Reflection 4 Cynthia Czerwonka

Running Head:  Classroom Orientation and Learning Styles as Influences on Identity                                1

Identity as Impacted by

Classroom Orientation and Learning Styles

Cynthia Czerwonka

Gwinnett County Public Schools

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Review

            Chapter 4 in Developing Multicultural Educators (Noel, 2008), discusses how students’ identities are impacted by the teacher’s own attitudes and personal learning style.  Noel’s (2008) discussion from the first three chapters remind the reader that since there are many cultural ways of life, students come to schooling with “multiple cultural ways of life, which include communication, organizational, and intellectual styles.  These cultural ways of life are what children know and understand as they enter school” (p. 125).  She feels that “the educational system in the United States has privileged and promoted one set of styles and patterns over all others” (p.125).  Her concern seems to be that the dominant culture that is being promoted can then, through power, perpetuate prejudice and racism, thereby negatively impacting students’ developing socially constructed identities.

Next in the chapter, new discussion takes place on two factors:   the attitude of the teacher toward the students and how learning styles of the teacher may impact the students’ identities.  Noel (2008) discusses that the teacher many have “preconceived notions of how well they believe a student will achieve.  These notions are often based on race, gender, or income level” (p.125).  The discussion of learning styles and types of intelligences possessed by students are thoroughly discussed as being a second factor impacting the students’ identities.  She argues that “not all students fit into that traditional teaching—learning setting.  Some learn better with different types of settings and methods” (p. 126).  She argues that if the teacher uses only one style of instruction exclusive of all others, “many students are left out, unable to achieve or to develop a positive sense of accomplishment and self-esteem” (p. 26).

Reflect

In reflecting on the information of teachers’ attitudes toward students, I found the discussion of

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deficiency orientation and difference orientation helpful.  These views have been espoused since the 1960s, but I do not remember learning about them as such; however, I believe that they are very much accepted in schools. In discussing the deficiency orientation, Noel (2008), says that when teachers feel that a student has not had the usual or normal experiences she expects, “the result is often a lowered set of expectations” (p.128) and expectation of little or no success. I feel that as a teacher in Gwinnett County, this type of thinking is not an option.    Every child is expected to reach his or her potential by use of Quality Plus Teaching Strategies and various interventions so all students meet with success. 

In teaching first, second, and now kindergarten grade levels,  felt at times that the students come to school, particularly now, as I am teaching kindergarten, deficient in the skills that I sometimes think they should have. It is difficult for me to accept that some students entering kindergarten have had no group-learning settings outside of the home, particularly since state-funded supported kindergarten is available in Georgia; I have at least three students this year out of 21 that have no pre-school experiences.  It seems to be either feast or famine:  lots of preschool and quality home experiences or none.  However, I do not agree that the teacher should adhere to a theory of the student being considered so deficient that the parents and student are solely to blame and are responsible for his or her success, as the chapter seemed to indicate.  I am finding that the parents of the students that I have this year who possess limited prerequisite skills are willing and glad to know how to help and are partnering with me to help their child meet the AKS expectations. Fortunately, many of the recommendations that I have given parents for the fine motor and gross motor skills these students are lacking involve a key point discussed in the chapter:  use of learning styles. 

I remember in my undergraduate program being intrigued by the study of learning styles. 

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Gardner’s (seven) Multiple Intelligences have now become eight, and I think rightly so.  I have a son-in law who I feel perfectly fits the Naturalist Intelligence.  He is gifted at hunting and fishing and after unsuccessful attempts at fitting into the college setting and traditional job settings has, found his niche in his own business as a wildlife removal specialist.  He immediately came to mind upon reading about this new intelligence.  Ryan, (1972), as stated in Noel, believes that the difference orientation is all about changing the culture in the classroom, through learning styles and teacher attitudes and actions, as “we are dealing, it would seem, not so much with culturally deprived children as with culturally depriving schools.  And the task to be accomplished is not to revise, amend, and repair deficient children, but to alter and transform the atmosphere and operations of the school to which we commit these children” (p.61).  The culture of the classroom must reflect and address a variety of learning styles and intelligences.

