Highland Middle School Gap Analysis

Today, the society’s lives and cultures are composed of many overlapping stories. A single story confines a corner of the world to a generalized stereotype. Chimamanda Adichie in TED talk, The Danger of a Single Story, addresses that “if you hear a single story about a person or a country we risk a critical understanding.” Adichie also states, “a single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not what they are untrue, but they are incomplete.” Adichie believes everyone is guilty in creating single stories and they are dangerous because they rob people from their identities and dignity. Diversity of stories and possibilities are things that should be read and discussed. Single stories are dangerous because they make the differences in people stand out and the single story an incomplete description.

This learning experience is designed for a year 1 class (middle of the year) with diverse learning needs. The lessons take into account Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory and caters for EAL/D, students who are ready to move beyond the lesson and students who are not ready to move beyond the lesson. The activities seen in the three lessons may be modified to suit the needs of individual students (refer to catering for diversity).

Howard Gardner was best known for his theory of multiple intelligences. In his article entitled “A Rounded Version: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,” Gardner explains the seven types of intelligences and what makes an individual “intelligent” in those areas. One of his definitions for intelligence is that it “entails the ability to solve problems or fashion products that are of consequence in a particular cultural setting or community” (Gardner 509). Schooling and education deal immensely on various types of problem solving, and a student’s ability to solve problems foreshadowed his/her future success (Gardner 507). With this in mind, one may come to the question of whether or not schooling and education best accommodates the seven

Howard Gardner and Robert Sternberg believe that educators should find more than one was to for individual’s intelligence to be measure in school systems. They also believe that intelligence is not based on testing there are many ways to value someone’s intelligence there are many different theories that prove that you are smart. We live in a society where our children measure there smarts by standardize testing. Gardner specifically believes that teachers should customize their teaching methods to fit the students that they are teaching. ”Gardner himself asserts that educators should not follow one specific theory or educational innovation when designing instruction but instead employ customized goals and values appropriate to their teaching

Approximately three years ago my district began a journey to become 1:1. So far one could best describe the progress as hit and miss. Some teachers embrace the situation and ran with it. Others not so much. Ask any teacher who embraced this opportunity and they will all agree the single greatest challenge comes from outside the building. The Hickman Mills School District consists of students in high poverty situations. Many of which have no internet access at home. This makes it difficult to provide students opportunities to work on any tech related assignment outside the building. Another issue arises from lost or damaged technology. Many parents cannot afford the fees incurred when their child loses or damages chargers and or iPads.

Throughout the years, educators, students, and parents have been researching methods to improve academic performance. Many new suggestions have been tried, such as updated curriculum and improved technology. However, the true key to success lies in the combination of the theory of multiple intelligences and metacognition. These two essential approaches to learning effectively increase educational progress both in and out of the classroom.

Adichie’s video is arguing about the influenced of different races by several causes in a greater degree than others. In the video The “Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is a composite of many stories bases on her ability of critical thinking. Adichie, try to explain that stories can be ambitious, domineering and dangerous because stories can prevent people from connecting with other people as an individual.

In the classroom it is important to collect information regarding students learning styles, readiness level, and what hinders the student from learning. Creating instructions take time due to students having different learning styles. Collecting data will help support the differentiated instructions that teachers will use in the classroom to ensure all students have the capabilities to gain the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the classroom. Before gathering data on students, teachers must be aware of their strengths and weaknesses to be able to help students beyond their understanding. There are eight multiple intelligences teachers can use to incorporate differentiated instructions to increase student learning. Gaining this kind of data will give teachers the information needed to guide students throughout the classroom.

Because different students learn in a variety of ways, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences was taken into consideration when planning this lesson. Verbal and linguistic learners are able to learn through verbal teaching, logical learners through the classifying activities, visual learners are accommodated through the use of pictures and slides, interpersonal learners can interact during peer sharing or group work and intrapersonal learners can also engage in individual activities (Winch-Dummet,

For year’s teachers, parents and even students have struggled with the term gifted. What does it mean to be gifted or not gifted? Is there truly a set formula to determine who is or is not gifted? Many researchers have tried to answer these questions and many theorists have come up with theories regarding how to teach gifted children. According to Manning (2006), “Gifted students routinely exhibit academic and emotional traits that may be described as intense and, at times, even extreme.” These include a keen sense of humor, a set of very high expectations, and a need for consistency and unusual sensitivity toward others. She further defines that gifted students are not always the best students. Sometimes they are the class clowns or the ones who do not work well in groups. Teachers have to be willing to reassess their expectations for these students and find a way to connect to them that benefits everyone. Some strategies to consistently challenge gifted learners would include: proving problem solving opportunities, giving students the opportunity to design products, allowing students to acquire skills using multiple intelligences, and incorporating lessons that have abstract themes (Fasko, 2001). As Fasko (2001) discussed, these students benefit from Gardner’s multiple intelligence (MI) theory. Gardner’s theory proposes that there are seven independent forms of competence that include: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily kinesthetic,

Albert Einstein stated that “everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” Each student will contain personal strength and weaknesses in particular aspects of education. As a special education teacher, I place a large amount of focus on incorporating the multiple intelligences theory into classroom activities and student assessments that better address the needs of the various learners present in my classroom. Creating problems that embrace critical thinking and creativity allow students to work off their strengths and become better motivated in their education.

David Perkins believes that intelligence is influenced by the things that students can touch such as a computer, making thinking visible with diagrams, and working with other for problem solving. I can apply this theory by encouraging cooperative learning, project-based and problem-based instruction, experiments, labs, and the use of

Students are more positive about each other when they learn co-operatively than when they learn alone, competitively, or individualistically. Students are more effective interpersonally as a result of working together (Johnson and Johnson, 1984). My two lessons reflect good practice primarily because of the use of group work and the consideration of students’ differing learning styles. Good practice – Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner is an American psychologist who came up with the theory of Multiple Intelligences. Multiple Intelligences are different ways to demonstrate intellectual ability. Gardner proposes seven different intelligences: linguistic, logic-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal (http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm). Seven kinds of intelligence allow seven ways to teach, rather than one. Teachers, therefore, should to attend to all intelligences. Students should have opportunities to work on tasks where their style of intelligence can be utilised best.

Dr. Howard Gardner also the Professor of Education at Harvard University developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences in 1983 (Campbell 12). This principle is well known to most teachers. Although people disagree with his theory, Gardner believes that rather than a single intelligence, we acquire all seven intelligences in different amounts. All seven Gardner’s intelligences should be incorporated in every lesson, to include; linguistic, logical-mathematical, body kinesthetic, spatial, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

The second interpretation Gardner believes is effective involves educators encouraging children to strengthen all of their intelligences. A school in Turkey bases its educational program on this interpretation of the Multiple Intelligence Theory. Students from grades K-3 attend the Esentepe School, which focuses on both enhancing and maintaining every child’s strongest Multiple Intelligence, and developing every child’s weaker ones. This has helped educators create well-rounded students, who turn out to be learners who take in information more effectively then students taught in a limited learning style such as lecture or experiential style. (Saban, 2002, p. 72).