Multiple Intelligences

My top three multiple intelligences were: linguistic, musical, and intrapersonal.  I felt that these intelligences fit well with how I learn and what I enjoy doing.  If everyone who takes the test feels that their intelligences fit them appropriately, then this could be a great tool for educators when forming lesson plans.

Multiple intelligences is an interesting concept because it is based on the idea that we are all individuals- and we all learn differently.  And it seems this theory can be supported by the data taken from our class.  Some think more logically while some think more visually, etc.,  and no one "scored" the same as anyone else.  As long as the data is correct, it can be seen that everyone has different strengths (and weaknesses).

With this in mind, I think it is important for teachers to consider teaching in different ways.  This way, educators can appeal to everyone's strengths- helping their students understand the material better.  Because everyone can learn through each of these intelligences, there is no need to worry about only teaching to one intelligence- all can (and should) be used in the classroom.

There's More to Blogs Than Meets the Eye

Like I said before, blogs can be used in a large variety of ways.  But the first thing most people think about when they think of blogs is writing.  Blogs can teach about more than just writing, however.  In fact, because the writing component is unavoidable, it would probably be beneficial to try to teach other lessons through blogs (especially for elementary teachers who have to teach several subjects to the same set of students).

Through blog/journal reflection, I could pose questions or problems for students to solve.  For example, if I was asking students to reflect on math concepts we learned during class for the week, I could present a word problem for students to solve somewhere in their blog post.  This would encourage creativity and problem-solving in my students.

Another option is to require students to reflect through podcasts or vodcasts.  These tools require planning and, if working in a group, collaboration.  It is really difficult to teach students how to work together.  Giving students a fun project will encourage them to work together because they WANT to produce something of good quality to share with the class, and possibly the world.

Blogs in the Classroom

This will be my first blog- ever.  It was pretty easy to set up, but I'll have to keep learning as I go, so don't judge me too hard!

There are many ways blogs can be incorporated into the classroom.  This is because blogs can be used in a variety of ways.  To me, blogs could work as journal entries or reflections for students, but because the blog can (and will) be read by others, students will take the assignment more seriously.

In my future classroom, I would use blogging to monitor students' understanding of readings or material we covered by having them summarize what they read and answer questions I have provided ahead of time. Then, students could read each other's blogs and comment/ask questions.  In fact, I would make sure that students post at some regular interval and comment on at least two or three other students' blogs as well.

My learning goals for the use of blogs would be not only to learn how to use a blog and acquire basic computer skills, but to learn how to reflect on material and have academic discussions with their classmates.

To see whether my students were meeting these goals, I would monitor their improvements over time.  I realize that the first couple blogs and comments would probably be rough, but over time I would expect improvements in writing skills, reflection, and discussion.  Are my students asking questions?  Are they relating personal experiences to information they gained in class?  The more personal a student can make their education and their new knowledge, the more I will know that they have been thinking about, and understanding, the material- not just knowing it.