Conversation to begin on April 20

Welcome. We are Linda Fuller and Sarah Menu, eager to host this converation on GLEF materials from April 20-25. We will select materials for content closer to our date and post that here. We will also email interested people with instructions and how to get to our materials. Please join in!

Linda Fuller is an English teacher at the East Hampton Middle School.

Sarah Menu is a Social Studies teacher.

So far, here are our materials for our conversation:

Instructional Module Theory of Multiple Intelligences
http://www.edutopia.org/modules/mi/what.php

Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences and New Forms of Assessment:
http://www.edutopia.org/php/interview.php?id=Art_975

Sending out invitations for everyone to discuss.

Thank you so much for joining us. We are eager for your input on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. After reading the articles posted below and viewing the accompanying videos at those sites, do you feel that the consideration of multiple intelligences is addressed in the educational system today? Have you experienced it as a student or an educator? Were you ever cognizant that teachers "allowed" for your special intelligences?
Or, as an educator, do you incorporate the findings of Howard Gardner in your lessons? Please comment on these questions or any other thoughts prompted by the articles and videos.

Edited by author 04-18-2006 09:18 PM
After reading the articles highlighted in this GLEF conversation it occured to me that project based curriculum that is integrated is woven throughout the articles. Project based curriculum is the topic of conversation in Heidi Wilson's and Deborah M. Kennedy's GLEF Conversation. Come and join us too.

http://www.quicktopic.com/36/H/BkNUPVamtFK

From the second article: The Key Learning Community

While teachers carefully plan what their students need to know in accordance with Indiana state standards and Key Learning's own competencies, the best way they have found for students to acquire information and critical thinking skills is through projects.

I noticed the connection also, thank you.

Personally, in the beginning of each year I ask my students, "How do you learn best?" We discuss Howard Gardner's different intelligences as a class and then each student places an index card with their name on it next to the intelligence(s) that is appropriate for them. This information is kept on my classroom bulletin board. It helps me when I plan lessons because I can see how I need to use different teaching strategies in order to help my students learn. It also makes the kids self-reflect and think about how they learn best.

Another reason why you are such an effective teacher. Imagine teachers knowing their kids passions and power, not just from data, but from personal interaction. The teacher wants to know about him/her and how he/she learns best. Great!

Meg, I too have asked my students how they best learn. I use History Alive!'s mulitple intelligence test, which I just now discovered has an online version:
http://www.jaconline.com.au/sosealive/sahistory1/mitests.html
It is a great way to learn about each of your students.

Thanks for the link Sarah. I can't wait to use it with my students!

Meg, I am so glad that you are going to use the quiz.

Howard Gardner in his interview speaks of the importance of student-directed learning. Educators are definitely moving towards incorporating this type of learning into their classrooms. Debbie and I were speaking about this topic last night because our two online conversations are so interconnected. We were commenting on the fact that students get overwhelmed when they have so many project based assignments. We need to work on making this student-directed learning more interdisciplinary.

Sarah,I found the information about the History Alive multiple intelligence test very interesting because it often gets so frustrating teaching AP American History with such rigid curriculum based time restraints knowing that I am not giving adequate consideration to the concept of multiple intelligence.

As a teacher of three and four year olds it is imperative that our program is child centered. The children come to school with a particular set of likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. We are continually working on balancing this while at the same time allowing them to develop at their own rate. Some children will spend many weeks or months in just housekeeping or blocks. When they have worked through this they will moveonto something else like the writing area. I have learned the importance of not rushing them through a curriculum. This seems like a luxury compared to the upper grade levels but is it a luxury or is it really a necessity?