B1+MI+Chapter+3

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__**//Abstract://**__ This chapter is about assessing student’s multiple intelligences. Because students have a variety of multiple intelligences, it is very important to be able to know where students are strong and where they could use some improvement. However, each student has a variety of multiple intelligences. Therefore, it is very important that teachers do not label students with just one multiple intelligence. When a teacher focuses on just one multiple intelligence, it does not allow the student to learn from other methods from which he or she may enjoy learning from. The book offers a few suggestions for getting to know a student’s multiple intelligences. For example, one way to learn about students is to observe them in the classroom. The student who is drawing is likely to be mostly a visual learner, the student with the headphones is partially a musical learner, while the student who talks a lot could be more of a verbal learner. This chapter also suggests communicating with parents and other teachers to get to know the strengths of each student better. When the teacher can get the parents or other teachers involved, it can create an environment for the student that can be very supportive. The student will be exposed to their combination of multiple intelligences in a multiple selection of areas. As teachers, we want our students to be well-rounded individuals. By exposing students to multiple intelligences in a variety of places, the students are more likely to learn to adapt to a variety of multiple intelligences and become well-rounded individuals.

__//**Synthesis:**//__ Many of us felt that a good way to learn about student’s multiple intelligences is to visually observe them. This is a good method because it allows the teacher to pay attention to his or her student’s habits, which can help explain a person. It is also important that teachers do not judge a student’s intelligence based on how they performed on a test. Many students are not good test takers, so a score such as that on the SAT should not be a big factor in determining a student’s intelligence. Another method that teachers can use to learn about his or her students is to [|survey] them at the beginning of the year. At the beginning of the school year, teachers can give a survey to the students that would explain to the teacher how each student thinks. It is also important that students learn about each other’s multiple intelligences so that while they are doing group projects, they can work together to create a project that they can all learn from, and a survey can help create that atmosphere. There are also a variety of other [|activities] that teachers can use to learn about intelligences. Each activity can help the teacher learn about the students, which can help the teacher learn a variety of good ways to get information across to students. Because students do not have just one intelligence, it is important that these activities can pinpoint many intelligences so that they teacher does not teach just to one intelligence. toc

Leigh Welch
The third chapter in this book talks about the different resources you have available to you that you can use to figure out your students intelligences. I found the best one was observation, although it could be hard if I am seeing four different groups of students every other day. I think observation is going to give you the best results because it is natural. Another resource you could use was the student’s personal school record. I think this approach might be a little less accurate because there are other factors that could have influenced the material in that record. For example, maybe a student is really good at English but got bad grades because she had to provide for her family rather than do her homework when she was at home. Or, another example, a student’s pet dies the night before the SAT’s and now they have bad SAT scores. I think knowing your students personal intelligences is a good thing, and it is definitely something that needs to be done, but I think you should determine it in the classroom, and with the student. I do not think that a compilation of the student’s past grades and test scores is going to be enough information, or accurate enough information to give you the full picture of any one student. Observation needs to be a driving force in discovering the intelligences. I also think that it should not just be one teacher doing all the observing. I think everyone teacher or school employee should contribute to this process.

Carinne Haigis
While I was reading this chapter, one particular passage jumped out at me. On the first page of Chapter Three, the author writes: “Keep in mind, however, that most students have strengths in //several// areas, so you should avoid pigeonholing a child in only one intelligence” (Armstrong 32). This statement struck me as extremely important. While it is essential to recognize that certain students have strengths in particular areas, it is also crucial to remember that this does not mean that they would not benefit from other methods of instruction as well. Focusing too intensely on one specific intelligence could prevent the student from exploring other options they may enjoy as well. It is always important to remember to explore a wide variety of possibilities in order to become a well-rounded individual. Another passage that caught my eye as I was reading was one in which the author writes: “I’ve often humorously suggested to teachers that one good way to identify students’ most highly developed intelligences is to observe how they //misbehave// in class” (Armstrong 34). So often in schools, students are reprimanded for their troublesome behavior. This passage is important because it reminds teachers that these tendencies are not necessarily faults on the parts of the students, but rather a plea for attention in which the student is attempting to let the teacher know what they need to do in order to learn in a more productive manner. It is important to not grow frustrated by misbehavior, but instead use it as a valuable tool to gain insight into how each student thinks.

Paul Santamore
While reading chapter three I found one point particularly interesting and that is because it matches perfectly with my foundational theory on learning. The author states that, “most students have strengths in several areas, so you should avoid pigeonholing a child into only one intelligence” (32). This quote is spot on in my mind because I agree that no child should have their brain ordered to be closed in terms of the way that they learn; doing this would put the student at a serious disadvantage as compared to their classmates and peers. Simple observation is described as the best way for a teacher to begin looking into the way that their students learn best and I completely agree with that point. Teaching children is hard enough, but chapter three has provided me with some quality solutions and ideas in order to better facilitate learning across a diverse classroom. Simple observation is obviously the easiest way to determine what kind of learners a teacher has and I will certainly be doing a lot of that. As I begin my adventures within the schools this semester I will observe, but how should I? A suggestion put forward by the book is to observe how students misbehave in class to further understand how they want to learn, which is usually the opposite of how you are teaching at the time. This is a wonderful strategy and although it may upset me at first, I vow to stay calm and note these behaviors after the class has concluded. By keeping a carefully organized notebook or diary I hope to compile vast amounts of information on my students individually and as groups in order to further benefit both parties in the long run. In the end, I hope to value all different MIs and use them in conjunction with each other to provide the best learning environment possible.

