Learning Styles

1. Learning Styles as Self-Advocacy

Using Learning Styles as a Self-Advocacy Tool

We focused on helping students identify their primary and secondary learning styles as a way to help them discover their strengths and identify areas where they needed to ask for additional assistance from their teachers. This activity was woven into the guiding question, “What is my voice?”

Students completed the inventory to identify their learning styles and then completed a worksheet to help them begin to think about the implications for the way they learn. Next, students identified the class where they were experiencing the most struggle or lack of success. They received another worksheet to help them craft a conversation with the teacher of that class about their learning style and what might help them succeed. Students approached their teacher to set a date and time for a conversation, and then the teacher gave us a feedback form about how the student handled the exchange. We emphasized values such as personal responsibility, respect, listening, willingness to own their part, and asking for what they need in an open and respectful manner.

“I learned how to speak to a teacher without just being mad. I know how to take a breath and talk the right way.”

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2. Course Materials

You may download and use these materials. Please read the preceding section to understand how we incorporated them into our course.

Learning Styles Inventory ~ used to assess learning style(s)

Learning Styles Key ~ definitions of the learning styles

Learning Styles Worksheet and Key ~ worksheet to help students think about the implications of their learning style(s); contains the definitions as well

Teacher Conversation Feedback Form ~ form used by teachers to give us feedback about the letters students wrote and their verbal presentations about what they needed from the teacher to be more successful in class based on their learning style(s)

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