MI+B1+Chapter+10


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Abby
Having lessons that explore and work with all eight intelligences and allowing students to highlight their skills in one area while improving another is not enough. We need to make sure that students are being assessed in the same manner. It is not fair to students to allow them to develop and work with all eight of their intelligences and then test them based only on standardized tests. Students’ progress should be determined by observations and documentation of how they deal with real life problems. Standardized test do not allow for exploration or discussion and that students should have other ways of demonstrating their knowledge. It is possible that a student understands a concept, but cannot articulate it in the form of a test. Also, emphasis should be put on comparing students with their own growth rather than with the other students in their class.

Although, I agree that standardized tests should not be the only measure of student growth and competency I think that some of the suggestions given were unreasonable. It is not possible for a teacher to allow each student to come up with their own way of showing what they learned. There has to be some basic format. I think that assessments should be modified and made clear but broad enough that students can use their different intelligences to complete it, but I do not think they should each have an entirely different project. I plan to put a lot of thought into my assessments and not resort to simply testing my students with standardized tests, but I do not think it is practical to have each student doing different things at all times.

Ally
This chapter is about assessment in the classroom, which is really important because it is important to properly assess your students on the content you are teaching them. The book stated “the most important component in implementing authentic assessment is the documentation of student products and problem-solving processes” which is true because it shows how you have been teaching and whether the students fully understood. There are multiple ways to assess your students on the content knowledge however a teacher needs to find out which one matches with the lesson. If you are learning about writing, you should assess by having them write an essay instead of making a movie about writing. The assessment really needs to show that the students have learned and has to be relevant. I think this will affect me as a teacher because I will obviously need to assess my future students on the content. I think it will be more important to assess my students properly and fairly because I think it is more important for my students to prove what they learned then assess them on details. I think this will effect my classroom because they know they are going to be assessed by how I assess them will effect how they perform and how they can show their creativity. I want to give my students some options about assessment whether it is a poster or a paper because that way they are doing something they enjoy but they are still proving that they know the content.

Tyler
Chapter 10 is about all of the different ways that MI can be assessed by teachers. First and foremost, a teacher must keep records of students learning in each of the MI learning styles. The author gave a long list, which includes work samples, video, student journals, check lists, calendar records, and many more. By using a variety of medias to observe a student's learning, teachers can get a better idea of which intelligence a student is most proficient in. Howard Gardner has set up many different projects to test MI across a variety of age groups. Project Spectrum, for example, was a pre-school program that was used to gauge young children's intelligences at an early age by offering a variety of activities that focused on one of the eight intelligences. The Key Learning Community was a K-12 program that was used video to record and analyze students. Students were taped twice a year, each year. These videos went into a portfolio and were used by teachers, administrators, and parents to evaluate a student's learning.

Evaluating a student's learning through formative assessments is possible with the MI theory. Instead of multiple choice questions, asking questions in ways that allow a student to answer the question using one or more of the eight intelligences is more effective. Teachers can then look over a student's answers and see which questions they responded best to, and from there can find out more about a student's intelligence. MI theory also suggests the use of portfolios when assessing a student's learning. By using the “5 C's of Portfolio Development(Celebration, Cognition, Communication, Cooperation, and Competency),” students can accurately and effectively portray their intelligences to a teacher.

Jasmine Assessment in a multiple intelligence classroom is vital because all students will learn and show their learning in different ways and at different levels. The most important part of assessment according to Howard Gardner is observation. As a teacher, I will need to observe students and how they act in class so that I am able to understand their needs individually. Sometimes, assessment cannot be done on art projects, 3-dimensional projects, or inventions, so it would be handy for teachers to utilize the use of a camera in order to keep record of every aspect of students’ progress and learning. Students should all have a file of work samples that the teacher holds on to so that their progress can be measured over time. This will also make it easier for the teacher to see patterns in certain students so that it is easier to find a solution and the root of the problem.

Multiple intelligences get complicated with assessment because some students react differently when it comes to different types of questions. Knowledge could be shown in a variety of methods for each type of learning style. If a teacher wants to know how students interpreted a book, it can be asked several different ways, which would appeal to the separate learning styles. Examples include: comparing the book to science (logical), drawing a sketch (special), compare a character in the book to someone you know in real life (interpersonal), etc. There are examples for every learning style. It is of course ridiculous to think that as a teacher, anyone would have time to assess things 64 different ways, but each method should be used at different times so that students are exposed to all eight of them.

MI portfolios are something that was new to me. I found it interesting and certainly something I would consider using in my classroom. It includes the five c’s: (celebration, cognition, communication, cooperation, competency). This is a checklist, which will help keep the classroom more organized and keep track of whether or not the teacher is using all eight learning styles. It seems very interesting and definitely seems like something I would like to incorporate into my future classroom.

