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 Today, I will be responding to the article: "3 Common Myths About Learning- and What Teachers Can Do Instead" by Jonathan G. Tullis.

I found this article on the CPS Online Community of Practice for Educators Facebook page (someone had shared it), and I thought it provided some interesting points. This isn't really related to the topic of blogging, but it sparked my interest a little more than the other articles.

This article emphasizes the importance of using research-based practices in the classroom. Often, as we plan out our units and lessons, we have ideas about what we think is best for students. Perhaps we rely on strategies that we were taught in our own educational journey, or use practices that were used on us in school. Or, we're simply taking advice from other colleagues in the field. But, sometimes what we think is best for students, is either ineffective or could even be detrimental to their learning. 

One example in the article mentions the myth that every person has a different learning style:

" Yet, no good evidence suggests that stable and useful learning styles of students exist. Furthermore, there is zero evidence that students learn better when information is presented in a way that meshes with their chosen preferences. According to research, trying to tailor teaching to match each learner’s preferred mode of processing is a waste of time and resources (Tullis, 2023)."

I remember having conversations with other colleagues that some students are more auditory-processing learners, or some students are more visual, or more tactile. But, there is no evidence to support this theory. What does work, is giving students multiple ways to engage with material. So, as educators we don't need to be tailoring curriculum for individual students. Rather, we should be offering multiple modalities for learning to ALL students, as that will have a positive effect on every student.

I like the message this article shares, as it reminds me to be mindful of my assumptions and biases, and stick to what the data shows.

-Hattie

Citations:

Tullis, J. G. (2023, June 22). 3 common myths about learning-and what teachers can do instead. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/common-myths-learning


Comments

  1. Jessika HowardJanuary 28, 2024 at 2:33 PM

    Great article, thank you for sharing. As a side note I love that you do photography on the side as well.
    Jess

    ReplyDelete
  2. MaryJanuary 28, 2024 at 3:32 PM

    Hi Hattie,

    I really enjoyed reading your chosen article and your reflection on it. I also remember conversations about learning styles, both as a school staff member and back when I was a child myself. I've even seen IEPs that reference a preferred style. It's so important to remember UDL, and that all students will benefit from multiple approaches to learning new information.

    Have a nice week!
    Mary

    ReplyDelete

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