Multiple Strategies, Individual Meetings in Class.
Meeting with students individually is time consuming. However, finding each students approach to learning and how they learn through their learning preference is attainable. What I do is assign a project that is open for interpretation. Then I will meet with each student individually and discuss the project with them. I gather valuable information and at the same time cater with them the final results of what and how they will complete the project. This helps me evaluate the class as a whole and how I present the rest of the information and cater specific projects to the class for the rest of the quarter.
It is a puzzle: tailoring a single project to mutiple intelligences and learning styles, while still keeping a level playing field, amking sure that all students' projects are fulfulling the same learning objectives and doing so at the same level of difficulty. For that matter, isn't it somewhat difficult to remain objective in this process? If each of us has our own set of intelligences, coming up with evaluation criteria for a project geared toward another intelligence is challenge. And, from the students' viewpoints, a project geared toward a learning strategy other than their own may appear quite simplistic or incredibly difficult.
Hi Scott,
You make a good point and this is why it is some important to offer a variety of instructional approaches and deliveries. This way you can target different intelligences and learning preferences and collectively reach all of the students with the different activities.
Gary
Your assessment strategy sounds as though it is most useful to you in determining how students learn best. Are the students aware of what you are doing with this effort and how it can be helpful to them?
I teach at a Culinary College. I am always having indivual meetings with my students during the class. I have shown them the technique in my demo and then they have to show me that they no the technique by doing/cooking. I am constently giving feedback and I am also learning from them with their feedback.
Hi Peter,
Good strategy. The one on one is a great way to build rapport with each student as well as enabling you to identify any type of support needs they need.
Gary
I find that can work really well. The only problem I have found is that in larger classes, anything over 10 or so students, it can really slow things down and become more hindrance than help.
It is tough to make it work for everyone, especially in larger classes. In smaller classes you can tailor it to the individual a lot easier.
Hi Shawn,
This is a common situation. I currently have three very large classes so I am challenged by this as well. What I do is to distribute my content throughout the four major learning preference areas so each student gets content in a variety of ways and that helps move the learning process along.
Gary
Great post! I do something similar in my class. I will go through a powerpoint explaining a skill that the students will need to master in the legal profession. I will give the class a "sample case" and ask them to share insights as to how they would employ the skill that I just lectured on. Their assignment for the following week is to provide me with a written outline wherein they use those skills on the assigned problem for the semester. This semester, I will pay closer attention to what strategies are reaching what students.
