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The theory of Multiple Intelligences was created by Howard Gardner in the early 1990’s. Thomas Armstrong’s book, //Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom//, is dedicated to explaining and promoting this theory. In chapter two, Armstrong introduces the ideas behind identifying intelligences. He explains at large how discovering ones heightened and “weaker” intelligences are most accurately done through self-assessment, which may be aided with the “MI Inventory” ([|MI Inventory]) Armstrong argues that in recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses you will inevitably become better-rounded as a teacher and a learner, as you will distinguish which aspects need more attention. He also suggests that everyone has the ability to further develop or hinder their intelligences depending on environments, education, and other variables. As teachers, and aspiring teachers alike, this is an important factor to keep in mind; keeping the classroom safe, organized and comfortable are all important in a healthy learning environment ([|Classroom Organizing]).

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Leanne Fasulo
Chapter 2 of //Multiple Intelligences//, written by Thomas Armstrong, highlights that teachers should be aware of their own intelligences in order to fully comprehend their students’ intelligences. A person’s least advanced intelligence could perhaps turn into their most developed intelligence. This is important to know as a teacher, because teachers should always encourage their students to try in intelligences that they may not exceed in. It is possible to paralyze the development of an intelligence depending on environmental factors. Parents can influence what their children advance in with paying for tutors, or encouraging them to play an instrument. Where a person grows up in is also important. Someone who lives on a farm will be more advanced as a naturalist then someone who lives in the city. Teachers should understand this, because where a school is located will influence what types of intelligence their students will have. Teachers should know which intelligences they are proficient in so they can bring into the classroom the ones they do not use. Students can be very helpful to create a diversity of intelligences used in the classroom. Teachers can ask their students to bring in music, create diagrams for lessons, or share a nature documentary. Teachers should also converse with other teachers or use school resources to broaden the use of the different intelligences in the classroom. These things are important so students can learn in a variety of ways and improve their multiple intelligences.

Tyler Oren
In the second chapter of Multiple Intelligences Thomas Armstrong examines intelligence assessment, growth, and factor that can interfere with growth. Armstrong begins the chapter with a simple suggestion of learning specifics regarding one’s intelligences as a learning process and a chance to grow and develop these intelligences. Armstrong reminds the reader of his distinct decision to refer to intelligences with low functionality as “weak” intelligences. Armstrong adamantly defends the ability of intelligences to grow and become more functional. Further on Armstrong describes factors that both encourage and hinder intellectual growth, from biological, personal, and cultural back grounds that influence intelligence. Armstrong later examines activators and deactivators to growth of intelligences from access to resources, typically financial which would give learner access to the tools and instructors needed to held intelligence grow, historical factors, familial factors, and situational factors. Armstrong recommends using alternative methods of instruction and skill sets to cover a more broad area of intelligence. Armstrong recommends making use of colleagues, technology, and even students to create a diverse lesson to teach to all styles of learners.

Richie Johnson
After class last week I began thinking a lot about the different intelligences discussed and what impact they have on me and how I relate to them. In chapter two, Thomas Armstrong begins by discussing the idea of “identifying your intelligence,” and this fascinates me. I love the notion of self evaluation in regards to my learning styles and what my heightened and hindered abilities are as a result. I agree with both Armstrong and Gardner’s viewpoint that placement tests and the like are not completely accurate in identifying these things, and furthermore that the only “real” way of doing so is through self awareness and assessment. In knowing your intelligence strong points and weak points you will undoubtedly become aware of better strategies as to how to learn and teach. Later in the chapter Armstrong begins to explain how after identifying your own multiple intelligences, you can then use your findings to recognize what areas need improvement and which you excel at. He makes it very clear throughout the chapter that developing a specific intelligence is very possible, and encourages doing so. However, Armstrong makes notice that hindering one’s ability to learn via poor environment is also feasible. This is something to keep in mind as a teacher; keeping the classroom comfortable, safe and organized are all important in a healthy learning environment.

