My Style in Learning

learn: to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study , insturuction, or experience
How I learn is not only what I am, but it is who I am. It is what creates me.

Prepare yourself. You are about to read an epic blog post. I was assigned to analyse my scores on both the 'Anthony Gregorc Learning Styles Test' and the 'Gardner Multiple Intelligences Test.' To begin, I shall write about the Gregorc assessment, one which I felt did not reflect my peronality or learning style not one bit. In the test, you are scored as either Concrete Sequential, Abstract Random, Concrete Random, or Abstract Sequential. Neither of these, in my oinion, represents me. Nobody knows more about me than me. Not some Gregorc weirdo guy. Not a teacher. But me. I will admit to you that I did score significantly higher on the Abstract Sequential area than any other. But when I saw the results on the back age, I had to think, 'This is not me.' Yes, I am the 'smart kid' in the class. I sometimes can be the 'teacher's pet.' But that is not my entire life. That is not what represents me. Only those who see me from the outside think of me as an 'Abstract Sequential' kind of guy. But those who see me from the inside understand that I am not just books, essays, and a walking dictionary. And I am also not any of the other categories of the test. What describes me is merely, 'Charles.'


After I took the test, I went home with thoughts in my head on, 'Is this really me?' I thought that maybe I really was only that. But as I glanced at the other three categories, I noticed that neither of them fit me. I realised that I am my own person, not a Concrete Whatever or any of that 'Sequential' stuff. Me. that is who I am. I combined some of the traits, and realised that I was not only some of the things from the caegory that I scored best on, but I also combine traits from others. 'So,' you may ask, 'what really describes, "you?"' I think that my leaning style is unique among the others, and it displays mainly creativity i learn from using ceative resources in ways that Gregorc would not have thought of. That is my learning style.

Moving on to the Gardner Multiple Intelligence Test, I was much more in favour of my results on this one. I scored high in the 'linguistic' portion of the assessment, the 'musical' portion of the assessment, and the 'Intra-personal' portion of the assessment. My main point in favouring this over Gregorc is because there are several choices that can be your result, and you can be more than just, 'abstract concrete' or whatever. I also agreed more on the results, eventthough I did feel that i still am my own category in the test. I am a very linguistic learner. As I mentioned in my first post, 'the beginning,' I enjoy writing above most things involved in academics and other things zas well. I can interpret other subjects in school with my stories, and i also have an interest in literature. Relating to 'Musical' I play a musical instrument, the trombone, and I can also communicate music with my thoughts. AS far as 'Intra-personal' goes, I am not good in groups at all. I always think that my idea is the best, and I can't stand it when people constantly tell me, 'We don't need to do that.'when I did something extraordinary in aproject. I love to go beyond expectations and make something that is different. And others do not think the way that i do. In the end, I end up doing most of the work in groups, which is fine with me. But then they say that they didn't get to do anything to help. And I say, 'That's because you're ideas were TERRIBLE!' And even if its true, I get in trouble for this in the end.

How was I affected by this test? Well, I was given more cofidence in my work and learning habits, because sometimes I never am satisfied with what I do. This test gave me the strength to persevere when I feel like I have failed in work. Showing me how I learn alo helped me in school. Now I know how the best way for me to excel in my schoolwork. And I know that if I use these internal powers, I can do great things.

My biggest role model is JK Rowling. And I am about to give you a humongous biography of her, so prepare yourself. This is going to be kind of long, so if you really want, you can skip it, unless you're Ms Mystrena.

JK Rowling was born to Peter and Anne Rowling in 1965 in yate, Gloucestershire, England. Anne was half French and half Scottish. At the age of just twenty-three months, Joanne Kathleen Rowling became a sister to Diane Rowling, and at the age of four years, they moved to the village Winterbourne. Joanne attended Saint Michael's Primary School, where the headmaster was a man named Alfred Dunn. hhe was the inspiration or Albus Dumbledore. As she attended this school, Joanne pleasured in writing fantasy stories and reading them to her sister. She remembered writing one about a rabbit named Rabbit who got the measles and was visited by a bee named Miss Bee. This was, as you can imagine, in her earlier years. At the age of nine, she moved again to a different part of England.

