Finding Solutions Jim Valkenburg Delta College ATP Online Workshop Fall 2008
The “real” issue for Humanities and Social Science students Getting to the basics Active/Critical Reading Highlighting and marginal notes Linking to learn Eliciting responses
Welcome to my nightmare “ET go home…” Initial contact Why is the student here? Establishing goals Creative and Critical Thinking
Creative thinking is defined as the use of divergent thinking, resulting in the generation of original ideas or solutions.
Critical Thinking may be defined as the cognitive process of actively questioning assumptions, and analyzing, synthesizing and/or evaluating data, evidence or points of view to solve a problem.
Creative and critical thinking engage the student They increase awareness of possibilities While goals in themselves…
Check the book for use
Highlighting and Marginal Notes Why highlight? The benefits of marginal notes
Did the student take notes Were the worthwhile?
A basic idea Why take notes? When are there too many? Too few? Connecting to the textbook.
Having the stuff is not necessarily learning Using the stuff is closer to it
Electrical/Chemical Process At the Synapse Memory as a molecule
Hemispheric Dominance Right Brain – “Global” See patterns – the “big picture” Simultaneous Overview Synthetic Visual-Spatial Intuitive Timeless Motion/Music Left Brain – “Analytic” -Detail Oriented -Step-by-Step/ Sequential Processing -Verbal/Symbolic -Computational -Rational -Time-Centered -Language Front
Sensory means used to learn new information Four Primary types Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile Kinesthetic and tactile styles are also called haptic styles
Primary Visual Processing Primary Auditory Processing Primary Auditory Processing Primary Haptic Processing (Front) Primary Processing Areas
Learning by seeing Read to learn Recognize relationships of objects in space Can visualize information (words, charts and graphs or both)
Learn by hearing Auditory memory Tape lectures Low auditory preferences indicate use of other strengths Learning visual cues or hands-on techniques
Mind-Body Connection Learn by doing Flash Cards (self- made) Must be physically engaged Frequently move around while learning
Mind-Body Connection Learn by touch Using the hands
Focus Comfort in the way one learns Focus Linking styles for more depth Focus Accessing Information Put it in Get it out
The more ways information is put in – the more ways to get it out Think about how one might access information via computer Now forget it!
The Brain “thinks” omnidimensionally Connections – Linking Styles (Changing Formats) Audio Visual Tactile/Kinesthetic
Visual and Auditory Visual and Haptic
Auditory and Haptic
Haptic and any other style
Open ended questions The value of silence Rewarding responses Getting more out of the student
As you can see, I believe that most of the issues about tutoring the Humanities and Social Sciences revolve around basic learning strategies. Once the student begins to use good learning strategies, s/he should be better able to process the information.