MI- Chapter 6

This chapter focused on the different teaching strategies of MI. The MI theory suggests that there is not one set of strategies that is going to work best for all students or teachers. This thought is proven true by looking into any classroom and noticing the diversity of the classroom. Teachers are advised to continually strive to use a broad range of teaching strategies with their students. There are many teaching strategies for linguistic intelligence some of which include storytelling, brainstorming, tape recording, journal writing, and publishing. The students should share whatever comes to mind without the consequence of put-downs or insults. The journal writing allows for personal reflection and publishing allows for students to gain a variety of feedback. When students see that others care about what they are speaking and writing about, they become interested and engaged in the material. Some teaching strategies for mathematical intelligence are calculations and quantifications, classifications and categorizations, Socratic questioning, heuristics, and science thinking. It is a good idea when dealing with this intelligence to keep alert for interesting numbers and patterns as well as relations between the subject and life. This approach allows for high organization. It also eliminates talking at students and the teacher can participate with students. The purpose of some methods is not to embarrass or humiliate but rather to engage them and sharpen their critical thinking skills.

Teaching strategies for spatial intelligence are visualization, color hues, picture metaphors, idea sketching, and graphic symbols. Some strategies for bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are body answers, a classroom theater, kinesthetic concepts, hands-on thinking, and body maps. All of these strategies for bodily-kinesthetic relate one’s own body to another or to an idea making the learning, what else but, hands on. Some teaching strategies for musical intelligence are rhythms, songs, raps, and chants, discographies, supermemory music, musical concepts, and mood music. Using sounds helps to create a safe and welcoming environment as well as a tool for learning more difficult concepts. Some teaching strategies for interpersonal intelligence are peer sharing, people sculptures, cooperative groups, board games, and simulations. Some strategies for intrapersonal intelligence are one-minute reflection periods, personal connections, choice time, feeling-toned moments, and goal setting sessions. Finally some teaching strategies for the naturalist intelligence are nature walks, windows and learning, plants as props, pet-in-the-classroom, and ecostudy.

All these intelligences have their own unique way of helping a student to learn. Therefore each teacher should have different teaching strategies and plans to help students succeed. They must allow their students to connect with the material. Teachers need to rethink the way their lessons and classroom environments have always been and to step into a new playing field. Try out a new position and maybe be able to play a whole new game.