Jake
Student assessment is a vital piece in the learning process. In this chapter Armstrong discusses assessment through the lens of MI. The reading expresses that standardize testing is a hypocrisy to anyone who has incorporated the MI theory into their classroom. He says that a standardize test is only a measure of mathematical and linguistically ability, and does not take into account the many other dimensions of intelligence. I strongly agree with this portion of his argument as I believe standardize test are unfair on a variety of levels, and that they very much only address one area of intelligence. Armstrong uses many of Howard Gardner’s examples of potential replacement assessment projects, and the majority of them seem like reasonable replacement. However, though I do believe MI theory needs to be taken into consideration when assessing students, I think it is also important that students be forced to step outside of their comfort zone with material at different times. Obviously, the aim of certain assessments is that they will understand the knowledge being assessed and any other side knowledge can wait for another time. However, when students get into the real world the work place is not going to accommodate their thinking like Armstrong is suggesting we do in the classroom. Reading comprehension is a vital skill in the real world, and being able to respond properly is also key. I fully understand and agree with Armstrong and Gardner both, teachers should take student differing intelligences into consideration when assessing their learning. I just think it is important to also consider what implications such actions will have one said students in the real world. This chapter showed me some awesome assessment ideas that I would one day love to one day incorporate into the classroom, and I fully intend to. Armstrong has forced me to consider yet another dimension in my assessment planning, however, I can not help but remain a bit skeptical as to the validity of the differing intelligences he has defined.

Dan
When dealing with a multiple intelligence classroom setting, proper assessments are pivotal for determining a student’s growth. Traditional standardized tests will not do a teacher any good with multiple intelligences, because they “almost always assess students in artificial settings far removed from the real world” (p.131). Instead, observation within a classroom is the best way to see multiple intelligences in action, as teachers can document the growth of students through their problem solving with either logical problems or problems associated through peers. The idea of Arts PROPEL seems like a great one that high schools should adopt to provide educational opportunities for all students that learn from a spectrum of many intelligences. As long students learn from their schooling experience, educators have done their job. In the field, I will provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their different abilities within my classroom while they show me they have learned from the content. I struggled to image how you would work questions that would apply to the intelligences. The eight examples provided were very insightful and helpful in processing how it could be done. Whenever students must take test or other forms of assessment, I will give a variety of questions that target the different intelligences while still focusing on the key knowledge of the content area. There are still times, however, that I feel it is necessary to bring standardized testing into the picture, because there is no escaping it within the school system. I do believe that if students can demonstrate knowledge of an area through multiple intelligence, then they will perform well because of the information they retain.

Brittany
This chapter gave examples, which were very creative, of ways for teachers to assess students based on their MI. The chapter explains that through standardized testing teachers can not fully or realistically tell whether or not a student understands the subject or is just guessing on multiple choice answers. Based on the assessments the book suggests the teacher could also set up a portfolio, as suggested, which will allow students and teachers to keep a record of their progress overtime. These portfolios would allow the student to be measured ipsatively, or compared to their own past performance. Which would allow the student to see which areas they progressed in and which areas still need work. The book gives several other suggestions for recording student work, such as videos for kinesthetic learners, audio recordings of musical/verbal learners and student journals for intrapersonal learners. One suggestion I particularly like is using standardized tests without the strict guidelines. The book suggests removing time limits and allowing students to use pictures, three-dimensional constructions, music and other ways to clarify their answers. This would show the teacher that, yes the student understands the work the state says they should understand, and that they just need the ability to show the understanding in their own way within their own time. Overall I thought this chapter had a lot of great suggestions for switching up the ways in which we assess students, and I would definitely use a lot of them in my classroom to allow students to veer away from the norm and show not only their understanding but also their creativity.

Katie
In chapter 10 of the Multiple Intelligences book, Armstrong addresses how teachers should give assessments and what they should or should not do depending on how the assessment is set up. It is important for teachers to understand and observe their students before they assess them so that the teacher can know where they are in their learning and what can go on the assessment. Teachers must learn from their students and in order for them to do that, they must understand them and their multiple intelligences. Once teachers know what their students are as learners and how they learn best, they can give them homework and class work that deals with the way they learn best. Students do best if the question on a standardized test that is given to them is more in depth so that they can answer with more clarity and understanding. Standardized tests should have more than just a one word answer for students so that students can explain their reasoning for their answer and thus can be told why they are either wrong or right. As a future high school English teacher, I would want my students to answer my questions using as much information as they can because I would want to understand how they came up with their answer and then be able to tell them whether they’re right or wrong. I think it is important for students to understand their own reasoning to how they got to an answer that they did and if they do get the answer wrong, that I can help to being them back around and see what they did wrong and how they can get it right. I want my students to have complete understanding on whatever it is they are learning.

Roger
The tenth chapter of MI deals with assessment. Armstrong discusses the impact that the MI theory will have on assessment, or rather the impact that MI //should// have on assessment. He incorporated a wider view of needed assessment change, including the fact that assessments should be based off of multiple sources, as opposed to just a single multiple choice test. The more revolutionary idea he included into the book is the application of MI to assessment. This method is based mostly off of adjusting questions to suit individual intelligences. As opposed to the multiple choice method of four possible statements with one answer, this method uses short answer questions and asks them in a variety of ways.