Brittany Blackman
The second chapter discusses the MI theory in a personal way. They discuss how you can incorporate different intelligences in your classroom, if you aren’t particularly strong in one. There is even a checklist test for each intelligence. I did the checklist, even though I have taken other tests like it already. Each category had ten possible checks. My highest was eight in logical-mathematical thinking. I got sixes in spatial and musical, a five in linguistics, a four in bodily kinesthetic, a three in intrapersonal, a two in interpersonal, and a one in naturalistic. This order is about the same as the other test I took. It’s results were Verbal/linguistics tied with logical/mathematical, visual/spatial tied with musical tied with interpersonal and tied with intrapersonal, kinesthetic, and then naturalist. When connecting this information about myself to my classroom there are a few concerns that come up. One is my spatial skills. This intelligence has developed in the middle, but one side that is under developed is the picture side. I have always had a hard time relating math to pictures, and geometry was my least favorite math class. I am going to have to find a way to still incorporate drawings on the board while talking about math. The other concern that arises is that in both tests I have scored very low in naturalist thinking (a one on one test and a zero on the other). I am going to have to talk to other teachers and students to find a way to incorporate nature into math. There is one way that comes to mind though, talking about patterns in nature. As long as I do not close myself off to the other intelligences, I do believe I can accommodate each one in my classroom.

Johnny Buys
Chapter 2: MI Theory and Personal Development  Armstrong argues teachers need to understand their own rate us of the multiple intelligences. It is vital that if teachers are going to incorporate Multiple Intelligence Theory in the development of their curriculum, that they understand their personal crutches and weaknesses in order to comprehend on a contextual level how the intelligences work within learning and their natural fall back method that might neglect the needs of other students. Colleagues, students, and technology can all serve as means by which to diversify learning styles by often tapping into the alternative intelligence strengths of other people (21-27). Armstrong also identifies the three main factors in developing intelligence as biological endowment, personal life history, and cultural and historical background (27). If a teacher comprehends how these influences have worked to collectively create his or her multiple intelligences, the teacher will be more likely to seek to understand how these factors interact within student’s own intelligences. Developing close relationships thus becomes necessary to effectively use Multiple Intelligence within the classroom. Subcategories of these that become important in knowing who students are and what develops their intelligences are access to resources or mentors, historical-cultural factors, geographic features, familial factors, and situational factors (29). Each of the aforementioned environmental and cognitive factors can serve as Armstrong calls them crystallizing or paralyzing experiences (28). Whereas crystalizing experiences encourage and solidify the intelligence’s development within someone, paralyzing experiences are the situations that prevent a student from further developing in their intelligence. As teachers seeking to develop all eight intelligence for every student it is important to be sensitive to situations that can become paralyzing experiences for students, while helping to develop appropriate crystallization experiences.

Kalib Moore
In chapter 2, Armstrong discusses different ways for you to understand your own multiple intelligences and different ways for you to "develop your multiple intelligences." (Armstrong 27) He goes on to discuss different activators and deactivators for individual intelligences. He defines two different types of experiences, //crystallizing// and //paralyzing// experiences. Crystallizing experiences are events in your life that tone specific intelligences such as learning how to play a musical instrument at a young age and continuing to practice that instrument for years. (Armstrong 28) Paralyzing experiences are the opposite of Crystallizing experiences. They are experiences in your life that weaken your intelligences. Armstrong uses the example of a teacher embarrassing a student about their artwork in front of the whole class. (29) After that situation, the student will be less eager to present their work in front of the class and therefore be less motivated to put in all of their effort. Overall I found the chapter to be interesting and intriguing. I am interested in learning more about my own multiple intelligences and in what ways I can develop the areas that I am not so strong in. As a future teacher, it is my hope and goal that I can prevent any paralyzing experiences from happening in my classroom. I want all students to feel comfortable enough to improve on each of their intelligences. I plan on being a model to my students because I too want to strengthen my own intelligences. By having a supportive and calm environment, both my students and myself can continue to develop our intelligences.

Evgeni Bouzakine
Chapter two dives a little deeper into multiple intelligences theory. The chapter really focuses on developing an individual’s weaker intelligences. It gives some suggestions how to teach students that do not have similar intelligences as your own. Using teachers as a resource is an advantage that all teachers should take advantage of. The book gives some good examples how to help reach out to students. Using technology like videotapes, computers, recorded sound. Playing recorded music that has to do with the subject to reach the student with high musical intelligences. This chapter also covers how these intelligences could have been developed. Someone who grows up outside and around nature all the time might be a naturalist. Environmental factors play a huge factor into which intelligences someone might perform well in. Someone who grows up around a father who is a math teacher might be more of a logical thinker. When I think about it, it makes complete sense. I have never experienced music that much as a young child. I never even experimented with musical instruments until I was in sixth grade. The chapter focuses on five factors that promote or suppress the development of intelligences. Access to resources/mentors, historical-culture factors, geographic factors, familial factors, and situational factors all have some sort of. I should improve on my own intelligences I struggle in to become the type of teacher that can meet all the need of their students. The higher proficiency I have in those weaker areas the better understand I will have of all of my students.

