MI+B2+Chapter+3

Matt Roy- Abstract and Synthesis
 Chapter 3 of Multiple Intelligences really focused on getting to know your students. While the first two chapters develop our understanding of what Multiple Intelligence theory is this chapter says “Well, that’s all well and good but what now?” We now have an understanding of the thoughts behind MI theory but we don’t really know about how to identify the intelligences of our students so that we may reach them more effectively. Chapter 3 focuses on giving educators ideas of how to go about identifying the intelligences in our classrooms. The author notes that students do possess all eight intelligences just to varying degrees, the “proclivities” are the 1-3 intelligences that we tend to lean on the most in our educations. [|Observation] and [|assessment] can both serve as excellent tools for identifying which intelligences each student prefers. There is no be all end all test for identifying intelligences so educators must take care to use as many resources as possible when developing an understanding of how each student learns.

 Lending evidence to the diversity of this group, preferred assessment methods ran across the entire spectrum. Some of you liked the idea of analyzing old school records, while others felt they would be best served by speaking with colleagues about particular students and their intelligences. The one aspect that came up the most (maybe because it seems so strange, yet makes so much sense) was the misbehavior suggestion. Many of you felt that the idea of students broadcasting their proclivities via their misbehaviors was extremely interesting; one of you even described it as “novel”. Overall, no one seemed to be intimidated by the idea of collecting multiple sources of data for each student. Each of us seems to be genuinely dedicated to the task of creating an effective and comfortable learning environment for all of our future students. toc

T.J. Hebert
This chapter provides outstanding ideas on how to get an understanding of how students in your classroom learn. This may be one of the most important aspects of a teacher being effective. Learning how students learn will help the teacher adapt to different styles and provide a more learning friendly classroom. Some ways to help a teacher determine different intelligences is writing down observations of each child and keeping some type of log as the semester goes on, things like misbehaving, interest and what they do during their free time. Another way is to collect certain works like drawings, painting or stories as well as talking to other teachers about what they have observed. The student may act differently in another subject, talking to the art teacher about drawing/painting skills or English teacher about writing or storytelling skills. Learning intelligences of the students can really help enhance learning.

The chapter mentioned that kids start displaying intelligences they are more skilled in at an early age. As I have thought about that statement I find it hard to try and determine my three year olds intelligence. He loves being outside, playing and looking at bugs, fishing, and loves animals so it makes me think naturalist. He never stops moving and he loves to run and play sports so it makes me think kinesthetic. But then I think that most kids never stop moving, most kids are full of energy and love being outside. So how do I know that he has one of those particular intelligences if he is similar to nearly every kid his age? The book does not specify an age so perhaps it will start to show soon and I will be looking for it, it will be practice for me before I become a teacher.

Lauren Scheidegger
In the third chapter of __Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom__ by Thomas Armstrong tactics on how to get information about students Multiple Intelligence levels were revealed. Armstrong first made it clear that students tend to have strengths in many of the intelligences, not just one of them. He also stated that strengths in an intelligence can be shown very early on and that there really is no 100% accurate test to see where a child’s intelligences lie or will lie. Teachers can, however, get a pretty good idea of their student’s preferences in a variety of different ways. There were some very basic methods such as looking at the student’s documents (past grades, school work, and testing scores), talking with past teachers and parents, and asking the student themselves that were mentioned. More elaborate techniques were also illustrated. These involved first explaining the MI theory to the students. This could be done by connecting intelligences to famous figures. I found that idea extremely creative.

Knowing ones students seems essential to teaching them properly. As any teacher, I want my students to enjoy my classes as much as possible and feel capable and intelligent. I feel the key to doing this is to find each student’s strengths. A checklist (not a test) is a very easy and fast way to get a good deal of knowledge about each student. I also know that it is a great idea to speak with the students past teachers and parents/legal guardians. However I decide to figure out how to best teach each student, I will be sure to do as much as possible to ensure the success of each one.

