Capitalizing on Multiple Intelligences in the Writing Workshop Katie Johns Spartanburg Writing Project: Fall Renewal October 11, 2007

“The Minister for Exams” ~ Brian Patten When I was a child I sat an exam. The test was so simple There was no way I could fail. Q1. Describe the taste of the moon. It tastes like Creation I wrote, it has the flavour of starlight. Q2. What colour is Love? Love is the colour of the water a man lost in the desert finds, I wrote. Q3. Why do snowflakes melt? I wrote, they melt because they fall onto the warm tongue of God.

continued There were other questions. They were as simple. I described the grief of Adam when he was expelled from Eden. I wrote down the exact weight of an elephant's dream. Yet today, many years later, for my living I sweep the streets or clean out the toilets of the fat hotels. Why? Because I constantly failed my exams. Why? Well, let me set a test. Q1. How large is a child's imagination? Q2. How shallow is the soul of the Minister for Exams?

Brian Patten □ Existentially smart! □ His knowledge was not valued. □ Writing Workshop should be a place where the ideas of individual students are valued.

Howard Gardner A Harvard neuropsychologist, Howard Gardner, came up with the theory of multiple intelligences, as a more rounded look at an individual’s intelligence than an IQ test, which tests mostly linguistic and logical / spatial intelligence.

A Cycle of Success (Sim)

Section 1 _____ I can visualize ideas in my mind _____ Rearranging a room and redecorating are fun for me _____ I enjoy creating my own works of art _____ I remember better using graphic organizers _____ I enjoy all kinds of entertainment media _____ Charts, graphs and tables help me interpret data _____ A music video can make me more interested in a song _____ I can recall things as mental pictures _____ I am good at reading maps and blueprints _____ Three dimensional puzzles are fun

Section 2 _____ Foreign languages interest me _____ I enjoy reading books, magazines and web sites _____ I keep a journal _____ Word puzzles like crosswords or jumbles are enjoyable _____ Taking notes helps me remember and understand _____ I faithfully contact friends through letters and/or _____ It is easy for me to explain my ideas to others _____ I write for pleasure _____ Puns, anagrams and spoonerisms are fun _____ I enjoy public speaking and participating in debates

Section 3 _____ I am known for being neat and orderly _____ Step-by-step directions are a big help _____ Problem solving comes easily to me _____ I get easily frustrated with disorganized people _____ I can complete calculations quickly in my head _____ Logic puzzles are fun _____ I can't begin an assignment until I have all my "ducks in a row" _____ Structure is a good thing _____ I enjoy troubleshooting something that isn't working properly _____ Things have to make sense to me or I am dissatisfied

Section 4 _____ I learn by doing _____ I enjoy making things with my hands _____ Sports are a part of my life _____ I use gestures and non-verbal cues when I communicate _____ Demonstrating is better than explaining _____ I love to dance _____ I like working with tools _____ Inactivity can make me more tired than being very busy _____ Hands-on activities are fun _____ I live an active lifestyle

Section 5 _____ I easily pick up on patterns _____ I focus in on noise and sounds _____ Moving to a beat is easy for me _____ I enjoy making music _____ I respond to the cadence of poetry _____ I remember things by putting them in a rhyme _____ Concentration is difficult for me if there is background noise _____ Listening to sounds in nature can be very relaxing _____ Musicals are more engaging to me than dramatic plays _____ Remembering song lyrics is easy for me

Section 6 _____ My attitude effects how I learn _____ I like to be involved in causes that help others _____ I am keenly aware of my moral beliefs _____ I learn best when I have an emotional attachment to the subject _____ Fairness is important to me _____ Social justice issues interest me _____ Working alone can be just as productive as working in a group _____ I need to know why I should do something before I agree to do it _____ When I believe in something I give more effort towards it _____ I am willing to protest or sign a petition to right a wrong

