MI+Chapter+5+Block+1

Abstract:
This chapter mostly focuses on how using the Multiple Intelligence Theory is more advantageous in the classroom than traditional lecturing tactics. While the chapter did mostly talk about combining MI theory into the classroom there were many other topics and helpful sources that were given. The authors made key points when talking about statistics such as "70 % of classroom time is teacher talk"(54) and when they talked about how teachers are looked at after the No Child Left Behind Act, which after reading, left a lot of people frustrated and angry. I felt after reading all of the chapter and the blogs about what you thought that it would be helpful to have a resource that talked about different kinds of [|Multiple Intelligence lesson plans].

Synthesis:
Chapter 5 in the //Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom// textbook was probably one of the most helpful when it comes to helping future teachers. While there were many helpful things in the chapter that people focused on the next few options were the most talked about. For instance, many chose to talk about having a [|bag of tricks] for those times when you simply don't have anything left to do or something isn't working right. Combining the eight intelligences through specific Multiple Intelligence activities and strategies such as: journal keeping, music, idea sketching, class theater, nature study tools, and independent study were all thought to be good ideas for teachers. Overall, the most helpful part about this chapter was the resources. A lot of people commented on the sources in the book that they would like to try and how the resources would help teachers in intelligence areas where they may not be as developed. Abstract and Synthesis made by: Elizabeth Sargent

Ethan Guthrie Herrell
Multiple Intelligences: Chapter 5

This chapter is entirely about getting down to the pragmatics of running an MI classroom, and how this is radically different from the traditional classroom. The best way to characterize the difference is that MI class has a broader variety of activities. There’s nothing particularly wrong with lecturing. There’s nothing wrong with hammers, either, except that you wouldn’t try use hammer a staple into wood. In the same sense, you can’t lecture yourself all the way to a classroom full of students who are motivated, engaged and just brimming with understanding. Diversity is the theme of the whole theory.

The first step to creating an MI lesson plan is to decide, of course, on a topic. What is your topic? English? Math? Science? It doesn’t matter, as long as your have one. Once you have your topic, you can ask yourself how many different mediums and intelligences it can appeal to. Select activities that you think best fit your ideas while remaining differentiated, and then. Sequence your activities, implement, and then reflect on the efficacy of your efforts and how they might be improved. toc

Sam Leal
Chapter 5: MI Theory and Curriculum Development

In Chapter 5 of Armstrong’s book Multiple Intelligences the discussion of the chapter is surrounded around how to incorporate MI theory into the academic curriculum. The first thing the chapter talks about is how teachers need to have a bag of tricks, a backup plan, a repertoire of many techniques and strategies to teaching a lesson. This stood out to me right because it is something Dr. Theresa talks to us about each class; to have a bag of tricks that you keep picking up with teaching experiences. This will help you teach the lesson to a wide variety of students and have them learn to the best of their ability.

The chapter describes what it means to be an, “MI Teacher,” not just a traditional teacher who stands up in front of the classroom and talks and talks and hopes that every student is going to pick up everything he says. I learned decently well from that type of teacher, but I’m learning that many students don’t. An MI Teacher will teach to many different intelligences, reaching for the bag of tricks to teach the material in a spatial way, then to a musical way, and then get everyone around the room teaching in a kinesthetic way. The chapter does a great job describing ways in which teachers can teach to each of the eight different intelligences. Also the chapter gives a preview of sample lesson plans that I could definitely look forward to picking and choosing from in my future classrooms.

Alex Randall
MI Chapter 5 The first thing about this chapter that stuck out to me was No Child Left Behind, which just made me mad. But then the chapter went on to talk about how teachers need to broaden their teaching methods and techniques so that they can reach a broader audience of students that they will undoubtedly encounter. The chapter also talks about how a Multiple Intelligences teacher combines "intelligences in creative ways" (56). Multiple Intelligence teachers create hands-on learning experiences and has students interacting with each other in different ways. It even starts talking about how Multiple Intelligence educators take the teacher-as-lecturer and go far beyond it and then it lists a summary of the Eight Ways of Teaching (or one way of teaching for every intelligence). It even helps us think of ways to create Multiple Intelligence lesson plans which was interesting to me. A lot of the time, we as learners ourselves get to think of our own ways to do lessons, but it is always nice to have help from reliable resources like some of the ones listed in the book. The whole idea around this book is being able to address each intelligence, and this chapter focuses on what kinds of lessons are useful to address them.

