I watched both of the Dan Willingham videos: “learning styles don’t exist”, and, “teaching content is teaching reading”. These are really good discussion starters, thanks for the links.

Yes, it is strange and perturbing as you note that teaching fads based on “good research” come and go, that teachers go to inservice to hear the latest and then adapt to their classroom reality using “common sense”. Then after a while the education inservice establishment moves onto the next fad, etc.

So, I agree with your post here in that we should be cautious, there is no unified or “correct” learning theory and there possibly will never be one. I like Minsky, “the trick is there is no trick”, we learn in many different ways.

One thing I noticed about Howard Gardner (’Multiple Intelligences’) is that he knows a lot about learning. His theory might be wrong in a broad sense but nevertheless we can learn from him in much of the detail he offers. The danger is mainly uncritical or dogmatic adoption.

I wanted to mention a post I wrote about Carl Wieman: Optimising Learning since he also debunks the myth of optimum learning and teaching styles.

I wasn’t aware of Hattie until I read arti’s comment. I just found and read a 17 page pdf by him at https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/docs/pdf/qt_hattie.pdf
(explains the extent of the impact of expert teachers and the differences b/w expert and experienced)

We’ve just done some MI tests in the classroom – a paper one from Seven Ways At Once and the online one from the Birmingham Grid for Learning. We’ll compare the two as we talked about how results may differ depending on how questions are asked & interpreted. I also like to point out that not everyone is good at maths or language but that we need to value the other skills & talents too.

I agree about not pigeon-holing students as per their results. If we cater everything to their preferred learning style or multiple intelligence, as you quite rightly point out, what happens to those other areas that are not their strengths.

Just my 2 cents worth.

And yes, the heat wave continues for most of this week as well. I don’t know about you but once it gets beyond 40 deg C, it just feels hot to me – there didn’t feel much difference between Tuesday’s 43 and Wednesday’ 45.7 – it’s just stinkimg hot. Cooler weather in WA means we will cool down eventually… thanks for stopping by.

It is unnerving when we ferret around the stuff that we adopt into our teaching practice … we mean well but sometimes what we do is not only unrelated to student achievement it can be a distraction.

I struggled with finding out about learning styles in the summer break a few years back and find that unlike some of my thinking in Artichoke I still hold to most of the thoughts in

Learning Styles: Are you a Bender or a Fry?
http://artichoke.typepad.com/artichoke/2005/12/learning_styles.html

Learning Styles: Seduction and Gullibility
http://artichoke.typepad.com/artichoke/2005/12/learning_styles_1.html

Learning Styles: The Kekekkekeke Zerg Rush
http://artichoke.typepad.com/artichoke/2005/12/learning_styles_2.html

At the moment I am excited by Prof John Hatties meta-analysis “Visible learning A synthesis of over 800 meta – analyses relating to achievement” http://www.amazon.com/Visible-Learning-synthesis-meta-analyses-achievement/dp/0415476186

The effect size data are fascinating and give clear indicators about where we should be putting our thinking and energy when we work with kids in school. The explanation behind each effect and what it involves make fabulous professional learning … it is a must read for teachers who want to make a difference.

If you have any money left in your professional development budget I’d buy copies for your teachers

Thanks for the neat collection of online tools. I’ll give these a judicious go over the next few days/weeks as the school starts.

I find these sorts of things more useful not in the prescriptive method of “how we should teach each student” (near damn impossible with seeing about 100+ different faces in an average school day) but to help the kids work out what works best for them and give them a chance to take responsibility to play their strengths to achieve their goals and be aware of their weaknesses. In short, these are more student’s tool than teachers’ tool.

As far as ‘research shows’ tag goes, the good old Kuhn blew that our of the water in the 1970 by challenging the scientific paradigm(s) as ones competing until the next one comes around (hmm, phrenology [intelligence based on size and shape of a skull] was once a ‘cutting edge’ and ‘latest research’).

Have a great 2009 (and a cooler one, you poor buggers feeling for you sitting here on ‘mere’ +35).

Tomaz