We use the VARK model very heavily in our curriculum development. Our students are very heavily oriented in training related events. This tends to be in our business much more Kinesthetic. So, we tend to develop more hands on exercises to reinforce the learning. Again, know your audience.
Mike,
Multiple intelligences is how we internalize and process information. Each of us sees information in a different way so if we know within larges groupings (the multiple intelligence categories) we then can structure our communication with students in ways that help them acquire the information and internalize it in their working memory for use late on.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I still have a problem understanding Multiple Intelligences.
The way the curriculum is here is definitely using the integrated approach with all the leaning styles. In the lab we combine, our learning to complete tasks.
Maria,
The more variety you can offer as well as change of pace the better. Sounds like you have a very good plan for providing different learning opportunities for your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I try to use a variety of teaching strategies like videos, group work, and lab time. The student enjoy going to the lab and practicing the skill they have learned on the manequins.
Clare,
You have a very clear understanding of how to use the intelligences of your students as strengths. Like the way you balance your course out so that they learning preferences of your students are included at different times during the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Having an idea of the multiple intelligences in the classroom, I can better gear the lesson to their learning styles. For students who are interpersonal, I can arrange group activities in the lesson and for ones who have musical intellegence perhaps add some rhythmic instructions. Knowing more about how students learn, is always helpful in making better decisions in how to taylor the lessons so the information gets across.
Nicole,
When you are in the lab setting your students are using a more integrated approach anyway since they are using tactile, visual and auditory to complete their tasks. So by offering variety in your lecture you are helping them to learn the content while getting them ready to do sensory integration.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Using all four categories of learning preferencecs are very effective.I use them all and it benefits all my students alot.
Yes, I teach to accommodate all the learning styles. The only problem is that its almost impossible to do it all at once in our learning environment. I have a separate lab from lecture. In lecture we use powerpoint and stories to relay the info, while in the lab we do the hands on learning and apply what we learned in lecture.
Understanding Multiple Intelligences will help me to be aware of how students respond to different teaching styles, and allow me to better adapt to suit different students.
Debra,
Thank you for these thoughts about we need to offer variety in our instruction so our students can process the content within their preferred intelligence. This processing helps to increase the retention of the content as well as gives them an understanding of how they can apply what is being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
HI Dr. Speers --
Knowing that students process information through a variety of intelligences is a very important piece of information to help with planning about how to deliver course content, and perhaps even how to group students for mutual learning support. At the same time, the logistics of this (e.g., where a group project might be required) can also be daunting. Given that students have different preferences for information processing and yet can likely also develop intelligences in non-preferred areas, it might even be useful to ensure that groups (again, for a group project) are somewhat mixed. In this way perhaps students can learn some new learning skills, or be encouraged to enhance their own "portfolio" of learning styles, as a result of their interactions with students that have different information processing preferences.
Debra
Jason,
When you do this is it fun to see how the different intelligences respond to the same problem. They reach solution but in a number of different ways.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Denisse,
What are some of the strategies you use to do this?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Miriam,
Having this information gives you insight on how to select and construct your instructional delivery. This makes the connection between the content and your students much easier as well as engaging.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like the idea of grouping students and teaching to dominant intelligences...for instance: have the kinesthetic learners create an obstacle course environment for demonstrating mobile camera work, and have the verbal learners offer critique on the execution
Teaching to Multiple intelligences is hard. the instructor needs to design his or her curriculum in a way where everyone's interest could stay in one platform and the course content could be understood by the students. Since the intelligence level varies among the student the conveying of lessons can be done by applying some of the MI techiniques or using all four of them in the class room.
Since I understand the multiple intelligences, I can adapt my lesson plans to utilize aspects from each intelligence to teach ALL my students. Many students can add additional methods of learning if they are interested in a subject.
