Multiple Intelligence

COURSE DESCRIPTION.

Life is changing, technology is changing, society is changing, almost everything is changing, but education is not evolving as other parts of the world is doing. Our educational system follows the principles of classical education where the main objective is to develop cognitive competences following the principles of formal education (unidirectional learning, education inside walls, without reflection, without gamification and non-formal methods, etc.

This approach of education is not satisfying all the needs of the new students, and we are finding innovative and alternative approaches of education that complement traditional education.

One of these approaches is following the theory of multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner. This approach says that we can divide the concept of intelligence in 8 different and limited intelligences which cooperate among them. These intelligences are:

•     Interpersonal intelligence.
•     Intrapersonal intelligence.
•     Kinesthetic intelligence.
•     Musical intelligence.
•     Spatial intelligence.
•     Nature intelligence.
•     Logic intelligence.
•     Word intelligence.

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Group and program presentation, using creativity.

In this activity we will make a bit of team working, group presentation and also we will start work with art as an emotional communication tool. One of the main competence we will use to promote learning workshops following the bases of multiples intelligences

Each of the participants will have a white paper and things to draw and we will ask them to draw themselves, but not a portrait (maybe just if this is his/her choice), we will ask them to draw something that represent themselves, and we can give examples like, if I really like to go to mountains to hike and spend there the day with a bike we can draw that. We will give some time to draw and put relaxing music for that (like Ludovico enauldi). We can give them 25-30 minutes maximum.

After that we are not going to make them present the draw, we will do something different. Now we will take another paper and we need to answer 3 questions about the drawing. Each person will write about his/her drawing.

We need to answer:

•     What I see? We will write here everything we can see in the drawing, but just what is there drawn (like a blue ocean, high mountain with animals, a party of a lot of people, etc.). We need to write doing it like this: I see ….
•     What I feel? We will write here the emotions the person feels when watching the drawing. For example I feel calm, exited, relaxed, etc. we need to write it like this: I feel …
•     What I imagine? Here we are going to write down these things each one imagine watching the draw, like what will happen in this little piece of arte after it. For example I imagine a night next to the fire. We will need to write down: I imagine …

We will have music also in this process, and we will give some minutes for that, like 10 minutes.

And with this information we will make the presentation of the results, but with some conditions.

Fist condition is show the results to everybody

Second condition they just can read what is written in the paper, nothing else.

Third condition, each participant will need to change the words I see, I feel and I imagine for the words I am.

Respecting this condition each participant will present his/her result.

Schedule of the training course:

• • Identifying multiple intelligences. 

    The main objective of this workshop will be to discover and understand the potential intelligences of our students, in order to plan our future actions in a more efficient way.

                        

    We will present them using different methods to identify these intelligences in our students.

    1. Talent show: This workshop we can plan it as a game. It can be the first contact of your students with this approach. We will plan a game which will consist to simulate a contest, but we will divide, as teachers topics:
    2. Knowledge of animals.
    3. Who know to count!
    4. Dancing.
    5. Singing/playing instruments.
    6. Who is the friendliest!
    7. Who can play with other friends but also alone?
    8. Knowledge about our city.
    9. Writing more words!

     

    2. Promoting activities where one of these intelligences are used in a predominant way.
    3. Test for kids: we will show our participants individual tests that we can use with our students in order to identify in a better way which intelligences have more potential in each of our students.

    In this test, each intelligence has 10 questions, to answer as a yes/no. with them we will identify the tendency of our students to develop some intelligences since they like these activities and for them these activities are easier.

Developing musical intelligence:

First part of the workshop we are going to speak about what this intelligence means, what components we can find in it.

After that we are going to see how we can work it with our students. In this age it will be hard to work with activities related to music requiring high manual skills, so the main tool to use with kids is percussion. But music intelligence does not mean just be able to create or play music. This intelligence also recognises the ability to understand and feel music.

1.   Discovering the pulse: the pulse of the song is something that almost all of us can feel naturally. The pulse is the foundations to every song. Pulse is a steady beat like a ticking clock or your heartbeat. It’s the first thing we need to work to develop this intelligence, it’s the base. This activity will be based on painting using the pulse of a song. We will have a paper where each kid will draw a person. We will use paint for fingers, blue it’s the best. We are going to draw a rainy day using the pulse of a song (we can use slower and faster songs) for that. With this game we will provoke our students to discover the pulse of the songs easier and faster. This is the base to develop musical intelligence.
2.   Repeating the pulse: after start working the pulse, we are going to work musical memory. We are going to use papers of different colours. Each kid will have the papers in front and we are going to repeat patrons making the pulse (kicking) using the papers. We can use different songs for that, slower first and faster after.
3.   Repeating patrons with all the body members: we will use the same strategy of the second exercise but coming all the members separately (hands and feet). It is also really important if we want to develop music intelligence, since we start to gain the skill of separate parts of the body to make different rhythms, which is basic to make music.

