Isai Aguilera English 1102 4/10/13 Joining the Conversation

Recently there has been a great spate of interest in teaching practices. According to Vairo, If a teacher only teaches in one way, then they conclude that the kids who can not learn well the way the teachers teaches, when, in fact, it may be the way the teachers teaching the reason why the student is having problems (Vairo). While Vairo has established this statement, these findings question the different practices that teachers have during the elementary stage. The presented research tries to clarify the different types of teaching practices or methods those teachers present during elementary school. This paper describes the different types of teaching methods teachers present in elementary school. Many people still recall particular teachers and can identify them by their teaching practices. According to Costley, if teachers want to be successful in their classroom knowing the roots of developed knowledge in young students minds can be only beneficial. Costley is saying that knowing how a students brain works will help the teacher come up with a teaching method that will engage the student and capture their attention. Vairo also thinks that not only do teachers have to have a good knowledge inside a students mind but they also have to have a great learning environment. Having no discipline in a classroom will disturb many students and will distract them from their learning. A good learning environment is explained as a place where there are no distractions and the full focus is on the teacher and not on something else. Lerkkanen states that motivation in a student for school plays an important role in academic

performance because it directs students behavior and effort in learning situations. Motivation is the driving force that makes a student stick with what they are learning even if they are having trouble understanding the information being presented. Having a classroom without any distractions or having a perfect environment would be hard to obtain. Besides all of the factors that could harm a learning environment and if there was an ideal classroom, what would be the perfect teaching method or practice to educate all the students in that ideal classroom on the same level? Vairo explains that if a teacher only teaches one way, then they conclude that the kids who cant learn well that way dont have the ability, when, in fact, it may be the way the teachers teaching that is not beneficial to the way the kids learn. If a teacher tried another way of teaching they might find that a lot kids who now seem dumb really are able to learn the material. A teacher should be able to teach in varies types of methods. Tileston explains three different types of modality; auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Tileston explains modality as sensory channels or pathways through which an individuals gives, receives, and stores information. Auditory is a method in which students remember best information from what they hear. The students who learn from hearing only make up twenty percent of the classroom, meaning out of twenty students only four students learn best from this method. Tileston says that most teachers teach the way they learn, therefore the majority of teachers in classrooms today like lecture as a primary teaching method. But only twenty percent of students capture the information. While lecture has its place in some courses, it should be used only in short segments, 20 minutes or less, depending on the age of the students (Tileston). Tileston also explains that students tend to drop out mentally after fifteen or twenty minutes of lecture. In younger children, the mental drop-out time is significantly less. Elementary students

should be taught from lecture from five to twelve minutes. Then do some activities using the new information. A discussion using the new information or a review of the information as well as a guided practice for the knowledge to sink in and be able to make the students comprehend the new presented information. A few characteristics of auditory learners are that they retain information through hearing and speaking. Often prefer to be told how to do things and then summarizes the main points out loud to help with memorization. Has talent in music and may concentrate better with soft music playing in the background. Visual learning is a type of method presented to those who need a mental model that they can see. The majority of learners are visual learners. While only twenty percent of students learn from lectures, many more can learn from visuals. One of the most effective tools for visual learners is a graphic model. These mental maps help students understand and enhance their understandings of the concepts being taught either concept maps for math, English, or an elective class. For example, if a student has difficulty with logic problems, a matrix is a visual tool that helps to make this complex skill more manageable. Students can also remember information better and can recall it better when it is represented in a visual format. The use of a graphic organizers helps improve the reading comprehension of students as well. Anytime a student learns a concept though the method of visual then it helps the learner see the information and helps them process it towards a long-term memory. Some characteristics as visual learners are that they use visual objects such as graphs, charts, pictures, and seeing information. Can read body language well and has a good perception of aesthetics as well as able to memorize and recall various information. Tends to remember things that are written down and learns better in lectures by watching them. Another method that is used is the kinesthetic. Kinesthetic learners learn best through

movement and touching. These learners have to do physical activities to process the information and have a better understanding of the concept rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration. Kinesthetic learners make up about five percent of the population according to Tileston. Some activities that kinesthetic learners need are that elementary kids are often take field trips to have a better understanding about what something is rather than being stuck between four walls trying to understand a difficult concept. Games can also be incorporated into a learning environment. A 5-minute train walk around the classroom pretending to be animals, insects, vehicles, or toys cab help students embody the experience of their art subjects (Kartjen). Many teachers at an early age try to increase the flow of movement like moving around the classroom, work in groups, or just making them stand up are to help those students in need of that learning practice. Encourage students to use whole arm or whole body movements. Many teachers try to find out what kinds of physical activities their students like to do outside of school and try to make learning as easy as they can make it as well as fun. Some characteristics as to kinesthetic learners are that they like to use the hands-on approach to learning new material. Is generally good in math and science and would rather work in groups rather than individual. They also like to demonstrate how to do something rather than verbally explain them. I consider myself a kinesthetic learner and I can still recall my third grade teacher who enhanced my personal learning all through elementary and practically all throughout my school career. That teacher helped engage more in school activities. I had a hard time concentrating during the school day. My attention span was very small and did not pay attention for long. This teacher saw that in me and I remember during class she would stop and have me repeat what she said and in order for me not be get embarrassed I would pay close attention to her teachings because I was afraid I was going to mess up in front of the whole class. I remember this teacher

teaching almost in every fun way she could and now I see that she would do it to catch our attention as students. All of these practices are ways to connect with students ability to learn. As Vairo stated teachers tend to teach the way they learned, therefore we have many students having trouble to learn from one teacher but can easily learn from another teacher. I think a classroom that is enriched with all of the three teaching techniques will be a place where quality learning is possible. As well as if they take consideration of the learning segments in which a student can focus, and then give them time to process the concept could make a classroom more advanced in my opinion. During this inquiry project, I have learned a lot of new things that I did not know before. In order for a classroom to be successful, the teacher and the student have to have motivation to learn or teach new things. Motivation is what drives someone to accomplish something. I also learned that attention span is a big factor for students and teachers in order to capture all of the information. Attention span varies between ages; younger students have less attention span then those who are older. I also learned the three major teaching styles teachers use to teach their students which are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Looking back and analyzing myself I learned that I am more of a visual and kinesthetic learner than an auditory learner. This paper made me rethink what other teachers have done in my past in my education career and analyze those teachers in which I had trouble learning. Like I stated before, it could have not been me because I was very successful in other classes but it could have been the teaching style my teacher had that made my have a hard time in that class. I think that if all the teachers could find a way to incorporate all of the three styles of learning into their classroom it could make a big difference when it comes down to student success.

Work Cited Vairo, Philip D., Sheldon Marcus, and Max Weiner. Hot-button Issues for Teachers: What Every Educator Needs to Know about Leadership, Testing, Textbooks, Vouchers, and More. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2007. Print. Tileston, Donna Walker. 10 Best Teaching Practices: How Brain Research, Learning Styles, and Standards Define Teaching Competencies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2000. Print. Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina. "The Role of Teaching Practices in the Development of Children's Interest in Reading and Mathematics in Kindergarten." Contemporary Educational Psychology (2012): 1-14. Print. Costley, Kevin C. "Teaching Practices: A Perspective on Inter-text and Prior Knowledge." SRATE Journal 2nd ser. 12.21-25 (2012): 21-25. Print. Hartjen, Lisa F. "Art and Transformation: Embodied Action in a First-Grade Art Class." Art Education (2012): 12-17. Print.