# data[].attributes.body
As a special education teacher I definitely think students have strengths in particular learning styles. I ultimately believe that students learn best with a mixture of styles and strategies though. I also believe that there are times that students may do better with one approach than another. I question the information in this article because Hattie and others have written many scholarly articles about how students learn best, which ties to learning styles and strategies. Finally, the number of participants in this study were limited and were paid.

# data[].attributes.body
SHANNON: I found the article interesting.  I've always considered myself a visual learner but do, at times, feel like perhaps I've programmed myself to that learning style as well.  However, after reading the article, I found linkages to strategies I've used for decades without ever being told.  So, while the science may not be exact, there is a connection.

# data[].attributes.body
The article was interesting.  I do feel we lean more to a particular way of learning.  Since we all process information and material in slightly different ways and at different rates, learning can be more challenging for some if it's one set way. Visual aids and hands on learning is a must for some where as others learn better audibly.

Years ago I took an introductory education course called Teachers for Tomorrow. It was for students who were exploring the idea of being a teacher but were not ready to select it as a major or for professionals who might be considering a change in career to become a teacher but needed some more information to make that decision.
I remember that out instructor who was also a an elementary teacher said that if we became educators and stayed as educators throughout our career at least one educational tenet/belief/practice that we believed in whole heartedly at the start of our career would be proved by research to not be effective by the end of our career.
So I hope this is not the end of my career but I can’t help but think about her prophetic words after reading that article. I had always agreed with left/right brain because in my experience it made sense as some did seem to take in more analytical information/presentations while others seemed to need creative projects to engage with the material. I now wonder if that ended up just being good educational practice for all people as it allowed choice and a variety of teaching modalities that benefited all students.
I also think that teachers in general sometimes are not open to new research that challenges their educational beliefs, the very thing that my instructor all those years ago was warning us about by reminding us that research is ongoing and we owe it to our students to use the very best practices available to us rather than the most comfortable available to us.
I also believe that schools ask so much more if teachers each year with COVID being just the latest example as they are asked to monitor close contacts, students who are quarantined  students who come back from quarantine too early, etc. that in all that white noise of life the actual best practices for teaching fall a bit by the wayside. Our beginning of the year professional development modules were all about active shooters drills, seizure disorders, religion in schools, and blood borne pathogen trainings. Very little focus was on actual research regarding best teaching practice. That is left up to the individual school or department and therefore varies widely as to how that time is used or the focus.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that people learn in different ways not only with research and studies that are taking place. People learn things that are exciting and or important to them. This may not have anything to do with the testing they may have taken, just the fact that their interested has sparked an interest in them.

I have had students that say they are better visual learners and others that like hands on. I believe we all learn in different ways at different times. Some people as they get older learn differently based on experience. I am not sure that you can put a one size fits all learning style on people even with testing as we get older and learn more we start to connect the dots in different ways.

I do like to see how the tests tell me how I learn better, it's nice to have some insight as to how to get the job done. I am not convinced that testing is the only way to see how people learn better. I believe standardized testing is overrated and used too much in today’s society. In class I try to offer a variety of different ways for the student's to submit their work. I leave it up to them on how they want to turn in their work. This has helped so far this year.

# data[].attributes.body
I disagree with the article and believe we all learn a certain way.   However, I think that we should always remain open to the others.
I myself am I visual learner.  But I feel you should always keep an open mind about the other styles of learning.

# data[].attributes.body
The article adds to my already existing opinion about learning styles. I am all for studying theory, for example, as long as we recognize it as that. I feel -- and I may be wrong about this -- that a lot of the personality and learning style assessments we take are pseudoscience that people take for aboslute truth. Additionally, I have a difficult time with this subject because I believe most individuals read their results and perceive themselves as either/or -- either I'm right-brained or I'm left-brained. Either I'm this learning style or I'm that one. I have had students tell me, "Well, I just don't learn that way." That's a student that has placed himself or herself in a box and now refuses to learn because they have a perception about themselves for whatever reason, and assessments, even some we have taken, can prove detrimental if interpreted incorrectly.

# data[].attributes.body
Jeannie Epps: My personal experiences with students' learning styles and with my own preferred ways of learning are supportive of the concept of learning styles. I am interested in reading more research which negates the theories of learning styles. It is interesting that so many people continue to support the concept despite research negating it. It makes me wonder if the research could perhaps lack validity and reliability. Again, I am interested in reading more research.

# data[].attributes.headline
Denise's Comment: Even though studies have yet to prove that there is a connection between learning styles and the way our brains grasp information, I strongly believe that there is a connection. The ILS test that I took confirmed that I am a visual learner. For years I have known that, in order for me to comprehend information I must see it in front of me. I believe that there should be even more research done so that teachers are supported in this area. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Denise's Comment: Even though studies have yet to prove that there is a connection between learning styles and the way our brains grasp information, I strongly believe that there is a connection. The ILS test that I took confirmed that I am a visual learner. For years I have known that, in order for me to comprehend information I must see it in front of me. I believe that there should be even more research done so that teachers are supported in this area. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Sherry's comment:  Although the article indicates that the most recent brain research points to the fact that learning styles do not exist - I have experienced the truth of Learning Styles in my own learning. I definitely learn better by "seeing something". When I do theater, I read over and over, and my when I perform on stage my "mind's eye" sees what I've read over and over.

# data[].attributes.subject
Sherry's comment:  Although the article indicates that the most recent brain research points to the fact that learning styles do not exist - I have experienced the truth of Learning Styles in my own learning. I definitely learn better by "seeing something". When I do theater, I read over and over, and my when I perform on stage my "mind's eye" sees what I've read over and over.