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.

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.

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.

Children learn in various ways, and need various teaching methods and styles to accommodate those styles. The educational theorist Howard Gardner theorized his theory of Multiple Intelligences in 1983. This theory has influenced my teaching throughout my teaching thus far. It was most obvious during two times in my first practicum. The first time was during our Practicum 1 retreat. In order to become closer with our cohort, and predetermine how we all would work best together, we took various types of learning style quizzes. The test that stuck out the most to me was Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. During this test our cohort discovered that even though some of us may self-classify as a “visual” or “auditory” learner we also learned that we identified as a mathematical and/or spatial learners. Just as we all learn differently, so will our future students. Also, during my first placement in a Kindergarten classroom at Oak Grove Elementary I quickly discovered that even at the beginning of a student’s educational career they all learn

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.

Howard Gardner was a Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for almost thirty years as a codirector of Harvard’s Project Zero program. (Jacobus 619) The program was dedicated to improving education in school. While Gardner was determined to improve education, he earned many awards and recognition along the way. Some of the awards he earned were MacArthur Foundation Award in 1981 and Grawemeyer Award in Education in 1991 but his most recognized work was the Theory of Multiple Intelligence. In this theory he objects to the idea that we can measure intelligence with a standardized test. Gardner is more interested in the mastery of thinking and less of the mastery of tests. (Jacobus 620) He believes that

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,

A teacher could effectively respond to this circumstance through using different types of learning strategies for the student/s, such as through the guidance of Howard Gardner’s theory of eight multiple intelligences (1983;2003), in order to decipher the child’s strongest and weakest intelligences and using

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.

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.

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.

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.