Refine

            In an effort to use the learning styles and intelligences in my classroom, it is helpful for me to reflect on who I am personally. As a teacher who is also a learner, I am field independent, learn in a linear and sequenced way, and am detail oriented. I usually prefer to work alone, but am able to work with others and do enjoy that.  In reading this material on learning styles, I am reminded, that although I am an identical twin, I am much more detail-oriented and less globally or creatively minded than my twin.  I also reflected on the fact that through all our schooling, even into college master’s level work, we did not study or work together.  I have to believe that is a strong indication of my social style of learning. However, in the classroom as a teacher, through the reading , writing, and math workshop models, I routinely have my students turn and talk with partners to share writing ideas or check understanding. I

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feel that upon reflecting on my individual style, I need to allow my students to work together more often in pairs and in small groups.  They have handled these experiences well thus far.  This reading has been valuable in reminding me of the need for interpersonal activities for my students.

            In examining my own learning styles, I find several of Gardner’s Learning Intelligences that seem to comprise my style:  interpersonal, musical, and intrapersonal.  I love to sing which fits with the musical intelligence, and I am teacher and do feel I can understand the feelings and intentions of my students.  I think the intrapersonal intelligence has developed in me over my adult years, as I have participated in personal counseling and have benefitted greatly from that experience.  I have thought that would have been a very rewarding field to have entered. Spiritual gifts inventories at two different churches within the last 10 years showed my strengths as being in mercy and teaching. I find these consistent with those of Gardner’s Intelligences.

            This chapter is a timely one for me and for my classroom culture this year.  I feel that, for a variety of reasons, the traditional auditory, teacher-centered instruction is not most effective for my classroom this year.  My children have more difficulty than other classes I have had in the past with sitting still and attending to large group lessons.  They can attend to play activities and videos used for instruction, but as a whole are not comfortable with sitting and listening. Therefore, as I looked at Dunn and Dunn’s Elements of Learning Styles, (Dunn and Dunn, 1993)   I am very aware of the fact that quite a few of my students are very kinesthetic learners and require lots of hands-on and mobility in their learning.  I also find that my children respond well to music and get excited and brighten up when we do musical activities, suggesting musical intelligence as defined by Gardner (1983).   I personally enjoy writing words for common tunes to create songs that teach the AKS.  I had success with this last year,  and created a calendar song that took the concept of time from large to small, beginning with year, then season , month, day, and date. I have the children act out the progression using their arms to go from

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a large circle shape down to a very small one as we get to the day/date portion at the end of the song.  We record our class singing the song, and my students on the whole have loved this. A couple of students do not like to sing or to participate; this study of intelligences  and learning  styles makes me realize that I need to look for a more preferred mode for those students. 

            In determining the best and most helpful learning styles and modalities for my students this year, Gardner, (1983) suggests that “the best way to determine strengths in learning intelligences in the classroom is to observe the way that children interact within the classroom, with such things as puzzles, games, objects and people” (as cited in Noel, p. 148).  I am excited to really watch and observe to see what styles will be best for my students.  I feel that many of the students in need of interventions that we discuss in our grade level Cat Chats may be the ones who have needs in learning styles and intelligences which are not yet being met.  The information provided in the chapter will help me see these students and the ones in my classroom through different eyes. The information presented in the chapter helps me to believe, as Noel (2008) states, that these students “may not seem to be academically proficient, but that these students have strengths that just may not have been discovered” (p.153).

           

             

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Dunn, R. & Dunn. K. (1993).  Teaching secondary students through their individual learning 

            styles:  Practical approaches for grades 7-12. Boston,MA:  Allyn and Bacon.

Gardner, H. (1983).  Frames of mind:  The theory of multiple intelligences.  New York, NY:  

            Basic Books.

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Noel, J. R. (2008). The concept of culture. developing multicultural educators.  Long Grove, IL:

            Waveland Press, Inc.

Ryan, W. (1972).  Blaming the victim. New York, NY:  Vantage Books.

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