Which Intelligence Are You?

Here is another site I stumbled on in my ventures around the web. This graphic comes from Bestcareermatch.com. I find this article interesting, not only because it gives homage to the theory of multiple intelligences, but it encourages job seekers to consider their own weaknesses and strengths in terms of the multiple intelligences, as well.

Obviously, multiple intelligence theory has implications beyond the classroom and it's good to see that those uses are being explored out in the world.

Ancient Classroom Secrets?

When I was a classroom teacher I kept a secret from my parents, my administration and even my students--we practiced meditation every day.  Right after lunch I would turn out the lights for a minute, ask my students to close their eyes or put their heads on the table, then I would lead them through a few minutes of guided meditation where we imagined ourselves to be calm, emotionally and mentally ready for the afternoon of learning to come.  My other secret was that we practiced deep breathing and movement in the morning to get our day going.  People wondered why I had such a well-behaved, productive classroom.

Apparently I am not the only one who feels that energy flow, meditation, emotional and mental grounding are important in the classroom.  I caught a glimpse of a news program featuring Goldie Hawn and the work her Hawn Foundation is doing to promote these skills in the classroom.  I knew I had to find out more.  Mind UP, Hawn's program focuses on the social, emotional and academic learning for all students.  According to their literature,

Our program provides children with emotional and cognitive tools to help them manage emotions and behaviors, reduce stress, sharpen concentration, and increase empathy and optimism.

Isn't that what we want for all of our children? If this sounds interesting to you, you can check out the website at Mind UP.  Scroll down to watch the video featuring Hawn and one of the scientists who worked with her on formulating this program.  It's a (ahem) mind-opener.

(Un)Wired for Excellence

Like many schools, Hollis Brookline High School in New Hampshire wanted to improve their internet connectivity.  Wiring the entire campus with ethernet cables was both costly and time consuming.  Their second choice was a laptop cart, but due to scheduling and other concerns, that too was not a solution.

Instead, administrators decided to take advantage of a free beta test of one of U4EA's systems. What is interesting about this story is the ease with which implementation occurred.  First, the school started out slowly, connecting only a few classrooms or laptops at a time, making sure they functioned properly before moving on. 

Three unanticipated benefits came from the school's new connectivity.  First, the school's existing computer labs were freed up so that teachers were able to use existing hardwired computers in more efficient ways.  Reluctant teachers, freed from fiddling with wires and other connectivity issues, became more adventurous in using the new system.  Finally, traveling teachers could go from class to class without worrying about connectivity issues.

Now Hollis is looking to complete another piece of its five-year technology plan--improving on its distance education program.  Something tells me they're going to do all right.

Psychological Perspectives on Learning

The past half-century has seen the rise of several psychological theories on how students learn and consequently how teachers should teach.  Each theory has its own emphasis on particular psychological aspects of learning.  Each has its own value and use in the contemporary classroom.

Behaviorism     

B.F. Skinner, one of the first scientists to work in the field of psychology, also had a profound impact on educational theory.  Skinner was a behaviorist which means he was concerned with how students acted, as opposed to how students learned or a student’s internal processes.  For Skinner, learning was something the teacher imparted on a student.  Student behavior and learning depended on what they were conditioned to do through reinforcement.  Skinner’s theory was based on experiments he’d conducted with pigeons who learned to press a lever in order to receive food.  Skinner equated other organisms (including students) to his birds, believing that they all continued behavior for which they were rewarded.  In terms of student learning, Skinner’s theories are limited by their emphasis on observable behavior. 

Cognitivism

The latter half of the 20^th century saw the rise of the cognitivist perspective on learning.  Based on the work of another psychologist, Jean Piaget, cognitivism “made new contributions to learning theory by creating models of how learners receive, process, and manipulate information” (Smaldino, et al., p. 10).

The concept of long- and short-term memory, where information that is not rehearsed is sloughed off and not remembered, comes from cognitivist psychologists.  Unlike behaviorists, who were concerned only with behaviors they could observe and therefore influence, cognitivists advanced the science of learning by turning inward to the psyche and mental processes of the student.

Constructivism

Constructivists take learning theory to a new level in examining how students “build” learning.  For constructivists, the emphasis shifts from the idea of the passive learner on whom information is imparted and processed, to learning as an active inquiry of problem-solving and discovery.  The role of the teacher becomes one of forming opportunities for experiential and authentic learning.  Constructivists believe that children learn best when they can assimilate new information with prior knowledge to erect new learning constructs.  Consequently, for constructivists, the best gauge of learning is the ability of students to access and utilize new information in everyday situations (Smaldino, et al., p. 10).

Social-Psychological Perspective

As expected, the social-psychological view of education is concerned with the group dynamics of the classroom.  They are concerned with the structure of authority and independence in the classroom, as well as how rewards and punishments are decided on and meted out.  More importantly, social psychologists advanced the concept of cooperative learning, in which a small group of learners take on assigned tasks to assist the entire group.  Cooperative learning, they posit, is more effective and “socially beneficial” than competitive learning. 

Conclusion

In order to be most effective, teachers need to decide their own preferences in terms of these four theories, adopting what they find useful and discarding the rest.  No one theory holds the answer to all classroom situations or learning challenges.  In each situation, the teacher should utilize the theory or concept that best suits their needs and the needs of their students.