Teaching to Multiple Intelligences
How will your understanding of multiple intelligences affect your teaching methodology? In what ways could you use your knowledge of how individuals process information when planning for your instructional delivery?
Understanding multiple intelligences has really helped my teaching style. Before I understood that we each learn differently I only delivered my curriculum using a lecture format; writing on the board and verbally delivering the information. Now that I understand that each person learns best under certain condiditons I have changed my delivery method. For example, to diversify the way in which I lecture on a topic such as how to make a loaf of bread, I no longer just verbally discuss the steps, I demonstrate the steps in front of the class to better reach the visual learners. Then I have them break into groups to help the interpersonal learners to teach each other while they make the bread in groups. I have even rewritten the steps into a musical gingle to reach the musical learners.
Knowing how the student learns allows the instructors delivery of the material to be effective.
I would need to take under considerations the level of intelligence of students who are afraid to answer questions due,, to their lack is information that they have read.Although I use a lot of visual aides this assistance those students who learning methods are questionable.
By observing my students closely, I can often figure out which model of intelligence they fall under. I can then be flexible with my lesson plans, and change them to further enhance my students total understanding of the material.
Knowing that people have dominent intelligences
and looking at my class for those traits, I can group people together to emphasize their strengths.
They prosess information according to their life experiences.
Jennifer,
I think you will be pleased with the results you get from your students when you incorporate strategies based upon the different intelligences.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Understanding the-multiple intelligences make-up of the class(student body)would allow me to develop and deliver information or instructions to the student body more effectively.
The use of the information gain through obseving each student's learning behavior can be use in developing PPT with auditory,step-by-step demo, etc.
With past experiences that the students bring in the class room, either from a prior employment or even past schooling the students apply what they can to be successful.
Hmm, this is a very difficult question to answer. Ideally, I believe that I should vary the way that I deliver information. For instance, if I have students whose multiple intelligence lies in music and the like, perhaps I could have a lesson that incoporates songs germane to what we are studying. Likewise, if I have students who are mathematically inclined, I could explain concepts to them using mathematic terms and principles.
The only problem that I see to prevent me from teaching to each student's multiple intelligence is being creative enough to come up with different ideas that targets different types of intelligences.
Ariane,
They key is to offer variety in your instructional delivery and you will be hitting on many of the different intelligences so your students will enjoy success as they internalize what you have shared.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Thanks for the advice, Dr. Meers. I will try to observe other instructors to see if I can glean any ideas that might be useful for the course that I am teaching.
knowing how and what the students are willing to learn, gives me a better way to approach the class and deliver my lesson plan
useing the four teaching methods will normally keep all students involved
Ariane,
This will be a great experience for you because you will be surprised I am sure at how much you can pick up in a short time.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Keelan,
How do you assess what the students are willing to learn? Once you know that information how do you incorporate it into your instructional planning? Thanks for you input on this.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
It will help me in my approach of the material to ensure I am reaching the three intelligneces most efficently.
I can adjust my approach to enhance these processes.
In most of the courses that I teach, I use a variety of methods to convey the information. One particular course is predominately lecture with some labs and videos - I realize that it would be better to decrease the lecture time and add more variety to the methodology to accommodate more students.5
After an assessment of all the students in the class I can more accurately teach all the students. I will still be assigning reading from the textbooks, and then lecturing to reinforce that. That will cover a couple of the learning preferences. I could then split the students into discussion groups, basing the split on the assessments to make sure that each group has members whose skills complement each other. Add in a graphic presentation and all student needs should be covered.
I like to have all students complete a learning style assessment to help them and me understand how they learn best. When teaching, I attempt to incorporate as many senses as possible and bring equipment into the classroom. Incorporating critical thinking early in the class and continue to build scenarios as we continue is helpful.