Lauren Breton
Chapter 3: Describing Intelligences in Students This chapter discussed the multiple intelligences and how they are revealed within students and within the classroom. The text emphasized the fact that although students may show certain inclinations to certain intelligences, educators must be conscientious not to limit students to only one of the intelligences. Throughout this chapter, a large emphasis was also placed on how much can be learned about the intelligences through simple observation of how students act when they act out and what activities they choose to do during their free time. This chapter made me realize what a huge impact the intelligences have on every part of the classroom. For example, when a student acts out in class, they are likely acting out in a way that stimulates their preferred intelligence. One of the ideas that came out of this chapter that I would like to apply to my own classroom was the idea of examining students’ school records if they are having problems in my class. Although the idea seems impractical to use for all students, but seems like a good idea for students who are really having difficulties in class and are not connecting with the material. I also hope to incorporate activities that stimulate all of the intelligences, such as having stations that could apply the content in ways that benefit all of the eight intelligences. I hope that by doing these types of activities that I will be able to watch my students utilize all eight intelligences, although the text reports that normally only kindergarten teachers are able to see their students using all of the intelligences.

Samy Tracy
In chapter three, I learned different ways of assessing my future students’ intelligences. Or, figuring out which intelligence they possess the most. One factor that does not work is to just test them using a standardized method that does not fully show which intelligence a student is, it just gives a general idea. So there were suggestions on how to assess students and figure out which intelligence they are so that you can better teach that student.

The suggestion that struck me the most was to observe students who misbehave or students in their downtime. This was something that really surprised me because I had never thought of how students would actually show the intelligence they prefer in their downtime. The examples did make sense though, kids who are gossiping might be more social, kids who are verbal might read more, and so on. Teachers can also speak with their students’ previous teachers and see how they viewed that students learning style. Collaboration with other teachers is very important when getting to know your students, I think. Also, teachers can just come right up to students and ask them how they think they learn because they probably know the best. I know that if a teacher asked me if I felt like I was mathematical or logical, I would say no. I do not think teachers, or adults in general, give students much credit. They should know how they think and which way they know they learn best.

Kevin Lind
This chapter makes an important point by saying that there is no exact science to deciding which of the intelligences is strongest in each student. There are different tests that could be given, but none of them are 100% accurate. This means it is crucial for teachers to pay attention to their students. Based on a student’s actions, teachers should be able to make an educated guess to which intelligence is strongest. Once I am teaching, I will use this knowledge to pay attention to the different ways my students behave in the classroom. One very good idea that is suggested in this chapter is for teachers to talk to the parents of their students. Parents have clearly known their children longer than teachers, so this could give valuable insight into the learning styles of the students. Some schools require parent teacher conferences, but teachers at schools without this requirement should take the initiative to talk to parents. I don’t think it would be realistic for me to talk to the parents of my students during practicum, but I will definitely do this when I am a teacher. It is also a good idea to talk to the students themselves. They should all know the various ways that they learn. It can be as simple as finding out if students are involved in sports or if they play musical instruments. I hope that I will be able to talk to my students about their interest in and out of the classroom.

Alyssa Amari
There are a multitude of ways to learn about a students multiple intelligence. Although it is nearly impossible to perfect an understanding of their complete intelligence profile, each idea allows you to gain a more insightful look to how students learn. Some of the methods for describing a students’ intelligence are done by you, through personal checklists of certain applications students use in each intelligence, and setting up special activities within certain lessons. Other ways include certain research, like collecting certain documents from student work, especially pieces that stand out in certain intelligence areas, or looking at previous school records to see which subjects they excelled or had a hard time in. Other teachers can be helpful as well; you can ask them specifically about the intelligence they work with (like an art teacher or gym teacher). Parents are ultimate resources when describing intelligences in students; they raised the child and they may have certain documents or experiences that can help identify certain intelligence in their child. However, the most important resource are the students themselves, simply asking them or having them do certain activities, will help them to understand and explain their own multiple intelligence. This helps my as a teacher because it describes many ways that I may be able to understand and identify my students multiple intelligences. It will be important to me to keep track of each students progress within an intelligence so I can use it for lesson planning. This will impact my classroom because students will receive a lot of attention and observation, this may be different to them but it will help both of us to understand eachother.

