The Benefits Of A Multi Sensory Approach

The Benefits Of A Multi Sensory Approach R. Q. 3: What will be the views of the three teachers with respect to the practicality or continued use of the multi-sensory approach based on the results of the test scores after the completion of this study? Teachers views on the benefits of a multi-sensory Approach to that of a traditional Approach. The researcher first starts with the perspectives of the three teachers who states that by tapping into the different senses, educators can create a more concrete and complete learning experience for all learners. Teaching learning concepts using two or more of modalities or learning styles at the same time, means that teachers are delivering a multisensory approach to all students in their classrooms. It is the observation of these teachers that as educators some of us may think or feel that multisensory methods or approaches are only useful for students with special needs, however, research has shown that almost all students and teachers can gain great benefits from a multisensory approach in the teaching and learning process. Whats more is that research has also shown that once teachers are using a multisensory approach to learning they are ensuring and addressing all learning styles and needs of their students. Thus one can be sure that every student in his or her classroom is specifically catered for or to. It is also the view of both the researcher and teachers in this study that all students benefit from a multisensory approach to learning, not just special education students. Every child processes information differently, and this teaching method allows for each child to use a variety of their senses to understand and process information. The three Teachers also stated that by providing classroom activities that utilize various senses, they have notice that their students learning attention increases which makes and caters for an optimal learning environment. Research shows that by using varying teaching strategies teachers can address all sensory preference and increases learning regardless of the individual students primary preference (Thomas, Cox Kojima, 2000). Another research also shows that by using multisensory strategies, teachers can engage and sustain the attention of all students. By employing a variety of strategies the teacher may address the mixed efficiencies of those students as well as the dominant and secondary preferences of others. Thus, they reinforce strong preferences and strengthen weaker ones (Silver et al., 2000;Haggart 2003). Key benefits of the multisensory approach are noted by the three teachers and researcher: Increased learner engagement Generating a greater capacity for learning Encouraging a greater knowledge transfer Improved attitudes towards learning Greater student achievement One of the teachers in this study said to me during the interview and I quote I had a great feeling of relief when I began to understand that a youngster (student) needs more than just subject matter. Oh, I know mathematics well and I teach it well. I used to think that was all I needed to do. Now I teach the students, not math. The researcher notes that as teachers, we should know that students learn differently. Some prefer to learn by doing. Others like to watch a demonstration of what they need to do. Some wants to listen to what is expected. Most students appreciate a combination of methods: a little bit of doing it, a little bit of seeing it and a little bit of hearing it. When teachers teach using a combination of methods that appeal to different learning styles (Kinesthetic, tactual, auditory and visual) they are using a multisensory approach which benefits all students involved by equipping them with different learning styles and catering to their development needs. Effective teachers make a conscious effort to design instruction that incorporates a broad variety of learning preferences beyond their own (Doolan Honigfeld, 2000; Sadler-Smith Smith, 2004) Varying teaching strategies to address all sensory preferences increases learning, regardless of the individual students primary preference (Thomas, Cox, Kojima, 2000)Using multisensory strategies, teachers can engage and sustain the attention of all students. However, it is important to note that like most students remember 20% of what we read, 30% of what we hear, 40% 0f what we see, 50% of what we say, 60% of what we do and 90% of what we see, hear, say and do. Therefore, it is not always possible to provide all four elements but it would be useful to audit teaching approaches and consider how many elements are present all three teachers noted. Maria Montessori was the pioneered of this approach (multisensory approach) in the early twentieth century with young children, who naturally learn by seeing, hearing, touching/feeling, tasting, and smelling. The researcher and teachers feel that multisensory teaching is effective and useful at any age. However, age-appropriate