Here are my responses to those questions:
I have strengths in several multiple intelligences, but the two that I identify with the most are the Naturalist Intelligence and the Kinesthetic Intelligence. Some of the characteristics that are common to those with a high Naturalist intelligence are the ability to classify things in hierarchies, and that Naturalists tend to feel a natural empathy toward nature. Naturalists have a strong tendency to classify things by their relationships and attributes. Kinesthetic learners are very tactile, they like to take a hands-on approach to things, and enjoy sensory learning. Kinesthetic learners tend to be reflexive and quick to respond physically, and have well-developed motor skills. Out of these core characteristics, many of them describe me. I am very tactile. In science classes, labwork always helped reinforce ideas and understanding more than lecture. All of the Naturalist characteristics describe me. I am very nature-oriented, and I understand things as they fit into a hierarchy. I have a quick recall of things that, in my head, I have sorted by their attributes and characteristics.
Children who demonstrate high Naturalist intelligences will be empathetic toward nature, and will like to make and sort collections. They will like to find their own sense of order, and will also enjoy learning via charts and tables, as opposed to a lot of words. Kinesthetic learners will enjoy hands-on activities, movement-based learning, and will be able to focus on learning for a long time, as long as it is movement-based. They will enjoy group work and active learning tasks, and will be able to learn a concept once they have been able to actually do it.
When appealing to the learning preferences of these children, it will be important to incorporate some different methods to teaching than the traditional idea of lecturing. With Naturalists, it may be helpful to have activities that are based in sorting things, and making sure that they are given the chance to practice their understanding of hierarchies. With Kinesthetic learners, using manipulatives and other hands-on aspects of the lesson can really help, as will incorporating dramatic exercises, interactive games, and offering lots of opportunities for movement.
Naturalists are intrigued by some life-science equipment (microscopes, magnifying glasses, telescopes, etc.), specimen collection equipment (bug boxes, sandwich bag, plastic container, etc.), organizers (scrapbooks, and (although this wasn't included in the website) photo albums), and different organization-based software (such as databases and mapping tools). Kinesthetic learners are interested in anything they can move around or actively construct or deconstruct. Construction tools, kitchen tools, tools of movement (pulleys, wedges, etc.), P.E. equipment (balls, bats, etc.), manipulatives (mouse, joystick, etc.), and any sort of hand-eye coordination technology (video games, digital probes, etc.)
I think that, first and foremost, it is crucial that every teacher acknowledge the range of intelligences within their classroom, and do their best both to acknowledge students' individual strengths in those intelligences and to tailor their lessons to appeal to as many styles as possible. A large aspect of a student's ability to learn is their self-esteem and their self-efficacy: If they don't believe they are competent enough to learn,they won't learn. Encouraging and praising all different forms of intelligence will help students feel more confident. For example, many teachers reward students who read the most books or perform well on spelling tests, but not many students reward students who are fast runners (kinesthetic), who dance well (music), who ask thought-provoking questions (existential), and, as I know from personal experience, who catch insects, slugs, and small animals at recess and bring them into class (naturalist). Although some of these skills may not fit into EALRs or the student curriculum, they are still forms of intelligence, and the ability to recognize and reward students for them will go a long way toward encouraging competency and teaching students to respect each other's differences and contributions.
Children who demonstrate high Naturalist intelligences will be empathetic toward nature, and will like to make and sort collections. They will like to find their own sense of order, and will also enjoy learning via charts and tables, as opposed to a lot of words. Kinesthetic learners will enjoy hands-on activities, movement-based learning, and will be able to focus on learning for a long time, as long as it is movement-based. They will enjoy group work and active learning tasks, and will be able to learn a concept once they have been able to actually do it.
When appealing to the learning preferences of these children, it will be important to incorporate some different methods to teaching than the traditional idea of lecturing. With Naturalists, it may be helpful to have activities that are based in sorting things, and making sure that they are given the chance to practice their understanding of hierarchies. With Kinesthetic learners, using manipulatives and other hands-on aspects of the lesson can really help, as will incorporating dramatic exercises, interactive games, and offering lots of opportunities for movement.
Naturalists are intrigued by some life-science equipment (microscopes, magnifying glasses, telescopes, etc.), specimen collection equipment (bug boxes, sandwich bag, plastic container, etc.), organizers (scrapbooks, and (although this wasn't included in the website) photo albums), and different organization-based software (such as databases and mapping tools). Kinesthetic learners are interested in anything they can move around or actively construct or deconstruct. Construction tools, kitchen tools, tools of movement (pulleys, wedges, etc.), P.E. equipment (balls, bats, etc.), manipulatives (mouse, joystick, etc.), and any sort of hand-eye coordination technology (video games, digital probes, etc.)
I think that, first and foremost, it is crucial that every teacher acknowledge the range of intelligences within their classroom, and do their best both to acknowledge students' individual strengths in those intelligences and to tailor their lessons to appeal to as many styles as possible. A large aspect of a student's ability to learn is their self-esteem and their self-efficacy: If they don't believe they are competent enough to learn,they won't learn. Encouraging and praising all different forms of intelligence will help students feel more confident. For example, many teachers reward students who read the most books or perform well on spelling tests, but not many students reward students who are fast runners (kinesthetic), who dance well (music), who ask thought-provoking questions (existential), and, as I know from personal experience, who catch insects, slugs, and small animals at recess and bring them into class (naturalist). Although some of these skills may not fit into EALRs or the student curriculum, they are still forms of intelligence, and the ability to recognize and reward students for them will go a long way toward encouraging competency and teaching students to respect each other's differences and contributions.
