Synthesis Chapter 11 MI // Team 4

This chapter discussed the multiple intelligences and special education. Our group loved this chapter because when dealing with special education students, the multiple intelligence theory removes all of the negative stereotypes and stigmas associated with special education (i.e. "disorders," "diseases," and "disabilities"). Instead, the multiple intelligence theory focuses on the positive aspects of special education. For example, if a student is dyslexic, they will instead focus on gearing that child's education toward logic and math, or perhaps even art. The theory also suggests that all students have the capability to learn, and that a learning "disability" should not cause a child's education to come to a halt. Rather, the better way of handling the situation is to reformat the child's education in a way that suits their natural intelligences.

Our group loved this chapter because it brought special education to a positive place. It focused on the fact that every child can learn and that even children who don't learn typically can still learn well. Also, the section that talked about having positive role models for children with learning disabilities was amazing! Our group thought it was fabulous that, for example, students who were dyslexic would be able to see that bestselling authors that they may have heard of were also of that condition, or that Einstein was considered "learning disabled."

MI - 12 - MI & Cognitive Skills

Team 4

Practicum Block 1

Reflection on Reading

Book: Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom - Armstrong

Chapter: 12 – MI and Cognitive Skills

Write a brief abstract of the chapter:

This chapter discusses how the use of the multiple intelligences can be used to help students achieve more in the classroom cognitively. It discusses this by using the skills of memory and problem solving as primary examples. It goes in depth as to how using the intelligences helps students to learn more effectively and develop the skill they are utilizing. For example when it comes to memory you could help students with spatial intelligences to visualize the concept, or for students with interpersonal intelligences the concept could be discussed. When it comes to problem solving bodily kinesthetic learners could act out the concept, where as naturalistic learners could use nature analogies to understand the concept. The chapter ends with many examples for how to foster cognitive skills in the classroom.

How did you connect to the reading? And briefly reflect on your thoughts.

This chapter is a good resource for methods of developing skills in the classroom, while still adhering to the needs of your learners. We appreciate the rich resource that this chapter is. We like how we are accomplishing two things in one by using the intelligence theory. Becoming a more informed student is only improved by becoming a more self-resourceful student at the same time.

Synthesized Chptr 8 MI

Write a brief abstract of the chapter.
This chapter is all about classroom management using the MI’s. It begins by explaining teachers have always had trouble settling down a rowdy class at the beginning of a period, and the chapter then gives an example from each intelligence of a way to gain the classes attention and settle them down. Armstrong then talks about preparing for transitions, and suggests having a specific cue for when you are about to switch activities. He also describes different ways of teaching/expressing the classroom rules using each of the eight intelligences. Using MI to split into groups is the next section, and then after that managing individual behavior is brought up with some discipline methods for each type of intelligence. Lastly, Armstrong explains that MI theory is valuable with classroom management, but isn’t a substitute for a professional who can deal with emotional or behavioral issues.

How did you connect to the reading and briefly reflect on your thoughts?
Mackenzie liked this chapter as a resource for a bunch of tips and tricks to use in the classroom that relates to the MI’s. I liked the chapter because of the group ideas, and how splitting up the kids using the MI’s can be really fun. Renee plans on using this chapter as a resource for her teaching career as effective ways to manage her classroom. Aaron favored the part f the chapter talking about MI’s to deal with behavioral issues within the classroom.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom - Chapter 14 Synthesis

Team 4

Practicum Block 1

10/25/2007

Reflection on Reading

Book: Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom - Armstrong

Chapters: 14 – Multiple Intelligence and Existential Intelligence

Write a brief abstract of the chapter:

This chapter discusses the possibility of a ninth intelligence, the existential intelligence. The chapter defines this intelligence as being a student who questions everything, and is continually trying to get to an answer, or a deeper level. It discusses how this intelligence can be mistaken for an advocacy for religion, but in reality it is simply just a form of deeper thought; philosophical. The chapter concludes with a discussion on how a classroom could be adapted for such a learner, and it basically says to help them understand by helping them to find the answers to their own questions.

How did you connect to the reading? And briefly reflect on your thoughts.

Not all of us liked this chapter. Some of us really liked it, and valued the content it had surrounding the ninth intelligence, but some of us did not understand the intelligence itself, and some of us could not see how it could be incorporated into the classroom. We looked at the idea of a ninth intelligence with a careful eye, and Renee and Mackenzie really like the concept, and agree with it completely. Ryan and Aaron had a harder time warming up to the idea. They could not see how it could be used, or how it was an intelligence at all.