resources for secondary students and adult learners have been almost impossible to source. Until now. We really do believe that multisensory teaching techniques coupled with the use of Axis Hands On resources offers all students a Better Ways to Learn. In concluding, the researcher and teachers have also noted that more recent research has shown that the more senses (multisensory approach) we incorporate into the learning process the more efficient learning becomes for all types of learners. Rhonda Farkus (2003, The Journal of Educational Research, Vol 97, No. 1) states, The power of evidence supporting the benefits of (multisensory approach) learning-style methodology is compelling. Teachers have also noted that achievement test scores of students taught using their preferred modalities in this study are statistically higher (multisensory approach) than of students who were not taught using their favored learning modalities (traditional approach). Moreover, when students are taught with multi-sensory approach instructional resources, (although initially through their most preferred modality), scores further increased. Therefore, teachers in this study have also observer that a multi-sensory approach is a powerful tool for reinforcing language Arts teaching in three important ways. First, it helps get the information across. Second, it helps the students process the information. And, third, it helps students more easily retrieve information already learned. Using a variety of senses simply opens up more doorways into the brain. Teachers views on the challenges of Multisensory Approaches As educators we spend a great deal of our time thinking, talking, and learning about how to best teach our students essential spelling, writing and reading skills. You can be sure the conversation between two or more educators will eventually include the topics of learning styles, multi-sensory teaching, hands-on activities and even traditional approaches. Unfortunately, confusion (and sometimes conflict) can occur when these terms are used because they have multiple and overlapping definitions. The main problem teachers may encounter is that there are too many meanings in common use for the term learning style. The original use of this term refers to the sensory pathway or modality through which students find it easiest to learn. There are four generally recognized sensory modalities: visual (sight); auditory (hearing); tactile (touch); and kinesthetic (movement). It is the belief of all three teachers interviewed that it is very vital for teachers to understand that different learning style encompasses a much broader look at how our students approaches learning situations and tasks and this must often include a complete profile of how our students functions as a learner. In addition to preferred modality, some of the areas profiled must be optimal learning environment (such as best time of day, lighting, temperature and noise level), how his/her personality effects his motivation (such as the need for or avoidance of competition), his/her natural areas of competencies or i ntelligence and so on. The teachers who are part of this study feels that by tracing a word with the tip of ones (students) fingers or feeling the shape of the word is vital to helping the tactile learner master his/her writing, reading skills and spelling words. In this regard, adding pleasant textures or sensations creates a stronger neural impression of the words. Thus in the past, (a traditional approach) tactile and kinesthetic learners were often lumped together. However, some of the most current research on how the brain functions shows that two distinct and separate areas of the brain are responsible for storing these two types of sensory input. The researcher strongly believes that armed with such information listed above, it may be tempting to assume that teachers should determine their students favored learning mode and then teach him/her accordingly. This would be a mistake. Teaching using only one learning modality (traditional approach) could result in the neglect of important reading, writing and spelling skills. Proofreading is an example of an essential reading, spelling and writing skill that is primarily visual. It is a skill that does not come naturally to a non-visual learner. It is the teachers view in this study that is for students to become competent and excellent proofreader, we as teachers must help them to develop excellent visual discrimination skills (multisensory approach). Students must be taught to look at the whole word in isolation, with special attention to its shape or the outline of the word. He/she must also look carefully at the word syllable by syllable to see if there are any peculiar combin ations of letters, unexpected spellings or any silent letters used to spell the word. Finally, students must be given a systematic approach to proofreading his own and others writing. It is therefore, the researchers and teachers