Every year we open our classrooms and welcome new faces complemented with a variety of personalities, interests, and multiple intelligences. I'm sure that this year is no different. Our plates are jam-packed with remembering names, focusing on classroom management, and becoming familiar with routines. The last thing on your mind is how you could effectively and efficiently incorporate different learning style techniques naturally into your daily math lesson. Is this even possible with Eureka Math? Can I do this without taking away countless instructional minutes? YES! And YES! Incorporating Gardner's Multiple intelligences into your daily lessons not only will get your students excited for math but you as well!
I learn You learn, We all learn, DIFFERENTLY
Have you ever had those days where you walk into your classroom proud to teach your well-designed lesson plan that you know your students will love? It's an exhilarating feeling! The only problem is your lesson went as planned, but your students responded with everything but excitement. This moment of failure-if you will- has happened to me on more than one occasion, and I think to myself, "What did I do wrong"? "Why weren't they excited"? If I were a kid, I would have LOVED this lesson. And that's when it hit me! I wasn't them, and they aren't me. Even though I might have an inkling of an idea of what they are interested in at the moment, I may not be presenting it in a way that is intriguing to them. When it took a step back and thought about this- it all made sense. I get the deer in the headlights look when I tell them to study for a test or assignment because they haven't pinpointed how they learn best. So I decided to change that by giving them a Multiple Intelligence Test that used a Likert scale of 1-5 for each of the areas:
- Linguistic intelligence (“word smart”)
- Logical-mathematical intelligence (“number/reasoning smart”)
- Spatial intelligence (“picture smart”)
- Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (“body smart”)
- Musical intelligence (“music smart”)
- Interpersonal intelligence (“people smart”)
- Intrapersonal intelligence (“self smart”)
- Naturalist intelligence (“nature smart”
The best part of this test is that it required them to use math! Students have to determine their score for each intelligence by adding and then utilize the data to graph and interpret their results. Sneaky, right? Both my students and I were intrigued by the results. Some were even shocked but gave clarity once it was finally on paper. So now what? Now it gets good! In this small task that you assigned you are helping students develop two very important intelligences- Logical-mathematical intelligence and Intrapersonnal intelligence. Having students develop in their own personal ability
MUSIC for the win!
As we are already aware, music engulfs our student's attention. They can recite the lyrics to a song on the radio but somehow can't recall their multiplication facts. So why not use music to have them remember key concepts in math and without paying a dime? Youtube, which is our worst enemy on certain days, has just become our best friend. NUMBERROCK has videos on youtube like this one that includes a catchy tune and video clip while embedding math academic vocabulary. SCORE! It's a triple threat- you are now reaching those students who are musical, visual, and linguistic learners.
In Eureka's K-5 curriculum: "A Story of Units" and 6-8: "A Story of Ratios," I embed it into the beginning of my lesson into the fluency section and pause the song to clarify or point out essential pieces of information presented in the video. Each song is approximately 2-3 minutes, so with a few times of playing the song and a catchy hook, your students should pick up on it in no time. What if you still don't have the time? I play it one-time during my lesson, and then from that day forward, I play it as a transition song when they come into the classroom. That way, students still have the opportunity to hear the song and sing along if they choose. These videos have made even the most challenging modules easy (Grade 4 Module 2).
The Best Benefit of All
The greatest part of having students understand their own intelligence is reminding them that they are just that... intelligent. For many students they belive that they are just not "smart" or that they aren't a "math person", when in reality by making students aware of their own intelligence they begin to internalize the defintion differently. The meaning of the word, "intelligence" is no longer a stand alone defintion, but a defintion that has multiple criteria. Students also start to make sense of who they are as a learner, which speaks volumes, especially in the midst of middle school and freshman year when they are still finding what they do and don't enjoy. So how can I elevate the impact? After embedding the learning styles into your lesson close out your lesson with a question such as - What intelligence was used today that benefited your learning? What intelligence are you learning to enjoy that you didn't enjoy as much before? With this debrief, you have hit home! These questions have included them as people... and isn't that the real goal in learning?
The Best Benefit of All
The greatest part of having students understand their own intelligence is reminding them that they are just that... intelligent. For many students they belive that they are just not "smart" or that they aren't a "math person", when in reality by making students aware of their own intelligence they begin to internalize the defintion differently. The meaning of the word, "intelligence" is no longer a stand alone defintion, but a defintion that has multiple criteria. Students also start to make sense of who they are as a learner, which speaks volumes, especially in the midst of middle school and freshman year when they are still finding what they do and don't enjoy. So how can I elevate the impact? After embedding the learning styles into your lesson close out your lesson with a question such as - What intelligence was used today that benefited your learning? What intelligence are you learning to enjoy that you didn't enjoy as much before? With this debrief, you have hit home! These questions have included them as people... and isn't that the real goal in learning?
Lively Learning,
Jessica Magana
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