MI+Chapter+7+Block+2

[|Synthesis MI C7 B2]

I admit after reading this chapter I am a little unsure of how to actually use the quadrant activity centers to the fullest potential. I understand that we want students to explore the lesson topic using the eight intelligences, but I don’t understand how a teacher would do this by using permanent open-ended activities, permanent topic specific activities, temporary open ended activities, and temporary topic specific activities. What would the time frame look like if teachers were trying to implement this in the classroom? Would this be something that lasted all year long or would this just be something that should only be used for about a month?
 * **Names** || **Abstract** || **Reflection** ||
 * Barnes Mckell || Chapter seven of the Multiple Intelligence books first starts off by posing questions to get teachers thinking about different ways they can make their classroom environment more “intelligence friendly.” The environment of a classroom “may need to be fundamentally reconstructed to accommodate the needs of different kinds of learners,” (67). The book then provides a series of activity centers for the teachers to use that pertains to each type of intelligence. For example, logical-mathematical centers could have a math lab with calculators, manipulatives, and math software. These activity centers allow students to engage in active learning. || I thought this chapter did a great job coming up with different ideas that will get students more engaged. I really like the idea of making a classroom environment more “intelligence friendly,” as the book puts it. I thought they provided great questions that can get teachers thinking about ways to make this intelligence friendly environment more applicable. I also really like the idea of the activity center that focuses on a specific intelligence. ||
 * Brennick Christopher || This chapter took us through what the look and feel of a classroom with multiple intelligences should look like. The opening part of this chapter looks at some different questions for each intelligence that will help us know if we are meeting the needs of each intelligences by the answer. The question are do the student mover around enough to how does the teacher use their voice. The last part of the chapter looks at MI activity centers. It has a nice little diagram that has us using four types of center. The first type of center is permanent opened ended which gives them choices and lets them experience each intelligence. The second is a temporary opened ended activity centers, which are useful for giving students introductions to intelligences and giving them experiences with intelligences. The third center is a temporary topic specific activity center, which is picking a topic and then giving students a way in each intelligence to express or explore knowledge. The final activity center is permanent top specific and this is the center where we have a center that is always have a same subject but you do change the sub subject. You may have seasons, but then go winter then fall and so on. || I really liked the opening part of this chapter because it gives us a good part about question we need to do to make sure we are meeting the needs of all students in our classroom. I think one thing that all people in their job do all too often is get caught up in what they are doing so much that they forget to reflect and this set of question is just one more thing that can help us all stop and reflect upon if we are doing things right for students. The ending part of the chapter about the activity centers seems like an interesting concept but it seems too much like something done at the earlier ages before high school. It seems like the activity centers would be a nice idea for younger kids, but with 80 minute periods it would be hard to find time to do these centers. ||
 * Columbia Laura || Chapter seven of //Multiple Intelligences// discusses how to create a classroom that incorporates all of the multiple intelligences. As well as evaluating how you are using them. For example, with linguistics are your words too simple or complex for the students. It was stressed how important it is to include activities during the day such as moving around, listening to music and having hands on activities. Another idea was presented called MI Activity Centers. These are different locations in the classroom that incorporate each of the intelligences. At each center there are different materials that the students can use to learn and express themselves in each of their intelligences. These activities are great ideas on how to incorporate all of the intelligences into the classroom. || I thought this chapter was great. I really liked how in the beginning it talked about not just having straight desks, but having a mixture of seating. This chapter gave me many ideas on how I want my classroom to be. I want to engage visual and spatial learners with attractive and thought provoking posters. I also want the classroom environment to be very peaceful. I love natural lighting or dim lighting. I think it is very peaceful and a good time for reflection. By reading this chapter I feel like I am gaining the tools I need to have a good classroom environment. ||
 * Coombs Kayla || Chapter seven, called “MI and the Classroom Environment” discussed the relationship between MI and ecological factors in learning. It presented several questions for each intelligence where the answers to the questions provided an assessment of the quality of the students’ learning environment. For instance, questions for the spatial intelligence were: “How is the classroom furniture arranged? Are there different spatial configurations to accommodate different learning needs (e.g., desks for written work, tables for discussion or hands-on work, carrels for independent study), or is there only one arrangement (e.g., straight rows of desks)?” With that said, if the answers were leaning toward the positive factors then the learning environment would be enhanced, and encourage even the students that arrive in the classroom with academic, emotional, or cognitive difficulties. One can also apply MI theory to the classroom by creating MI activity centers, in which each center would have a designated intelligence that the students would be practicing there. There are a variety of forms that activity centers can take. One could use permanent open-ended activity centers, where students are provided a variety of open-ended experiences in each intelligence. Examples of these include a book nook or library area for a linguistic center, an art area or visual media center for a spatial center, or a plant or animal center for a naturalist center. Another type of activity center is a temporary topic-specific center that can change frequently and is aimed at a particular theme or subject. The example given is that the subject is a unit on housing, so each activity center would involve students in activities within each intelligence that has to do with the subject being learned. So, in the musical center the students would listen to songs about dwellings or make up their own songs, and in the bodily kinesthetic center the students would create a model