view in this study that the use of a multisensory approach and not a traditional approach will best assist and develop our students early and latent language Arts abilities which will prepare them adequately for life and the future. The teachers in this study also feel that our students dominant learning modality may also have developmental implications if not deal with in a holistic way more so in a multisensory approach. For example, very young children are known to learn mainly through auditory modalities; early school-aged students (kindergarteners) tend to use more kinesthetic and concrete avenues; and as a student nears adolescence, they tends to rely more and more on the abstract and analytical reasoning along with their visual recall. Skills taught using only one learning modality ( as that in the traditional approach)may need to be retaught using another modality as students enters each new developmental level and begins to depend more on other learning modality (multisensory approach) to store and retrieve information. Teaching using (a multisensory approach) allows for multiple learning modalities which in turn eliminate inefficiency. For this reason a multisensory approach and not a traditional appro ach is the best technique and strategy for teaching phonic and the alphabet awareness skills to kindergarten students. Therefore it is this researchers view that research has consistently shown that use of a multisensory approach to the teaching and learning processes are critical for all students and students more peculiar those who have moderate to severe learning disabilities. In the mid-1920s, Dr. Samuel T. Orton and his colleagues Anna Gillingham and Bessie Stillman, first began using multi-sensory approaches with his dyslexic students. Orton was influenced by Grace Fernald and Helen Kellers descriptions of the kinesthetic methods used by Dr. Maria Montessori at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco. Orton correctly theorized that Montessoris use of kinesthetic reinforcement of visual and auditory associations would correct the tendency to reverse letters and transpose the sequence of letters his dyslexic students made while reading and writing. Their programme, which includes multi-sensory learning as well as other important concepts, is commonly called the Orton-Gillingham approa ch. Teachers view on the actual implementation of Multisensory approach. In light of the positive results that this programme had produced in terms of students alphabet and phonemic awareness skills when taught using a multisensory approach in comparison to a non-multisensory approach. As a result all three teachers expressed their interest in continuing the use of the Multisensory Approach. Summary The focus of this chapter was the presentation of data collected in this study. The quantitative, qualitative and quasi-experimental data were present using narratives, graphs tables and charts. The data revealed that the reactions to a multisensory approach from both students and teachers were generally positive.

The Biology of Wetlands

The term â€Å"wetlands† is often associated with the image of the coastal marsh – a muddy area that is teeming with a variety of animal life and emergent vegetation such as mangroves, rush and cord-grass. But wetlands are actually areas that are characterized by the formation of hydric soils and the existence of flora and fauna due to the presence of standing water during all or part of the year (Spray and McGlothlin, xiii). Some wetlands cover hundreds or thousands of square kilometers and are therefore homes to a wide variety of plant and animal life.General Biology Ii Study Guide (Online Class) Examples of wetlands include the Florida Everglades, the Hudson Bay Lowlands, the Mekong Delta and the Danube Delta (Van der Walk, 1). At present, there is no universal classification scheme for wetlands. However, wetlands are usually categorized according to their hydrologic flow regimes, vegetation types and hydrogeomorphology. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for instance, classifies wetlands according to four major types – marshes, swamps, bogs and fens. This basic but simplified scheme was intended to â€Å"(promote) understanding (of) the diversity of wetland ecosystems† (Spray and McGlothlin, xiv). Marshes are regions whose soil is either periodically or continually inundated with water. Mashes are classified into two types – tidal and non-tidal. Tidal marshes are found in areas that have erratic soil moisture due to ocean tides but do not experience heavy wave action. Tidal marshes can be freshwater, brackish or saline. Non-tidal marshes, on the other hand, are freshwater or brackish marshes that undergo episodes of drought (Spray and McGlothlin, xiv). Swamps are wetlands that are characterized by saturated soils during the growing season and standing water at other times of the year. Consequently, swamps are home to many species of plants and animals. The