Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Dance in your given smarty-pants!

A lot of the thinking in teaching these days is about understanding that people learn differently. Which is connected to this multiple-intelligences concept, that we're smarter in some ways than in others. These (below) are the ways usually identified right now, and I find they make a lot of intuitive sense.

Myself I am very bad at kinesthetic and mathematical, though I'm okay with logic, depending how it's phrased; I'm not great at visual-spatial; I'm stronger re. musical; and my strongest areas are in interpersonal, intrapersonal and linguistic.

I like this idea, because, for example, we often don't talk of body-intelligence as intelligence. Like, if someone can cook well but knows nothing of politics, we think they're stupid; same with the "jock" who's great at sports, but maybe terrible at reading. But this approach sees these things as just different kinds of intelligence, not measured by SATs or even the school setting. Or, for example, I'm watching Beauty & the Geek right now, and the thing about the geeks is that they're very smart in math or logic etc., but often have low interpersonal skills. Or sometimes we'll know someone who doesn't think very critically, but they're just really nice... that, to me, is a skill -- a kind of intelligence.

Anyway... I think people who go into the teaching profession need to take more of an approach like this, and stop thinking of some students as stupid.

*
From: http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html

The broad spectrum of students - and perhaps the society as a whole - would be better served if disciplines could be presented in a numbers of ways and learning could be assessed through a variety of means." The learning styles are as follows:

Visual-Spatial - think in terms of physical space, as do architects and sailors. Very aware of their environments. They like to draw, do jigsaw puzzles, read maps, daydream. They can be taught through drawings, verbal and physical imagery. Tools include models, graphics, charts, photographs, drawings, 3-D modeling, video, videoconferencing, television, multimedia, texts with pictures/charts/graphs.

Bodily-kinesthetic - use the body effectively, like a dancer or a surgeon. Keen sense of body awareness. They like movement, making things, touching. They communicate well through body language and be taught through physical activity, hands-on learning, acting out, role playing. Tools include equipment and real objects.

Musical - show sensitivity to rhythm and sound. They love music, but they are also sensitive to sounds in their environments. They may study better with music in the background. They can be taught by turning lessons into lyrics, speaking rhythmically, tapping out time. Tools include musical instruments, music, radio, stereo, CD-ROM, multimedia.

Interpersonal - understanding, interacting with others. These students learn through interaction. They have many friends, empathy for others, street smarts. They can be taught through group activities, seminars, dialogues. Tools include the telephone, audio conferencing, time and attention from the instructor, video conferencing, writing, computer conferencing, E-mail.

Intrapersonal - understanding one's own interests, goals. These learners tend to shy away from others. They're in tune with their inner feelings; they have wisdom, intuition and motivation, as well as a strong will, confidence and opinions. They can be taught through independent study and introspection. Tools include books, creative materials, diaries, privacy and time. They are the most independent of the learners.

Linguistic - using words effectively. These learners have highly developed auditory skills and often think in words. They like reading, playing word games, making up poetry or stories. They can be taught by encouraging them to say and see words, read books together. Tools include computers, games, multimedia, books, tape recorders, and lecture.

Logical -Mathematical - reasoning, calculating. Think conceptually, abstractly and are able to see and explore patterns and relationships. They like to experiment, solve puzzles, ask cosmic questions. They can be taught through logic games, investigations, mysteries. They need to learn and form concepts before they can deal with details.


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