VAK Learning with waste

What do you do if you would like to learn something new? Do you go out and get a book on the subject, or call your friends up to hear what they have to say about it? If you are a hands-on person, you are more likely to learn by trying it out yourself.

VAK Learning is about reaching out to learners through one or more of their dominant sensory receivers. It can be through their sight (Visual) or hearing (Auditory) or getting them involved through some actions (Kinesthetic). These learning styles were introduced to us by Professor Lim. I did a research and discovered that you can even run VAK Learning Styles Tests to figure out your preference.

See what VAK Learning has inspired me to create for children of the Sunday Dharma School in Bandar Sunagi Long:

Audio
1) Prof Lim has suggested that we cultivate a culture in the school. What are the qualities we want to see in the children? I would like each child to have STAR qualities, that is:

Strong (will not be affected by negatives comments or persuasions with bad intention)

Thoughtful (of surroundings, nature, environment and people)

Always

Reliable (will listen to guidance and be trustworthy)

Since it is easier to remember nursery rhymes, I modified the song "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" so that they can sing and rap to remember these qualities.

Sing: Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
Rap: I twinkle, twinkle, Oh so bright
Sing: How I wonder what you are.
Rap: Strong and Thoughtful that's how I am
Sing: Up above the world so high,
Rap: Always reliable, I always will be
Sing: Like a diamond in the sky.
Rap: Yeah, I make my teachers, Oh, so (or parents) proud
Sing: Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
Rap: Learning and sharing the Dharma ways
Sing: How I wonder what you are!
Rap: Living together, peacefully, the Dharma ways
Rap: We can twinkle, twinkle, Oh, so bright

Visual
I have created an appreciation chart with strings of good attributes hanging on it.



Strings of good attributes are strings of beautiful words. So, I named it "Poem in my Ears".



Kinesthetic
1) Each time a child shows a good attribute, the teacher who noticed it can mark it on the star cut out with

a) child's name
b) Teachers name and date
c) child's good attribute

Material used in this project are:

1) Plastic bags cut into strips
2) Newspaper cutting (for good attributes)
3) Cardboard

So how will these stars be displayed? What can the children do with their collection of stars? Watch out for the answers in my next posting.