MI+B1+Chapter+11

__Abstract__ Chapter eleven is about [|implicating MI]with special education. Over the year, teachers have gotten into the bad habit of focusing on what students can not do and teaching them based on that. MI theory provides a growth paradigm that can help assist special-needs students. [|Learning disabilities]occur in all eight intelligences. Dyslexia would be a linguistic deficit, dyscalculia would be mathematical, prosopangnosia is a spacial deficit, ideomotor dyspraxia is a kinesthetic deficit, dysmusia is a musical disorder, dysmeia is an interpersonal, intrapersonal, and nature disorder. However, these disorders often do not affect other intelligences, which is why a savant could be an amazing pianist, but have trouble speaking. In fact, some of the most well known people in history have had some sort of extraordinary gift as well as a learning disability. Beethoven was partially deaf, but he was still a great pianist. Charles Darwin came up with the theory for evolution, but he had emotional growth difficulties. Steven Hawking is one of the greatest minds of out time and he has to deal with a major physical disability. A broad implication of MI theory for special education may have some positive and negative effect. There may be fewer referrals to special education classes, a changed role for the special education teacher, a greater emphasis on realizing student strengths, an increase in self-esteem, and an increase of understanding and appreciation by students. If teachers use more than linguistic and mathematical intelligences to teach classes, then referrals to special-needs classes will decline. This will change the job of the special-needs teacher from one who pulls the student out of class to one who adjusts the type of work they do to a different intelligence. If teachers focus more on teaching to a student's strengths, then the student will respond better and their self-esteem will be higher, too. Finally, if the students start to understand the material, then they will have a better understanding and appreciation of it and the teacher. __Synthesis__ Many of the responces to this chapter focused on what they thought of integrating disabilities and MI theory. For the most part, you all agreed that students with learning disabilities did belong in the classroom and should not be labeled as such. In order to fully integrate students with disabilities, may it be ADD or dislexia, you all agreed with the author that as teachers, we should focus on the student's strengths, not their weaknesses. Caleb brough up Batman as a person who is a testiment to overcoming weakness. "If Batman never went to get training over this weakness of his, then we would not have a Dark Knight." Some of you even integrated your experiences, whether it be personal or family memebers who have disabilities, and related it to the chapter. Katie talked about her cousin, who is mentally and physically disabled in some ways, but is a computer wizz. The general concensus through out these reviews was to integrate all students by focusing on their strengths.

Abby
In chapter 11 of //MI,// Armstrong offers some insight into how MI can be used for special education. It was suggested that if a student has a learning disability in one of the intelligences that another is used to help fix this. One example that was given is the use of braille to help students that have trouble reading because it offers them a chance to try to grasp the concept using a different intelligence and then transfer this over to the correct intelligence once they can. Also, if students are all being treated as unique individuals who all have their own strengths and weaknesses in different intelligences there are less students referred for special education. More emphasis is placed on student strengths instead of all the attention being placed on the areas that are lacking and this in turn increases a student’s self esteem.

The things that I like the most about this application of MI is that it allows students with minor to severe learning disabilities to be //normal//. It highlights each student’s strengths and helps him or her to overcome their learning problems by using their well-developed intelligences to help support and build up those that are lacking. Also, I think that working with the students right in the class, when possible, is far more effective than pulling out students because it causes them to view themselves as more useless and can be very embarrassing, however when all students are being met at their own level and helped in the areas in which they are week these students do not feel as bad about themselves.

Tyler
Chapter eleven is about implicating MI with special education. Over the year, teachers have gotten into the bad habit of focusing on what students can not do and teaching them based on that. MI theory provides a growth paradigm that can help assist special-needs students. Learning disabilities occur in all eight intelligences. Dyslexia would be a linguistic deficit, dyscalculia would be mathematical, prosopangnosia is a spacial deficit, ideomotor dyspraxia is a kinesthetic deficit, dysmusia is a musical disorder, dysmeia is an interpersonal, intrapersonal, and nature disorder. However, these disorders often do not affect other intelligences, which is why a savant could be an amazing pianist, but have trouble speaking. In fact, some of the most well known people in history have had some sort of extraordinary gift as well as a learning disability. Beethoven was partially deaf, but he was still a great pianist. Charles Darwin came up with the theory for evolution, but he had emotional growth difficulties. Steven Hawking is one of the greatest minds of out time and he has to deal with a major physical disability. A broad implication of MI theory for special education may have some positive and negative effect. There may be fewer referrals to special education classes, a changed role for the special education teacher, a greater emphasis on realizing student strengths, an increase in self-esteem, and an increase of understanding and appreciation by students. If teachers use more than linguistic and mathematical intelligences to teach classes, then referrals to special-needs classes will decline. This will change the job of the special-needs teacher from one who pulls the student out of class to one who adjusts the type of work they do to a different intelligence. If teachers focus more on teaching to a student's strengths, then the student will respond better and their self-esteem will be higher, too. Finally, if the students start to understand the material, then they will have a better understanding and appreciation of it and the teacher.

