Perceiving and Processing Information
Learning Styles_Teaching Strategies Table, PDF
Applying the Learning Cycle
Teaching Strategies |
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LEARNING CYCLE STEPS |
TEACHING STRATEGIES |
WATER PROGRAM EXAMPLES |
| STEP 1: Connect — establish a relationship between the learners and the content, connecting it to their lives. | Discussion; Hands-on involvement; Brainstorming; How many of you.?; Guided imagery; Cooperative learning; Simulation; Mind mapping; Sensory awareness | Brainstorm: When I say the word “stream,” what do you think of? Compile a list |
| STEP 2: Attend — analyze what just happened by attending to their own experience. | Analyze Step 1; Discuss Step 1; Write about Step 1 | Discuss: Looking at the list, what items could we group together? (e.g., all items related to pollution, recreation). |
| STEP 3: Imagine — visualize the concept, as the learners understand it and experience it. | Structured creative drama; Group experience; Guided imagery; Performer; Metaphors and similes; Concept mapping | Do the guided imagery activity from Project WILD Aquatic, “Riparian Retreat.” |
| STEP 4: Inform — receive and examine the expert knowledge. | Videos; Slides; Overheads; PowerPoint; Lecture; Textbooks; Reference materials; Demonstrations; Guided Tours; Internet/Web; Maps, charts, graphs; Satellite conferencing | Give a presentation on water quality and how we measure it:
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| STEP 5: Practice — practice the learning as the experts do it. | Drill and practice worksheet; Structured activity; Structured writing; Controlled experiment | Do the activity “Macro-invertebrate Mayhem” from Project WET. Practice how to do chemical testing. |
| STEP 6: Extend — see how it works for the learner. | Inquiry; Open-ended experimenting; Tinkering; Problem solving; Unstructured exercise; Kinesthetic experiences; Field investigations; Model making; Hands-on tasks | Go to a nearby stream and monitor the water quality at two locations. |
| STEP 7: Refine — evaluate the extension from Step 6. | Analyze Step 6; Sharing; Peer presentations; Committee reports; Demonstrations; Graphic presentations; Portfolio | Present group reports and compare results. Discuss similarities and differences. |
| STEP 8: Perform — look for relevance and connections to larger ideas that are immediately useful to the learner. | Invent new applications; Develop future uses; Simulations; Role playing; Creative projects; Action projects; Service Learning | Create a public display to teach others about water quality. |
REFERENCES
McCarthy, B. (2000). About Teaching: 4MAT® in the Classroom. Wauconda, IL: About Learning, Inc.
McCarthy, B. (1980). The 4MAT® System: Teaching to Learning Styles with Right/Left Mode Techniques. Barrington, IL: EXCEL, Inc.
Adapted from Soil and Water Conservation District Outreach: A Handbook for Program Development, Implementation and Evaluation, Ohio Department of natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, 2003 and from B. McCarthy (1980, 2000).
