A Fair(y) Use Tale (Video)

Wow...that was cool! Not only was it interesting to see how the movie was put together, using clips from Disney movies that were only a few seconds long (if that!), but the message of the video (although hard at times to decode) definitely came through.

Learning Styles Don't Exist (Video)

After watching our latest online video, entitled “Learning Styles Don’t Exist,” I will honestly admit that (at first) I didn’t know what to believe. In the video, Dr. Daniel T. Willingham, a professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, examined the theory of learning styles and explained (as stated in the title) why they do not exist. According to Dr. Willingham, the learning style theory basically states that “…different people have different ways of learning. If you can teach in a way that is consistent with the student’s style, he or she should learn better.” Since high school, I have believed this theory. Yet, as he continued to explain the various proposals that have existed over the years (Broad vs. Narrow, Visual vs. Auditory vs. Kinesthetic, etc.), gave examples (building a house), described why the theory technically “works,” and then discussed his view on the theory (why it is wrong), I started to understand his reasoning.

While Dr. Willingham was explaining how teachers generally approach this situation, he made an interesting comment by stating “…when you’ve got something that you want students to learn that is especially visual (like the shape of a map) everyone needs to see a visual presentation, not just those people who have really good visual memory.” At this point I was beginning to recognize the flaws that Dr. Willingham saw in the learning style theory. In the classroom, although some students might be better visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners, teachers must create lessons that will allow the content to be clear to all students, regardless of their learning style.

Out of all the statements made by Dr. Willingham, the most memorable was his closing. In it, Dr. Willingham exclaimed that “Good teaching is good teaching, and teachers don’t need to adjust their teaching to individual students’ learning styles.” Although I support his comment that “Good teaching is good teaching…” and the fact that not all students have a particular learning style, I do believe that at times adjustments are necessary. Teaching is never an exact science. What works for one student, may not work for another. Due to the class (size) or subject matter, it might be difficult to meet the needs of all students. Teachers should not base their lessons on the learning styles of their individual students, but should turn their attention to addressing the content in an appropriate manner. I believe that if the student is still struggling and requires additional attention, then the teacher should assist the student and focus on their specific learning style (if needed).

Not all students learn the same way, and it is our responsibility as teachers to recognize their differences and adjust our approach to ensure that all students are successful.

Environmental Health iMovie Project (Video)

Unlike previous classroom observations, today's online video focused on a project that was slightly different from the rest. At Central Community School (in Elkader, Iowa), two teachers, Ms. Susan Gnagy (English) and Ms. Barb Duwe-Peterson (Health), teamed up together and developed an interdisciplinary unit for their sophomore students that they hoped would, “encourage the students to combine their knowledge of environmental issues with their ability to persuade the audience.” To accomplish this task both the Health and English classes required the students to work on the same final project, which challenged the class to create a short (five minutes or less) video discussing a specific environmental health topic of their choice (such as pollution).

Before the students were allowed to start filming, Ms. Gnagy first lectured the class on the details of the project (choosing a topic, researching information, using resources, etc.), presented a sample video (created in a previous class), and encouraged feedback. Then, Ms. Duwe-Peterson helped each group complete a planning sheet and storyboard (with the assistance of Ms. Gnagy [Star Wars]) before assigning them to the next step. Once the groups had completed each of these components, Ms. Gnagy introduced the class to two types of video editing software, iMovie and Avid Cinema, and required each group to complete a tutorial before starting on their final projects (filming and editing process). For the final step of the project the students met with the school’s media specialist, Mrs. Garms, and discussed the importance of using credible dates and sources.

In order to accomplish these tasks, the students were required to use a number of tools that included the Internet, iMovie, Avid Cinema, the school’s media center, video cameras and more. When watching this video I recognized several strengths in this lesson, such as the integration of technology, that helped to make it a success. The teachers did an excellent job in dividing the students into groups (of two or three), setting a steady pace, encouraging motivation and peer teaching, and providing numerous examples (sample video, Star Wars). To me, one of the biggest strengths was the teachers’ ability to include prior knowledge and learning experiences into the lesson. By including topics that were previously learned in class (discussions on parliamentary procedure, partner pro/con essays, and the reading of non-fiction essays on persuasion) the teachers were able to add another dimension to the assignment, without the need of added instruction.

Even after re-watching the video online, the only part of Ms. Gnagy’s lesson that bothered me was the sample video that was shown to her students. Instead of presenting her class with a newer video, in which current technology had been used, Ms. Gnagy relied on a two year old sample that was created using outdated technology. Yes, it might give the students a starting point for their own videos, but how does it prepare the class for using the new technology?