MI Chapter 12

This chapter starts out by talking about different aspects of memory. It says that there is not good nor bad memory, only that someone is better with another intelligence linked to the memory then another intelligence. People that are spatial learners are able to recognize faces rather than a certain persons name. This chapter lists many ways that students and anyone can memorize key facts better. One example was to sing the answer to the question (musical intelligence) Problem solving can also be improved by focusing on that problem and addressing it by reflecting your knowledge about MI’s on it. If you have to draw a picture out to get to an answer you most likely fall into some spatial category.

MI Chapter 11

This chapter talks about how students should only be looked at for their positives in a special education setting. Having the special students demonstrate clarity of the work they are doing and understanding by only using one intelligence is fair to use as evidence because the student can produce better work while working with that intelligence. This at least shows you that the student has some evidence of knowledge. I found the list of famous people with disabilities and was shocked to find so many names I know. These people overcame there boundaries probably by focusing on what they could do rather then what they couldn’t.. This chapter uses the term cognitive bypassing. This term means that students somewhat ignore tasks being presented in another task to focus on using the one task that you can use the most. Use the best intelligence to get the best result.

MI Chapter 8

MI theory can be used in classroom management as chapter eight has pointed out. The chapter talks about how to get a class to quiet down by using some MI strategies like clapping for musical people, writing “quite” on the board for linguistic people, and simply putting a finger up against your mouth to symbolize being quite. This chapter also has lists of ways to “transition” students or just move them on to their next activity using MI theory, clarifying rules using MI theory, and even grouping the classroom up from using MI theory. Students need to learn from the intelligent they know the most because that will help clarify things the most. I think that intelligences can be a cool and creative way of assigning tasks. If I made all my works due have a certain level of choice for the students to choose from, then I would have a better percentage of the students who understand the information being asked.

MI Chapter 14

Chapter 14 is a short chapter that suggests there might be a ninth intelligence. The existential intelligence deals with the “ultimate life issues”. Meaning that the questions in life that are hardest to answer such as: the significance of life, death, and love. Gardener considers this the be an intelligence because it fit’s the criteria for an intelligence. It has a cultural value and is documented historically in books and autobiographies. There are symbols used in a system such as Christianity and Buddism in religious structures. The intelligence even has people who are great hosts of this skill such as people with deeper understanding of life or a person who has the capacity to ask existential questions. Gardener goes on to tell about subjects that this intelligence can be shown in and how it benefit’s the subject. I find that being able ask existential questions and being able to answer those questions show that that person can think deeply and focus on what truly matters.

MI Chapter 13

This chapter gives three more intelligences that students learn by. These three applications are computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Computer technology is basically having the students be able to use processing software, draw-and-paint software, and other applications that use linguistic and spatial thinking as well. Table 13.1 demonstrates different software that each intelligence is associated with. Cultural diversity uses art and music, scientific discoveries, social mores, political institutions, and numbering systems to pass down to other generations. This keeps the culture rich and ongoing. Some examples of this usage is the Puluwat navigate the seas because of their spatial and naturalist intelligence while the Anang of Nigeria use song and dance when they are only five years old. I find that Career counseling can be the most beneficial in my opinion because it shows that students what they can do as a career in the intelligence field they are best in. A linguistic learner can work in the library and a kinesthetic learner can be a physical therapist. It is good to know what jobs are out there in the world if you find one specific intelligence easier then another.

MI Chapter 7

The intelligences provide a “context for asking questions” about things in the class that can be beneficial to learning and shine a light on things in the classroom that are not working. If no one in the classroom is a visual learner, a teacher must be able to recognize that and alter their lesson to suit the needs of the students. This chapter then goes on and lists questions that correspond with the intelligences and how they effect the classroom. An idea that is presented in the chapter that can help a classroom that is divided up into different style learners is to follow the “types of activity centers” that is displayed in table 7.1. Different sections of a room can be used as a learning tool for students with needs. Have the students chose which “centers” there should be in the classroom for the week. This gets them motivated to learn by that specific intelligence.

