UbD Chapter 8 and MI Chapters 8, 11, 12

Chapters 8, 11, and 12 of Multiple Intelligences and Chapter 8 of Understanding by Design focus on taking multiple intelligence theory and differentiated instruction beyond just lesson plans. A lot of emphasis is placed on using the multiple intelligences as forms of new and more effective communication. UbD says that grading – report cards, project scoring, other forms of assessment – must be about communicating constructive feedback to students and parents, as opposed to assigning an arbitrary and competitive number to a student’s work. Grading must be specific, evidence-based, and focus on positive reinforcement. Emphasis is also placed on grades reflecting students’ work habits and progress towards achievement, which connects to what multiple intelligence theory has to say about assessment measuring all different kinds of success. MI theory can also extend to classroom management as well, which connects back to ideas about communication. The book says that good classroom management is about finding ways to relate to each student’s individual intelligence strengths and understand how to best translate what is going on in their heads to what is happening in the classroom. The use of multiple intelligences can also help teachers better communicate with students with special needs. Armstrong says that an appreciation of different intelligence strengths can be a gateway to more acceptance of students with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. Finally, MI theory can also be used to help teachers better understand the cognitive processes of their students and to encourage deep, introspective thinking that breaks free of traditional educational boundaries and embraces the different intelligences.

Something that I believe very strongly in is teachers no longer viewing their students with disabilities as obstacles to their teacher strategies. We need to learn to be welcoming of the different perspectives and learning styles that all students bring to the table, including and most especially students who have been categorized as having a disability. Embracing multiple intelligence theory goes hand-in-hand with accepting the diversity that students with disabilities bring into the classroom, and I think that kind of interchangeability is a huge step in the right direction for education. The books had a lot to say about how to incorporate multiple intelligence acceptance in grading, which is something that I will need to think a lot about when I am teaching. It makes a lot of sense that we should be assessing students with the same differentiated methods that we use to teach them, but I understand why that is hard for teachers to do. Assessments have always been logical and numerical, and those traditional methods can be comforting to teachers when they are in the midst of working experimental methods into their curriculum. And as far as grading goes, a lot of that is left up to the discretion of people higher up the teaching hierarchy, so teachers may feel helpless to affect change to go along with their differentiated instruction. All of these challenges just mean that I will have to work even harder as a teacher, and I will try really hard to find ways to embrace the different multiple intelligences in all aspects of my classroom.