MI Chapter 13 Synthesis Team 4

We all stated in our abstracts almost the exact same thing, down to wording. We said that the chapter talked about three "new" ways of implementing the multiple intelligences into the classroom. The first was with technology, beyond sole including of the typical "math geek" type of student. The book gave an excellent chart for each intelligence showing software programs that could be used to engage that particular type of learner. The second way of using the intelligences in the classroom was through cultural diversity. The book stated that since we know an intelligence is only as meaningful as the culture who is utilizing it, it is obviously going to be important to know how each varying culture values, respects, and uses each intelligence. Lastly, the chapter talked about using MI's in career counseling through using tools that help students sort through possible professions based on your academic and intelligence strengths.

We thought that this chapter was great, but felt that the technology piece was a little outdated. We felt that we already knew how to use a computer with students other than the stereotypical "math geek" as the book worded it, and that actually, that stereotype is going away more and more rapidly. We particularly liked the section on career counseling, because we had had experiences in high school, clubs, etc, where it was very beneficial to know your strengths and weaknesses academically, and having that knowledge while choosing a profession for the rest of your life will definitely be essential.

DIUBD Chapter Seven

DIUBD chapter seven is a very deep chapter it covers several key pieces of knowledge necessary to bring deep learning to the classroom. First the chapter discussed uncovering learning and how learning should always be uncovered and never simply covered. The next big section was about the facets of understanding and how they should be used in the class room to make sure that all students are engaged more often so more deep learning can take place. Finally the chapter talks about the whereto lesson plan design. It explains that whereto allows teachers to put multiple intelligences directly into their lesson plan ensuring that kids get what they need.
Above all we loved the whereto system because it allows us to make sure our kids are getting what they need. This looks like a great extension on the set of acronyms tools we already have in our bag. Most of all we like that whereto is a tool that can help guide teaching it feels very easy to manipulate and it doesn’t feel restrictive like some of us thought the other acronyms such as rafts did.

Multiple Intelligences Chapter Five

Multiple intelligences chapter five is all about instructing students in a way that is compatible with all of the intelligences. The chapter then spends some time giving unique examples of what you could do to incorporate the multiple intelligences into your lessons as much as possible. The author then goes on to explain the difference between traditional and mi teaching and why mi teaching is so much more powerful. Finally the author goes into explaining how to develop mi lessons using a seven step approach and gives an eight day example of a lesson plan made in this way.
As a group we came at the chapter from several different directions some of us loved the chapter for the thematic instruction section which reminded us of the GRASPS that we are using personally for the unit. Others enjoyed the chapter for the rich ideas that they harvested to use in their lesson plans thanks to the plethora of mi exercises on the first few pages. But regardless of where we came from while reading we were all in agreement that this would be an invaluable resource both now and later in our careers.

Team 4's Chapter 6 Multiple Intelligence Synthesis

We agreed as a group that this chapter in large, pretty much piggy-backed off of chapter 5. It discussed in greater detail how to tailor assignments to each intelligence. The chapter was structured by dividing it up in 40 examples, 5 for each of the 8 intelligences, of ways to tailor lessons to that particular way of learning.
The chapter talked about the fact that the point of the reading was not to make us feel as educators that we have to tailor each of our lessons in 8 different ways to cater to each intelligence, but rather to make sure we are giving continuous variety, so that our classroom does not become stagnant and so that our students' minds will all have a chance to be truly engaged at least some of the time.

We felt that the chapter was very effective in the sense that it gave us lots of concrete examples. We also liked the fact that this chapter didn't use any metaphors for learning-- it was straightforward and made us easily understand how we will apply these skills in the classroom.

Team 4's Chapter 6 Ubd Synthesis

This chapter discussed how to teach responsively in classrooms with diverse learners. It described studies that told us as educators how to make sure that each student is always involved. We also all noted that the chapter discussed how important it is to make sure that all students are getting an opportunity to apply their skills to real life. Real life application should not be reserved just for those students who have "mastered" the skills. In fact, studies show that students with lower skills more rapidly improve if they are asked to apply their skills to real life situations.
Out group also noted that the chapter talked about having a balance between students pushing themselves and being pushed by the teacher. To some extent, motivation needs to be intrinsic.
Lastly, our group really felt that this chapter focused a lot on the fact that we should be setting up our students to succeed, not fail. This means aligning assessments with the way the students have been taught, using authentic assessment, etc.

