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Chapter 6 Summary Understanding Learning Styles
Marilee Sprenger defines the term learning styles and outlines specific characteristics of learning modalities. Simply defined, learning styles are the way people receive information best and prefer to give feedback, or a person’s preferred style of communication. As individuals continue to work with technology their worlds have become very visual. In addition to providing information visually, technology provides interactive links, verbal communication and the opportunity to move around while using these tools. (p. 71) In other words technology supports all learning modalities.

= Why Understanding Learning Styles is Important =
 * Teaching with learning styles in mind is a method of differentiating in the classroom
 * No one learning style is better than another
 * Appreciating a student’s learning style can enhance the student-teacher relationship, raise self-esteem and contribute to quality discussion

Marilee Springer outlines characteristics, key phrases as well as helps to assist learning for students with a particular learning style. The table below outlines learning style types, characteristics of the learning style, key phrases commonly used by individuals and helps for learners within each learning modality.

*Usually spells and proofreads well *Keeps lists to organize *Speaks rapidly || *I get the picture *Show me *Looks good to me || *Limit visual distractions *Draw pictures or use visual representations || *Have extensive vocabularies *Speak more slowly || *That’s music to my ears *I hear you *Sounds like a plan || *Avoid unnecessary sounds *Encourage discussion || *Wants to be in a comfortable position ready for sleep || * I don’t get it * Give me a concrete example *I can’t get a handle on that || * Use many hands-on activities for learning * Provide opportunities for movement ||
 * ** Learning Style ** || ** Characteristics ** || =** Key Phrases **= || ** Helps for Learners ** ||
 * =** Visual Learners: Seeing is Believing **= || *Visual learners can sit still for long periods of time
 * ** Auditory Learners: Sounds Good to Me ** || *Talk a lot
 * ** Kinesthetic Learners: Let’s Get Physical ** || *Wiggles and jiggles

Modality Messages

 * The purpose in understanding all of this is to make learning academic and social as well as easier and more meaningful.

How High is Your “Eye Cue?”
Another way to determine the communication style of students is to watch eye movements.
 * Visual learners look up.
 * Auditory learners look to the side.
 * Kinesthetic learners look down.

Additionally, in our efforts to offer digital choices to our students we can match those options with their learning style.