Kris Fedysky

Invaluable

Immersed in a land where there are so many different educational theories in the teaching universe created by so many theorists, predominantly male ones may I add, learning the MI theory by Howard Gardner was one of the best things I could ever learn because it made me very cognizant of my delivery and approach in different classes with different students. Personally, I feel this theory works seamlessly in conjunction with differentiated instruction and I feel it is when you lead a student to how they learn best that they actually will.

So many students get discouraged so easily because they "studied" but it didn't work. They sat on their bed with the tv in the background, their text messages ringing endlessly and they stared at the book for 4 hours, so they therefore must do well on the test because they "studied." Or they then try the study methods of their classmates, like the ever challenging note cards. Kinesthetic learners use these so often, but after writing them out they never use them kinesthestically, and wonder why they don't work.

But as educators, when we know the theories behind the practice, we can help guide our students into the right study and note taking practices that can best benefit them by understanding how they learn best. Students strong on Gardner's musical category seem amazed by the suggestion to sing their notes to their favorite song, or turn it into a rap, or to play reinforcing music in the background while studing.

Personally I feel learning this theory was the most important of my career thus far, and if you can't tell by now, I certainly buy into the concept!