By HENRY S. TENEDERO, Manila Bulletin Online, August 18, 2011
Henry S. Tenedero, AIM MDM President, Center for Learning and Teaching Styles, Philippinesand MINDful Ideas Executive Vice President, Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) Executive Board Director, International Learning Styles Network, US and Scandinavia Founder, Communities Honoring Individual Learning Diversity (CHILD) President, Thomasian Alumni Leaders Association, Inc. (UST TALA)Email: htenedero@yahoo.com cp # 0917-473-0307
To me, the concept of Multiple intelligence (MI)theory transcend what its description. As a Muslim engaged in the education sector, MI aligns itself with the quest for justice. Being just to each student and developing the child based on personal and potential capacity rather than treating all like an 'assembly line'. And this sense of justice echoes the education philosophy articulated by the likes of Al-Ghazzali.
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MANILA, Philippines — Multiple intelligence (MI) teaching is not different from what many teachers have been doing. It does however challenged the purely lecture-then-test approach procedures and be replaced with enhanced activities catering to diverse, authentic and meaningful programs and activities.
There is not one correct way to teach MI but instead there are ranges of options that one may consider as starting points. The art of MI teaching is a personal activity that requires careful thought regarding individual growth and professional effectiveness.
HOW TO EXPAND YOUR STRENGTHS. Add one intelligence at a time to your teaching in a way that is comfortable for you but still stretches your teaching repertoire. Develop a year long personal development plan to add one or several different MI teaching activities. Gather like-minded colleagues and brainstorm MI strategies.
HOW TO DEVELOP AND USE THE POWER OF THE MI LANGUAGE. Use MI language to unpack your thinking to describe how you solve problems, create things and provide valuable projects. Bring in expert guests (engineers, architects, social workers, clergy, musicians, etc) to teach students the language used by people in the filed. Connect MI to the school's curricular and extra-curricular activities.
HOW TO HIGHLIGHT AN MI DAY/WEEK/MONTH. Make one minute MI news flash! Bring in expert guest who exemplifies the assigned intelligence. Teach alternative strategies using each intelligence. Have student expert volunteers speak briefly on the daily MI and how it is used in their career paths.
HOW TO INTEGRATE MI INTO LESSON PLANS. Put the development of student self-awareness on the front burner of your curriculum. Give a range of MI choices for projects and learning activities. Provide forms for student self-assessment. Have students use goal setting, project planning, self-monitoring and evaluation forms. Provide opportunities for feedback and evaluation to the students.
HOW TO HIGHLIGHT STUDENT STRENGTHS. Make careful observations of your students and create assessment of their MI. Recognize and value students who are strong in non-academic area and link it to the curriculum. Make strong efforts to connect student strengths and the curriculum material. Avoid making comments about student abilities that create paralyzing negative experiences.
A MANY-SPLENDORED THING
Howard Garder introduced MI in his groundbreaking book "Frames of Mind’’ in 1983. Since then intelligence has been redefined as a "many-splendored" thing. Dr. Gardner's contribution has been hailed by educationists around the world and indeed it has totally changed our perceptions about education, and about life in general.
Dr. Brandon Shearer, in his presentation during our Multiple Intelligences, Learning Styles and Assessments International Conference has creatively put the transition steps from IQ to MI - Awareness - Acceptance - Integration - Community Connections - Lifelong Learning and service.
There is indeed a felt need within the Philippine education community for a renewal of the education system so that it can better serve the developmental needs of our nation and of our people.
In place of the tradItional IQ-based theory and learning processes limiting human intelligence to linguistic and logical-math spheres, Gardner's MI is a more accurate and dynamic description of the vast and varied intellectual potentials of each individual learner.
After all we keep on saying that between hope and despair, education is the great equalizer!
BETWEEN HOPE AND DESPAIR, EDUCATION IS STILL THE GREAT EQUALIZER
Source:
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/331115/becoming-miinspired-teacher
