3 ways to leverage Multiple modalities in the classroom for all types of learners.
Once upon a time there was this belief that we were all one type of learner. Either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Decades later we know that everyone is all of these types of learners and that everyone learns best when we account for visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning in the classroom. Most teachers automatically include visual and auditory elements in their teaching. So what about making sure you are leveraging all three?
Here are three ways to make sure you are leveraging all modalities in the classroom.
1) Let students practice different types of note taking and then pick what works best for them. This means having students do more than just cornell notes. At the beginning of the year especially during review or simple concepts is the best time to have students practice different types of notetaking. This can include:
-Make a video showing you teaching someone else what you learned
-Do a vlog summary of the most important thing you learned from the lesson and why, or how it relates or connects to you personally, or something else you have learned before with examples.
2. Have students do more than just write to include their kinesthetic learning in the process. You can do this by:
Having students associate movements with vocabulary words/key terms. These can be made up by you or them. For example they can put a crown on their head for monarchy, or create a triangle with their hands for pythagorean theorem, they can make a mountain shape for climax of the story, or hold their chin like they are thinking for hypothesis.
Act it out- Have students act out a key moment of the plot of a story, or have them create a mini play about a real world when they would need to use a mathematical concept. Or have them act out a historical event or create a prediction scene about what comes next in history based on what they have learned so far. This all could be in groups or individually.
Manipulatives/artifacts- Have them interact with the setting or an artifact from a story like go to a factory, (can also be done online) or touch a major element of the plot like a typewriter. Or for math, have them build the mathematical concept with manipulatives. Even for higher level math, have them physically map out a room using algebraic equations, or plan a budget using percentages and fractions, have them create and manipulate shapes for geometry. Have them interact with artifacts from the historical time period, either primary sources or recreations. Or go to the places they are studying physically or virtually online.
Create- Have them recreate a character, or mathematical concept, or artifact. You can provide lots of materials or just give them paper, tape and scissors.
3)Leverage multiple modalities at one time. Or you can utilize these ideas to make sure you are addressing all three modalities within the same task or lesson:
-Powerpoint with visuals and voice-over and then tasks
-Reading articles out loud and marking the text as you go
-Videos with notes/journaling
-I do-We do-You do
-Games
-Multi-genre projects
Analyze and reflect-journal, essay, bullet points,graphic organizer. These can be done on paper, through video, or using technological templates.
Create-draw, sculpt, music, poetry, dance. Have them organize their ideas first and then check of key elements while they create their product and the reflect on the learning or process.
Examine-graphs, tables, charts, infographics
