Abstract:
This chapter is about multiple intelligences theory and how it provides an ideal context for making sense out of students cognitive skills. The areas emphasized in this chapter are memory, problem solving, and blooms level of cognitive ability. The first area spoken about is memory. For a long time teachers believed in the notion that some students had good memory and some had bad. However, now it is believed that no student has a “bad memory” it is only directly related to their strength in an area of intelligence. An example of this would be spelling. Students who are poor at spelling may be able to learn it easier if we relate it things like musical intelligence by singing the words. For the spatial learners, spelling words can be visualized on an “internal blackboard”.
The second area was problem solving. Recent studies have shown that U. S students are falling behind when it comes to higher order cognitive processes. Because of this, educators are looking for ways that will help students think more effectively when confronted with academic problems. The book suggested visualization of their ideas. “They can learn to sketch metaphorical images that relate to problems they are working on.” A few other strategies listed self talk for linguistics, mind- mapping for spatial intelligence, and kinesthetic imagery for the bodily intelligences. The last part of this chapter is about how the MI theory relates to the Blooms Levels of Cognitive Complexity. Blooms 6 levels ensures that instruction stimulates and helps develop the students higher order thinking processes. (Knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation.) These 6 facets of learning allow for us to evaluate how deeply students minds “have been stirred by a MI curriculum.”
Reflection:
I think we can all relate to a time when we were in school, in particular a certain subject, where we just couldn’t remember the material that we were suppose to be learning. Most of us might have thought it was because were stupid, but what if we could have learned that material in a different way, one that is more favorable to your learning style? This chapter talks how no one can really have a “bad memory” but their memory may be directly related to their stronger intelligence. If we can teach students something like spelling in more than one technique, to hit intelligences outside the linguistic, students are more likely to acquire that skill efficiently.
The last piece of this chapter we found important was the Blooms level of cognitive complexity. We developed our six lesson plans around these six facets, and it really does show how deep students can get into the material. So not only does it help educators create more effective lesson plans, it also checks for how much the students are grasping from the material.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Chapter 13
Abstract:
Chapter 13 mainly talks about 3 other applications of the MI theory that help broaden the perspective and existing understandings of a topic for students. The three mentioned in this chapter are computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Computers provide us with many opportunities to address all of the multiple intelligences through their software programs. They offer word processing for your linguistic students, draw and paint for your spatial, construction kits for your kinesthetic, and many more. The book mentions that the most exciting technology application is the emerging use of multimedia programs. Using this software, many forms of the intelligences can be used in a unique and interesting way. The second part, cultural diversity, speaks about how our country has changed demographically making the student population very diverse and posing as greater challenges for the teachers. The MI theory provides a model that is culturally sensitive to such differences and allows students to celebrate these different ways in which different cultures think. Each culture values one intelligence over the other, but the eight intelligences exist in every one. The book mentioned holding multi-cultural and intelligence fairs at your school to celebrate differences, as well as developing curriculums that integrate MI theory into multicultural units. The last application was career counseling. This spoke about how the MI theory provides a vehicle to younger students to help them begin to develop vocational aspirations.
Reflection:
I thought this chapter was somewhat repetitive the past chapters we have read in the MI book. We have learned a lot about how to apply the MI theory in the classroom, but I guess it was helpful to know that we could use computers to help strengthen and use intelligences in the classroom as well. However, as a health educator, I’m somewhat torn when it comes to using computers. I’m grateful that we are able to use these powerful tools to help our students broaden their perspectives in a topic, but I will not use them regularly. I think students already spend way too much time on computers, and to say they can develop their kinesthetic intelligence sitting on a computer is somewhat contradictory. The part our team really liked about this chapter was the career counseling. We loved the idea that students could start getting a good understanding at what their strengths are and how that would involve their future. Not only does that important, but know their intelligences can only help further develop and strengthen those areas that need attention.
Chapter 13 mainly talks about 3 other applications of the MI theory that help broaden the perspective and existing understandings of a topic for students. The three mentioned in this chapter are computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Computers provide us with many opportunities to address all of the multiple intelligences through their software programs. They offer word processing for your linguistic students, draw and paint for your spatial, construction kits for your kinesthetic, and many more. The book mentions that the most exciting technology application is the emerging use of multimedia programs. Using this software, many forms of the intelligences can be used in a unique and interesting way. The second part, cultural diversity, speaks about how our country has changed demographically making the student population very diverse and posing as greater challenges for the teachers. The MI theory provides a model that is culturally sensitive to such differences and allows students to celebrate these different ways in which different cultures think. Each culture values one intelligence over the other, but the eight intelligences exist in every one. The book mentioned holding multi-cultural and intelligence fairs at your school to celebrate differences, as well as developing curriculums that integrate MI theory into multicultural units. The last application was career counseling. This spoke about how the MI theory provides a vehicle to younger students to help them begin to develop vocational aspirations.
