Leading a Discussion

“Multiple Intelligences” by Howard Gardner

Hannah Nagi & Erica Saidoo
Audience: Secondary English Education Seniors

Objectives:
1. Students and teacher will be able to participate in a dialogic
discussion in regards to the possibility of implementing multiple
intelligences in the classroom.
2. Teacher will be able to generate such a discussion by allowing
members of the class to experience various forms of “intelligences”
and create an assessment geared toward that specific intelligence.
3. Teacher will be able to initiate awareness of the significance of
assessment by the utilization of multiple intelligences in relation to
formal testing.

Rationale:
“At the appointed hour, booklets are distributed, brief instructions are
issued, and formal testing begins” (Gardner, 161). Such a scenario is seen
in every single school across the nation each year. Not only does this scene
evaluate the students’ school, but it ultimately determines the students’
future path. Unfortunately, we are never going to escape the tortures of
formal testing, but we can find ways to make our students continue to try
and believe in themselves…MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES!!!
Throughout our lesson we will focus on multiple intelligences by using
specifically designed or altered forms of assessment. We hope to show a
distinct comparison among formal testing and a variety of assessments. In
turn, we hope to generate a dialogic discussion in order to raise awareness
of the benefits of multiple intelligences and diverse evaluations. Ultimately,
we designed such a lesson in order to perpetuate further understanding of
the importance of assessment within the classroom in response to MI.

Materials:
* Mittens
* Earmuffs
* Cut-out of lips
* Sunglasses

Preparation:
* All tables are pushed to the side of the room.
* Chairs are only used during lesson by students and teacher.

Introduction: 5 MINS
 (Chairs in rows/Teacher standing above students)
*
Teacher informs class that there will be a short “Reading
*
Comprehension” quiz in order to make sure everyone equally
understands the article. (grade will count as a WIKI post would)
* Students are given directions: “Answer the following questions by
circling the corresponding letter in pencil. When finished turn paper
over and wait until everyone is done.”
* Directions are only given once and students must begin immediately
without talking.
* Teacher will proctor quiz at all times.
* When students are done the quizzes are collected to be graded at a
later time by Kelly.
WHEW, JUST KIDDING!

Presentation:
Activity One: 5-10 MINS (participating students put on their “intelligences”)
* After the quizzes are collected teacher will ask students how they felt
about the quiz…Were you prepared? Did you understand all the
questions and directions?
* Teacher lets students know that the quiz was not real and it will not
count as a real grade.
* (Chairs move into circle/Teacher join circle)
* Teacher asks students what is fair/unfair about formal testing? Why did
it make you nervous to take a quiz you were not prepared for or to
have us proctoring your every move? Do you believe this equally
assessed everyone’s understanding of the reading? What is wrong with
formal testing?

Activity Two: 10-15 MINS

* Class is divided into various groups that signify a specific intelligence
Group 1: Interpersonal
Group 2: Spatial
Group 3: Bodily/Kinesthetic
Group 4: Verbal/linguistic
Group 5: Musical
* Each group is given the same context in which they must create an
assessment that corresponds to the dominant intelligence.
* They are allowed to use any forum they desire (i.e. computers, art
project, poetry, short story, drama, etc.), but their assessment must
pertain fully to their given intelligence.
* Once students are finished each group shares their specific assessment
by outlining its content briefly.

Debriefing/Summary:
 * Teacher answers the obvious question: why are people wearing
mittens and sunglasses inside the classroom?!?!?
* Mittens: hands-on learner; Earmuffs: skilled listener; Oversized
mouth: great public speaking skills; Sunglasses: learns well visually.
* Inform class that our students’ “intelligences” are not always going to
be so obvious. We are not always going to be able to tell which student
is skilled or not in a certain area of learning/expression.
* It is our job as teachers to make sure we can fit our lesson to the
student and not have to watch a student struggle to make the lesson
fit him or her.
* How can we do this? Must we make separate lesson plans in case a
certain student is not understanding the material? Or can we simply
have alternate forms of assessment?!
* How can we as teachers use our knowledge in regards to multiple
intelligences in our classrooms?
* How can we mediate a balance between standards and variations when
it comes to test taking?
* If we teach toward the encompassment of multiple intelligences how
do we teach toward a standard test?

References:
* Gardner, Howard. “Assessment in Context: The Alternative to
Standardized Testing”. Multiple Intelligences. (1993): 161-183.
* Ld Pride. 21 October 2008.
<http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm#Verbal/Spatial%
20Intelligence>.