MI Chapter 12 Reflections

This chapter reflects on the role of MI theory in various cognitive skills. If someone claims to have a bad memory, it may just be that they have been trained in only linguistic or logical memory techniques and their strengths are in kinesthetic or spatial intelligences. It they are taught to visualize a word or act out a poem then they might have better luck retaining the information in their long term memory. The same can be said for other cognitive skills like problem solving, and thinking beyond the surface of a subject and facing misconceptions. When combined with Bloom’s Taxonomy, MI can provide a useful framework for helping me differentiate instruction in order to deepen student thinking and understanding.

MI Chapter 11 Reflections

Wow! These are all things that I have thought about and experienced but never was able to articulate clearly. I was aware of the multiple intelligences because my mother was a teacher and when it was introduced she was very impressed and talked a lot about it, but putting it in this context really made it hit home. My middle daughter had a head injury when she was 8 and has major deficits in her logical/mathematical reasoning abilities. Her linguistic abilities remain mostly intact. Her reading skills and memorizing abilities are good, and her musical intelligence is good as well. For the first few years after her accident, the teachers worked endlessly to drill her in math facts, reading a clock, and other basic math skills. It was frustrating for everyone because that part of her brain was just not able to work anymore. When she got to middle school she worked with a teacher that really understood how to teach with multiple intelligences. She used her strengths (reading and music) to help her learn all of the things that were being neglected as a result of focusing on what she didn’t have instead of what she did have. She really blossomed that year, and found interests that are still with her.

MI Chapter 8 Reflections

This chapter talked about the use of MI theory in classroom management. It talked about several aspects of management but the one I found the most useful was the one on gaining the students’ attention. As a student I have always found it hard to focus on what I am doing in a busy classroom. I don’t multitask well (listening and taking notes at the same time). In order to focus on what I am doing I have to shut out all external stimuli. As a result, when the teacher is trying to get the attention of the entire class, I often miss something or fall behind. I am sure that some of my students will have a similar problem, and having multiple ways to get their attention using multiple intelligences would really help them not miss things. Some of the other suggestions for preparing for transitions, forming groups and dealing with class rules were intriguing and looked fun to try, but I don’t know if they are anything that I would use as a teacher because they seem like they would suit a younger audience, or would be too complicated to implement. Mostly I think that as long as I keep the students engaged in rewarding learning, I will have few behavioral issues and the ones I do have can be dealt with by listening to the student to find out what will work best for the individual student.

MI Chapter 14 Reflections

This chapter talks about the provisional intelligence of existential intelligence. This has to do with an understanding of the more spiritual or philosophical ideas that permeate society. This intelligence cannot be applied to every situation which is why it is still provisional. However there is a place for this in all courses of study. These subject range from the study of quantum physics, and the concepts of zero and infinity, to a study of philosophy, religion, and life and death. History and literature deal very heavily with this intelligence. It is definitely something to consider that there are those who are more attuned to the infinite and eternal nature of our lives and of life itself.

MI Chapter 13 Reflections

This chapter talks about three applications of MI theory that need to be considered. The first is Computer Technology. The first thought most people have is that computers are largely logical/ mathematical. However there are a multitude of applications for technology that draw upon all of the other intelligences. The second area of focus for MI theory is Cultural Diversity. In every culture there are definite biases toward certain intelligences and their value in that culture. This leads us to mistakenly limit our expectations of a certain group based on those cultural biases. It is stressed that all cultures give value to all of the intelligences and individuals can be strong in all of them. The third application of MI theory is in Career Counseling. Teachers and guidance counselors can use students’ strengths in a given intelligence to guide them toward a specific career path. However care must be taken to clarify the fact that most careers involve a combination of strengths not just one. It is important for students to strengthen all of their intelligences, not just the ones they are comfortable with.

MI Chapter 7 Reflections

This chapter describes ways to set up and run a classroom to maximize learning for all learning needs. There is a list of things to consider when setting up the classroom that focus on each of the intelligences. Depending on the subject and the students you can set up activity centers around the room on a temporary or permanent basis to support various intelligences. These are all really great ideas. I can see that logistically there might be some problems with space. Most classrooms and the furnishings in them are dictated by what is already there. Fortunate is the teacher who can design the layout of the room from scratch. This means that I will need to be creative with the space and furnishings available to create an efficient and welcoming classroom for all of my students.