Learning styles are as varied as fingerprints (or ear prints). Being able to identify a student's learning style, then being able to teach to that style, is essential for a successful classroom.
1) What do we look for in choosing multi-modal methods?
2) Will all methods work for all students?
3) How do we find the best method to help that special child in our classroom for whom nothing seems to "click"?
4) How can digital literacy help me as a teacher better reach my students on both ends of the scale--the high-performers and the low-performers?
Answers:
1) It's difficult to pinpoint a method without trial and error. While time is at a premium, it's extremely important to invest as much as possible in finding the best possible mode for each student's learning style.
2) No. While some students will show enormous growth when they're given a new method by which to learn, others will simply not "get it". Those are the children to whom we must reach out most diligently.
3) As trite as it may sound, the internet is still an excellent tool for providing methodology for teaching. We can search by keywords, and even read other teachers' blogs for pointers in dealing with the slowest (or quickest) of our children. They expect to learn digitally, so it is our responsibility to provide digital tools for them.
4) Digital technology is today and tomorrow--learning's face has changed and teaching must change, as well. Being "digitally literate" doesn't mean I am a digital expert. There are thousands of tools available online, and I don't need to master them all to be able to use them effectively to reach those "outliers" in the classroom.
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