Mel Christensen
Chapter 3 provided some great ways to work collaboratively with students, parents, and other teachers to assess the strengths of each student. Engaging the parents in trying to pinpoint which intelligences their children are strongest in could be very useful in creating a supportive learning environment for the student at school and at home. Especially as students get older, parents may not always be informed about everything their child is doing in school, but if they know how their child learns best and what can be done to help them learn more effectively they may be able to play a more active role in helping the student succeed in school. I also think it is important for teachers to work collaboratively to assess the strengths and weakness of their students at a secondary level. In a school environment where teachers may only see students for an hour or so a day and focus predominantly on one area of study it is difficult to get a well-rounded impression of each student. Communicating with other teachers and teachers that have had students in the past could be a valuable resource when trying to teach a student more effectively. Many students may be able to tell you how they think they are smart, or may be able to figure it out with the right resources, but having a support network of teachers and parents who have been able to observe more of the student’s academic progress and achievements could help to change a student’s perspective on learning.

Bianca Stoutamyer
The fact that the only way for a teacher to truly know a student’s multiple intelligences is to observe them is something that not only is an obvious choice for teachers but also is available to all teachers. The book came in handy when it suggested ways for you to learn a student’s multiple intelligences such as collecting documents (projects, artwork, school work etc.), taking a look at school records, talking with other teachers, parents and students. All of these will help me understand my future students but organizing the data would be complicated, not only because of the number of students per classroom but also because teachers do not have much free time. When they aren’t planning lessons they are teaching or grading work, the suggestion of writing a few sentences about different students per day or period could help me balance teaching and observing my students so that I can find ways to become an even more successful teacher for each of them. I also liked the checklist example given in the book because it is simple to fill out and wouldn’t take a large amount of time out of a teacher’s schedule. A simple form or chart would make it much easier for me as a teacher to organize and allow me to have time to actually spend time focusing on their intelligences both inside and outside of the classroom. This chapter gave me ways of learning about my students but the truth is observing their actions will still be the most important resource I have because the student’s behavior can always change throughout the year and so can their intelligences. = =

Allison Reynolds
This chapter works with methods on identifying student’s intelligences in the classroom. I realized that throughout this chapter, I don’t remember having any of these opportunities in the classroom. This chapters looks at ideas like snapping photos, using the survey, do all around activities and I never did any of these things in my class. I really am disappointed that I wasn’t able to figure out where I was strongest through my activities. Most of my teachers just assumed I was an all around student with my grades, but I really struggled with English and History. I really like the idea of having the students try to figure it out with the survey or even asking them what they think they are. Throughout school they will constantly change, intelligences will grow, and it would be a good starting place to just ask them. I appreciated the list of ideas of how to obtain this information but I found a few particularly creative. For example, I would have never thought to look at the kindergarten records where the teachers have to record strengths. Eventually it becomes more grade-based and you lose that information. Another was simply asking the parents. I love getting the parents involved or even aware of the idea that students can be smart in so many ways. Having the parents part of it will help them support their child and that helps me as a teacher as well. Maybe even the parents will find out something about themselves as well. I hope that by identifying and bringing these intelligences into the classroom, students will be more accepting. I also hope that this will motivate students to take initiative on their assignments to make it more meaningful to them.

Kellie Sanborn
While I was very interested in the different means and methods the chapter described for how to figure out what the students’ highest developed intelligences are, I was also a little skeptical. Take, for example, the idea of using what children choose to play with as a means to figure out what their highest form of intelligence might be. When I was reading that situation, all I could think about was “choice time” in kindergarten. At least in my kindergarten class, everyone wanted to either play in the sand table or at the painting station (though sometimes playing with blocks was a popular option). Does this mean that everyone is a spatial or kinesthetic learner? Certainly not... I think that these situations have a lot to do with a pressure from peers to do what is “fun” or “cool”. The option of asking the students what they think of their highest developed intelligences is certainly valid and useful, but I think it also is very difficult to be honest in that sort of situation. I, for example, would definitely claim to be a linguistic learner, since I enjoy language and communicating more than anything, but in reality, I nearly always find myself to be best at math and logic. I suppose, though, that doing what you enjoy can in some cases be more important than doing what you are good at in a learning environment. I was also very curious about the effect that what you enjoy must have on what you are good at. Is someone who enjoys math inclined to practice it more, and therefore be better at it? Is someone who likes to play sports more likely to develop their kinesthetic intelligence over, say, their musical intelligence?

