By understanding that various students in any one group may have different learning preferences.I will try to teach according to these preferences. However, students will also need to adapt to various preferences for most jobs do not only focus on a few preferences. I will expand extra effort when needed to institute this in my content. I will have various groups work with other various groups and compare and contrast what they have learned and help each other out.
Mariann U
Hi Jeffrey,
You make a number of very good points about how you are going to relate your intelligences to the classroom and your students. This is going to lead to higher student retention and satisfaction. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi Josh,
This is a segmented form of reinforcement for both the students and yourself. When you are doing this you are showing the students what they should have learned and are offering them a brief summary of what has just happened. This helps them to get the course content into their memory banks.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
I find that because I teach for an art based school that most of my students learn through visual experiences. Others do learn in different ways however and so understanding multiple intelligences is important so that I don't assume that everyone will aquire the knowledg needed from the course via my methodology. Also it is easy for me to become biased and teach based on how I learn thus I need to understand how others might learn so that everyone can understand the material.
Right now, I am teaching advanced grant writing and the culmination of the class is writing a grant. Small groups are formed and each group submits a grant proposal. There is always some apprehension about the team assignments. I could develop a short profile quiz to determine the best sections for the individual to write. So someone with a high score in interpersonal intelligence may be a good candidate for the team leader. Also, someone with a high score in logical/mathematical intelligence may be a good candidate to write the budget section or the evaluation piece.
There are student that been the team leader for every course and sometimes they get a little burnt out. If another student got the feedback that would be a good team leader, they may try to be the team leader rather than letting the same student be the team leader every term.
After reading this module, I have begun to think about my personal "intelligences" and how I have created lectures, course content and exercies around these preferences. In my teaching, I typically amd prepared to go over a new idea or concept three times, but I realize, that I have simply been repeating the idea or concept three times using the same delivery method. I know that understanding multiple intelligences will help me to rethink my three responses for improved student performance. For example, if I can be prepared to deliver an example of a new idea or concept three times, yet with each example leaning towards different input processing preferences of the students. I think I can reach more students, with the same information, in the same amount of time that I have been doing for delivery, yet will increase the overall effectiveness of that delivery in the long term of the course and student application of the material.
There is a need to be aware of the differences that people process as is called multiple intelligences, however. in the forensic field one needs an extreme discipline to extreme detail in one's mind that reduces thought processes to precise analytical inceptions so the wanderings of intelligence cannot overshadow any situation do you not agree.
I have a no student falls behind policy. After I am finshed talking about a particular concept I will reinforce by asking questions to see if everyone understood. The class then will respond with a yes chef! This lets me know they have heard and hopefull understood me. If the response is luke warm I will rehash the concept. In the interest of time I always remind students that if they dont understand something and don't feel comfortable raising their hand in class they can always come during office hours and I will go over the material with them. I also constantly remind them that if they don't understand something and don't tell me I can't help them.
It is a natural urge to NOT repeat yourself. You have to remember that you need to relay the info to relate to Multiple Intelligences.
Certainly noting the value and need of personal differences will remain critical. I approach teaching much like coaching. There are many players involved in the game, each with similar (if not the same goal). My job is to tap into their MI styles and find ways to motivate them toward successes leading to a desired outcome.
Hi Terri,
You make a number of very good points about how students can acquire new knowledge and develop additional skills. The learning process needs to be varied and targeted if the students are going to learn in an efficient and effective way. Your strategies help to make that happen. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Realizing individuals take in information in different ways, we have used different methods to deliver instruction.
Homework reviews cover materials in the text, reinforce lectures and enable those who learn by reading.
Lectures projected on the screen support the auditory and guided notes which are handed out at class start.
PowerPoint images support verbal lectures.
Group labs require communication and application of new knowledge gained from lectures and homework.
Project boards require skills of problem solving, organization, planning time management and manipulation of materials.
Research projects require outlines, "recognition of relationships and connections" and organization.
In class web research and oral presentation of the same requires reading comprehension, impromptu speaking ability, memory and recall.
These strategies are constantly being refined during the term.
As we went through your course, we discovered we were making notes to self as to how we could utilize the concepts you discussed and update the techniques currently employed. We forgot we had to actually take a final exam!!!
Thank you for your instruction.
I build many activities into my curriculum to appeal to different learning styles. For any given activity, I could have students reading, writing, discussing, drawing, listening to music, and debating. These activities appeal to my diverse learners, but I notice that I don't promote enough kinesthetic learning. I assign several activities for the same concept not only to appeal to all learning styles, but also to encourage students to practice using other learning styles they don't normally use. Repeating the concept in different formats also reinforces the idea, promoting knowledge retention.
I have studied MI before, so mostly took away reminders. One is a self-reminder to be more tolerant of students who doodle in class. My instinct is to suspect that they aren't paying attention, and I must remember to question that assumption.
I plan on incorporating more of a variety of delivery methods to accommodate the various types of intelligences. For instance, when I am giving a lecture, I will also provide a handout for those who learn better when reading. I will also provide the option for people to work in groups while practicing new skills, but will allow for solo work, too, for those who learn better that way, or prefer that method. These are just a few of the possible ways I will adjust my teaching methodology.
My understanding of multiple intelligences affects my teaching methodology by making me more aware of the individual learning styles and capabilities of my students...I am more conscious of differences and, therefore, am able to take these differences into consideration when planning a lecture or activity. I can attempt to insure that "all bases are covered."
In order to maximize the learning of all students in a single class, we have to compromise and make decisions that make the most effective use of our exposure to them for the benefit of all. When I create learning activities that play to the strengths and address the weaknesses of all the learners involved I feel the majority of learners are given the best chance to succeed in the learning environment. We include tasks of demonstrating for each other and teaching each other ideas and concepts that some have found easier than others, and the "team" moves forward under the same framework at the same time.
Hi Joseph,
By doing what you outlined in your comments your are appealing to the different intelligences that the students have in your class. You are offering variety that will help to keep them focused and engaged. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi Amy,
This is a good way to spread the instructional opportunities while appealing to the different intelligences and learning preferences. This helps to keep the students more engaged in the process.
Gary
This can be hard to do in a lab class setting with health code restrictions on what we can do and such. But we do the same to our best of our ability. The best thing we have in our classroom is the overhead camera and projector for our visual learners so it will project our demos on a larger screen for everyone to see. We also have microphone headsets so everyone can hear us better. We then use powerpoints, handouts in various colors, etc. Lastly we do alot of hands on teaching.
