Many businesses are using the same technique to make sure that they are getting the best results by having a well balanced team.
I agree that diversity is a great thing. It helps to find the best solutions to problems, and to find best methods, and overall learning. That being said, I think we need to add that it all starts with an instructor who shows the students how to value it. It might help to create a whole class activity, where the teacher can be that example.
It requires you to know how each interacts with the other and in recognizing each intelligence each person will demonstrate their strength. One should consider that there may come a time where our strength is not the most viable intelligence to employ and that higher order thinking supports growth and learning.
Interpersonal: seeking out and interacting with other students
Verbal: Interaction between students to find their "matches"
Visual: Seeking out others in the room and lining themselves up
Logical: lining up in order
Body movement: moving and searching but also the order and also the "speed" element
Jon-Paul,
and along with this then to see the various strengths & abilities of those in the class.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It gets the attention of each student and their own responsible role in participating in this exercise for an end result that could also bring about an award. So the environment (noise factor) along with the urgency puts the thought processes of the group in over drive all while at the same time having a sense of direction instead of total chaos.
The population in my classes is very diverse. I find that in the course Critical Thinking, my students participate quite a lot. They each have something to bring to the discussions, and they value each others input. I embrace their opinions and personal experiences. This creates a fun and interesting learning environment
The excercise gives the instructor the opportunity to see genuine responses by individuals and reactions within the group to those behaviors
Interpersonal since they are working together. They also need to be verbal in order to communicate with each other. The visual spatial side is impacted by them needing to line up. The intrapersonal is by knowing their own and then adapting to it. The music takes care of the auditory side.
This exercise would map to the linguistic/verbal and interpersonal intelligences when the students talk to one another to find the other four people. It would map to the musical with the music playing during the exercise. The moving around necessary to find the other four to complete their list maps to the Bodily/Kinesthetic. Arranging themselves into the correct order maps to the logical/mathematical. Mapping to intrapersonal is completed by the students thinking by themselves in the beginning in order to search for the other four they need to find. When they arrange themselves in the proper order and display their individual steps, mapping is done to the Spatial/Visual. As I was mapping these, I realized that some can be mapped to more than one activity. For example, the logical/mathematical could also be mapped to following the directions. The other problem I encountered in the mapping is the question mentioned seven multiple intelligences but the course mentions at least nine. I didn't map to naturalist or existential because they both seemed weak.
michael,
I agree with you as then we can see how different people approach the world in unique ways.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Diversity expands the concept of the topic.
Sean,
this is great as I hear many students state very confidently, that they will never work in groups, when I know otherwise.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Working in groups is no new concept in the music industry. Producers, engineers, tape operator, musicians, vocalists and many more are all part of a successful projects. I try to teach my students to the value of teamwork and how to recognize peoples personality types to help them facilitate a healthy working relationship.
Angela,
and also helping them to embrace the diversity of thought & approaches that are represented in many individuals is key.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Diversity is such a great learning tool,which helps students to learn from other cultures and situations different from their own,which in turn can be used to help them in their life experiences.
Interpersonal = the students interact
Logical/math = counting breaths
Spatial/visual = visualizing urgency and importance of needing to manage stress
Musical = music in the background
Linguistic/verbal = instructions were verbal
Intrapersonal = students think to themselves how to proceed
Bodily kinesthetic = arrange each other in order
This is great exercise to see how team dynamics are developed in a class. This exercise demonstrates to both the instructor and the student the weakness and strengths of each individual. This exercise demonstrates how cooperation and leadership is used to accomplished a goal along with what did not work. This is excellent way to break ice and get student involve in the learning process by seeing what works and what does not.
The only problem that I see with this exercise is that it may actually drive away some of the students who do not enjoy participating in group settings like this. I have had many students who would sit there, not get involved, and actually get upset with something like this. Interestingly enough, stress may go up in a student like this! How could we tailor this exercise so it might help this student want to participate?
Chuck,
and this can be very helpful in helping the students work together in various groups & projects.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