Ally
This chapter is about multiple intelligence and special needs, this is important because they also have certain intelligences that they prefer over other and integrating the classroom in order to make sure they also understand the work is just as important as any other student. I have seen many teachers not change their curriculum for special needs students because they are under the assumption that that student will never be able to understand the content any way. They would not even give the student the chance to learn it is frustrating for the student because they want to be treated fairly and equally, which means changing the lesson. I agree with the chapter when it said that we “shouldn’t put labels such as ADD” because it isn’t fair to the students. I don’t think we should treat them any different then any other student because that makes them stand out which is not far for them either. I think an individualized learning plan would help students with special needs because they would be learning at their own rate and using the intelligence that they feel is most strong. The teacher can observe in order to figure out which intelligence the student is most comfortable with or they could talk to other parents and teachers. I found the chart to be very helpful for finding an activity for each of the learning intelligence. When looking at the activities most of them were Type II technologies which is good because you are still incorporating the technology into the classroom. This will help me as a teacher because I might have a special needs student in my class and I need to be able to accommodate for that in my classroom. That way the student is comfortable in the environment and contributes more to class.

Jake
The role of Multiple Intelligences gets significantly more interesting when looking at it through the lens of special education. The book states that one of the primary failures of current special education programs is the negative approach that educator s are taking. Armstrong talks about how educators are constantly focusing on student’s weaknesses and not their strengths, specifically in the context of special education. I believe this is a reasonably true statement. When we hear that a student has Autism, or something of that nature we immediately begin to consider the adjustments that he is going to need because of his weaknesses. However, as Armstrong points out, it may be incredibly more effective to focus on their strengths. In considering multiple intelligences, student’s disabilities may only be in one or two facets of their intelligence. They may be remarkable gifted with math, or athletics, or music. If educators can focus on their strengths and help them to build their knowledge and intelligence through those strengths, then perhaps their weaknesses aren’t so much a result of their circumstance, but the worlds inability to adjust to their circumstance.

This is a mentality that I hope to be able to get into the habit of applying. We are condition to think a certain way, and unfortunately my thinking is often focused on the negative, as the book points out. However, I think Armstrong make a very good point. We need to build on students strengths, because they do have them and they are just waiting to be built up. I firmly believe if we can shift our mentalities as teachers, we can shift the mentalities of society as a whole.

DJ Fletchy Fletch
Teachers need to learn how to make superheroes. I know that statement sounds rather ridiculous and rather absurd since superheroes are something of fiction but, at least in this chapter, we are told to take someone’s weakness put a positive spin on it and strengthen what they are good at. Now, if I am not mistaken this sound quite like a superhero scenario. Let’s take a look at Batman, for a moment, he was a billionaire’s kid wrought with guilt who just wanted to find a way to get his mommy and daddy back. When we break down Batman he’s pretty much a guy who misses his mom and dad a lot. This is a weakness, [|Batman] has a hard time expresses himself, especially to people. He has a lot of intra/interpersonal problems. These problems however were never viewed negatively. They were cultured and grown. If Batman never went to get training over this weakness of his, then we would not have a Dark Knight. Along these longs if we didn’t take his strength of being a comeback king and his logical/kinesthetic style of learning. Where would he be? Nowhere. Think about it, there is a batman in each one of our students. If the have a disability look for the ability they have and make it grow and help them with their weaknesses. As a teacher I will look for all those “Bruce Wayne”s in my classroom so I can make them into Batmen, someday.

Katie
In chapter 11 of the MI book the main idea is that MI theory will help special education students to succeed more in a regular classroom because the classes will be prepared to be modified to fit the specific needs of the individual. Special needs students will also have a MI teacher that will help them to concentrate on what MI they seem to be the strongest in and can then incorporate what is going on in the classroom to that of that intelligence. The author also mentioned the idea that disabled students are also geniuses even if it is in only one intelligence.

