Educational ExpertsSilver, Strong, & Perini - Diversify Student LearningIn their book, So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences, the authors explain how teachers may examine their teaching strategies by grouping all of their teaching strategies into matrices. The vertical axis of the matrix uses the components of MI: Verbal, Linguistic, Spatial, etc while the horizontal axis uses the learning preferences based on their reworking of Jungian archetypes into mastery(ST), interpersonal(SF), understanding(NT), self-expressive (NF) styles. Teachers then analyze their lesson plans to maximize coverage of all the portions of the matrix.
What Does that all look like? That's some complexity to wrap your head around.... well... yes it is. Its a whole strategy of teaching. Lots of books and educators also analyze an integration of MI and Blooms taxonomy... Mark K. Smith of Developing LearningWhile there may be some significant questions and issues around Howard Gardner’s notion of multiple intelligences, it still has had utility in education. It has helped a significant number of educators to question their work and to encourage them to look beyond the narrow confines of the dominant discourses of skilling, curriculum, and testing.
For example, Mindy Kornhaber and her colleagues at the Project SUMIT (Schools Using Multiple Intelligences Theory) have examined the performance of a number of schools and concluded that there have been significant gains in respect of SATs scores, parental participation, and discipline (with the schools themselves attributing this to MI theory). taken from (Smith, 2008). |
My Own Two Cents - my potential sources of biasA Model of Learning Preferences should be grounded in the 5 accepted human senses.The appeal of learning preferences as assessed in LSI or VARK lies in their close relationship with biologically acknowledged pathways of neural input, ie. the 5 human senses. They focus on 3 of the most common ones available in the classroom- vision, hearing, and movement.
However, I hold that appeals to smells and tastes are powerful tools to create lasting memories and that they should also be incorporated as much as possible. The more engaged our brains are in interpreting and connecting our experiences, the more neural connections can be forged and strengthened. A Good reflective teacher will take these tools of analysis and use them to examine and rebalance their teaching strategiesUnderstanding your own preferred route of learning may reveal to you the way that you prefer to teach others. Knowing the 'sensory breakdown' of your teaching strategies will help you to know where you stand.
Though students will have preferences about learning, you should not always teach to their strengths.If we accept that the goal of teachers is to create well-rounded and liberally educated people who are adept at interacting with their world, then we must challenge students to grow their weak areas and not rely soley on the skills they already possess.
If you are really wondering how Villamard imagined the 21st century check it out - its fascinating
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