As human beings it is easy to get tunnel vision and only see the world through our own lens. We take in information, compare it to what we already know, and then create meaning out of it. The problem when teaching is that our experiences and abilities are not the same as our students and we often forget this. 

Differences in learning abilities highlight why the concept of Multiple Intelligences is important in education. Each person has different needs, strengths/weaknesses, and preferred learning styles. Some students can learn how to perform skills simply by watching a quick demonstration while others need additional accommodations to be successful. 

One reason a student may need additional support is their inability to visualize. “In 2015, it was discovered that up to 3% of the global population experience Aphantasia—a condition characterized by the inability to visualize in the mind’s eye (https://aphantasia.com/).” And for those that can visualize, the process can look different from person to person. Here is an example of me and my friends.

• Me: I can see images but they aren’t very detailed and they come in and out of focus.
• Friend #1: She can see very detailed images.
• Friend #2: He can watch very detailed videos in his head and zoom in on any aspect.

So how does this affect learning in physical education? Here are a couple ideas I could think of:

• Survey students to see if anyone needs accommodations. 
• Provide demonstrations that are always available (ie. GIFs on a projector, handout, posters, etc).
• Draw on equipment/facilities to show the stages of a skill. 
• Use assisted feedback when needed (teacher moving the student through the skill).
• Partner students with Aphantasia with high performing students for modeling and feedback.

Additional Resources:

• Learning with Aphantasia: Exploring the Potential Limitations and Opportunities for Learners
• Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire

This microblog post was a featured post in #slowchathealth’s #microblogmonth event. You can search for all of the featured posts here. Please do follow each of the outstanding contributors on social media (including Kevin Shephard, the author of this post) and consider writing a microblog post of your own to be shared with the global audience of slowchathealth.com

Pair this blog post with the following:

Positive Phone Calls Home by Mike Chamberlain

Using Technology to Form a Community of Mentorship Within Social Media by Kevin Shephard

How to Facilitate Deeper Connections to Physical Activity by Jordan Manley

Promoting Teacher Retention Through Mentoring by Edutopia

Have you read the latest Book of the Month recommendation?