|
People walk up to Doi Suthep to honor HM the King
Parade
presenting HM the King’s image and golden and silver trays.
Nopniwat Krailerg
Photo by Saksit Meesubkwang
Early morning pilgrimage by people wearing yellow shirts commenced at 5 a.m.
on June 30, on the arduous walk up to Doi Suthep, starting from Rukkhachat
public park in Chiang Mai, end route to Phu Ping Palace. This was led by
Suwat Tantipat, Chiang Mai Governor, to honor HM the King Bhumibol Adulyadej
the Great, who this year is celebrating the 60th
anniversary of his accession to the throne.
Before the walk, Suwat Tantipat paid his respects to Khru Ba Sri Wichai
Statue. The parade was reached Phu Ping Palace at around 2 p.m. There were
seven resting points along the way to change over the people who were
carrying articles of worship. On completion of the march, Suwat Tantipat was
honored to present the articles of worship at Phu Ping Palace.
Numerous
people walking up to Phu Ping Palace.
Environment Exhibition
Chiangmai Mail Reporter
Talented students from Varee Chiangmai School won the first prize for the
best exhibition board and the second prize in a singing contest to honor the
king on World Environment Day.
Environment
exhibition board competition winning team and the student who won the
singing contest of Varee Chiangmai School
Recently the Office of Environment Region 1 in cooperation with government
organizations, private sector, local organizations and residents of Chiang
Mai and Lamphun celebrated World Environment Day 2006 to honour the king on
his 60 year anniversary of accession to the throne. The event took place at
the Sufficient Economy Study Center of the Northern Region at Baan Pakrai,
Tambon Maesa in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai.
There was also a competition between students of each school to create a
board that displayed information about the environment and the king. The
first prize for this competition was won by the team from Varee Chiangmai
School, all students in the 11th grade and identified as Ratcharin
Singhkarat, Nopparat Intaratpak and Natdanai Na Chiang Mai. Areerat
Ratanapradit, also an 11th grade
student of Varee Chiangmai School won a prize for singing a song honoring
the king and received a certificate from Chiang Mai Deputy Governor,
Kritsadaporn Siampakdi.
Learning Styles
Ann R. Schechter
Special Education teacher at Lanna International School
As an educational consultant specializing in learning difficulties, I am
always discovering new ways in which people learn and think. Just as no two
people look exactly alike, no two individuals think or learn in precisely
the same way. Each of us takes in information and processes it in a unique
combination of ways. This is known as our learning style.
When teaching students with learning disabilities (LD’s), it is of primary
importance to discover each student’s particular learning style in order
to improve classroom performance. But learning style awareness is not only
for those working with LD’s. Lesson plans that incorporate the various
learning styles can improve all students’ learning and understanding of
classroom material.
So, what exactly are learning styles? Learning styles are simply different
approaches or ways of learning. There are three fundamental types, based on
the senses most used to perceive and process information.
Visual learners learn through seeing. These learners need to
see the teacher’s body language and facial expression to fully understand
the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the
classroom to avoid visual obstructions, such as the heads of other students.
They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including
diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos,
flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual
learners often prefer to absorb the information by taking detailed notes.
Visual learners are divided into verbal and nonverbal categories. Visual
verbal learners learn and remember through words, often making lists and
using outlines as guides. Visual non-verbal learners benefit from charts and
graphs and often visualize an idea as a picture in their mind in order to
understand it.
Auditory learners learn through listening. They learn best
through hearing verbal lectures and discussions, talking things through and
listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the
underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch,
speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until
it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using
a tape recorder.
Tactile/kinesthetic learners learn through, moving, doing and touching.
Tactile/kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach,
actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to
sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for
activity and exploration.
Teachers who accommodate their teaching to include all three styles not only
help those students with LD’s, but keep the lessons varied and interesting
for all their students. A typical lesson plan could include an introductory
discussion, handouts with key words and concepts (or writing them out on the
board) group/discovery activity, reading assignments, maps and pictures. In
this way, all types of learners are given the opportunity to grasp the
information in the way most suitable for them, and the varying types of
repetition reinforce the lesson for the entire class.
Knowing one’s learning style is more than just a classroom concern. No
matter how old we get, we continue to learn new things about the world
around us, new ways to do things, and hopefully new discoveries about
ourselves. By being aware of our own learning style, we can make these
experiences easier and more productive. And by understanding the learning
styles of the people we are with, we can better communicate our ideas to
them and appreciate their point of view.
I invite you, in the coming weeks, to join me in the real world laboratory
of the classroom. We will discuss strategies for each learning style, and
see how these are applied as I return as a student, for an intensive course
in elementary Thai, together with my 13 year-old son.
|