determined that individuals have different learning styles. It is important for teacher to understand the learning styles of both themselves and their students because it helps them to relay the subject knowledge to the students. The teacher is in a position where they must be able to assess the learning styles of their students. This means that the students and teachers are both in a process of learning.

The V.A.R.K. questionnaire is an assessment tool utilized by students to determine their individual learning style. The objective of this assignment is to complete the questionnaire, obtain the results, and compare those results to existing conceptions of learning style. This essay will also reflect upon how educators may utilize V.A.R.K. analysis and tailor the presentation of information to meet the needs of students with varying learning styles.

It is practical to assume that students will do better in tasks that reflect their particular style of learning, so knowledge of students’ learning styles, including a variety of tasks will make teaching more inclusive. A learning style questionnaire could be handed out at the start of a course which, once completed will inform the teacher about the learning styles of the students.

Bryant Arnold, an artist for Cartoonaday.com, illustrated how social media, i.e. Twitter and Facebook, has influenced the Egyptian people. In this cartoon, the former President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, is running away and hiding behind the military from three Egyptians, two men and one women in traditional Egyptian dress, who are holding swords that say Facebook and Twitter. During the Egyptian revolution of 2011, part of the Arab Spring, Egyptians were able to connect and coordinate protests through these social media websites due to their common interest: the distaste of Mubarak and the Egyptian government and its policies. The swords with Facebook and Twitter on them represents how the Egyptians were able to fight

i. Understanding the learners learning styles can make my course to be engaging. Flemming (1987) noted three different styles of learning; visual, kinaesthetic and aural. In order to know which method(s) to use to benefit my students the first lesson on my course will centre around discussions on what they already know, the resources they are familiar with, and a learning style questionnaire which will provide me with information on preferred learning styles. Effectiveness can also be enhanced if I adapt my teaching style to give maximum benefit to learners.

The National Middle School Association (NMSA) is now known as the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). It has been a “voice for those committed to the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents” since 1973. This organization is the only national education association specifically committed to those in the middle level grades. There are over 30,000 members including principals, teachers, central office personnel, professors, college students, parents, community leaders, and educational consultants. The AMLE is recognized across the United States, Canada, and 46 other countries. In addition, AMLE has a network of “58 affiliate organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia that strengthen outreach to the regional, state, provincial, and local levels.” The Association for Middle Level Education’s mission is dedicated to improving the educational experiences of all students ages 10 to 15 by providing vision, knowledge, and resources to educators and leaders. (National Association of State Boards of Education, n.d., paragraph 1).

As another work week approaches, many teachers struggle with how they are going to accommodate to many of their student’s needs within the classroom; however, with adequate planning and the amazing ability of technology today I will succeed. As my third graders scurry into the classroom they immediately feel the atmosphere with laughing and a sense of innocence. On the outside they all look like a normal 8 year old who loves recess and intriguing science projects; however, their learning ability is vastly different which is where different learning resources come in to play.

My artifact is an analysis over my understanding of the different ways individuals learn based on their cultures. It demonstrates my knowledge of learner differences and shows how I plan to meet the needs of each learner in a way that will impact their education and help them succeed. My artifact shows how I plan to meet the different needs of each learner through my lesson and equip them with the knowledge to meet high standards.

Understanding learning styles can help in the development of self-learning and influence the teaching strategies that may be used in helping others understand new matter. For example, when teaching the VARK learning style having the learner complete the VARK questionnaire so that they can develop an understanding of how they learn would be great. In the real world life application, it completing a learning styles assessment is just not practical. It is the responsibility of the teacher to develop multimodal ways to deliver information. It would include something like a lecture with a handout in a possible power point format that include diagrams of how the information may be applied and complete it with a discussion to cement the information. The lecture appeals to the aural learner. The power point aids the reader along with the visual learners. How to apply the information stimulates the kinesthetic learner and the completion with an open discussion cements the information and gives the aural learner a chance to

This artifact addresses the standards of content/subject matter, diverse learners, instructional strategies, and methods of teaching in several different ways. The artifact deals with the content of 8th grade math, in this particular artifact it deals with slope, proportionality, and slope intercept form. With using these concepts, I used a variety of strategies including creative thinking and problem solving to make questions. I was also able to create opportunities for diverse learners in this lesson with the strategies and methods of the 8th grade math content. When creating this lesson it was not my goal to interconnect these four standards, it was after reflecting on the lesson that I observed I connected these four standards in my lesson

“Just as students have different personalities, they also have different ways of learing (Slavin, 107).” Learning styles are another important factor to incorporate when implementing the best learning environment. Learning styles are defined as an individual's mode of gaining knowledge. The most common learning styles addressed are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Auditory leaners understand information through hearing. Visual learners need more visual aids in the learning process, such as diagrams, webs, or pictures. Kinesthetic learners learn better by using manipulatives or by being physically involved in the learning process. Learning styles is a piece of the “backbone” of differentiated learning. Both are used to individualize instruction to help students achieve the most success.

Transitioning to middle school was a difficult experience that taught me a skill that I will use throughout life. The jump from fifth grade to sixth grade is often challenging due to the change in teachers, learning environment, and pressure. In fifth grade I enjoyed a daily schedule of sports and social time with a small amount of time dedicated to homework. The fifth grade attempted to prepare me for middle school by giving me an increased amount of homework and more challenging material, however, faculty and administration still acknowledged that I was in elementary school and am not at an age where I should be given a large amount of homework. When I become a sixth grade student everything changed.

Learning styles and barriers to learning can be by the VARK to give a profile of learning preferences of how a person takes in and gives out information or Tidwell and Rodgers Practical learning styles Questionnaire. The VARK learning styles determines if the person learns by being a theorist, reflector, activist and/or pragmatist. The practical learning styles questionnaire looks at how people learn by their orientation, whether they are a realistic or creative, by their interaction, are they a doer or a thinker, by how they represent things, either by words or pictures, and how they process information, whether they are a surface or deep processor. There are many other