Great Dismal Swamp, a 109-acre forested wetland situated between northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, is dominated by bald cypress, tupelo, red maple and black gum. It is likewise the habitat of animals like the white-tailed deer, river otter, bats, raccoons, mink, black bear, bobcat, snakes, turtles and at least 200 bird species (Spray and McGlothlin, xv). Unlike marshes and swamps, bogs are wetlands that possess various types of soil and vegetation. Some of the substances found in bogs are peat deposits, acidic water and sphagnum moss. Furthermore, bogs derive their hydration mostly from precipitation instead of from groundwater, streams or runoff – they are therefore sometimes referred to as precipitation-dominated wetlands. Examples of bogs include pocosins (evergreen-shrub bogs located in the southeastern United States) and northern bogs (found in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States) (Spray and McGlothlin, xv). Akin to bogs, fens are wetlands known for their peat deposits. What differentiates fens from bogs, however, is that the former receive their water supply from groundwater inputs instead of from precipitation. Furthermore, fens have less acidic water and higher nutrient levels than bogs (Spray and McGlothlin, xv). Wetlands play many important roles in preserving the Earth’s ecosystem. Scientists refer to wetlands as the â€Å"kidneys of the Earth† – they filter the water that moves through them of pollutants such as toxins and organic and inorganic nutrients. Wetlands therefore have high levels of sediment-water exchange and mineral uptake, which, in turn, render it suitable for plant and animal life. Wetlands likewise acquire sediments and particles by decreasing the flow velocity of the running water which enters them (Spray and McGlothlin, xvi). Other functions of wetlands include providing flood control, preventing coastal erosion and serving as a critically important habitat for plants and many endangered species. As of 2000, wetlands made up about 3. 5% of the land area of the United States and were the primary habitat of around 50% of the 209 animal species that were listed as endangered 1986. Scientists and environmentalists thus argue that the preservation of wetlands is crucial for environmental health – wetland ecosystems are neither artificially created nor easily regenerated (Spray and McGlothlin, xvi). Wetlands are home to many species of plants – the former are sometimes classified according to the types of hydrophytes present in them. There are three kinds of hydrophytes – submersed, emergent and obligate. Submersed refers to plant species that are completely submerged. Emergent (also known as terrestrial) is identified with plants whose stems and roots are found underwater, but reaches to or above the surface. Obligate (also known as facultative) pertains to plants that thrive both in wetlands and in certain upland habitats (Dennison and Berry, 57). Wetland plants play a key role in the survival of wetland ecosystems. Most wetland animals, as well as many non-wetland ones, depend on wetland plants as their primary food source. Wetland plants also assist in the thermoregulation of many wetland animals and provide cover from predators. When wetland plants undergo decomposition by fungi and bacteria, they immediately become a source of nutrients for animals and other wetland plants (Dennison and Berry, 59). Wetland plants, specifically seed-producing ones, are very important in the regeneration of wetlands after periods of drawdown and drying. Read also Lab 2 Biology Other groups of organisms that inhabit wetlands, such as algae, fungi and bacteria, are also crucial for the survival of wetland ecosystems. Apart from making nutrients available to other organisms by decomposing dead plant and animal material, they likewise enable wetlands to survive certain weather and climatic conditions. The blue-green algae, for instance, may form a â€Å"periphyton† mat which has the capacity to withstand prolonged periods of drought. Consequently, the presence of a periphyton layer is considered as a possible sign that an area is a wetland (Dennison and Berry, 60). During the winter, many wetlands are transformed into valuable wildlife habitats. Evergreen forested wetlands (cedar swamps), for example, are the winter homes of deer and moose. Black ducks live in northeastern coastal marshes during the winter, while other waterfowl consider bottomland hardwood swamps as their winter refuge. In the Upper Midwest, migratory waterfowl start arriving in pothole wetlands even before winter starts. Male red-winged blackbirds are among the first migratory birds that return to freshwater marshes in the Northeast for the winter (Tiner, 28). In the winter and early spring, floodplain forested wetlands become important fish habitats. During these seasons, various fish species use the flooded wetlands either as spawning areas or nursery grounds. Some amphibians, however, start breeding