Westbrook, Amy F. The Effects of Differentiating Instruction by Learning Styles on Problem Solving in Cooperative Groups. Online Submission (2011).

ERIC. Web. 19 Mar. 2013. Amy Westbrook dives into teaching students math in a way every student can comprehend. She hones in on students who learn differently to give them a benefit from alternative ways of learning. She thoroughly explains why children, who have a difficult time comprehending math, shy away from it and their confidence in their ability to learn it. Westbrook also stresses the importance of being able to apply formulas and algorithms and not just memorize these concepts to get by or pass the test. Her personal teaching style is based off of Benjamin Wilford and his theory on constructivism: the belief that learning happens when the learner makes meaning out of information. The purpose of Westbrooks article was to explain to readers why children need a good math foundation. She thoroughly explains this when she breaks down her teaching style. Westbrook uses a traditional teaching style because this is based on memorization; however, she uses many different teaching methods to help all of her students memorize the formulas not only for the test but to help them remember them long after the course is completed. She took students outside of their comfort zones to better their education. She understood the meaning of constructivism and how it truly affected students confidences when in the classroom. This article suits my paper well, because Westbrook believes students need to know how to apply the problems and equations and not just the list of steps needed to solve one. This article raises important ideas about alternative ways of teaching. How can she assure her students can be able to apply these rules? What sort of activities can she do with them to broaden their

knowledge? I agree with Westbrook and her views on teaching students fully; allowing them to apply the teachings beyond the course. For students to achieve at high levels in a math class, they must not only know a list of formulas and algorithms, but also know how to apply these. In my personal efforts to implement performance tasks in the classroom, I have experienced resistance from students. To revert to a more traditional teaching style of teacher-directed instruction.

Willis, Judy. Learning to Love Math: Teaching Strategies That Change Student Attitudes and Get Results. Alexandria, Va: ASCD, 2010. Internet resource. Judy Willis agrees with a kinesthetic teaching style. She believes students retain the taught information when they can relate to real-life examples. She explains why students need to have that spark with math; the spark that brings confidence within the subject. Her research shows the key point to success within the classroom is to cut out negativity. When students comprehend they feel better about themselves and much more confident about the subject. In Judy Williss article, she talks about the negativity cycle within learning math by analyzing students within her own classroom. She explains how a student feels when he / she cannot understand a concept. The cycle begins by a student feeling stressed, which can lead to a lack of motivation to do work, which can lead to decreased levels of participation during class. She also speaks about how it is important for a teacher to recognize this cycle before the student gives up on learning the concept and thus creating a domino effect which could potentially hurt them in the concepts and courses that follow. This is important because many teachers fail to notice struggling students, or they notice and do not help them get back on tract. This is especially important in elementary school, because this is where children develop a foundation with in math. Willis explains three common misconceptions students have about math and why they are not good at it. She further comments that students tend to better understand math when they are given a real-life example that they can relate to. This article will help me when I begin to talk about a kinesthetic learning style and the major role teachers play within the classroom. Willis has a different take than most teachers. She believers cutting out negativity is the key to a healthy and successful learning environment.

Quotes Students truly get math when they see it applied in real-life ways they care about. Children who do not excel at memorizing isolated facts are less successful, feel inadequate, and lose confidence in their ability to do math. You have to be very intelligent to be good at math. It is acceptable to be bad at math because most people are. Math isnt really used much outside of special occupations.

Riaz, Huma, Asghar Khan, and Arshad Malik. "Learning Style Preferences of Undergraduate Physical Therapy Students: A Cross Sectional Study." Interdisiplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. 4.4 (2012): 191-197. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://journalarchieves22.webs.com/191-197.pdf>. "Learning Style Preferences of Undergraduate Physical Therapy Students: A Cross Sectional Study is a study on different types of learning strategies and how all children can learn the same concept, but many learn in different ways. Visual learners learn best by seeing pictures and diagrams, because they can easily remember it. Aural learners learn by hearing. They may read to themselves and avoid eye contact with the teacher because they prefer to be in their own world when learning. Reading / writing learners learn best when they can put their thoughts down on paper. These types of people may keep diaries or make lists. Lastly, kinesthetic learners learn by viewing real-life examples. They are relatable learners, meaning if the concept can be applied to a real scenario, they are more likely to retain the information. These doctors explain different learning techniques by giving a brief description of them and an example of how they can be used within the classroom setting. These authors thoroughly break down the four main types of learning; visual, aural, reading / writing, and kinesthetic (VARK). They explain the importance of each learning style in a way that is easy to comprehend. The point they are trying to make is this, students learn better when he / she knows his / her learning style. This allows them to engage in and out of the classroom when working on assignments. Every student learns a little differently, but all are capable of learning the information.

This study is helpful to my research because these doctors clearly break down the four main types of learning styles. Through these, I can state within my paper, through the authors, what these learning styles are and their importance for a students knowledge and success. This article provides many definitions and helpful pieces of information that are needed in this inquiry paper. Quotes Learning is described as the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Students learn in many ways, by hearing, touching, reading, writing, reflecting and acting, reasoning logically and naturally, memorizing and visualizing, and drawing analogies. If a student or learner knows his / her learning style, he / she can better perform on tests, study more effectively, learn more in the classroom, and ultimately be more successful.