We all felt after reading this chapter that we were "satisfied." We felt that the chapter did a nice job of summing up key points about teaching to diverse learners, and that it successfully touched upon points that needed to be discussed-- like assessing effectively, using real life application, and getting feedback from students.

Synthesized Chptr 9 UbD/DI

Team 4(Ryan, Renee, Mackenzie, Aaron)
Write a brief abstract of the chapter.
This chapter in UbD/DI is about curriculum and instruction and “bringing it all together” to actually plan a unit. The authors start off by giving a quick review of UbD/DI and highlight some of the key points brought up in previous chapters including determining acceptable evidence and flexibility in instruction. Then for the next portion of the chapter they give an entire sample unit about eating healthy. They give examples of the performance tasks the students will be asked to complete, and highlight how the lesson was planned using backwards design. Within this example they also give a grading rubric designed for one of the performance tasks and show the actual outlines of “Stage 1” for each task. The authors then give another example of a differentiated, backwards designed unit “in action”. This included focusing on students in relation to desired results, carrying out and differentiating the lesson plan, and determining the success of the students. The authors then show an adjustment to an assignment that may have to be done within the course of a unit due to differentiation needs. Lastly, observable indicators in UbD/DI classrooms are discussed and there are four major things we as teachers can observe to make sure our classrooms are successful: the learning environment, the curriculum, the teacher, and the learners.

How did you connect to the reading and briefly reflect on your thoughts?
Mackenzie felt like the chapter finally wrapped up all the loose ends the book has talked about and made it all make sense. Aaron liked how the chapter gave a good example of all of the material coming together, showing us that all the stuff we have been doing will all come together just as well. Renee liked how the chapter emphasized integrating the two techniques in the classroom for an extremely effective learning environment. I personally liked the part f the chapter where the authors showed an example of adjusting on assignment to several different types of needs.

Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom - Chapter 7 Synthesis

Team 4

Practicum Block 1

10/23/2007

Reflection on Reading

Book: Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom - Armstrong

Chapter: 7 – MI and the Classroom Environment

Write a brief abstract of the chapter:

Chapter seven is about the physicality of the classroom and how it can be adapted to the eight intelligences. It discusses how there are aspects of the classroom that must be observed when dealing with the intelligences. For example with linguistic learners you should be aware of how much you are speaking, enough? Too little? You should also be aware of the amount of text on the walls, versus the amount of pictures. For logical thinkers you should be aware of how much structured time is in class. For spatial learners how is the room arranged? Is the room visually stimulating? Or is it boring? Is there a feeling of clutter or spaciousness in the learning environment? For bodily-kinesthetic learners you should keep in mind how much time students spend sitting down, and whether or not they have materials to use with their hands for them to manipulate. Musical intelligences should be in an environment that promotes auditory learning. With interpersonal students you should be aware of opportunities for students to interact with one another, and for intrapersonal students you should be aware of opportunities to work independently. And finally naturalistic students should be in an atmosphere where they have the opportunity to interact with the outdoors at times; whether it be physically going outside, or having a pet/plant in the classroom. The chapter ends with a discussion of the use of activity centers being utilized for each intelligence; giving students the opportunity to learn how they do best in an environment that is encouraging and setup for them to succeed.

How did you connect to the reading? And briefly reflect on your thoughts.

We really liked chapter seven because it stressed just how much we should care about the physical aspects of our classrooms. All too often we wonder why our students do not excel at the same consistency, and sometimes it has nothing to do with the content, but their surrounding environment. We liked this chapter and the examples it gave. From personal experience I can say that classrooms with natural lighting, musical components, where we moved around and had discussion, while working independently, were much more effective than the window less cookie-cutter classroom. We especially liked the concept of quadrants in the class to help with adapting to intelligences.

Synthesized Chptr6: Assess

Team 4 (Ryan, Renee, Mackenzie, Aaron)

Write a brief abstract of the chapter.
This chapter in assessing gives teachers some information about creating good test questions. The chapter begins by suggesting using a variety of questions on the test, thus making it more interesting and in some ways easier for the kids. Wormeli also mentions making the test efficient for your students, and asking them to “double record” their answers so they don’t accidentally get one wrong because they miswrote an answer. There is also a large section making the test clear and not confusing, and also keeping in mind time restraints for the students. He also mentions adding some fun into the test, and then shifts into making sure the test properly assesses what you want, and the questions pertain to the instruction. To close the chapter Wormeli mentions having questions on your test asking the students if the test met their expectations. Lastly, he mentions tiering certain questions on the test to make sure they are appropriate for certain classes/students.

