Technology & Instructional Strategies

             I was teaching a unit on multiple intelligences and learning styles to my students a few months ago. I had never taken the test before, so I took it along with my students. It is hard to believe that I have taught and had my students do this without actually doing myself! When I did it I was surprised! After all these years of thinking I was an auditory learner and to find out I am actually a kinesthetic learner. You would think I would know this about myself. 
           After my students took their quiz at http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html Then we discussed what that would look like when they are doing their school work. We then talked about how different types of technology can work with their learning style. When you have 9th grade students in a class you can have an in-depth discussion and brain storm on this type of topic. It is not always that easy when students are younger and do not have a self-concept. This is an example of using "interactive instruction" with a blend of "independent study" using the internet quiz to discover their learning style. This is an excellent way to have the students use technology in a constructive manner.
           Learning strategies can be done in many ways and as a teacher it is best to implement a variety of them when you are teaching. It allows the student to use their own strengths and learn how to do others as well. The more exposure a student has to ideas and implementation of these ideas the more adaptable they are to the learning process. An excellent site for teachers to get ideas of different strategies is http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/pd/instr/index.html .
          Teaching is more than delivering the the information to the student. It is knowing the student and making that information apply to their experiences in the world. They need a base knowledge and then you can help expand from there. As we know not every student learns in the same manner and they do not have the same experiences in their lives either. We need to build knowledge, which is most meaningful to each individual.