What Is Your Learning Style?
(http://www.education-world.com/At_Home/student/student021.shtml) |
What
can knowing your learning style do to help you get better grades?
Why
do some people learn just by reading the book? Why do I read a paragraph over
and over and realize it just doesn't sink in? What's going on?
The
good news is, there is nothing wrong with you! Everybody's way of learning is
different because each person's brain has certain "pathways" to learning. Once
you know your own brain's "pathways" a little better, you can learn to learn
more efficiently.
The
not-so-good news is that it can take a while, first to figure out what your
best learning style is, and then to practice how to adjust your study habits so
that you can make the best of your own style.
Brain Ways
Basically,
the human brain is a great pattern-builder. It learns some basic stuff and then
builds connections and "pathways" to build up ever more complicated patterns of
understanding. We don't want to get into neurophysiology, though (what?). We
just want to help you study better! (Yes!)
Here's
one example of a basic difference between people's learning styles: whether
they see "big picture" patterns more easily or tend to focus on "parts" or
"units."
If
you are a "big picture" person, you may skip over some paragraphs in a textbook
chapter, for example, because you're going after the "big idea." If you're a
"unit" person, you might get hung up on a hard paragraph and it spoils the
whole chapter for you.
The "big picture" person has to learn how to make sure to go back and re-read those "skipped" paragraphs. The "unit" person has to learn to skip those tough paragraphs and come back to them later, once they've grasped the "big picture." Other Ways
There
are a lot of other differences, too. Some people focus on visual learning –
they remember what they see. Other people's brains are good at remembering what
they hear or speak. Still others are best at remembering things that are acted
out.
A
lot of famous actors and comedians weren't necessarily very good in school.
Instead of quietly reading material, they learn best by acting something out or
speaking out loud, and when they grew up, teachers weren't as aware as they are
now about helping students with different learning styles.
Try 'Em Out!
When
you study, try a few different ways of looking at the facts and skills you're
supposed to be learning. See which way helps you learn most easily.
Good
luck!
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