Adaptive Learning: If they can't learn the way we teach, we need to teach the way they learn

“If they can’t learn the way we teach, we need to teach the way they learn “ is a great quote by Ignacio Estrada, director for grants administration at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Kids come in a class, workshops from a very different background as well as family or schooling background. Let’s add to this the way that they feel about all these pressure of continuously new things happening around or on their devices.

I assisted many times at moments when kids were dropped in to workshops or school and they were complaining to parents that they do not want to do this. So parents answered: “Tuff for you! Guess what? This is life: if we need to do it, we need to do it!”

Well, this might be worked a few decades ago, where there were not any options around, and all we had was our parents guidance and what teachers was telling us and a few books in the library. But today these kids know about options and possibilities, we do not have to forget that they are born into a works of information that come to us on multiple channels.

In a world full of opportunities, why we would want to teach all kids the same way, when we have now open a whole “portal”?

Probably many of us think it is safer, measurable and as many times as I hear; that it is and they will figure out the rest for themselves!”

I always knew and I am experiencing it now on an everyday basics, that in one class, with as many kids we have, we can now pay attention to the kids “desire” to learn.

Some of them learn by seeing, other by touching, smelling and hearing, and some of them by all! Some can understand immediately and connect to the subject, as they have previous knowledge some of them need more time.

So, it is very important that when they come for their first time in our class, workshop , to ask them questions and to observe the way they understand the world and want to learn about, so we can ADAPT the way we facilitate / and I intentionally do not use teach/ the learning.

Embracing the way they want to learn we feed the willingness to learn in them

This is the most important thing: if a kids wants to learn we can facilitate them to learn, if they do not want to learn there is nothing that we ca teach them.

Parents, teachers, facilitators we should all get into the habit of asking questions and asking students about the way they feel about the topic, so we can ADAPT each and every time our topics so they LEARN and they UNDERSTAND and most of all THEY WANT TO LEARN MORE!

It is not so hard: next time when they come to a workshop or like parent you want them to do something and they resist ask them: can you tell me how do you feel about this?

We need to understand that in today’s environment they have the source of information for free/ internet/ all that is kefy from us to do is guidance and support!

This is what I call: ADAPTIVE LEARNING, adapting to the way they understand and want to learn!

It is easier that you might think, more fun, less stress and generates smart, grounded kids with willingness to learn, everyday, more and more!

Let me know your thoughts!

Have a great and adventurous day!

Till next…