Section 7 _____ I learn best interacting with others _____ I enjoy informal chat and serious discussion _____ The more the merrier _____ I often serve as a leader among peers and colleagues _____ I value relationships more than ideas or accomplishments _____ Study groups are very productive for me _____ I am a “team player” _____ Friends are important to me _____ I belong to more than three clubs or organizations _____ I dislike working alone

Section 8 _____ I enjoy categorizing things by common traits _____ Ecological issues are important to me _____ Classification helps me make sense of new data _____ I enjoy working in a garden _____ I believe preserving our National Parks is important _____ Putting things in hierarchies makes sense to me _____ Animals are important in my life _____ My home has a recycling system in place _____ I enjoy studying biology, botany and/or zoology _____ I pick up on subtle differences in meaning

Section 9 _____ It is important to see my role in the “big picture” _____ I enjoy discussing questions about life _____ Religion is important to me _____ I enjoy viewing art work _____ Relaxation and meditation exercises are rewarding to me _____ I like traveling to visit inspiring places _____ I enjoy reading philosophers _____ Learning new things is easier when I see their real world application _____ I wonder if there are other forms of intelligent life in the universe _____ It is important for me to feel connected to people, ideas and beliefs

Corresponding Intelligence Section 1: Visual / Spatial Section 2: Verbal / Linguistic Section 3: Mathematical / Logical Section 4: Bodily / Kinesthetic Section 5: Musical / Rhythmic Section 6: Intrapersonal Section 7: Interpersonal Section 8: Naturalist Section 9: Existential

Gardner states… □All human beings possess all nine intelligences in varying amounts. □Each person has a different intellectual composition. □We can improve education by addressing the multiple intelligences of our students. □These intelligences are located in different areas of the brain and can either work independently or together. □Spiritual and moral intelligences?

Remember… □ Everyone has all the intelligences. □ You can strengthen an intelligence. □ This inventory is meant as a snapshot in time – it can change. □ M.I. is meant to empower, not label people. © 1999 Walter McKenzie, The One and Only Surfaquarium ory.htm ory.htm

In Groups □Gather around the texts that I have chosen. Skim through the books and as a group, make a list of “noticings.” □Where in the books do you see evidence of your strongest area of intelligence? □Think about how the books could become mentor texts in a unit of study.

“FLOW” “Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi reported and named the concept of flow. Simply, the flow state can be defined as an intensified state of concentration, or high level of focused attention. (continued)

This state of extremely concentrated mental engagement is normally induced if people are doing something they like to do, they are involved in tasks that require high levels of mental or physical focus, or they are engaged in something that they are good at doing” (Wilson).

We want our students to be in the “flow state” High challenge / high skills High focused attention

Text Sets & Publishing In learning centers, build text sets (including publishing resources) for each intelligence. These texts could serve as brainstorming or mentor texts. Students can then look to specific publishing opportunities for their “finished piece.”

“I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind is curious. I want them to understand it so that they will be positioned to make it a better place. Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves. The performance of understanding that try matters are the ones we carry out as human beings in an imperfect world which we can affect for good or for ill.” ~ Howard Gardner

Works Cited Cherry, Kevin. "Multiple Intelligences: Finding the L Spot." 12 Jun McKenzie, Walter. " Walter McKenzie's One and Only Surfaquarium Jun Sim, Emily (Soo Hyun). “Implementing Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences: In terms of creating a better environment for learning.” The s-files. 08 Jul Jun Wilson, Leslie Owen. "Multiple Intelligences Theory in the Classroom." New Horizons for Learning. 12 Jun 2007.

Differentiating Mini-lesson Instruction Armstrong, Thomas. "ASCD Annual Conference Online: Selected Conference Sessions: Words Come Alive." ASCD Annual Conference Online. ASCD. 12 Jun Borek, Jennifer. "Inclusion and the Multiple Intelligences: Creating a Student-Centered Curriculum." The Quarterly 25, 4(2003) Jun 2007.