How did you connect to the reading and briefly reflect on your thoughts?
Mackenzie liked how the chapter gave the tips about tests including how changing the appearance of a test can make it a better assessment. Renee liked the chapter but did question the suggestion about immediate feedback and how waiting a day before giving results may motivate students. Aaron agreed with the chapter’s perspective about testing for understanding and making sure our tests can’t be passed by luck. I liked the section of the chapter about time restraints and “outside factors” that may affect our students as they take the test because those weren’t things I would have thought of.

Assessing Chapter 3

Chapter three of assessing is all about assessing students properly in a differentiated classroom. The chapter talks about the importance of using pre, formative, and summative exams in the classroom to better develop an understanding of students needs. The chapter explains that to really be good at teaching a teacher must make sure that students maintain an enduring knowledge of essential information (eek) not just one that lasts until the test is over. The chapter also talks about avoiding the fluff that some teachers put in their assignments. Students should be engaged not feeling like they are wasting their time on busy work.
As a group we felt that the chapter wove very well with the other chapters that we read especially Multiple Intelligences chapter ten. We also liked the emphasis that the chapter placed on the importance of removing boring fluff assignments, which all of us have had to suffer through. Finally we appreciated how heavily this chapter stressed the need for good assessment because assessment and grades really are the hearts of our current school system.

Assessing Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of assessing is all about differentiated instruction. The chapter stressed the fact that DI is not individualized learning it is adaptive learning. The book likened DI to giving a child a pair of glasses this isn’t really fair because nobody else gets a pair but it is necessary because without them the student couldn’t do his or her work. Another example of differentiated instruction the book gave was giving the student a CD of their textbook so they could listen to the assignment instead of read it.
As a group we unanimously decided that the chapter had great merit, because it stressed the importance of using differentiated instruction to raise students to a level where they could function like anyone else in the classroom. As apposed to the alternative which is to give them an excuse to slack off. However we did have some concerns with the chapter as well in the form of the fallowing questions. If teachers know about this method and they know it works why don’t they use it? What is the line between assistance and giving the good grades away? And where is the line between fair vs. equal and fair vs. perceived favoritism?

Chapter 5 Assessing Synthesis

We all agreed that this chapter discussed the importance of tiering assessments based on student's readiness levels and intellectual capacity with a certain skill or subject. We also all discussed that this chapter pushed the idea of tiering not only by making certain things less challenging for students with lower readiness levels, but also to make things more difficult for learners who are easily ready to move on.
The ways that one can tier are also very different than what we thought. For example, tradionally one would think that making a test simply "easier" means to reword questions in a way that makes them more based on rote skills and repetitiveness for slower learners. However, the chapter discussed that that is actually the exact opposite of what you should do when tiering for slower learners. The author states that research shows that slower learners actually should be exposed to deeper understanding and application questions, just at different levels. In other words, if you continue to give slower learners basic and repetitive problems, they're levels of thinking will not be heightened. By giving them questions on a test that will relate their understandings to the real world, they are more likely to understand key concepts and move on to a higher level of thinking.
Reflection-wise, some of us thought the chapter was slightly redundant and that the instruction part of ubd and this chapter on assessment were very simliar. However, we did all come to the conclusion that the chapter gave us many concrete examples of assessments we could usein our own classrooms.

Fair Isn't Always Equal; Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom - Chapter 4

Team 4 – Ryan, Mackenzie, Aaron, Renee
Practicum Block 1
10/16/2007

Reflection on Reading

Book: Fair Isn’t Always Equal - Wormeli
Chapter: Chapter 4 – Three Important Types of Assessment

Write a brief abstract of the chapter:

This chapter is about the topic of assessment. It discusses how there are three essential forms of assessment. The first one is portfolios. Portfolios are important because they cover multiple ways of assessing. They are a differentiation tool that can be very flexible in what they assess and how. The second assessment is the use of rubrics. The chapter discusses how rubrics are tools used to show students exactly how they will be assessed. They show what parts of the assignment are worth more or less. Rubrics are guides for student thinking while preparing for the assignment. The third type of assessment discussed is student self assessment. The chapter describes this as having the student look at a pre-assessment they completed before the unit and then analyze how much knowledge of the subject they have developed. Chapter four stressed the importance of using all of these assessments to depict a well rounded view of the understanding of the student.

How did you connect to the reading? And briefly reflect on your thoughts.