MI Chapter 6

Chapter six has more information about using all eight intelligences in different lessons that teachers are able to do in class. Summarizing everything that is shown in this chapter is difficult because each lesson idea is cool and creative. Linguistic lessons usually have “open-ended language activities” to better suit everyone. Logical-mathematics lessons usually focus in science and math courses, but the lesson plans that this chapter focuses on is using the lesson to point out the wide use of it in every part of the school day. Spatial lessons include visualization, color cues, picture metaphors, idea sketching, and graphic symbols. Kinesthetic intelligences use hands on activities incorporated with reading, math, and science. Musical lessons are usually not used in schools. Many memorization tools use music and songs, so why don’t teachers use songs in science and math to memorize equations? It could help. Interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence are used everyday in the schools. It is just the teachers decision whether to have the students works as a group on something, or have the students experience themselves as autonomous beings. Finally, naturalist lessons can either be taking the classroom outside or bringing the outside into the classroom.

MI Chapter 5

Chapter Five provides a “broad range of stimulating curricula to awaken the slumbering brains that Goodlad fears populate our nations schools.” It says that we as teachers need to reach beyond the books and boards to turn up to excitement in the school. As a MI teacher, one should use all eight MI techniques in the teachings. Switching from one to another and even grouping intelligences can benefit the classroom as well as the students. This chapter gives many examples in all the eight intelligences for teachers to create a lesson around. By focusing on a specific topic, asking key MI questions, using MI techniques, brainstorming, selecting an appropriate activity, setting up a plan, and implementing the plan, a teacher is able to create a terrific lesson plan that benefits their classroom and the content standards. I believe that teachers that have strayed away from the textbook can work better with the students who are not linguistic learners and are more open to helping a wide variety of students. Yet, the textbooks do serve as a great tool to keep a lesson on track. Being able to swing from MI teaching to contemporary teaching is the best way a teacher can teach in my opinion.

MI Chapter 10

Chapter ten talks about the different ways that a teacher assesses a student. Many teachers take the final tests only into consideration when they are figuring out how a student learns things. This is the wrong way. A teacher needs to be open to teaching students the tricks to the real world. If students can demonstrate that they can apply the information to the real world then they have mastered the content. This chapter tells teachers to study their students by having them keep journals, work samples, audio files, checklists, and so much more. Teachers are able to learn the students learning style and be able to assess them the correct way at the end of the unit by giving them questions based on their learning style.

MI Chapter 4

In the beginning of this chapter is clearly teaches you that you have to become equal or on the same level as the student. Don’t try and use big words when you have a class full of middle school kids. Some kids might even learn better is you add a symbol or picture next to the subject you are teaching. The MI pizza is a good example of this. I like the advice of telling a story to teach the students about MI. Having eight kids all be really good in a single learning style and maybe even put a swing on it like having them meet each other and adopt each others techniques.

MI Chapter 3

Chapter three’s main subject was surrounding the intelligences of students and how a teacher could figure out the students intelligences. In figure 3.1 there was so much useful information pertaining to some characteristics associated with students in the eight different intelligences. I feel that some of the ways of discovering the students abilities can add to your own personal profile you make of the student, like looking at school records and see how that student is doing in another class and environment. Something new that I have learned from this chapter is the phrase “six-hour retard child.” I would otherwise have said the tech wing kids from back when I was in high school. The key is communication and interaction.

MI Chapter 2

Chapter two recaps on the eight intelligences and tests yourself on how you are a learner. What jumped out at me in this chapter is the fact that there was that intelligences can be affected biologically, personal life history, and by cultural and historical background. The best tool to analyze these intelligences is to simply observe the behaviors of both the student and yourself the teacher. Through this a pretty good sense of learning styles is present. Teaching is getting out of your personal comfort zone to better the needs of the student. A good example used was that some teachers might not draw on the board as because they never could learn that way themselves. Open your mind up to new options and incorporate drawing into your classroom another way such as a coloring project.

MI Chapter 1

This first chapter focused primarily on the different intelligences. Having eight different yet unique learning types can be a little overbearing sometimes for teachers to adapt to. Language, numbers, physically touching something, are all ways that some people use to understand what they are learning, memorizing, or whatever might be the occasion. This chapter taught me that everyone has the eight intelligences, but some have more of one then the other. Teaching is about applying all these intelligences into a curriculum so that each individual gets a chance to utilize and learn from these techniques. Beside the eight intelligences, there are others like culinary and spiritual, but the eight is a good start. J