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My Learning Style Stacey B. Droogan Managerial Comminication/515 December 11, 2009 Ray DePuy Abstract The purpose of this paper will be to help me understand my learning style and give me a chance to analyze it and develop strategies to improve it. Before I was able to understand what my learning style are I had to understand the different learning styles. Learning styles have to do with how our brain process information and what the best ways different individuals learn.
Looking back to what I enjoyed and how I learned best I realize that I have a well balanced way of learning and need to use visual, auditory and hands-on experience to absorb the most possible. I believe that successful educators need to learn and understand the different styles of learning so they can successfully reach their diverse clientele of students. I realize why there were certain classes that I struggled so much in, and it was not me, it was the educator not encouraging the variety different learning styles I need to learn. My Learning Style
A learning style is how you learn. Many reports, articles and websites refer to learning styles and most of them break down learning styles into three or four categories. The categories are: ??? Visual- a visual learner will learn best by seeing and looking at something ??? Auditory- auditory learners learn by listening and hearing ??? Kinesthetic ??? learn best by touching and doing I read a few of these articles and took four different online quizzes. Two quizzes came back that I am a kinesthetic learner and one came back that I am a visual learner and one came back as auditory.
I do not think these tests are useless because they came back as all different, I believe that I use all of these methods to learn. I also read in a few articles that your learning style has much to do with the side of your brain that is processing this information. I do not think I have a dominant side of a brain. I think my right side may be a little stronger because I am left handed when I write, eat and bowl. I am right handed when I do any other physical activities such as throwing a ball or Frisbee or swinging a bat.
I practice martial arts as well and when I am in a guarding stance (fighting stance) I am stronger with my left side forward, which how a right handed person would feel. As far as learning goes, I need all the methods to learn, however; I enjoy learning with a hands-on approach. My preferred learning style is tactical or kinesthetic. When I was going through grade school my favorite classes was gym, art and shop and science labs. What is similar in these classes is that they are hands-on type learning. None of these classes were taught with lectures, readings or writings.
These were all hands-on classes that required you to do. As a junior in high school I was not doing well in the academic classes. I joined BOCES and signed up for Large Animal Care. I always loved animals and this was a learning environment that allowed me to learn outside of the traditional classroom, and allowed me to actually work on horses. Although there was a minimum amount of academic work required in this class most of the learning took place working on live animals. This was a superior experience and saved me from turning rebellious in a time of my life when I was struggling.
Throughout my college career I developed my visual learning skills. I graduated New York Institute of Technology magna cum laude and received my bachelor’s degree in business management, so my studying habits did improve throughout this time. They developed even more when I returned to school for an accounting certificate seven years after graduating from college. My visual studying habits became very strong and really became my preferred method of learning. I would write notes over and over until it came time for the test. I would highlight the important topics and write details below.
By the time the test came around I would have three or four summary sheets, all with the same information. Sometimes I would use flashcards or key words. I would also like the use of graphs and pictures to help me visualize the subject or problem. When the teacher wrote on the blackboard or gave handouts I did better than straight lectures. The reason I think I also have auditory learning skills that need to be utilized is because I did best in school when I sit in the front of the class and participate. In a classroom setting I need to be totally engaged.
I hated lectures in which there was no class interaction. I always sat in the front and liked to participate in class. I was always one of the first students to make a comment in the early parts of a class. I do not mind breaking the ice. I sometimes had to make a conscious effort not to raise my hand and let someone else have a chance. In a class room setting I am not shy and have no loss of words, but in a social setting in which there is no one asking the questions or drawing information from me I suffer and I have no self confidence. I am not good at starting carrying on conversations.
I think that for me to be a successful learner I need to utilize all of my senses. I need to have hands-on, visual and auditory stimulation to absorb the most I can. I think of all the learning styles, my weakest is my auditory. Part of this is I am not a good listener. When I am listening to someone talk, I am thinking of how to respond or how I feel about it rather than listen fully and then thinking and reacting. I am currently taking a Dale Carnegie class that emphasizes this skill so I hope in a few weeks I will have reaped some benefit and developed this skill.
I believe the Dale Carnegie course will work because it emphasizes hands-on learning, full class participation and in-class demonstrations. I also think that attending the University of Phoenix certificate program will help develop my listening skills. During this on line program, because all the communications is on-line, you have to “listen”, without hearing. We will need to hear what the person is saying (writing) and respond. References (2000). DVC Learning Style Survey for College. Retrieved from http://www. educationplanner. org/education_planner/discovering_article. asp? ponsor=2859=Learning_Styles_Quiz (2009). Three different Learning Styles. Retrieved from http://people. usd. edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/ Petersons Elnet Company. (2009). Learning style Quiz. Retrieved from http://www. educationplanner. org/education_planner/discovering_article. asp? spo nsor=28 59 cleName=Learning_Styles_Quiz ??Three Rivers Community College. (2002). Leaning Styles. Retrieved from http://www. trcc. commnet. edu/Ed_Resources/TASC/Training/Learning_Styles. htm Hynes, G. (2002,??September). Teaching managerial Communications. Business Communications Quarterly, 65(), 86-92.