Mapping How People Learn to the Classroom
Consider the following exercise: Students are each given one step of a five step stress management process:
1. Recognize stress
2. 10 Deep Breaths
3. Think of the urgency
4. Think of the importance
5. Work on the right thing for right now.
The students are asked to find the other four people who complete their list of five, then arrange themselves in the proper order. The winning team wins a prize. While the exercise is going on, the instructor plays music that is fun, fast and frantic. How would this exercise map to all seven of the Multiple Intelligences?
This exercise would map to several of the MI's - hopefully you would have a classroom full of all the MI's. The upbeat music would spur on your musical people. Logic would be employed when the 5 found one another and had to determine in what order they need to line up. Working together would incorporate the interpersonal aspect. The music would also encourage the physical movement for the kinesthetics. Communicating with one another will fulfill the linguistic portion of the exercise. Intrapersonals might be a bit uncomfortable having to depend on others for a prize. Your visuals are probably going to want to write things down to feel comfortable with the final decision. Every student in our college takes a success course as the first class. Learning styles is a big part of the class and we have a lot of fun with it.
The students enjoy moving outside a boring lecture and this diversity helps in the overall learning. Some students prefer to be left alone, but once they get into the swing of the group project, they feel like a big part of a team.
Hopefully there will be a good diversity within the group. With diversity you will hopefully hit all seven of the multiple intelligences.
Diversity also lend itself to students evaluating weather or not their intended messages are being understood the way in which they intend. Seeing/ understanding others perspectives.
In my media classes I look forward to students understanding how to refine their messages and ensure that the "narrative" they are delivering is being understood by the audience.
This is like a puzzle; Multitude of various pieces, that when they are all put together you have a possible solution. Each person will add to the total overall picture and solution. No two persons are alike, just like puzzle pieces, overall diversity.
It seems that the students would be using the following multiple intelligences :
Interpersonal-by working together as a group
Logical-by placing the steps in order
Spatial-by arranging themselves in the proper order
Musical-by hearing the music playing
Linguistic- by talking with the other members of their group
Kinesthetic- by moving around the classroom
Emotional- by responding to the emotions created by the music
First of all, this topic is something all students can relate to. This activity requires to think about themselves and then reach out to others in completing this assignment. Music, body movement, and some logic is involved. It also taps into the emotional and verbal components.
Steps 1-5 can promote synergy and make a very productive team.
I totally agree with diversity needs to be at the forefront of the group for expanding all of the groups knowledge.
Here is how this exercise maps to the multiple intelligences:
1.Intrapersonal- students are working together to see who has the other 4 steps.
2. Linguistic / Verbal- directions are given verbally and the students will need to talk to complete the task.
3. Spatial / Visual- Putting themselves in order.
4. Musical, Logical / Mathematical-sequencing with the order and music playing
5. Bodily / Kinesthetic- Movement finding people and getting in order.
6. Naturalist- Using living beings as props.
7. Existential- relates to human existence by the subject.
A student works to find a student with one of the other steps (intrapersonal)(existential), as students are identified they work together (team building) to find the next studen(interpersonal), Students querey other students to find which step they are (linguistic/verbal), Students arrange themselves in sequencial order(Logical/mathematical).
The music represents timing and the students rush to be first and correct in the outcome(Bodily kinesthetic).
Teaching diverse students is not just about their culture, it is about teaching all types of learners. Using different ways to teach might include having them do something hands-on or taking a test verbally. Howard Gardner explains all types of learners and teachers need to accommodate the students.
Jeff,
yes, this really is a great example of hitting on all of those learning modalities.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The exercise would tap into interaction, interpersonal, counting, music, visualization, verbal, and moving that are all taking place during the task.
break students up in groups and have them discussion stress management with the five steps.
Students are using intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences as they explore the other intelligences that the exercise requires.
Jodi,
and the more we can get them discussing & talking to one another, the more they will be open to learning in the whole class.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
This exercise is staged to hit all seven “Multiple Intelligences†when the music is added to the room. Each student in some degree needs to move both mentally and physically through each “Multiple Intelligences†to get the exercise complete from starting alone to working with others in a team or group. Each individual and group is required to logically put the team in order through the different means of communication. The only “Multiple Intelligences†that I don’t see is the “Naturalist†but I am sure that you can point it out.
The students would be talking to each other, they would be analysing how each one of the steps correlates to the student. They might be able to learn from the other students based on the steps they are better at.