of a house using balsa wood and glue. The third type was the temporary open-ended activity center which can be quickly set up or take down by the teacher. One of the simplest ways to use this type would be to set up eight tables where students can do open-ended activities. The book suggested using games, so in the logical-mathematical center the students would play Monopoly, and the students at the interpersonal center would play Family Feud. The last type of center mentioned was the permanent topic-specific activity center, which would be used by teachers working with yearlong themes. Each center remains all year and has materials and resources that do not change. But, each center has a change every month or week with the theme. So if the year’s theme is about change, a month-long component could deal with the seasons, so each week could deal with a different season. The spatial center could make a drawing of some of the things they may plan to do during the summer, while the intrapersonal center could have each individual student make a list or series of sketches of all the things that he or she likes about summer. The chapter mentions that it would be up to the teacher to decide if the students always choose which center to go to, or if they should be assigned specific centers or alternate their activities. || I have to say, I did enjoy this chapter. I think it is important to consider the ecological factors in order to find out whether my classroom is presenting itself as an enhanced learning environment for all students. I have already picked up on the factors that I will definitely make sure are incorporated in my classroom to accommodate all learner needs and preferences. Activity centers seem like a great idea, and I think every classroom should include some form of activity centers. The only thing with these is the issue of space and material. I think that I would be able to do a more temporary style of activity centers in my classroom like frequently setting up the eight tables to have them do separate intelligence-specific activities. I found this to be a problem for my potential classroom because I will be teaching English specifically, so I do not think I will be able or permitted to have such things as centers with microscopes. But, with that said, I think activity centers would be a great tool for teachers to use to engage their students and let them learn with their intelligences and experience which activity centers they enjoy the most and why they do. ||
 * Cummons Michael || Chapter 7 of MI is about how to set up a classroom that uses all eight of the intelligences. This chapter gives some examples of how to do this. Linguistic intelligence is how spoken and written words are used inside of your classroom. Logical intelligence is how well time is managed and the class is managed. Spatial intelligence is how is the classroom furniture arranged, and if the room looks nice. Kinesthetic intelligence is if your students are able to manipulate in the classroom. Musical intelligence is how does the teacher use their voice inside the classroom. Interpersonal is about how the atmosphere is. Is it one of trust and comfort? Intrapersonal asks if students are exposed to experiences that improve self esteem. Are students allowed to work alone? Chapter 7 also looks at centers for each intelligence. This gives some students choices of working in a place that best fits their intelligence. || This chapter is very interesting. It looks at planning out your classroom for each intelligence. I thought it was interesting that a spatial learner needs a well organized classroom that is nice to look at. I like the idea of the centers for different intelligence. I am curious to know if any of my teachers in my high school had ever looked at a classroom the way that this chapter does. It presents an entire new challenge as a teacher. However, I think its outcomes could in the end be very effective and worth it ||
 * Damboise Kelley || Chapter seven explores the different ways in which teachers can incorporate all eight intelligences by using multiple intelligence activity centers. This design creates areas in the room that focus on a certain MI that relates to the topic being presented in the class. There are other ways of presenting activity centers such as using quadrants that either focuses on open ended activities, permanent topic specific activities, temporary topic specific activities, and temporary open ended activities. The purpose of each quadrant is to incorporate all eight intelligences into the category of learning. For instance the temporary topic specific activities are always changing based upon the lesson and what the students are learning. The example given in the book talks about if students were learning about houses the eight different ways this material could be presented and explore. In the linguistic center students could read books where the plot deals with houses. Logical and mathematical center could research what it would cost to build a house; they could gather prices and create a quote for a make believe investor. Spatial center could allow students the opportunity to draw and create the home of their dreams, and bodily kinesthetic center students could mold or craft a house out of different materials. Musical center students could listen to songs about homes or could make up their own song. Interpersonal center students could do roll playing where they stimulate what it would be like to live in a home with a group of students. Intrapersonal center students could explore the different ways their home has had an impact on their life. Lastly, naturalist center students could create a garden layout that would frame the house. ||  ||
 * Kelley Kathleen || Chapter seven of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom discussed how the classroom environment, or ecology, affects the ability of students to learn. The chapter began by discussing the kind of “classroom” that many of us have become familiar with over the years. When the idea of a classroom pops into the minds of students my age or older, desks in rows, a desk at the front of the classroom, blackboards, and lectures come into mind. While many of us are comfortable with this kind of teaching strategy, Armstrong suggests that it is by no means the best and most efficient environment for students to learn. The classroom ecology plays a vital role in the student’s ability to learn and feel comfortable. Armstrong provides a list of questions to ask yourself concerning whether or not the ecology of your classroom is promoting a good learning environment for each learner. Also discussed is the idea of activity centers tailored to the eight intelligences. There are permanent open-ended activity centers that are year long, but there are also temporary centers that are both topic specific and open. Activity centers allow the students to explore and spend some time out of their seats collaborating with peers. The final center is a permanent topic specific center that works well with themes. Each center changes the kind of exploration each month as curriculum changes. Students may also have the ability to choose what activity they would like to participate in.