One way this assessment method could be effectively and efficiently used in the classroom is to either have students or teachers choose an assessment based on their strongest intelligence. As opposed to a one-size-fits-all exam, students would be able to choose an exam that would test them just as adequately, but in a format that better works for them. The basis of the questions does not change, the way of asking them does.

Another way of providing the same content through more effective means is to change the way content, in addition to assessment, is distributed. Instead of the standard lecture or classroom discussion, it might be better to read the book //and// watch the movie. The option could also be available for audiobooks in place of a physical text.

Lizz
In chapter ten, the author talks about multiple intelligence and how to assess it. The most important part of assessment according to Howard Gardner is observation. The next important component of assessment is documentation of student’s products. As a teacher, I will both need to observe my students and have documentation of their work in order to know if they need more help or if they understand it. Some ways that documentation can happen is work samples, audio files, video, student journals, and student interviews, etc. One aspect of chapter 10 that I thought was very interesting was through multiple intelligences assessment can be in eight different forms for example standardized tests require students to show what they have learned during the year. Most of the time tests are giving to the students and they have to sit at their desks and have a certain amount of time allotted to them. Most standardized tests are linguistic questions therefore some students do not do well. There should be other ways that the students can be tested to show that they learned what they needed to over the year. The last aspect of chapter 10 that I found interesting and helpful was the multiple intelligence portfolios. MI portfolios contain the five basic components, which are called the five c’s: (celebration, cognition, communication, cooperation, and competency). I would like to incorporate the MI portfolios into my classroom it seems like it would help me make sure I use all the different learning styles so that my students can succeed and it will help me keep my classroom organized which I think I will need help with at times.

Jenn
Chapter 10 makes a very good point in saying that if you teach the lesson using MI theory, you should also assess using MI theory.

I found this chapter very interesting because I think this is something I will struggle with in my classroom. When I look back through my schooling, I can’t honestly think of any examples of using all eight intelligences to assess a lesson, and that’s extremely disappointing. I was particularly taken with this chapter because I think that past experiences will make it harder to master this idea.

I thought that the chapter made a good point in saying that any types of assessment should start with observation. This does not just apply to MI theory, and I think it makes this easier to work with. The idea that really seemed to strengthen my confidence in my ability to use this was using links to the students’ lives. If I’m working from observing my students, I should be able to come to some conclusions about appropriate links that connect to them. This idea helps break down any of the confusion about how tying in MI to assessment could happen in every class. Finally, I really like the idea of tying all of the assessments back to portfolios, which are a concept any content area or teacher can easily handle. Also, tying in the idea that every portfolio should, in some way, support all of the eight areas, could be helpful to any teacher, and would prevent them, at least to some degree, from forgetting about differentiated instruction in assessment.

Alex Slack
Chapter 10 MI Theory and Assessment: In this chapter of MI I drew a lot of connections to the creative work that we have done and are currently working on in Dr. Theresa’s class. The list and descriptions used on page one hundred and thirty three are very similar to those that we are doing, and as a teacher are also very useful suggestions for what we should use and have the kids do it our classes. Basically make the instruction and learning part engaging so the kids want to learn and produce work that is so good that is grades itself. The section about assessment in eight ways taught me so much just ways of asking questions as well as just effective ideas for how to get the kids involved and making connections. The most effective thing in this whole chapter was the list of the multiple intelligences and how to use each one to teach the lesson that you want to teach! When I saw this I got super excited because it not only puts the ultimate teaching goal in perspective but it isn’t hard! The charts and planers used for teachers in creating lesson plans is great because it not only allows you to effectively plan the lesson but also effectively organize your work which is something that I drastically need improvement on. The ultimate goals is to reach all learners so that they are engaged and interested in work like they were in Primary school and this chapter on MI Theory and Assessment definitely is huge steps in that direction.

Caleb
Multiple intelligences in the classroom means that we will have to differentiate our instruction in order to best suit their needs. If we have to teach them as a collective of diverse learners then we must also assess them as a collective of diverse learners. What does that mean? It means that standardize test do not work in a classroom where multiple intelligences are blooming. As teachers we must allow the students to perform an assessment of their choice that will allow them to show us their knowledge through how they best learnt the subject. These assessments, especially in my math classroom, could end up stating that kinematics learners could perform a mathematical equation or the oral learns could give a presentation on a specific mathematical law. These multiple intelligence assessment allow students to make a choice and show the teacher the amount of understand they have over the course assignment instead of staring blankly at a test that they may or may not know the answers too. As students perform a variety of assessment a teacher must develop a portfolio that will show the students how they are advancing in different intelligence and will give the teacher a chance to reflect upon their projects being done. This portfolio will be used to observe and understand what’s going on in the students’ minds much more then a test or a single project. It’s a grouping that allows parents to view their work, a teacher to determine if it was effective and to show the students how far they have come. Keeping one of these portfolios and have a constant eye in the classroom will be key to understanding the multiple intelligences of my students.