When in the classroom, I try to give students information in as many ways as I can. I lecture, I use visual aids, I re-word things, and as often as I can, I take them to the lab so they can see and touch the things I've been talking about.
Elias,
Yes it does and students really like variety in their instructional delivery.
Gary
Lacey,
I think by making some changes you are going have fun with delivering the content as well as seeing increased learning on the part of your students. I wish you much teaching success with this adjustment.
Gary
I already use visuals (pictures, movies) to help reinforce my lectures of certain topics. When possible, I can start adding in more hands on projects that will help reinforce more of the information.
As instructors we can use the knowledge of multiple intelligences into the way we teach the information, if we incorporate a little of each learning style into our teaching we can spark the interest of all the different types of learners in the classroom. It is very difficult and time comsuming to identify what type of learner each student is but by knowing the different types of intelligences, we can change the way we give the information to reach the maximum number of learners.
Jane,
This will be a very good combination for both you and your students. I know you are going really enjoy seeing how they progress in their learning from these efforts.
Gary
A large challenge for any instructor is getting through to your students and keeping the topic relevant for them. By appealing to the varied intelligences students need to access the instructor has an additional tool for focus, understanding and long term comprehension.
Larry,
So true. These different approaches help the students to connect the dots between content and application which is critical to their career development.
Gary
Dr. Meers,
The understanding of the various ways that people process complex information is the difference between successful teaching and frustrated teaching. For years single teaching methods meant huge discrepancies on my test scores within a single class. I was stumped as to why despite my passion for the subject a proportion of my class received very low grades.
Then these ideas were taught to me about five years ago and it made instant sense. Now I use low local indigenous music when lecturing about different cultural uses of food. Then instead of a simple lecture, now I supplement it with a show and tell of all the ingredients being used. B passing the ingredients around so the students can feel and smell and encounter them first hand I engage successfully more of my students. Their understanding seems to be getting better as I am using more or less the same assessments with better success.
I would sure like to know also. First day of first class would be a great time to get a look at their multiple intelligences.
As stated in an earlier post I adjust the lesson plan to include lecture, reading material, and use real ingredients as visual and textural aides as I teach about various cultures and the way they use indigenous ingredients. In this way I try to include different stimuli to help everyone process information. I also play low level background music related to the country or region I am focusing on during any particular day.
I do the same thing. I use a mixture of lecture, audio/visual aides, reading assignments, writing assignments, and hands on lab experience.
John,
Great to hear about the success of this approach. You are using the different senses to help them acquire the content they need to have. A smell, sight or taste memory will help them to recall an ingredient when they are being tested.
Gary
Yes and it is becoming useful for all the other instructors that teach my curriculum
When I'm planning for my lesson I try to include activites that will touch each mi.
I will be setting up more time for observations and note taking about individual learning experiences and developing multiple tasks which can students can use to strengthen their level of understanding based on their individual learning preferences.
Using a variety of teaching strategies can help acheive and reach the variety of intelligences. Straight lecture is a thing of the past. As educators we need to reach the students using many types of teaching methodology. Lab, case studies, clinical, observational experiences are a few that I employ.
This will give me a better understanding of the various ways in which we learn.
David,
Great to hear. You are going to be able to more accurately target you instructional delivery as a result of this approach.
Gary
During the delivery of my material I notice that the delivery methods appeal to most of my students because I use different levels of pitch in the tone of delivery, produce diagrams & outline information on the board. and use various colors to distinguish different parts of a system or important information. I am also very animated. I did not realize the differences in intelligences with in myself, much less my students, but did notice that some students seem to be left out. A better understanding of this concept will help me retrieve those being left out.