Cidney
For educators, it is important to incorporate use of MI Theory into a classroom setting. The climate for learning created by the No Child Left Behind Act had a hugely negative impact on the way that teachers force-feed information to their students using maybe two modalities of intelligence at best. Now, it is time to move forward, and incorporate all intelligences into the classroom and tap into skills that students have proficiency in or need to develop further. There is a wide variety of different teaching activities and strategies for educators to use, including journal keeping, socratic questioning, idea sketching, class theater, music, cooperative groups, independent study, and nature study tools. Using MI Theory and the multiple intelligences can help plan curricula through use of over-arching themes and ideas based upon it.

At Mt. Blue High School, I see a lot of teachers incorporating multiple intelligences into their classroom and lessons on a daily basis. I plan on following their example by tapping into multiple intelligences and a variety of strategies to relay information in a different and accessible way. Using music, video, socratic questioning, mind-mapping, hands-on activities, group and independent work, and the environment I will plan lessons and include multiple intelligences in my classroom and lesson planning.

Colby Hill
I believe the statistics at the beginning of the chapter, on page 54, that claim that “70 percent of classroom time is consumed by ‘teacher’ talk—mainly teachers talking ‘at’ students.” However, for some students this may not be the worst thing, and maybe a teacher is talented at his or her lecturing. For instance, Mr. Bowman in my high school gave great, entertaining lectures that kept my attention easily. I know this may not be true for everyone, and in many cases a teacher talking at students is a horrific thing within education. Sometimes it can’t be helped, and sometimes it’s not that bad.

Another interesting inclusion within the chapter was on page 55 when Armstrong mentions multimodal teaching from as far back as 1952 when Plato was around. I find it somewhat surprising that there are so many examples throughout history of great minds supporting multimodal teaching and yet there still has to be textbooks dedicated to it.

The MI teacher really has some extra planning to do, but it definitely seems like the work would be worth it. If more students can be reached that way then it must be a great strategy. What became helpful during this chapter was the various ways to go about using the MI method. Like Armstrong says “The MI teacher may spend part of the time lecturing and writing on the blackboard at the front of the room. This, after all, is a legitimate teaching technique” (57). It’s not that it’s a bad strategy, it just needs some variation. I like the eight day lesson plan. It may be a bit easier to plan for this way but would still be as effective since hitting all of the intelligences would still occur.

Elizabeth Sargent
Chapter 5 of //Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom// seeks to show teachers how to get away from following normal teaching procedures. Instead of just have teachers do all the talking, and make the students take all the tests the chapter talks about ways to create MI lesson plans that incorporate all eight intelligences to instruct students in a timely manner.

According to this chapter nearly “70 percent of classroom time is consumed by ‘teacher’ talk”(54). This statistic astounded me because even though most of my class time as a student was taken up by teachers lecturing and me listening and taking notes, I never thought it would be near 70 percent. Teaching through MI gets teachers during more than just lecturing. Teachers can draw pictures, play music, does hands-on examples, gets students moving around, and gets students to self-reflect. Shifting a teacher’s direction for instruction not only gets at all eight intelligences but it varies the lessons and the teacher never does the same thing each day.

Creating the MI lesson plans looks so easy after reading this chapter. While you focus on your objective or topic you must ask key MI questions like: how can I use visual aids? How can I involve music? How can I get students bodies involved? Etc… Using this brainstorm strategy you can create activities that you can do based on the answers to those questions. By choosing the activities that look appealing you can vary your approaches to lessons, but you’ll be ready ahead of time with the necessary materials.