I felt that I could connect a lot with this chapter because of my disabled cousin. My cousin is mentally disabled and has lived in a wheelchair his whole life. He has a hard time communicating and most of what he says I do not understand. But, the thing is, he knows who I am and who his family is. He also is extremely smart with computers and technology. It is odd that he cannot walk or speak properly, but he knows more about computers than I do. There are many disabled students that are just like him and that are extremely smart in one area, but cannot do the simple things in life that we take for granted and that we expect others to do. As a teacher, I am going to pay attention to disabled students and try to fit the lesson to their needs in order for them to learn just like the rest of the students. Even if they are not intelligent in some of the things that society has deemed a necessity, does not mean that they cannot learn just as much if not more in a normal classroom setting.

Jasmine
Special education is very important with multiple intelligences because it can be involved in all eight of them. For example, learning disabilities can occur in all eight multiple intelligences. Dyslexia is a linguistic deficit and dyscalculia is a logical mathematical deficit. Other students may have trouble recognizing faces, which is a special deficit. These deficits often operate autonomously in the classroom. MI provides a model for understanding all students with different deficits, which is the deficit paradigm. Every teacher, including myself, will have students with a variety of deficits in the class and it will be my responsibility to deal with it in a professional and comfortable environment. Individual education programs, otherwise known as, IEPs, are developed as part of a students special education program. MI allows teachers to understand what students’ strengths are but IEPs focus on the weaknesses and don’t focus as much on their strengths. These are something I would definitely consider using in my classroom because it is a way to make sure students are getting the attention they need in the areas they need it most which a lot of schools neglect to do. Not all students require IEPs but the students who do need it will truly benefit from it. MI has the potential to change the meaning of special education. If teachers would utilize it more often, there would not necessarily be the need for special education because all students would be getting the desired attention they need in the classroom at all times. Teachers just need to take the time to identify students’ weaknesses, and focusing on their needs through using MI. This is very possible, and I, as a teacher will definitely take the time to understand student needs and work to the best of my ability to help them.

Dan
The question of how students with special needs applied to the theory of multiple intelligences was always on my mind. It’s obvious that they are incorporated into MI somehow, because they are just like any other student when it comes to mind processing. This chapter answered the majority of my questions, which was helpful. I appreciate the growth paradigm ideal, as it does not label individuals, but rather the eight intelligences that have a disability. For instance, the theory of MI can explain how an autistic savant can perform wonder and elegant pieces of music, but lacks in interpersonal development. It is not the individual who is affected by a disability but rather his interpersonal intelligence is. It is also important to note that just because someone is hindered by a disability does not mean they will not be successful in the future. This idea can be helpful if someone has a disability in the classroom, for they can understand that they are not held back, but rather there specified intelligence is. Just like in a differentiated classroom, differentiating the instructions for students with learning disabilities is needed to make sure they succeed in school. It is also important to focus on the student’s strengths rather than their weakness, so I will be very aware in my classroom on which intelligence students excel in. Using the theory of multiple intelligences also helps establish IEPs for students, because, as said before, it focuses on their strengths, so teachers can decided which activities can help a student learn.

Roger
The eleventh chapter of MI deals with relating MI to special education. This is where the MI theory really serves a good purpose. The MI theory can be fully applied to address strengths and weaknesses. The chapter opens with a bit about teachers focusing on the negative – what students can’t do. Focusing on growing the higher talents of special needs students is a great idea. Basically what it boils down to is the basic foundation of education – the goal of schools is to make well-rounded students. That would be why most schools require a mixed curriculum of math, science, literature, and social sciences. It is a mentality caused by the fundamental goals of schools everywhere – try to make everything balanced. With special needs students, there is no balance. This is where the point of enhancing the positive becomes fuzzy. Should teachers focus on bringing all students up to par in all the subjects, or should they focus on what students are good at? This is a question that I cannot answer. This will be applied in my classroom like every other MI concept – the common sense basis. I do not plan to make MI an obvious point to make. The point I will make is a respect for my students’ individuality. MI is a part of this, not the whole thing. Armstrong seems very intent on teachers making their classroom revolve around this, when it is a piece of the puzzle, albeit a big one. The basic fundamental is respect – understanding students, understanding their situation, and respecting their needs.