Rachel Joiner
 I found this chapter to be extremely helpful in several ways. I enjoyed the many suggestions and options on how to gather information on students about their intelligences. One method I learned was to watch how students misbehave in a classroom. They will often times misbehave in ways that represent their intelligence, such as; a spatial student would be doodling while taking notes. Although this may seem to be distracting the student, it is simply their own style of learning and that is how they process the information. One important thing I came away with from this chapter that really influenced my classroom was to observe the students and take notes on them. It is wrong to assume things about the students based off a few observations. Although it makes look like they are doing something wrong, with a closer look you can see that it could possibly relate to their learning styles.  One thing that made an impact on me from this chapter was the idea to talk with other teachers about students and their learning styles. I thought this was great, and could use in my classroom. I think it is important to discuss with other teachers, because the student might be completely different in their classroom. This is especially important to me as a Social Studies concentration. I am only seeing my students perform in one aspect of learning. They may dislike social studies, but excel in science. If I talked with their science teacher, than I may realize they love science. I could use this information and incorporate such things into my lesson to make it more interesting and griping for my students.

Matt Roy
 Chapter 3 of Multiple Intelligences focuses on the identification of which intelligences students in our classrooms tend to lean towards (“proclivities”). Early in the chapter we are reminded that, while students may have these proclivities, students still use all of the intelligences (just to different degrees) and can even be effectively using multiple intelligences effectively without even knowing it. Furthermore, there is no concrete “be-all-end-all” test to identify what type of learner students are. The author suggests to readers on page 34 that, ultimately, the most effective tool for the intelligences used by students is simple observation. While observation is likely the best tool for determining intelligences, the author spends the rest of the chapter discussing various supplemental resources than can be effectively employed such as school records and meetings with parents.  Learning styles are not something that can be visibly seen when first interacting with someone. There is no designated shirt for auditory learners and there is no uniform hat for naturalistic learners. In order to properly evaluate and understand the way a person learns it takes time spent sincerely observing the students. This chapter has shown me that I can never be passive in my career, I must always be proactive and looking for ways to best identify how my students can best process and use the information I present in class. Perhaps most interesting was when the author suggests on page 34 that sometimes the best way to assess a student’s proclivities is to observe how they misbehave in class.

Megan Millette
Before reading this chapter, I found myself wondering about how a teacher could know what all his/her students were closely associated to when dealing with the Multiple Intelligences. If one were to ask me how to tell what intelligences my students lean more to, I would have said by asking them. This is certainly one of the methods of finding this out; however, Armstrong states many other ways in this chapter such as, looking up past grades, asking fellow colleagues, asking the students parents, etc. These methods will help build a better classroom experience for each student. By using these methods you will have an easier time adjusting lesson plans to your students interests, which will keep them intrigued and responsive. One of the methods I found very interesting and thought would be fun to use in my classroom one day would be basic observation. Being an English teacher, I feel this is doable since my students will come in and need to have some free time to clear their mind before going into a meaningful discussion on the book we had been reading or such. When, I give them their free time I could walk around the room and make small notes of what they pick to help free their mind. This would help better understand what area of intelligence they are more in tune with. Out of all the examples in the book, I personally related to the section on collecting documents and taking pictures. I had a teacher who was very into understanding her students by having them work in groups and film or take pictures of one another to help them all better understand each other. Through this project she had a better understanding of her students and was able to connect learning to us in a personal way.

Emily McGee
According to Armstrong, all children possess all eight intelligences to a certain degree but may have inclinations towards certain intelligences from an early age. These proclivities towards certain intelligences in children are what allow them to take in and understand the world around them. As they enter school they continue to process information in a similar way as they explore. Armstrong suggests that teachers look into student’s documents and school records, talk with parents, teachers, and students themselves to discover their optimum learning style. He also suggests that teachers be observant of how students spend their free time in class and the ways in which individual students misbehave.