Reflection:
I thought this chapter was somewhat repetitive the past chapters we have read in the MI book. We have learned a lot about how to apply the MI theory in the classroom, but I guess it was helpful to know that we could use computers to help strengthen and use intelligences in the classroom as well. However, as a health educator, I’m somewhat torn when it comes to using computers. I’m grateful that we are able to use these powerful tools to help our students broaden their perspectives in a topic, but I will not use them regularly. I think students already spend way too much time on computers, and to say they can develop their kinesthetic intelligence sitting on a computer is somewhat contradictory. The part our team really liked about this chapter was the career counseling. We loved the idea that students could start getting a good understanding at what their strengths are and how that would involve their future. Not only does that important, but know their intelligences can only help further develop and strengthen those areas that need attention.
Chapter 8
Abstract:
This chapter was about using the Multiple Intelligence's theory to control classroom management. There were a few different classroom situations given; the first was getting students attention, the second was preparing for class transitions, the third was communicating class rules, the fourth was forming groups, and the last was managing behavorial problems. For each classroom management situation the chapter gave examples of strategies a teacher could use to deal with the problem using all of the eight multiple intelligences. Examples of this was for communicating class rules, for a musical intelligence the students could set the rules to a song that they either make up or set to a pre-existing song.
Reflection:
This chapter was helpful mostly because it actually gave examples for problems that could occur in terms of classroom management. It gave tips and tools not just in terms of managing your class but how to manage it using all eight of the multiple intelligences. As a group the only problem we had with it was that the examples for the bahavioral issue seeme to be inappropriate for secondary aged students. Some examples that seemed too young were "pet therapy," having the student role play appropriate and inappropriate actions, and naming an animal to a feeling they have and learning how to "tame" it.
This chapter was about using the Multiple Intelligence's theory to control classroom management. There were a few different classroom situations given; the first was getting students attention, the second was preparing for class transitions, the third was communicating class rules, the fourth was forming groups, and the last was managing behavorial problems. For each classroom management situation the chapter gave examples of strategies a teacher could use to deal with the problem using all of the eight multiple intelligences. Examples of this was for communicating class rules, for a musical intelligence the students could set the rules to a song that they either make up or set to a pre-existing song.
Reflection:
This chapter was helpful mostly because it actually gave examples for problems that could occur in terms of classroom management. It gave tips and tools not just in terms of managing your class but how to manage it using all eight of the multiple intelligences. As a group the only problem we had with it was that the examples for the bahavioral issue seeme to be inappropriate for secondary aged students. Some examples that seemed too young were "pet therapy," having the student role play appropriate and inappropriate actions, and naming an animal to a feeling they have and learning how to "tame" it.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Chapter 11
Abstract:
This chapter described the importance of multiple intelligences in lesson plans for special education. Many students are labeled “special,” because there abilities with writing, reading, spelling, science, social studies, and math are not as developed as the average student their age. It is not that these students are slow or dumb; it’s that their abilities do not allow them to grasp the material as easily, and their strengths usually come from another area. Some student’s disabilities allow them to develop exceptional abilities. These are the students who truly benefit from a diverse classroom that uses all the multiple intelligences daily. They have the opportunity to work with what they best comprehend. For these certain students, teachers and administrators should really focus on what there learning capabilities thrive in. This way they are to place more of that intelligence into the lesson plan for them, or assign them work that focuses on that intelligent. If MI theories are developed through all school systems, then this will lead to less special education classes and more MI consultant specialist that can help identify students intelligences and focusing on the different interventions to use.
Reflection:
We all agreed with everything that the chapter had to say, and especially agreed with how teachers need to focus more on certain intelligences for these students and maximize there learning growth by using them. Some of us thought that it might be a stretch to lose some of the special education classes, as those are typically small and allow students to grow more in them. At the same time, we all thought the use of the special education teacher as a specialist who works with the teacher in developing strategies to maximize student’s strengths would be much more beneficial for the student’s mental and social growth.
By: Tyler
This chapter described the importance of multiple intelligences in lesson plans for special education. Many students are labeled “special,” because there abilities with writing, reading, spelling, science, social studies, and math are not as developed as the average student their age. It is not that these students are slow or dumb; it’s that their abilities do not allow them to grasp the material as easily, and their strengths usually come from another area. Some student’s disabilities allow them to develop exceptional abilities. These are the students who truly benefit from a diverse classroom that uses all the multiple intelligences daily. They have the opportunity to work with what they best comprehend. For these certain students, teachers and administrators should really focus on what there learning capabilities thrive in. This way they are to place more of that intelligence into the lesson plan for them, or assign them work that focuses on that intelligent. If MI theories are developed through all school systems, then this will lead to less special education classes and more MI consultant specialist that can help identify students intelligences and focusing on the different interventions to use.
Reflection:
We all agreed with everything that the chapter had to say, and especially agreed with how teachers need to focus more on certain intelligences for these students and maximize there learning growth by using them. Some of us thought that it might be a stretch to lose some of the special education classes, as those are typically small and allow students to grow more in them. At the same time, we all thought the use of the special education teacher as a specialist who works with the teacher in developing strategies to maximize student’s strengths would be much more beneficial for the student’s mental and social growth.
By: Tyler
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