Senses of Style
No. No. Not what you wear, but rather what you are aware of...
By Maggie Gusman
If he weren't so busy terrorizing Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandma, the Big Bad Wolf probably would have made an excellent student. Well, he might have been a disciplinary problem, too, but at least he understood an important part of learning: that senses are tools for knowledge. After all, if it weren't for his big eyes and ears, he wouldn't know where to find Little Red Riding Hood; and if it weren't for his big teeth, he would never have learned that munching on people will get you in big trouble.
The more senses you use when you learn, the better. That way, information is stored in more than one place in the brain.
So here we have the Big Bad Wolf not only teaching us that devouring others is no way to make friends, but also that everyone has a certain style for processing all of the information around us. Basically, there are three main learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. These are based on the three main senses: sight, hearing, and touch. Although it is common knowledge that grades--and even classes--can sometimes stink, there is not enough evidence to prove that taste or smell improves learning (unless you're a chef-in-training), so there's not much sense in worrying about how to make your social studies taste better.
Knowing which learning style or styles you prefer can be a real advantage, though--that way, you'll know how to study for tests, which classes might be easier or difficult, and even what field of study you'd like to pursue as an adult. Of course, the more senses you use when you learn, the better. That way, information is stored in more than one place in the brain, so if you're too tired to think about the notes you took in class earlier in the day, you can talk about the subject with a friend and make sure you're on the right track. In the end, we all tend to have pretty individual learning styles, but by taking this quiz, you might have a better idea of how you approach the world around you.