**Jordan Hale**
Integrating the idea of multiple intelligences into a teacher’s lesson plan will greatly help the teacher reach more students. If a student learns strongest kinesthetically, than a good teacher will have incorporated, or will easily be apple to adapt their lesson to accommodate a physically oriented learning activity to help the student better understand the lesson. One thing to point out is that the ‘old-fashioned’ way of teaching through a lecture on a white board is not a bad way to teach because it will reach your linguistically oriented learners, rather differentiate your instruction to include all eight intelligences to help the students make connections with the lessons. This chapter will be useful to photocopy because there are so many resources in it. On page 58-59 there is a chart giving examples of activities materials strategies and more to help teach to the specific learning style. On pages 60-63 there are multiple examples and tips to help teach to each intelligence. Furthermore, on page 65-70, there are examples of visuals to help teacher create lesson pans to accommodate each intelligence. I am very blind to other intelligences so these resources are great for me. Having these resources while writing a lesson plan would save a lot of headaches. In order to become a better teacher I need to strengthen my own intelligences so I can better understand my students and be able to reach them better with my lessons and activities. = =

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Emily Haskell
Chapter 5: MI Theory and Curriculum Development

The first thing that stood out to me in this chapter was the section on page 55 when the author says, “the child must learn not through words, but through experience, not through books, but through ‘the book of life.’” This is completely true however cheesy. We have learned this in all of our college classes. People can’t learn from memorizing things or from reading books and writing papers. We as teachers have to give students the opportunity to explore in their learning and showcase their knowledge in an effective and creative manner.

In one of the chapters we read on Differentiated Instruction one of the larger themes present was that life was just like a differentiate classroom. We have to not only put things into context, but we also need to help students to learn the way that they might in the real world. In all reality that’s what our role is as a teacher: we are supposed to prepare students for the real world and for the rest of their lives.

Another thing that I really think will be very important as a future teacher is taking the time to reflect on the methods you have used in class. It would be very helpful to have a journal or even a short list of the methods that did and didn’t work. This is especially helpful because while some thing may work with one class, they may not work with another. It would be interesting to see how they compare across multiple classes.

Karina Sprague
The main idea of this chapter is to avoid talking at your students. I really liked that this chapter gave examples of things to do during a lecture that will spice things up and get students interested. If you just stand and talk, students will feel like they are not being respected. However, if you talk with the students and involve interactive things in your lecture (pictures, questions, games) they will be able to make a connection and they will feel like they are an important part of the class. A lot of these suggestions seemed like second nature to me. I never really stopped to think that by drawing a picture of what I was explaining I would be helping a visual learner understand it better. It makes me think that if I can be an MI teacher without even thinking about it, what amazing things could I do if I focus on it.

Time management also ties into this chapter. I was shocked when I read that teachers lecture, or talk “at” students, for 70% of the class time. I think that it is reasonable to have an interactive lecture at the beginning of class. I think it is useful to get the students engaged and focused right out of the gate. However, I definitely think it should take up the least amount of time as possible without cutting out the main ideas. What’s the point in explaining a lesson if you don’t have time to do it?

Spencer Hodge
In chapter five the author discussed developing a curriculum for the Multiple Intelligence Theory. A key idea while considering an MI curriculum is learning through experience. The use of lectures is not necessarily bad, but it should not be over used. Most times, teachers become too focused on the content they would like their students to learn and forget that they need to teach it in a way that the students will understand it. Lecturing can provide quite a bit of information in a short amount of time but it’s hard to say if that information will actually stick with them. This chapter gives several different techniques and resources for each intelligence which can help teach students in ways that will help them learn best.

I loved this chapter, and am now very eager to go be that “MI Teacher” in the field. With my little experience in the field already I have seen several teachers teach using MI theory, and several teachers not. Even if it is impossible to teach using each intelligence in every lesson I will do my best to make sure the unit uses all eight intelligences at some point so that all students have the opportunity to learn in their preferred manner at some point. I liked reading about the good in flexibility in lessons; I never liked it when my teachers absolutely refused to stray from their one set plan. Ultimately it’s about the students and the teacher should adapt to whatever best helps the students.