4.    Until this moment we were practicing just skills, movements to integrate in our brain the base of the music (pulse). With the other activities we connect cognitive competences (recognise the pulse of the songs) with physical cognitive (make with different parts of our bodies the pulse and combine them). But also, this intelligence consists in emotions and values, creativity and development of ideas using the music, so in order to develop it will be a great tool and activity to paint using the feelings than different songs can transmit to the students. This activity will help to connect the emotions of the kids to the music, and that will motivate students to keep practicing in the future and developing this intelligence. We will use different kinds of songs, from different styles in order to stimulate our students in different ways.

Visual and Spatial

 Capacity of thinking in 3 or more dimensions, perceiving the reality and being able to use them (creating them, localizing things on them, combining them, etc.). With this intelligence we are able to recognise and manipulate figures and guidelines in big spaces (as pilots do), or in a more reduced space (sculptors, surgeons, chess players, graphic artists or architects).

This capacity integrates a really different way of factors and skills as can be recognised colours, be able to transform one element in another one, capacity of imagination, be able to make real something that you imagine.

This intelligence allows us to solve special problems, among the observation and stimulation of objects from different angles elaborating graphics, images etc. It’s useful to interpret maps, develop artistic and technique results, create strategies in visual games such as chest, to orientate yourself, etc.

The main objective of this course will be to give tools to teachers to develop these intelligences among their students. We will present different options to de

– Tangram for kids, adapted to different ages.

– Rubik Snake.

– Rubiks’s Cube for kids.

– Creating geometric figures. We will create our own tool to work this. We just need a piece of cork where we will put little sticks with the same distance one each other. In this way we will have like a “map of coordinates” where to play using an elastic to make geometric figures.

– Let’s build our castle”. Constructions/building games in 3 dimensions using squares.

– Playing with labyrinths. Solving labyrinths is one of the best strategies in order to develop this kind of intelligence, we can create labyrinths to solve in a paper and also to create in the classroom bigger “labyrinths” with challenges and visual/space tasks.

– Playing with Polymer Clay. To understand the bases of the use of polymer clay and this kind of materials and activities we will gain a really powerful tool to develop this intelligence and also increase manual skills to connect the imagination of the kids with the physical skills needed to make them to be real.

– Human nought and crosses. With this activity we are going to build a 3D game where our kids will have to understand and play this game from a 3D perspective.

– Making our own mosaic. With this activity we will create a Tangram game per kid, using their own creativity for each kid. The idea is to have a big paper per kid, where to paint with no sense, just having fun, with sponges, hands, etc. After leaving it to dry enough time we will cut in in different and small parts, having something similar as a tangram game. We need to cut them in different ways in order to create different figures. When having these little pieces we can play to build different things with them, as a dog, a turtle, a house. Etc.

Body kinesthetic

• Bodily kinesthetic learning style or intelligence refers to a person’s ability to process information physically through hand and body movement, control, and expression. It is also known as the physical learning style or tactile-kinesthetic learning style.Bodily kinesthetic learners prefer bodily information over other forms.1 Movement serves as an aid to their memory and they remember movement from others as well as their own. They may seek out touching and manipulating objects when learning about them.The kids with this kind of intelligence will learn better when they can feel physically the subject dealt. For example, if you are teaching the numbers, if we can give the kids 3D numbers that the kids can touch.This intelligence is divided in two big components: fine and gross motor skills
  1.   Fine skills: The fine skills are also called manual skills and allows us to manipulate objects with our hands. Basic manual skills will allow us to take things, to eat, to dress up. If we develop them we will be able to combine these skills with others in order to create (to paint, to build, to manipulate polymer clay, etc).
  2.   Motor Skills: they are the physical skills of the rest of our body (legs, body, abs, arms, etc.) they are used for walking, keep the balance of the body, etc. a good development of those skills will useful to do all kind of sports, to dance and to have a good health.

  So to develop this intelligence we will have to plan activities in two directions, one more focused in fine skills and other in motor skills, and also combining the two processes of the movements, sensibility (inputs) and actions (outputs).

   

  Fine skills:

  The fine skills are mainly developed by painting and writing in schools from these ages, but there is a big lack of activities based in the training of inputs, so we are going to focus on this part.

  Inputs workshop:

  – We are going to use a technique called stimulation boxes: we are going to develop, using normal materials, different boxes with different materials in order to have them as play tools in the classroom. We will have harder boxes till really soft ones, even some based in fluid textures.

  – The mystery box consists of building one box with a hole to allow the kids to put their hands inside the hole. With this tool kids will be able to play guessing games, trying to guess what if the object they are touching without the capacity to see them.

  – Sand, water, rice: Also, another way of integration is provoke inputs directly to the hands while doing another mission, for example: To find objects in containers with different materials. The idea is to hide objects, bigger, smaller, etc., in different  “fluids”. The fluid can be water, rice, sand, etc.