Kelsea Trefethen
This chapter encouraged me to look at my own style of learning and consider how that will affect my teaching style. I am a logical interpersonal learner. Obviously, I cannot teach every lesson in my classroom target to logical interpersonal learners. The linguistic intrapersonal learners would struggle. It is important for me to find a healthy balance between teaching styles. As a teacher it is important for me to step outside my comfort zone and meet the needs of all my students. I cannot meet all the needs of every student with every lesson. Different learners will struggle with various assignments, but that is all part of education. My job as a teacher is to make their challenges as smooth as possible. This chapter provided helpful insight and awareness as to how teaching methods, student teacher relationships, and student life styles all relate. Honestly, I had not truly considered how one of my student’s home lives would truly affect his or her performance in my classroom

Christina L Quach
 This chapter discussed how important it was to understand your own intelligences to effectively teach classes. It is important to know the intelligences that we use most often and also when we use them so that we can further develop them. Another important point in this chapter was section on the best way to assess personal intelligence strengths. The book said the best way was to evaluate through life experiences rather than tests. It also discusses turning points in developing intelligences like crystallizing experiences and paralyzing experiences.  I would say that the intelligence of mine that needs most work would be musical. I played the saxophone and keyboard when I was younger, but I gave up because it was not required and I found it frustrating. Before reading this chapter I may not have paid attention to developing parts of lessons or projects in a musical way, but I now see how important it is to students whose intelligence are strongly musical.  I strongly agree that it is important to see and try to improve weaknesses in different intelligences. As a teacher I will have to cater to all intelligences, and the more tuned in I am to all of them, the better I can help my students. Also having a better understanding of all intelligences will make it easier for me to plan lessons that all students can easily and comfortably participate in. This will also introduce different techniques to my students that will hopefully also open up their mind to trying projects in new ways.

**Cyril Lunt **
Chapter Two of //__Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom__//, goes more in-depth with the concept of Multiple Intelligence than the first chapter did. The author talks about the many reasons why a person would lean towards a certain intelligence over the others, including (but not limited to) genetics, education, family, culture, and historical time period. The example they gave was of Mozart, who lived in a time period that encouraged the arts, had a family that helped him get out there, and most likely just had a highly developed sense of musical talent. But he would have turned out very differently if he grew up in a puritan English family that considered “most forms of music to be the devil’s work”. The author also included a small test to see which of the multiple intelligences you favor the most as an activity one could do. The chapter rounds out with crystalizing and paralyzing events, which are instances where one’s genius either awakens or is shut down. These events range from seeing how magnates work for the first time, or getting yelled at for playing the piano. I got a lot more out of this chapter than I did of the previous one. As I stated before, I already knew about the Multiple Intelligences, so it was pretty boring for me to read the same thing over again. However, Chapter Two introduces new ideas, such as why one would lean towards a particular intelligence, rather than assuming that person “just learns that way”, thus humanizing students in general, which I’m a huge supporter of.

Kyle Kuvaja
In chapter two, Thomas Armstrong believes that it is important to discover at what level our own multiple intelligences are. He says an effective way to do this is to look at our own performance of tasks through the eight intelligences. Once we have identified which intelligences we are strong in then we should attempt to build up our other intelligences. Some ways to help combat areas of deficiency include asking colleagues for help, using students to help bolster especially weak areas, or use technology to help tap into intelligences. An interesting point that Armstrong brings up is that although an intelligence may be “weak” at first in an individual, it may develop to be the strongest of the intelligences. The development of an intelligence depends on genetics, personal history, and cultural background. For example, although Mozart was deaf, he was born in Europe during a time in which the arts were flourishing. Thomas proposes that had Mozart not been exposed to an environment that aided his biological gift then he might not have developed his high musical intelligence. Crystallizing experiences are points in time that positively influence the development of an intelligence. A paralyzing experience prevents the development of an intelligence. Examples of paralyzing experiences include: a teaching humiliating a student, limited access to resources, or different geographic factors. I feel that the depth of this chapter should help me identify my current state of multiple intelligences. I hope to identify weak areas and bolster them because they might become stronger than the intelligences I currently have “tapped into”. I feel that the impact on my classroom is being conscious of the fact that I can be either a positive or negative influence on the development of my students’ intelligences. I will strive to only be a teacher that is involved in crystallizing experiences.

