It's Happening Around North Carolina
Teachers across North Carolina attended Teacher Academy this past summer and many have started implementing techniques they learned. Here are just a view comments on what has worked for them and pictures from Teacher Academy Summer Sessions.
George Watts School, Durham: We have use shower curtain games, writing in shand, magnetic letters, magnadoodles to appeal to our kinesthetic/tactile students. We've set up auditory listening centers and use flip chutes to help our students with phonics. (Jane Purdy-jalpurdy@aol.com, Lynelle Lassiter, Sarah High, and Sylvia Bittle)
Henderson Middle School, Vance County: First we did a faculty oreintation to individual learning styles. Some have played with redesigning classrooms using various groupings and bookshelves. We'd implemented the use of electroboards, fact fans, and task cards. We like to use "Bluff" and "Tic Tac Toe"for review. To we share group techniques with our faculty, we did a Circle of Knowledge....was a hit at the faculty meeting. (Bill West, 8th science; Erica Skalski, 8th math; Larry Paylor, principal)
Coates Elementary, Harnett County: We like using iinstrumental music with our classes. The hands-on activities like puzzles and games are helping our tactile students. Students enjoy our listening centers with taped stories and music. We're using our computer centers to meet the needs of our auditory, visual, and tactual students.
West Iredell Middle School: Principal uses "Teacher Tips" at faculty meeting so we've been able to share what we learned at Learning Styles Teacher Academy. We gave the faculty a short overview and the "more to follow" comes at our staff meetings. We plan to have a make and take it 10 hour workshop series in the spring.
Candor Elementary: We're trying to allow for students formal and informal seating. We plan to administer Learning Style Inventories and want to do staff development for our faculty.( Lynne Griffin, Laura Harris, Deidra Steed, Beth Williams
East Wake Middle: We love Fact Circles. They are fairly quick and can be in class or homework.(Pam and Courtney) I like to use Tic Tac Toe shower curtain for review. (Courtney). A little tactile variation works for me. I use a Pringle can and decorate it. I make cards with content questions on one side and answers on the other. Students create them as they read material either in class or homework. (Pam). Like to use clipboards in four spots around the room to allow for kids who need to move but it keeps them on task. (Pam, Courtney, Mary, Sue)
Rollins, Vance County: We allow students to work with partners and to "choose" a comfort zone. In reading we use rotating centers plus floor games and puzzle cards.
Lakewood Elementary: We've had success creating more informal learning environments using bean bags and read/play areas on the floor. We allow for more movement in our classroom and have tried to move away from assigned seats. We love using floor games using rugs, shower curtains, and bean bags. We often use music both classical and jazz in our classrooms. We are experimenting with using magnetic letters, colored chalk, individual wipe off boards, and varying lighting in different parts of the classroom.
Hemby Bridge Team: We've been able to do inservices in our building and to try many different techniques in our classrooms. We have an open school environment that makes lightening adjustments difficult but we've focused on individual adjustments like using visors or allowing students to sit under tables. Our principal has been supportive and has been sharing expertise and ideas with other principals.
Underwood Gt Magnet Elementary: We've done a great deal of staff development. One idea we like is using a variety of learning style techinques at teachers meetings to model for teachers things like kinesthetic floor games, Team Learning, and Circle of Knowledge. We even invited Teacher Academy Trainers to our school to help do staff development with our teachers "in-house". Next we are going to try "parent development". We want to empower parents to work with their kids plus give them the skills to help us create tactual and kinesthetic materials for the classroom. We've focused too on creating multi-modality lesson plans.
Millbrook High (Wake): We have been able to adminster the LSI (Learning Styles Instrument) to 230 9th graders. We are using the Homework Prescription Disk. As hard as it may seem, we have been able to introduce beanbags, flipchairs, and individual lamps to our classrooms. Our high schoolers work well using small groups and partnering activities. Our "almost" adults enjoy techniques we learned at Teacher Academy like Circle of Knowledge, Ballon Game, Believe it or Not and kinethetic shower curtain games.
North Dublin Elementary: We've tried several learning styles techinques. We use global openings, flip chutes, electroboards, sociological groupings and offering mobility. We used headphones and earplugs. We've also tried adjustments in lighting and music. The next thing we'd like to do is to be able to test all our students for the individual learning style.