Armstrong, T. (2000). //Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom//. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. || Chapter seven was enjoyable because it gave some excellent ways to maintain healthy classroom ecology. The questions that were posed in the book for each intelligence were neat to read because while some of them were questions that were obvious, a couple of them I had never thought of before or never thought of them as an idea that would help a specific intelligence. For example, under linguistic intelligence there was a question that asked: “Is there too much ‘linguistic pollution’ in the class, or are students being empowered to develop their own materials” (page 67). I never thought that too much talking and busy work could have that negative of an impact on the students’ ability to learn. For logical-mathematical, one question asked whether the school day was designed to effectively use the students attention span. Some of the questions struck me as kind of weird, but I found them interesting either way. I will probably be using some of them in the future. || This chapter was very powerful in being able to demonstrate how an educator can act, and set up their room environment in a way that is productive to the multiple intelligence theory. The chapter helped very much explain many ways teachers can arrange their time and classroom set up to help students achieve to their fullest of abilities. I will definitely hope to implement some of the activity centers into my room and also try to very frequently switch between whole class, large group, small group, and individual work to help with evolving the learning environment. Even the section on catering lessons to the specific times of day to warrant for student attention span seemed to be a powerful technique I may put into practice. The chapter opens with a traditional way that Americans picture a classroom, dark, not enough natural lighting, and crowded children sitting in rows of desks. The chapter states that this view of the classroom, though it is a possible way of being organized, is not the best way to identify with all learners and is therefore not the best option. We are told that MI theory is based on being able to accommodate the needs of different kinds of learners. The chapter then lists the different intelligences and gives deep description of how a teacher may set up the classroom in order to cater to this intelligence. Some examples are //Linguistic Intelligence//: how are spoken words used? //Logical-Mathematical Intelligence//: how is time structured in the classroom? //Interpersonal Intelligence//: does an atmosphere of belonging and trust permeate the classroom, or are students distant and mistrust each other? The list continues through out the other intelligences. The chapter then provides a quadrant of activity centers that allows the classroom to be physically set up in a way that caters to all of the intelligences. This is shown to be effective because the room itself, not just the teacher, are helpful in creating an MI learning environment. The chapter states that activity centers help students become introduced to the multiple intelligences and gives them the quick time needed to experience them.
