TechAcademyII

Tech Academy III - Session III

Brain Compatible Learning/Multiple Intelligences/Learning Styles

“I think… therefore… M.I.!”
"The mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled." -- Plutarch
"It's not how smart you are but how you are smart." -- René Diaz-Lefebrve

ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Why should multiple intelligences and learning styles affect your teaching?

INTRODUCTION
"Intelligence is the ability to find and solve problems and create products of value in one's own culture."
-Dr. Howard Gardner - Harvard University

The purpose of this assignment is to give you a sampling of the aspects of multiple intelligences and learning styles, and to explore how using them could benefit your students. Then take this theory a little further and discover how technology fits into the realm of brain compatibility, learning styles and multiple intelligences. Is it possible? How is it possible?

"Remember, everyone has ALL the intelligences. The intelligences are not mutually exclusive - they act in consort. MI Theory was not developed to exclude individuals, but to allow all people to contribute to society through their own strengths!" -Walter McKenzie

TASK
To aquaint yourselves with your dominant "intelligence", you should complete several surveys that will assess your personal learning strengths. You have time to take more than one survey. Compare the results. You may find that the surveys don't always agree, and you may be surprised to find a new strength. Remember, everyone has all the intelligences. However, everyone has dominant learning strengths or preferences. The surveys are listed in the RESOURCE SECTION below. You do not need to print out the results of your survey, unless you would like them for your own references. (Printer HP 4050, it's in the east hallway upstairs)
After finding your learning strengths, you should assemble yourselves into groups of three, making sure you have a different learning style than your partner. You will complete your project with this partner.

Personal Inventory Resources

http://www.howtolearn.com/personal.html
Personal Learning Style Inventory

http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/ilsweb.html
Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire

http://www.mtsu.edu/~devstud/advisor/learn.html
Hemispheric Dominance Inventory - Are you right-brained or left-brained?

http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/miinventory.php
Learning Styles - The Multiple Intelligence Inventory - endorsed by Howard Gardner
(Don't worry about inserting a number, fill out the bottom blanks, and start the inventory.)

http://users.mwci.net/~sauer/miass.htm
Enjoy taking this electronic questionaire.

ACTIVITY Project: Create an “engaged learning” project you could use in your class. When forming this project, make sure to meet the needs of all the learning styles represented in your group. Be sure to include some resources that will be appropriate for elementary students, as well as some for secondary students. The topic is your choice. The media choice is yours, too. The lesson plan/project should be complete and ready to teach. Plan how each group member will share during the presentation time. Presentations will begin at 1:45 P.M. (Lunch at noon.)

Each presentation should include:

Activities which highlight each member’s learning strength
Valuable web sites associated with your project topic
Graphics, both from clip art and the internet
Software/multimedia

Something to think about:

How will you ask your “students” to present their assignments?
How will your students work? Alone, in pairs, or groups?
How will you assess your students’ final project?
What timeline will you offer to complete the project?
Will you offer other resources besides the internet? If so, what?
Keeping the various learning styles of your class in mind, how will you make sure to cover a variety of styles, i.e., bodily/kinesthetic, naturalist, etc.

RESOURCES FOR M.I. http://www.itec.sfsu.edu/teachprep/proj_site/html/resource/links/multipleintelligences.html
Which technologies might be helpful for each type of intelligence?

http://www.casacanada.com/multech.html
Addresses parents and offers explanations of MI for parents.

http://www.ri.net/RITTI_Fellows/Carlson-Pickering/MI_Tech.htm
MI & Technology: A Winning Combination

http://www.newhorizons.org/trm_duriemi.html
An interview with Howard Gardner

http://www.surfaquarium.com/im.htm
Internet links exercising your multiple intelligences.

http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/mrcte/multiple.htm
Multiple Intelligences site with good links including one on constructivism.

http://snow.utoronto.ca/Learn2/mod3/tchprocess.html
Teaching Students Process Awareness

http://www.coedu.usf.edu/~morris/multiple.html
8 Kinds of Smarts - Lists materials and activities for each of the intelligences.

Feel free to search for more sites on your favorite search engine.

EVALUATION Submit a complete project in presentation form highlighting “engaged learning” and the multiple intelligences.