EDLD+5364+Week+2

Learning Styles are studied during teacher training, as are different ways to reach those students with varying learning styles inside a diverse classroom. This topic came to my mind as I was watching the video entitled // The Brain Research // when David Rose (nd) stated, “Neuroscience shows that each brain processes information differently. The way we learn is as different as our fingerprint or our DNA.” For those teachers that might question the validity of differing learning styles, this evidence may give them something to think about.

This relates to some of the research done by J. Schacter and the impact of technology on education. John Schacter examined five major research projects and summarized the positive and negative findings of each of them. The five research projects were the Kulik’s Meta-Analysis Study, Sivin-Kachala’s Review of the Research, The Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT), West Virginia’s Basic Skills/Computer Education (BS/CE) Statewide Initiative, and Harold Wenglinsky’s National Study of Technology’s Impact on Mathematics Achievement. Four of the five projects had a positive impact common to each which when paired with the information from the brain research video seemed to be related. In his summary of the Kulik’s Meta-Analysis Study, J. Schacter (1999) states, “Students like their classes more and develop more positive attitudes when their classes include computer-based instruction.” From the summary of Sivin-Kachala’s Review of the Research, J. Schacter (1999) states, “Student’s attitudes to learning and their own self-concept improved consistently when computers were used for instruction.” J. Schacter (1999) states, in his summary of The Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT), “ACOT did have a positive impact on student attitudes and did have an impact on changing teacher teaching practices toward more cooperative group work and less teacher stand-up lecture.” Within the summary of West Virginia’s Basic Skills/Computer Education (BS/CE) Statewide Initiative, J. Schacter (1999) states, “Consistent student access to technology, positive attitudes towards the technology (by both teachers and students), and teacher training in the technology led to the greatest student achievement gains.” From this information it appears that technology, when used correctly, allows the different learning styles to be accessed in some way or another.

References: Lessonbuilder.cast.org (nd). //The Brain Research. // Retreived on Oct. 5, 2009 from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos    Schcter, J. (1999). //The impact of education technology on student achievement: What the most current research has to say. // Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf. 