 * Knowles Christina || Chapter seven in MI talks about the learning environment of your classroom. We have to think of every different learner in the classroom because they each have different things that will make them comfortable and uncomfortable. For example, when dealing with linguistic learners we need to think about the words we are giving them and make sure they are not too tough or too easy. We also need to think about where they are getting their words. For logical learners we need to make sure they have plenty of time to complete tasks. We can also create MI centers in the classroom. Each center will focus on certain intelligence and would have the qualities for that intelligence to make the students feel comfortable and learn the best that they can. || This whole chapter had a lot of good ideas on how to construct the environment of my classroom. It also made me think more about how aware I need to be when presenting new information and setting limits in my classroom because certain limits might make students feel uncomfortable. I really liked the idea of having MI centers. The only problem I could see with the MI centers is if there are only one or two students at a certain center. I think they would feel left out. ||
 * Mourkas Margaret || Chapter 4, titled Multiple Intelligence in the Classroom, talks a lot about how a teacher can provide a helpful learning environment for students. It lists the different multiple intelligences and asks questions pertaining to the room itself. If students are sitting in a boring white room with all the desks in nice neat rows not very many of those students are going to learn very much. The chapter also talks about having different centers in your room that appeal to a certain group of students so that they feel comfortable working. There are five different types of activity centers. They are: permanent open-ended activity, temporary topic-specific, temporary open-ended, and permanent topic-specific (shifting). “Activity centers provide students with the opportunity to engage in “active” learning. They serve as oases in the desert for many students who are thirsting for something other than dry worksheets and indicidual work at their desks” page 73. || I personally thought this chapter made sense when it came to setting up the classroom to help all the different intelligences. The different centers were confusing to me. I understand the individual centers but how we can accommodate them all in one classroom is beyond me. But setting up your classroom is definitely a big priority for me. I think that if you are in a white wall neat row classroom the students are going to be very bored. ||
 * O'Neil Christopher || Chapter seven starts of by discussing questions that can be asked to figure out factors that can promote or interfere with learning in the classroom for each of the eight intelligences. These questions can be very helpful for teachers who want to figure out if they are doing a good job teaching to the different intelligences or if they want to figure out how to tell what intelligence a student would learn best with. Another thing the chapter discusses is activity centers. It is suggested to change the classroom around so that there are “intelligence-friendly” activity centers that the students may explore. In each center, there would be an activity pertaining to the intelligence the activity center is based around. For example, in the bodily-kinesthetic center, the teacher could provide hands-on activities for the students to use. In the linguistic center, the teacher could provide books for the students to read. These centers can be highly effective if used correctly. || I really like the idea of the activity centers. If you are in a classroom with students of much different intelligence and you cannot teach to all of them to get your point across to the students, you can setup activity centers. You could have an activity in each center that relates to the lesson you are planning to teach that day. Also, you can use activity centers to determine which intelligence your students have. Set up the eight different activity centers and take note of which center each student spends the most time at. So if a certain student spends the whole period at the spatial center, then you would know that that student is strongest in the spatial intelligence. ||
 * Richardson Cassandra || Chapter seven outlined in great detail the overall appearance of a differentiated classroom if all intelligences and learning styles were to be taken into consideration. The typical classroom setup, with rows of desks facing a plain chalkboard, is immediately replaced with learning stations with different materials appealing to each learning style. Some examples the chapter gave were book nooks, visual media centers, tactile-learning areas (equipped with different textures), table setups for different discussion numbers, and naturalist areas. The chapter also outlines four different types of learning centers, set up in a four-square grid. They are Permanent Open-Ended, Temporary Open-Ended, Temporary Topic-Specific, and Permanent Topic-Specific. These centers are highly effective for active group work. || The different classroom setups really appealed to me, because I could visualize the different stations as they applied to social studies, my concentration. Just this simple fact made me really looking forward to having my own classroom, and applying these to real-world situations. I think that each of these intelligence-oriented centers have a temporary purpose, but I can’t imagine having a full center for each intelligence present at all times- I feel like the entire class would eventually be on sensation-overload. ||
 * Trundy Monique || In chapter seven Armstrong discusses the importance of atmosphere in a classroom. He suggests reconstructing the seating in the room and dedicating certain sections of the room to specific intelligences. Armstrong writes about keeping open-ended activity centers based around each of the intelligences and offers examples of how a teacher may accomplish this in their classroom. He also discusses temporary topic-specific activity centers, and temporary open-ended activity centers. Armstrong raises the question “should students be able to choose which activity centers they work in,” (pg. 73)? || I really like the idea of manipulating the classroom environment using the MI theory. Environment is important in any situation. Environment can play a large role in how students relate the classroom to their everyday lives. If a student walks into a classroom where the environment is drastically different from the environment they feel most comfortable in then the sensation of learning will always be associated with the classroom environment. If the classroom environment is a negative one then the students association to learning will be negative as well. ||
 * Webb Christopher || This chapter talks about the classroom ecology, that is, how the classroom is set up or arranged and what activities occur. It explains how each of the eight intelligences provides some context to ask essential questions about factors in the class that either promote or encourage learning. It gives two or three examples from each intelligence, for example; linguistically, how are students exposed to words, through textbooks, lecture, and movies? The chapter then goes on to discuss how the classroom should be arranged to create “intelligence-friendly” areas. This would mean having stations or areas around the class which promote one of the intelligences. For example for linguistic there would be a book node or a language lab, for naturalistic there would be a plant center or an animal center. || I liked this chapter because it gave a lot of good ideas on how to implement MI in the classroom. I particularly like the idea of having different cells in the room for each intelligence because that would be a great way to teach the same topic through multiple intelligences. Or it could simply provide students the opportunity to pick and choose which intelligence they favor learning through and would give more options. It was very helpful to start off by asking the questions for each eight intelligence in the beginning of the chapter and then it answers the questions at the end, I liked that method. ||
 * West Simon ||  ||