Learning Style - A Teacher Traning Workshop, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Students at the Christian School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

One of the main purposes for my visit to Cambodia is to provide support and training to teachers at a Christian school in Phnom Penh.

We had the first three hour professional development session last Saturday and we talked about the different types of learners in the workshop.

I promised the teachers that I would post my power points on my blog. Here are my notes for the workshop:


  After introducing myself to the teachers of the school, we did an ice breaking activity. I passed a ball around among the teachers, whoever had the ball in his/ her hand, they introduced themselves by telling us:

1.Name   2. the c lass he/she teaches   3. A favorite thing to do      4. A place he/she would like to visit

Next we discuss about the importance of knowing your students.

 •Background - cultural, economic, family 

•Past experiences •Strengths and weaknesses  

•Likes and dislikes   

              What types of learners they are

T            The teachers each did a questionnaire to find out what 

               type of learners they are. In general:  

               There are three types of Learners:

        •Visual Learners

        •Auditory Learners

        •Kinesthetic Learners

          1. Visual Learners

        •29% 

        •prefers to learn by storing images in brain

•use pictures

•words/ texts

•magazines

•info in bullet points

•key words/ post it 

 Practical Strategies for Visual Learners

         •Draw pictures

•Use diagrams

•Graphic organizers

•Summarize and take notes

•Draw timelines 

e.g.Look at your hand

 Write down 1 thing for each finger, something nice about your family. favourite animal/ toy/ game/ Phnom Penh

 For older students:

•Write a piece with a beginning.

•Follow by a paragraph for each finger topic

•Finish with ending paragraph

 2.  Auditory Learners

 •34% 

•prefers to learn by storing sounds in brain 

•learn with friends 

•listen to music while learning 

•repeat work out loud in funny noises 

•use DVD, CD, computer program to have text spoken

 Practical Strategies for Auditory Learners

For young children:

•Whole class discussion 

•Play music as you learn 

•Songs 

 Show and Tell

For older children 

 Small group discussions 

•Class debate 

•Interviews 

•Oral reports to family/ to class Make presentation

 Hands on activities for Auditory Learners:

•Play a simple English song for the students 

•Teach them how to sing it 

•Divide students into groups 

•Have students find and discuss the following in the song:

•Nouns – people, places, things

•Identify the pronouns 

•Identify the adjectives

 •Identify the verbs

3. Kinesthetic Learners 

•37% 

•prefer to learn by movement / touch 

•touch, feel or do things 

•use computers 

•walk around while reading•stand up and stretch 

 Practical Strategies for Kinesthetic Learners

Cambodian teachers sharing hands on activity for students

        •Drawing

         •Role play

        •Finding info in each corner of the room

         Tracing letters

        •Computers 

        •Group work 

          Games 

        •Scavenger Hunt 

         •Puzzles 

Hands – On Activities  Primary / Junior  students

    • Choose and read an age appropriate story to students 

     After reading and explaining the story  
     •Divide students into groups of  3 - 5
     •Have students act out the story 

     Conclusion
     • Teaching children is an important job.
•Children are precious. 

It was a pleasure working with teachers in Cambodia

•Each one of them is unique. 
•We need to understand they
 are unique individuals. 
•Teachers need to meet students’needs.


R.T.
Director - TECA
Toronto Education & Communications Associates
Volunteering in 
Phnom Penh
Cambodia