JK Rowling says that she hated being a teenager, and that it is a dreadful time of life. This, however, may be because she had a difficult time as a teenager. Joanne had a hard relationship with her father, and still does today, and her mother was very ill at the time. Rowling went to secondary school later at Wyedean School and College, where her mother worked as a technician. JK says that the character of Hermione is based off of her. Another inspiration at the time was a friend of her's who owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which appeared in 'The Chamber of Secrets.' The one who owned it is not entirely like Ron, but still quite a bit like him, as Rowling states.

Joanne Kathleen Rowling took the entrance exam at Oxford University but did not get in. She then went to study in Paris, France, and then moved to London, England. After, she moved to Manchester, England. On one of her trips to London by train, an idea popped into her head, and many situations began to form in her head. She had no pen, but when she came to Manchester, she wrote everything down. That story was of the legendary Harry Potter.

While writing, JK Rowling's mother died. The sad part is that her mother never knew about Harry Potter. She never knew that her daughter's stories would become a world-wide phenomenon. Later Rowling suffered through some very hard times- she was married and then divorced, she had a miscarriage, and suffered from depressio. This was when the idea for the dementors came. Meanwhile, she was still writing her book. Whenever her daughter fell asleep, she would go to the cafe and write, sometimes even on napkins! Harry Potter soon became a huge success.

Why is JK Rowling a role model to me? She shows great courage and is a huge inspiration to me as far as writing goes. I would like to be as courageous and brave as she is. She persevered through very tough times, and I remind myself of her when I am, too. Her learning style is, according to Gardner, Linguistic because- I mean, who isn't when they've written the most popular book series of all time? On the Gregorc test, I think she would score as being both Concrete Random and Abstract Random.

My second role model is a man by the name of Hayao Miyazaki. He directed my favourite film of all time-'Howl's Moving Castle.' Hayao Miyazaki (Pronounced ha-yow mee-ah-zah-kee) is truly a legend. His creative senses have made him a great artist, animator, and person in general. I won't go in depth with his biography, but I will limit myself to one paragraph.

Hayao Miyazaki was born in  Tokyo, Japan, in 1941. (He is old!) He developed an interest in manga and anime in his teenage years. His interest began when he saw Japan's first full-length feature animation, 'The Tale of the White Serpent.' Many boys his age had the same dream, but this is the equivalent of becoming a baseball player in the US. Many want to be one as a child, but only a few pursue it, and only a few of those actually become one. In April 1963, Miyazaki got a job at Toei Animation Studio in Japan. Toei is pronounced (toe-ay.) He helped in making 'Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon' and this was his first project, although he did not have a huge role in it. I could name many more of his earlier films hat he worked on but I will limit myself to just one, which was one that he had a more important role in. It is called 'Hols: Prince of The Sun.' Sorry, I'm about to go over the limit.

Hayao Miyazaki is most known for his works in Studio Ghibli (pronounced Jee-blee.) He works there and directs many films. 'Howl's Moving Castle' was supposedly his last work, but he began to work on 'The Secret World of Arietty' later on.

I admire Hayao Miyazaki because he is a wonderful artist who I strongly look up to. I am interested in drawing, like he is, and animating. He is an expert on both of these things. Since I am particularly interested in anime and manga. I think that Hayao Miyazaki's learning style is 'Spatial.' This is because he is an artist and uses animation frequently. This category says that you love, 'designing, drawing, doodling, visualising, etcetera, and that is what Hayao Miyazaki does for a living. On the Gregorc assessment, I believe he would be a Concrete Random person. He is creative, and inventive, and curious as well.

My last person who I admire is actually a fictional character, Sophie from 'Howl's Moving Castle.' I admire her because she is looked at in her country as being strange and different, yet she perseveres and is the hero of the story in the end. In the book, it is mentioned that she is considered strange because she is the eldest child. This is unfair to her, and although I am he youngest in my family, than I do still believe that she can still do great things. She reminds me of what we should be like, even if we are being put down. In the end, we too can do great things.

I will not write an entire biography about Sophie, but I am still going to describe her test results. I think that Sophie would be Abstract Random on the Gregorc assessment, and on the Gardner she would be linguistic and intra-personal. She seems like a very poetic character, which is why I chose linguistic for her. And she is very quiet and peaceful, so I chose Intra-Personal for her.

If you made it through my second noel, congratulations. If you didn't, you should no be reading this right now. Thank you for persevering. Stay tuned for more of 'Into the Light.'

CLH

I commented on Nick's Blog and Christina's Blog. 
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