Chapters 7,9,13 & 14

These 4 Chapters in MI talked about Multiple Intelligences into deeper understandings.   The chapters talked about how the environments of students should be as customized as the learning should be.  The little things like make your classroom colorful and filled with pictures, makes the spatial experts feel comfortable, or the tone of your voice as a teacher can either engage a musical learner or  disengage them with each sentence.  Another area that the chapters touched on was the idea of customized the whole learning experiences, where the primary focus of the school isn’t testing and standardized assessment, but rather a school that understands that if children embraced themselves as individuals then just imagine how much of their potential they can reach.  With the same thinking in mind of having the children reaching their full potential, another area that was address was the idea of integrating more technology into the classrooms.  This is a subject that I agree with but to some extent.  I have learned about a lot of different tools that technology can bring, but with being an aspiring health educator, I can’t help but think that some of our nation’s biggest health concerns are enhanced by technology.  For example the technological advancement such as the different tools for which farmers gather their crops.  With the bigger machines and the enhanced seeds this country is making a surplus of corn that has seem to makes its way into a lot of the food and drink (corn syrup) that most of us eat on a regular basis, and now feed it to animals that are not design to eat this corn and end up killing them from the inside out. Enough on that subject and on that of cultural differences in the mists of all intelligence.  This is the idea that the culture in which you grow up in may or may not play a factor in the development of one intelligence over another.  The examples in the book where very interesting to find out.  On page 177 the author talks about a culture that originated in the South Sea Islands are more prone to be naturalists and specialist because of the geography of the area.  They are taught at young ages to memorize where the different islands are by the surfaces of different formations and also by the cancellations in the sky. This area also touched upon the natural career paths of the certain intelligences, which in my case pin pointed it exactly. The final area that was mentioned was that of a possible ninth intelligence. This intelligence being existential.  This intelligence is focused on the idea of “the concern with ultimate life issues” (182).  This is discussed throughout the chapter and it perceived to be a hard intelligence to introduce into a classroom because of the ethical and religious concerns.  This is the main reason Howard Gardiner hasn’t officially introduced this intelligence fully, referring to it as a half intelligence making there 8 ½ intelligences instead of just eight.

Chapter 6/7 UBD/DI & Chapter 5/6 MI

In all 4 chapters the main idea the authors were trying to portray was different tools for teaching and doing it well. In chapter 6 of UbD/ DI  the author has the idea that teacher play into three key roles that must incorporate in the classroom. According to Mortimer Adler, in his book The Paideia Proposal, teachers as take on the following roles:

·         Didactic actors or direct instructors

·         Facilitators   

·         Coaches.

This is where I think that teaching is my calling; because I have also been a coach and been a “facilitator” for a program, but then again learning all about the multiple intelligences gets me nervous about me not being able to reach every student’s needs. WHERETO model was introduced and is designed to relate topics or “[pull] it all together.” This model also talks to us about the preparation and planning that is needed before teaching and how important that it for our major curriculum. Also in chapter 7of UbD/DI I learned about the importance of asking well-aimed, open-ended questions. Essential questions lead students to use what knowledge they know and their ability for logical processing to come to their own conclusions.

In chapter 5 of Multiple Intelligences, it gave us an idea to write a lesson based upon the multiple intelligences. They gave a list of different methods teachers could use to teach the 8 different learning types. It was broad, yet specific enough to help any teacher target a lesson to one type of learner. In helping us with how to write a lesson plan, the authors gave the readers examples different tools you can use: one of them being webs; these help you plan activities. I liked the idea of the webs and feel like I could incorporate them into one of my lessons for the students to use; I feel like it would work really well with writing papers, brainstorming with the class and when studying for exams.

In Chapter 6 of Multiple Intelligences, the author gave in-depth ways of targeting the 8 different learning types (examples). The activities that really caught my attention were ones of bodily-kinesthetic learners because I wish some of my teachers would have done that for me so I would feel smarter. Also it gave me ideas to teach to learners that are not the same “intelligence”  as me.

Teaching Strategies for Linguistic Intelligence

·         Storytelling

·         Brainstorming

·         Tape Recording

·         Journal Writing

·         Publishing

Teaching Strategies for Logical-Mathematical

Intelligence

·         Calculations and Quantifications

·         Classifications and Categorizations

·         Socratic Questioning

·         Heuristics

·         Science Thinking

Teaching Strategies for Spatial Intelligence

·         Visualization

·         Color Cues

·         Picture Metaphors

·         Idea Sketching

·         Graphic Symbols

Teaching Strategies for Bodily-Kinesthetic

Intelligence

·         Body Answers

·         Classroom Theater

·         Kinesthetic Concepts

·         Hands-On Thinking

·         Body Maps

Teaching Strategies for Musical Intelligence

·         Rhythms, Songs, Raps, and Chants

·         Discographies

·         Super memory Music

·         Musical Concepts

·         Mood Music

Teaching Strategies for Interpersonal Intelligence

·         Peer Sharing

·         People Sculptures

·         Cooperative Groups

·         Board Games

·         Simulations

Teaching Strategies for Intrapersonal Intelligence

·         One-Minute Reflection Periods

·         Personal Connections

·         Choice Time

·         Feeling-Toned Moments

·         Goal-Setting Sessions

Teaching Strategies for Naturalist Intelligence

·         Nature Walks

·         Windows onto Learning

·         Plants as Props

·         Pet-in-the-Classroom

Chapter 6: Fair isn't Always Equal

The chapter primarily focuses on the different helpful hints in prepare a test for students.  These examples are:

• ·         Make It Efficient for Students: try provided the answer for the student to circle rather than writing out, or try to avoid the constant flipping of pages due to questions/answers on different pages.
• ·         Double Recording of Test Responses: I have never had a teacher do this for me but this would have made it so much less stressful for me. This helpful hint has the students copy their answers in 2 different spots, so this way when everyone has handed in their test, the teacher can go over the answers and the students would be exactly what they got.
• ·         Make Prompts Clear: this also means avoiding confusing negatives.
• ·         Keep It Short: There are concepts that need extra questions to fully assess the students learning, but for the ones that don’t, don’t make it longer for you and the student as it is unnecessary.
• ·         Be Careful of Timed Tests: this will eliminate much needed stress when taking test, because for most students they will be stressing to see if they will finish in time instead of the questions in front of them.
• ·         Put Some Fun into Test Questions: it is said that “Humor relaxes students” (pg 82), and isn’t taking a test easier if you are more relaxed?
• ·         Make Questions Authentic to the Instruction: If the student sees something that they aren’t use to, they will think they don’t know the answers. 
• ·         Use Smaller Tests Over Time: this will allow you to assess your teaching as well.

All of these helpful hints will make my process in formulating test much easier.  These hints are amazing and they make so much sense.  The reasons we give test are to assess the students learning not to make test so hard that the student gets frustrated.

Chapter 5: Fair isn't Always Equal

Chapter 5 discusses tiering and how it can be incorporated.  Tiering stated simply is the action in which we as teachers make to make assignments more challenging for some and less for others. The first thing we wont to understand about tiering is to expect “every student to demonstrate full proficiency with the standard, not something less.” (pg 56) Second is acknowledging the “most needed” skills in assignments that really matter. An important tip “to avoid a potential pitfall with tiering, [is to] be sure to stay focused on one concept or task. (pg 57) The chapter continues with explaining various methods in tiering and assessments that can be very useful in helping your students.  Some of these concepts are: Learning Contracts: These are helpful in communicating with your student in a way that explains what there are expected to get done but also helps the student and teacher to find various ways that will help the student through their learning style barriers and the time barriers.  A great assessment idea that I will defiantly using in my class is a form of the Tic tac toe.  I know from personal experience that this concept works very well with students just like myself and also the students that were nothing like me. The concept requires students broaden their sense of learning styles in a way that they get to create. This assessment style uses the themes of differentiated instruction and tiering and makes the student feel as though they are directly impacting their learning

Chapter 4: Fair isnt Always Equal

This chapter highlighted 3 different but equally as important types of assessments, they are:

1. Portfolios: these are very useful especially if you working with a differentiated curriculum.  You will be able to see the progress of your student over time.  This allows you to accurately see if the student is putting in the time to enhance their learning and also have them be able to see their improvement.
2. Rubrics: Rubrics are especially great for your clipboards in your class.  These allow the teacher to show their students in advance what exactly they are going to be grading on, and how.  There are many different types of rubrics, each helping different learners asses their tasks.
3. Self Assessment: There are many reasons why self assessment is key.  Most of the time the student is their hardest critique.  If you let them reflect on their work and the time they put in for the most part they can either say, maybe I could have put more time into this, or I deserve a great grade for the amount of work I did.  There are many types of self assessment, a couple of them are:

• Giving the same prompt at the beginning and end of your lessons, have them see their progression and understand their own thinking.
• Another example are journals. I feel as though journals are very important and the more I read how they can help students, the more important they seem.  Having students keep journals and being able to communicate through them will improve connection between student and teacher tremendously!

Chapter 10: Multiple Intelligence

Chapter 10 focuses on authentic assessments. It provides examples of different assessment strategies that were very helpful.  Some of the examples are:

·         Anecdotal records: journal of each student

·         Work samples: samples of their own work

·         Audio files: Record the student being himself and also throughout their learning process

·         Video: Record presentations or group study times

·         Student Journals: Have them reflect, doodle and communicate with you

·         Student-Kept charts: have them create visual aid in their progress throughout the year

·         Sociograms: visual record of student interactions

·         Informal assessments: non standardized test

·         Informal use of Standardized tests: Relax the time limits, have them answer through drawings music and many more ways

·         Student interviews: have an open stream of communication

The chapter also states that “the most important prerequisite to authentic assessment is observation”( pg 131), which as teachers makes sense.   I feel as though assessing students with actual pieces of work is easier to grade, but assessing the student on if they really understand the information can be easily accomplished by simply observing the student.

The chapter goes onto explain how just by rewording different tasks you can help your students learning in the way that they learn best.

Developing portfolios was also mentioned in this chapter.  There are goals that need to be reached with these portfolios and they are easily remembered by “the five c’s of portfolio development” ( pg 143)

1.       Celebration: acknowledge students accomplishments during the year.

2.       Cognition: helping students reflect on their work

3.       Communication: to communicate with those in the students life to share how they are progressing

4.       Cooperation: to help students produce and evaluate each other’s work

5.       Competency: establish criteria by which the students work can be compared to another

This chapter was very informative and it gave me some great ideas when assessing my students.