in vernal pool wetlands in the northeastern United States even before winter begins. At the start of the year, the Jefferson salamander is the first amphibian to breed in vernal pools. According to animal experts, it â€Å"migrates over the snow on rainy nights in late winter to slip into the pond (vernal pool) through cracks in the ice† (Tiner, 28). But there is likewise significant breeding activity even before the start of winter. Marbled salamanders, for instance, migrate to dry vernal pools in the Northeast from late August to October. Males leave sperm sacks at the bottom of the pools for the females to fertilize their eggs with when they later arrive. The fertilized eggs are then left beneath leaf litter or rocks in the pool. The eggs hatch in the fall, with the larvae feeding on aquatic invertebrates (Tiner, 28). The pitcher-plant bog crayfish is another animal species which share the same type of life history requirement. They are active from late fall to late spring – periods when Mississippi’s pitcher-plant bogs are flooded. Pitcher-plant bog crayfishes begin to mate in the late spring, with the females retaining the fertilized eggs before depositing them in the flooded bogs in the winter (Tiner, 28). Apart from the suitability of breeding sites, other factors that control the distribution of animals within wetlands include the level of protection from predators, the speed of travel within a certain area and the availability of particular food sources (Galatowitsch and Van der Valk, 19). Some wetland animals thrive in most wetland habitants. Examples of these are the tiger salamanders, American toads, painted turtles and snapping turtles. This flexibility is required in order to meet changing requirements over their life cycles (Galatowitsch and Van der Valk, 20). Some animals, however, require very specific environments for feeding or nesting. Wet prairies, for instance, have tall and dense grass vegetation. In addition, they thaw and dry up earlier than deeper wetlands. Consequently, wet prairies are characterized by an abundant food supply and a grass cover that provides excellent protection against predators. Birds that live in wet prairies include ground-nesting birds like the northern harrier, short-eared owl, savannah sparrow, swamp sparrow and the common yellowthroat. The short-tailed shrew and the Franklin’s ground squirrel, meanwhile, are some examples of the mammals that live in wet prairies (Galatowitsch and Van der Valk, 20). Sedge meadows thaw early and remain moist even in summer, turning it into another early source of food and protection. Large sedges and grasses provide a close canopy but an open understory, allowing animals to move about more freely while keeping them protected from predatory birds (Galatowitsch and Van der Valk, 20). The aforementioned wet prairie birds can also nest in sedge meadows, along with other birds such as American bittern, common snipe, sedge wren, marsh wren and LeConte’s sparrow (Galatowitsch and Van der Valk, 21). Other mammals are likewise drawn to sedge meadows because of the latter’s reliable invertebrate populations. The masked shrews and the pygmy shrews, for instance, feed on plants and seeds that inhabit sedge meadows. Meadow voles, on the other hand, can be found on the moist parts of the meadow due to their diet of rushes, sedges, grasses, insect larvae and fungi. Meadow jumping mice have a diet that adapts to seasonal changes – invertebrates in the spring and seeds, fruits and fungi during the summer. Although chorus frogs thrive in different wetland habitats, they breed only in those with a lush growth of lushes, sedges and grasses – the vegetation effectively conceals their mating call against predators (Galatowitsch and Van der Valk, 21). Shallow emergent marshes are characterized by dense vegetation and prolonged standing water. As a result, they provide effective concealment and reliable source of food. Shallow emergent marshes are inhabited mostly by birds that build nests that are either floating on water or are anchored on emergent vegetation. The horned grebe, eared grebe, least bittern, Virginia rail and American coot are some examples of birds that inhabit shallow emergent marshes (Galatowitsch and Van der Valk, 21). It is often said that everything in this planet is interconnected. A seemingly â€Å"useless† insect may actually turn out to be an important cross-pollinator. A huge, leafy but fruitless tree might be the only source of food for animals in the forest during the summer season. A bacterium living in the ocean could have the capacity to filter the latter of pollutants. Thus, it is very important that wetlands be preserved. Although they may appear to be large mud puddles with lush vegetation, wetlands are in truth home to various organisms that depend on each other to sustain life on this planet. The extinction of wetlands, therefore, will spell the end of many plants and animals on which humans are dependent on for survival.

