There are a range of different paradigms for understanding learning styles and their associated classifications – just google it!
It’s interesting to know how you learn and how you think and how this may affect your personality, attention span and results. It’s all very interesting information and a seemingly endless about of online diagnostic tests that you can take, but why is it important?
Learning styles is about how you best give and receive information. We are all different and have preferences which assist us to take in and retain information and we tend to communication the same style that we prefer. There is some evidence to suggest that people with certain learning styles may be drawn to particular professions.
It’s important to understand for a range of reasons: the most basic takeaway is that we all learn differently and so it makes sense that if we learn differently then there also needs to be correspondent teaching styles. It’s important to know how you / your child will learn best and later how this effects you as a communicator and presenter of information in senior school, university and beyond. To really excel as a presenter it’s important to understand and have a wide range of communication tools and to be flexible enough to access a range of styles to have the greatest impact in their communication style.
“Communication on purpose is a powerful tool.”
With an understanding of learning styles you can develop strategies for communication to the widest audience with the greatest impact.
While the various diagnostics are fun and insightful it’s the application for this information that is important. Having worked with children and adults for over 27 years there are a few basic approaches I’ve noticed. Some students need to hear the information, others like notes, some like to observe and be shown and still others are doers. When you couple these observations with the understanding that all people have different brain dominances this informs the fundamental approach we have at Acting and Communication Academy. The ability to tailor teaching and learning and small classes allows students to benefit from the maximum impact in learning and development.
We regularly work with large groups of year 11 girls looking at the honing their presentation skills for year 11, 12 and university. Recently, the topic of audience engagement was enthusiastically discussed. After a few defining exercises exploring the ideas of various perspectives we divided the room into those who Iike stories and those who get bored by stories, those who prefer information to be presented chronologically and those who lose interest with that, those who need statistics and solid proof and those who switch off at the mention numbers and graphs.
We tend to assume that everyone thinks the same as us and it’s so far from the truth, in fact I’d go so far as to say that no one thinks the same as us, we are all unique and have a unique set of communication filters through which we perceive the world and interact with the world.
Drama training assist adult and children to view the world form different perspective and to expand your understanding and capacity. Children who have taken drama have more empathy and insight. In a world where EQ (emotional intelligence) is a sough after leadership skill the benefits of drama for leaders and aspiring leaders is very valuable.
Understanding the many involved in communication an being able to adapt and design your communication is a powerful tool for effective communication and influence.
If you’d like to improve your or your child’s learning outcomes, improve communication in the workplace or at home and the increase influence and leadership skills speak to us today and we can assist or design a course for you.
Kayte Lewis is Voice Coach, Lawyer and Mediator and specialist profession development consultant in the area of workplace communications; Owner of Voice Consultants & Advocates and Sydney’s Acting and Communication Academy.
If you’re interested in having Kayte come to your workplace or event she can be be contacted at kayte@kaytelewis.com or (02) 92318602
Corporate training www.voiceadvocates.com
Children ad teens www.actingandcommunication.sydney
Kayte Lewis Borg | Acting and Communication Academy Manager
Ph: (02) 9231 8602 | e: Kayte@actingandcommunication.sydney
w| www.actingandcommunication.sydney
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