Information gotten from the 3rd grade teacher Mr. Wetzel
kinetic/tactile is the best way to learn- any hands on activity towards a subject is key, like getting responds to creating a game (using different objects like in Math use of blocks, clocks are a good use).
Reading is more difficult (unless it incorporated a mini play) this could be an avenue to helping to get kids outfits they could wear to act out since they don't have that opportunity.
Lessons with more auditory is better with several visual breaks (encourage movement). The kids enjoy anything that can be made in a posters, flashcards, and to use whiteboards while learning.
3rd grade is when they are learning to write in cursive. Also the classroom has a chance to use computers and his class had a world map carpet.
We asked him how can graphic design help... his answer was in anyway to create a new counting method, poster do go along way (esp. if it has instructions on steps and when they can do the step, they would have to read the step aloud, which can showcase it giving them something they can see visually). Symbol plus a word or motion within acting out the different types of learning styles could help them learn it better.
Learned that the school is learning a new set of teaching styles that includes a pacing guide which gives what the children need to learn when. Also learned that in 3rd grade students need help/more knowledge in understanding social studies and science just started this year thanks to the national geographic. Got information that school is going to start the program 'no child left behind,' which will give more testing to see where the students are in level with others and work within that area to get better is a simple way to put it, but it had start when Bush started in office.
After talking to Mr. Wetzel, we went and talked to the special education classes for learning disabilities to understand how they use learning styles in the group. Ms. Lujan answered our questions as best as she could.
She told us that when dealing with a learning disability, reading visuals (picture clues) are the best for her students. She likes teaching the students the use of repetition verbally (like say the word, then spell it out, and if spelled wrong try again spelling it out loud three times and then say the word again). She also said that to help her students learning, teaching one strategy at a time will be more successful than having multiple strategies going on at once. She tries to integrate words into games dealing with reading and writing. The other special education teacher we talked to, Ms. Cates, had said her students ranging 4th and 5th grade are into hands on things for learning, as well as visual learning too. She mainly works with reading and math, but she said that she would email us back if she could come up with more information or ideas to help us.
We also got to talk to a 5th grade teacher, Ms. Murphy, which was are main person that helped us get so much information about what her class already done to find out what type of learner they are. She said that about 6 weeks ago her students took a quiz from the computer lab teacher that gave direct information back right away. She also gave us information on what subjects she wishes that needs help, which are math, social studies, and science (even though that just started). She said with math, the toughest part for the students to learn is fractions and they start that next week, but she felt that fractions tend to be the toughest probably because it isn't practiced as much as well as maturity level isn't there yet in math. With social studies, we were told that there isn't a teaching style but wishes there was a way to make it more interesting than it already is. When we asked how do you think graphic design could help, she answered that it would be cool to basically update the way the posters look as well as give information a designers view (like breaking it down more or give multiple ways of how to understand the information). Ms. Murphy was a great help in our mission to know more that she is going to meet with us next week to try out our ideas.