Farmers

Farmer’s discontent during the period 1870 – 1900 had an impact on their attitudes and actions towards national politics. During this time period manufacturing had a huge growth spurt and agricultural began to decline. This made it harder for farmers to make a living. Document G shows how much manufacturing increased between the years 1849 – 1899. America could no longer aspire to be a nation of small freehold farms. Manufacturers and people living in big cities depended on farmers to pretty much keep them alive. Many people didn’t realize how much of an affect farmers had on their everyday lives. If you took farms away from the United States during this period of time, everything would have completely crashed. Farmer’s had difficulties making a living because the rates of being a farmer were so high. â€Å"Nothing has done more to injure the western region than these freight rates. † (Document F) The high rates of being a farmer made it difficult to pay payments on the lands and the rate of interest was rapidly rising. Some farmers couldn’t even sell their produce at a reasonable profit. These farmers worked long, hard hours and the government wasn’t on their side about paying them with a decent income yet they wanted so much from the farmers. Along with farm prices failing, railroad prices were increasing. Railroads were important to farmers because they took farmers out to their lands, carried their produce of hard work to markets, and brought them the manufactured goods that they needed. Many farm settlements were established around railroads because of this reason. Railroad managers were forced to charge very high rates and because of it, that means farmers would have to pay more money to use railroads when they already used enough money keeping their crops alive. Document B talks about how it was also hard for colored farmers to make a living especially after the Civil War. â€Å"They had to get the local merchant or someone else to supply the food for the family to eat while the first crop was being made. (Document B) They couldn’t pay interest and by the end of the first year, they found themselves in debt. The attempt in the second year didn’t go so well either because they had old debts plus new interest to pay. â€Å"Many of the colored farmers had almost given up hope†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document B) Not only was money an issue for farmers but also in the late 1880s and early 1890s crop suffered severely from droughts. It was cool and dry which was unfavorable for all crops. This made it difficult for farmers to keep their crops alive. By the late 1880s, farmers were so fed up with everything that they created the Farmers Alliance, seeking to overthrow the chains from the banks and railroads that bound them. The Farmers Alliance merged with other liberal Democrats to form the Populist Party. They strived for railroad regulation, tax reform, and unlimited coinage of silver. In the election of 1892 the Populist Party nominated James B.  Weaver for president and as Document D shows, most of the farmers in the west, mainly Nevada, voted for the Populist Party because that party was rooted in the frustration of the farmers and they needed change. The farmers were furious with the way things were going for them and they had hoped that the Populist Party would help. Even though they didn’t win the election, they made a remarkable showing with 1,029,846 popular votes and 22 electoral votes. These electoral votes only came from the midwestern and western states. With the creation of a new party, out of discontent, the farmers managed to change national politics.

Rhetorical Strategies In Jimmy Carters Women Abuse Of...

Rhetorical Strategies in Jimmy Carter’s â€Å"Women Abuse of Human Rights Speech† In May of 2015 the United States former president, Jimmy Carter made an appearance at TEDWomen where he gave a speech. Most of the concepts Jimmy Carter gave in his speech revolved around the abuse of women, and their human rights. In his speech he achieved to inform his audience how severe this issue is in the United States, and other nations. In order to pass the message on sufficiently, he uses different rhetorical strategies. Carter proceeds to establish his credibility by stating facts from personal experiences, as well as historical events from other nations. Several times throughout his speech he gives statistics, showing the audience how well aware he is†¦show more content†¦Demonstrating the care he has for his family gets the audience considering their own families, and their next generation, and what they might go through if something is not done about this issue. Furth er into the speech, Carter quickly establishes his credibility, and his appeals to ethos, followed by the facts, which help builds up the significance of the speech. Carter quickly authorize his credibility simply, because he is one of the United States former presidents. Through his use of ethos, Carter talks about how religion plays a part in the mistreatment of women. This shows credibility, because he displays that he is aware of the types of religion, and how they misinterpret their form of the bible. However, he even describes the faults of his own religion for the same misinterpretation. Crater shows that he can point a finger at one’s religion as well as his own. This appear to the audience that even a former president can expose the flaws of his own religion, and that Carter is not engaging in any bias. Also, Carter announces that he teaches Sunday School, representing he is well