Ashton Carmichael
Multiple Intelligences in the classroom, and having a good understanding of what each student's is can greatly benefit the educator. By documenting all the mis-behaviors of students, we can fully see how they best react in their environment. From these reactions, we can compile a sense of how the student takes in information and processes it. This benefits us because we can look back to these documented “cries for help” and plan accordingly. I also like the idea gathering data about what types of activities the students do at home as well. We can learn a lot just by hearing about their extra-curricular activities. Students are more apt to gravitate toward activities they understand and are developed in. We can use this in the classroom by differentiating the lessons to include teaching methods that cover the eight intelligences. If the teacher is using these documents, then the time it takes to do it is not wasted, and can be greatly dispersed to other teachers. Like the author of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom suggests, we are not going to get to see each student using all eight intelligences all the time. So, talking to teachers outside your content is greatly beneficial to the way you plan your lessons and the way the student grasps your content. I like the concept of teaching through multiple intelligences, but I am concerned that I will not be able to diversify my plans well enough to ensure all eight are covered.

Megan Hoffman
This chapter explained that although all children are “smart”, many children show inclinations to certain intelligences especially at an early age. One example is Mozart who started demonstrating his inclination for music at age 4. It focused on how to figure out these inclinations through a variety of methods because there is no summative test for the MI theory. One of my favorite methods for figuring out these highly developed skills that the book explained was by observing how they misbehave in class. The book gave examples such as the child who is fidgeting is likely the bodily intelligence, where the child who is doodling is likely the visual type. A great suggestion from the book that I think I will use in my classroom is the notebook to record the observations for each child, sometimes this can help determine their developed intelligence. Another great idea that I would like to use in my classroom was the “choice time” activity, by laying out one station for each type of intelligence and letting the student lean towards which one they like most- usually this is a giveaway for the type of intelligence they lean toward the most. One concept that I found interesting that I had never thought of before was that the kindergarten teacher is one of the only teachers who get to see a child use all of their intelligences and sometimes is the best report to look at. I also thought the idea of using your colleagues as tools to fill in the blanks of what you don’t see is a helpful resource to have; I would use that idea quite a bit when I become a teacher.

Jason B
This chapter focuses on the idea that it is very important to know the different multiple learning styles of your students. There are many different ways to learn about the different learning styles of students. The most common one is to give out a test for the students to fill out. However, that may not be the best way for a teacher to learn about a student’s learning style. Another option that teachers can do to learn about a student’s learning style is to allow their students to pick the format of how a project will be completed. This way the visual learners can make a poster, movie, or something along those lines while the musical learner can make a song about the material. This way everybody is learning the way that they can learn best. This method ensures that each student can understand the material in the way that they feel comfortable understanding it. It also tells the teacher how their students learn. For example, the teacher will notice that the student decided to do a poster or a movie. This will inform the teacher that that student could possibly be a visual learner. When I become a teacher, I will give my students the freedom to pick the method in which they present their material. It benefits the student because the student can have fun with the project, and it benefits the teacher because the teacher will learn what methods or learning styles to incorporate in their teachings.

Kaite Bukauskas
Children begin showing signs of their areas of intelligence from a young age. This chapter states that by the time a child starts school it is likely that he or she is displaying some inclinations towards the intelligence areas he or she will be strongest in. These behaviors are often able to be observed by the teacher especially if he or she is searching for them. For student assessment of the multiple intelligences, this chapter states that formal testing is not a preferred way to test the intelligence areas of children, stating it could provide for some clues into the MI levels of a child but that that one should be ‘skeptical’ of such a test. Instead, the chapter advises readers to use observation methods to determine a child’s MI levels. Most students have strengths in multiple areas. Watching children in their free time is a good way to see what types of things they gravitate to which may provide some insight on their multiple levels insight. Another time to observe children is during periods of time in which they are misbehaving. The author believes children will act out when the needs of their specific intelligence domains are not being met and they are struggling to find a way to learn that suits them. It could be helpful to keep a log of student observations, utilize school records, look into a students’ grades over years, talk to other teachers who have that student in their class, and talk with parents to get more clues about a child’s MI levels.

Chris Whitney
Chapter 3 of the Multiple Intelligences book describes what to look for when assessing students for the different MI’s. It is important to understand how the multiple intelligences will show in students, especially in bad behavior. A student who is disruptive might not being doing so in a malicious fashion but as a sign to how they learn. Chapter three also lists many ways a teacher can understand how different students learning including talking to other teachers and parents or teaching the same lesson from different MI angles and see which students perform better in which intelligence. This method is not only helpful to see what students perform better in certain intelligences but can also help the teacher develop their multiple intelligences as well. This chapter went along with the theme of the pervious chapters that the student is the most important part of teaching and the different ways teachers can evaluate students to be able to reach them more effectively. Just like in advertising, it helps to know the audience because it’s the best way to keep their attention and keep them interested in what you are teaching or trying to sell. Educators need to be able to connect and understand their students or they will not do an effective job of teaching them.