Not every student succeeds in traditional schooling environments, especially students who are kinesthetic learners. Kinesthetic learning means to learn through hands-on experiences rather than lectures or worksheets. For many students, this is their preferred learning style however it isn’t always an option in traditional highschool and college environments. Traditional school can be great for gifted students however when it comes to students who need more individualized attention, such as kinesthetic learners, trade school may be a great option for them.
Research across several universities and research facilities show that Kinesthetic learning styles are incredibly beneficial to students. According to an article published by the Bay Atlantic University, “Research conducted on the brain reveals that thinking and movement are connected. This connection between cognitive and motor processes happens due to the fact that movement increases the amount of oxygen present in your blood which then helps fuel the brain. So, physical activity helps the brain positively affect your cognitive performance” essentially saying that students learn better when they handle the material physically because of the nature of the interaction. Now in similarity to this, Harry Snyder, The President/CEO of the Great Oaks Career Campus claims, “We provide a very broad spectrum of services. They range from the coordination of career development services to students in grades K-12 in our thirty-six affiliated school districts; to technical foundations courses, co-op programs and other classes that we offer in many of our affiliated high schools; to the career technical programs for high school juniors and seniors that are available at our four campuses” in short, the Great Oaks Career Campuses focus more heavily on individualized learning environment specific to a field. Some students decide to go to the Great Oaks Career Campuses because they want to pursue a specific field such as Construction Technologies or Exercise Science & Sports Medicine, however even if you don’t know exactly what you want to pursue, the Great Oaks Career Campus could still be a great option.
While programs such as trade school that focus on kinesthetic learning can be a great option for many students, it may not be right for everyone. According to Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow in the UK, “There is, however, no empirical evidence suggesting that tailoring to learning styles is effective for learning. A very recent series of experiments published this year (1) goes one step further and looks at how awareness of learning styles can affect the perception of student abilities in teachers, parents, and children” Kuepper-Tetzel takes the stance that focusing on one learning style in particular is not beneficial to students however in disagreement with this, the National Math Foundation, a learning center in Syracuse, New York, “Kinesthetic learning strategies have clear benefits for almost every kind of child. Many at-risk adolescents in middle schools and high schools across the United States tend to be highly tactual learners, kinesthetic learners, or both. Researchers have also found that students who do not respond to traditional teaching are likely to be engaged by hands-on, activity-oriented lessons.” This shows that kinesthetic learning, specifically in trade schools such as The Great Oaks Career Campus, are a great way for students to continue their education but in a way geared towards them and their individual learning styles.
It is important to work with students in a way that will help them retain their knowledge and not all students can retain knowledge through traditional schooling. That’s why having programs such as the Great Oaks Career Campuses are so important to students who learn Kinesthetically. If you are a kinesthetic learner, consider trade school your next step in education.
Work cited:
Bay Atlantic University. “What Is a Kinesthetic Learner?” Bay Atlantic University – Washington, D.C., 30 Sept. 2024, bau.edu/blog/what-is-a-kinesthetic-learner/.
National Math Foundation. “Why Kinesthetic Learning?” National Math Foundation, 2023, nationalmathfoundation.org/curriculum-research/.
Snyder, Harry. “About – Great Oaks Career Campuses.” Www.greatoaks.com, www.greatoaks.com/about.
“The Potential Harm of Learning Styles.” The Learning Scientists, 9 Nov. 2023, www.learningscientists.org/blog/2023/11/9-1.