As a team we really liked chapter four. Mackenzie liked it for its emphasis on effective assessment and its quick and to the point text. Many of us appreciated its in depth explanations of the three assessments. Ryan and Aaron appreciated chapter four because they could connect it to assessments that were put on them as students. They connected the content to their lives, so they valued it all the more. Renee liked chapter four because of its emphasis on self assessment. As a team we deemed this chapter as educationally worthy, and the content an asset to educators everywhere.

Synthesized MI Chapter 10

Team 4 (Ryan, Renee, Mackenzie, Aaron)
Write a brief abstract of the chapter.
This chapter covers the topic of MI and assessment. It begins by stressing the idea of having a variety of assessments, and gives the basic outlines of authentic assessments. Armstrong then gives some examples of assessments of many varieties The MI assessment projects are brought up next in the chapter, and a brief description of each project is given. Their main purpose is to develop ways to assess kids of different intelligences showing knowledge in the same subjects. Armstrong then covers assessing in eight ways, and gives a running example using Huck Finn and each of the eight intelligences. Nearing the end of the chapter he brings up how MI theory can broaden a certain assessment into a wide range of contexts relating to each intelligence. After that Armstrong gives a large chart showing many different types of assessment you can give to your students, depending on their intelligences, that way it is easy for them to show their mastery/understanding of the subject. At the very end of the chapter MI portfolios are introduced. These portfolios are meant to give a background to each students MI history and some insight to which kind of assessments they perform best on.
How did you connect to the reading and briefly reflect on your thoughts?
I personally liked how the author give examples of one general assessment morphed so it favors each of the eight intelligences. Aaron liked the idea of diversifying tests but was worried about how some tests just can’t be changed to favor a certain intelligence. Renee liked how this chapter brought the individual into the light and how the classroom should be set up to help not hinder the students. Lastly, Mackenzie favored giving various assessments because will be less worried if they know the assessment will be in a form they understand.

Fair Isn't Always Equal; Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom - Chapter 2

Team 4 – Ryan, Aaron, Mackenzie, Renee
Practicum Block 1
10/10/2007

Reflection on Reading

Book: Fair Isn’t Always Equal - Wormeli

Chapter: 2 - Mastery

Write a brief abstract of the chapter:

This chapter is about how students actually master concepts in the classroom. It discusses how there is a difference between just knowing and actual mastery. It discusses the fact that there are assessments that are thought-provoking and will provide cognitive answers showing real depth in the knowledge of the student. Some examples of these assessments are in class discussions, debates, and journal entries. This chapter discusses how multiple aspects of the student’s knowledge of the topic need to be assessed in order to determine mastery, which is where differentiated instruction comes into play. It connected very well to chapter one.

How did you connect to the reading? And briefly reflect on your thoughts.

We all liked this chapter very well. Mackenzie and Renee liked how it tied nicely into chapter one with the topic of differentiated instruction, while Aaron and Ryan liked how it was more of a resource for new teachers more. We all liked how this chapter discussed the different aspects of understanding, and how we need to make sure that our students understand the concepts we are trying to get across to them.

Chptr 5 UbD/DI

Team 4(Ryan, Renee, Mackenzie, Aaron)

Write a brief abstract of the chapter.
This chapter’s main focus was assessments used by teachers. It covered many different types of assessments and how to effectively use these tests for understanding. In the beginning of the text it is stressed that using a cumulative, encompassing form of assessment is better than a “snapshot” method where you only use one piece of evidence to determine whether a child knows the material. The authors discuss the three principles of understanding, and how these relate to assessments we should use. These principles include using the GRASPS method to assess learning and when designing new assessments to take the “form follows function” method. Using these ideas you can test to see if your students actually UNDERSTAND the subject rather than just memorize the facts. At the very end of the chapter they also talk about responsive assessment, which allows us as teachers to adjust our teaching style based on the feedback we get from quick, easy checks for understanding.

How did you connect to the reading and briefly reflect on your thoughts?
I personally liked how the chapter gave us information about assessing correctly and understanding the feedback we get from our assessments. I thought it was important about the responsive assessments and being able to change something if it’s not working. Aaron favored the idea of giving in depth feedback to the kids after their assessments, thus giving them some insight about what they need to work on. Renee mentioned adapting assessments to her different classes and being able to differentiate instruction, and also liked the section covering praise given to students. Mackenzie really liked the concrete examples of assessment given in the chapter and mentioned using the book as a resource.