I think it is important to understand the way students learn in order to teach them effectively. I really like Armstrong’s idea that a teacher can observe how students misbehave to understand how they learn. That is a completely novel idea to me, but makes so much sense. Of course students act out when they do not feel engaged in the learning, and of course they don’t feel engaged when it is not their learning style. I also like Armstrong’s idea of talking to parents, teachers, and the student themselves about the student’s preferences and thus intelligences. Also, teachers that record information on students is an excellent resource for subsequent teachers. I think it’s a good idea to keep a journal reflecting students learning styles in order to best help them learn.

Morgan Ware
Children posses all eight intelligences and can develop them at a very early age. However most students have strengths in several areas. Teachers should avoid labeling them into one intelligence. There is no test to see what your students’ intelligences are. The best way to understand your students’ intelligences is to simply to observe them. Students’ “say” through their misbehaviors, this is how they learn. Teachers should also look at how students spend their free time in school. Each intelligence gravitates towards certain activities that represent their intelligence. There are several ways to gain knowledge about students’ intelligences. Teachers should collect data, look at school records, talk with other teachers, and talk with parents. All of these things will help teachers understand and observe their students’ intelligences. Teachers should also ask students to do an activity to show what they think their intelligence is. Teachers should set up activities to teach intelligences, then teachers can observe the students.

Simone Thiry
The title of this chapter is “Describing Intelligences in Students”, however, the section addresses not only how to describe Intelligences in students, but also how to uncover evidence about student Intelligences from a variety of sources, and how to help students discover their own strengths. The author puts strong emphasis on the necessity of ensuring that students understand that they possess all eight Intelligences before moving on to assessing their proclivities (the inclinations toward specific Intelligences that children show at an early age). If a student begins with the assumption that there are certain types of thinking that they are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at, they may shy away from developing the Intelligences that are less strong. The author suggests that teachers keep a checklist or record of the Intelligences each student displays as they demonstrate them in the classroom. For middle/secondary teachers, who often have more than 100 students in a day, it is suggested that the teacher complete this process beginning with a few students from each class who are struggling. In this way, teachers can learn how to reach their students who may not be benefitting from the teachers’ preferred method of teaching. Other ways to help determine students Intelligences are by looking at school records, talking to other teachers, talking to parents and, most importantly asking the students. Students are the best experts on their strengths and weaknesses, and will be able to offer the most accurate insight on how they learn best. The methods given above will help me help my students who are having difficulty with the subject area, and help me teach to all my students’ strengths and develop the Intelligences that are less strong.

Mike Kahler
The third chapter of MI is about assessing the 8 intelligences in your students. Students are not going to have all 8 intelligences and they will also have multiple that are stronger than most. Figuring out which are the strongest is essential to writing well crafted lesson plans that will make it easy for all of your individual students to learn. There are many ways to gather information on your students multiple intelligences. The most obvious way is to collect your own documents on your students to see their strengths. This can be done in the form of journals, pictures, drawings, videos, etc. Another way is to look at school records on your students. By looking at your students grades in different subjects you can gather an accurate record of their strengths and weaknesses. Tests in reading can establish their linguistic intelligence, while things like sports performance can their bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Other ways to gather information on your students are through talking to other teachers like art teachers, to recognize students with great spacial intelligence and math teacher, to get an idea of their logical intelligence. The students themselves can be an excellent resource. Talking to them about what it is that they enjoy to do can really help a teacher to understand what it is that they need as far as activities that take advantage of their strongest intelligences. Finally, setting up activities that utilize all eight intelligences and seeing which area certain students respond to can guide you towards their favored intelligences. I think that this is wonderful to know. Knowing your students intelligences is essential to teaching them effectively. I will use the information given in this chapter to create activities and devise strategies for understanding my students' multiple intelligences. I know that I can not do recon work with all of my students, but by seeing the ones that are really struggling and talking to their other teachers to see where they really thrive will help me to devise lessons that will benefit them. Also writing lessons for all of the intelligences and finding out which parts are my students' favorites will help me to understand their MI and instantly see what is effective for my kids and what I can do away with.