Activity 4: I Learn Best When…
Discovering Myself Activities
Developing self-knowledge in different environments: Students engage in discussions and writing activities to develop awareness about themselves as learners and document their learning style and preferences.
Purpose
Students will deepen self-knowledge by identifying and expressing preferences in learning style, study habits, memory strategies and test preparation. Students learn about possible new study strategies by reviewing a menu of study strategies (from Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare, 2009).
Activity
Students complete a written worksheet called “I Learn Best When…” After worksheets are completed, students and mentors participate in a group discussion to share responses. Teacher and mentors highlight similarities and differences in the group. Students participate by sharing their responses with one another using communication tools as needed.
The teacher reviews a menu of study strategies on the worksheet called “Study Strategies Menu” (adapted from Dawson and Guare, 2009). Students identify at least 1 new study strategy they would like to try. Students identify a specific time in the future they want to apply that study strategy. Teachers record each student’s response and determine a date to review the lesson and help the students to evaluate the effectiveness of their chosen strategy. This lesson can be repeated.
Adaptations
- Read worksheet aloud to student.
- Provide student with a talking word processing program and/or word prediction for spelling support.
- Elaborate and give examples where appropriate.
- Shorten number of questions.
- Offer multiple choice answers, allow student to select a choice from 3-4 options within a set of plausible options.
- Use partner-assisted auditory-scanning or computer assisted scanning as needed.
- Offer dictated writing strategy for students who do not have access to independent writing tools, in which the student communicates a response to someone who then writes it down for them.
- Break down activity into multiple sessions.
- Encourage students to work in pairs or small groups to assist one another.