Slack Master Flash
MI Chapter 11 – This chapter diversified the uses of the multiple intelligent theories that were described in chapter 8 this chapter goes on to show that you can use the multiple intelligences theories in all of your classes and use these theories to really get to know these your students. This chapter had a graph or chart that showed how the theories can be related to famous smart people or excuse me scholars. This chart showed how you can relate you multiple intelligences to other sources that you are interested in and find fun. This chart showed that you can relate these people to your classes, as well as really get to know your students. This chapter really wants you to get to know your students by relating through what they learn and to get to know them on a closer level so they trust you can feel comfortable in the class room. With the use of the multiple intelligences theory you can not only build a classroom where you get to know your students but also develop your students. Your students will grow as people in a classroom that cultivates their abilities and grow as people and not just leaders. I really liked that in this chapter it said students can grow in self esteem and just a greater appreciation for all students if you have an environment that cultivates their learning for each other.

Brittany
This chapter gives suggestions of ways we can move away from students with special needs having disabilities and focus more on their creative abilities in other non traditional forms. I loved that the chapter gave a chart showing successful people who happen to have difficulties in areas such as hearing, physical, emotional and communication. It is often forgotten, or purposefully left out of the larger picture, that not all successful people have had an easy route, a lot of people struggle to get where they are. Whether that be financially, physically, emotionally or academically. I am sure there are people who did not and do not know that some of the most famous leaders in the world such as Winston Churchill, and famous writers such as Agatha Christie had difficulties with communication and learning. I also really liked that the book gave some great suggestions on how to empower students, because as Armstrong stated, we become so ingrained to look at what students can't do and forget to look at what students can do. I think this chapter definitely gave me some great ideas on new ways that I can help students with difficulties in my classroom. I only hope that I have that chance to empower a student who for so long has been dis-empowered and brought down by their difficulties. =

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Jenn
I love the idea of using MI to highlight special education and that’s exactly what this chapter is about. One of my favorite things about MI is that it opens up a way for students to connect with one another through the similarities of their learning styles and creates a more understanding, tolerant atmosphere. Special education plays right into MI theory’s strengths because teachers are able to view students as people with strengths in learning styles, as well as their weakness. This is the first step in being able to use the theory to its full potential. The best way to work with a special needs child is to simply consider them a “neurodiverse” student. I love that idea because it is no different than highlighting specific learning styles in the classroom. Also having special needs students almost requires you to think about MI on a very regular basis, so the class as a whole can benefit from the specific needs of a few of its students. Introducing MI theory opens the door to talking about the differences in the classroom, and can help everyone understand that everyone has special needs and should be treated as such. A great way to show students how everyone, even famous people, and noted historical influences have had their fair share of problems, like Figure 11.2 points out. My favorite thing about MI theory is this allows students to be more comfortable with not just the people around them, but who they are. Many students going through school are insecure about multiple parts of their lives. Understanding that everyone has things that make them similar, but that their combination of things makes them unique, helps every student come to terms with their own needs.

Lizz
Using the multiple intelligence theory as a backdrop, educators can begin to perceive children with special needs as whole persons possessing strengths in many intelligence areas. Just because some students may not be as proficient in areas as other students does not mean they still cannot learn the material. Maybe they just learn it in a different way and have a higher intelligence in a different category. The multiple intelligence theory suggests that if students are not succeeding because of limitations in specific intelligence areas that they can exploit their intelligences. I have seen in many schools not just my high school where a teacher does not change their curriculum to fit all the students but instead the students with special needs are taken out of the class to learn which sometimes can hurt them more because they lose the social aspect of staying inside the classroom. I had one teacher in high school that did change their curriculum to accommodate special need students and they loved being in the normal classroom and we loved having them be a part of the class as well. I thought it was very interesting about the part of IEPS where the example said that students with well-developed bodily-kinesthetic and spatial intelligences might be having difficulty learning to read but the IEP would fail to include the intelligences that the student achieved in. The influence that the MI theory has on special educations includes fewer referrals to special education classes, a changing role for the special education teacher, a greater emphasis on identifying strengths, increased self-esteem, and increased understanding and appreciation of students. This will help me inside my classroom because I will most likely have a student with special needs and will have to accommodate my curriculum so they can stay inside the classroom and still learn with the rest of the students.