   

  But of course we are going also to see how to train the outputs (the physical part) of the fine skills.

  Fine skills are normally really worked by schools (activities with scissors, while drawing, while painting, etc.) so we are going to see a method which will help teacher to understand the elements of their own activities and change them (make them more difficult or easier) in order to adapt them to the capacities of each kid.

   

   

  Motor Skills

  What we need to do as teachers is to plan activities where we integrate all the parts of the body (legs, arms, body, etc.). In this age kids are able to hang, climb, move standing, progress on all fours, turn upside down, lean, turn, jump, fall and this is what we need to plan. Also we will not forget sensorial integration during this workshop.

   

  We are going to see the different elements and competences all the people need to have in an optimal way to realize their actions as individual people.

   

  The different techniques we are going to propose and see are:

  •     Role play: we are going to use this technique in order to ludify different actions. We will see what we can use to promote these activities among our students (if using animals, using famous people, different spots, etc)
  •     Theatre techniques.
  •     Dance techniques.
  •     Circus techniques: Circus arts have a really huge number of different activities to do with the kids, and also these arts have a great motivational component.

  o   Juggling.

  o   Acro-body.

  o   Acrobatic dances.

   

  During all these activities we are going to integrate also with input activities and teamwork.

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Logical – Maths

Logical-mathematical learning style refers to your ability to reason, solve problems, and learn using numbers, abstract visual information, and analysis of cause and effect relationships. Logical-mathematical learners are typically methodical and think in logical or linear order. They may be adept at solving math problems in their heads and are drawn to logic puzzles and games.

Students with this intelligence enjoy school activities such as math, computer science, technology, drafting, design, chemistry, and other “hard sciences.” Logical-mathematical learners prefer logical order in instruction and often work best in structured, organized environments. They have strong visual analysis, memory, and problem-solving skills.

To develop this intelligence when students are kids, because these subjects are the most frustrating for students when they are in higher levels of education, since these subjects really need to have the knowledge of the bases of each field (maths, physics, chemistry, etc).

This intelligence cooperate a lot with visual and spatial intelligence.

We will to see the potential of tools and methods as:

•         Abacuses: Abacus was designed in such a way that it automatically enhances the power of the right brain. Our right brain is the numerical center and also a place from where analytical memory takes shape. Abacus training enables memory development in spatial orientation.
•         Mathematic cubes: Game where we are going to use toys based on cubes to promote counting and even addition and subtraction. 
•         Use of figures: with this kind of activities we are going to develop at the same time activities based on this intelligence but also competences related with visual-spatial intelligence.
•         Combining numbers with representation of the quantity of those numbers (for example with dotes) in 2D/3D will be help in the future a lot to start learning maths.
•         Work with sequences, combing this intelligence, with visual-spatial and kinesthesis intelligence.
•         Egg cups: We are going to create a low cost tool using egg cups to promote: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, seriation, and symmetry.
•         Counting games: creation of different materials using gamification concept in order to promote activities based on counting objects.

ss of the creation tangibles results always brings a component of motivation. So in art we can find a great tool to work in the motivation to our students to deal with those topics that create them more stress and challenges.

For this we will:

Fist we will give to each of the participants an individual flip chard (big white paper) and we will divide this paper in three equal parts.

In the left part they will represent, trough drawing, in a metaphoric way, one moment of their life in which they were feeling bad with themselves, where it was some situation that they feel it was not surmountable (as can be university, some job, etc, …).

In the right part, they will represent this moment when they overcome this situation already, drawing how they were feeling, how much stronger they feel themselves after that, what competences they gained after this process.

So, we have a blank middle part we need to fulfil, and there we will represent the “way”, the hero journey, in order to remember that they were able to do to overcome this difficult situation and leaving thanks to art, the sub conscience be present in this process. With this process we will create a result where each of the participants will see themselves overcoming challenges, they will feel how strong they are.

After the first process and the motivation gained on it, we will represent now a current challenge they need to face. First they will represent this situation, after that what they think they need to do and learn to overcome and after that, in the third place how they think they will be after developing this process.

The last time of the workshop will be a reflection time about the process, how art has the capacity of showing how we are and our competences even if we don’t think that we have them and in which situations and moments the students need this motivation support to deal with situation in the schools.

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World Cafe Method

Drawing on seven integrated design principles, the World Café methodology is a simple, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue. Each element of the method has a specific purpose and corresponds to one or more of the design principles.

World Café can be modified to meet a wide variety of needs. Specifics of context, numbers, purpose, location, and other circumstances are factored into each event’s unique invitation, design, and question choice, but the following five components comprise the basic model:

1) Setting: Create a “special” environment, most often modeled after a café, i.e. small round tables covered with a checkered or white linen tablecloth, butcher block paper, coloured pens, a vase of flowers, and optional “talking stick” item. There should be four chairs at each table (optimally) – and no more than five.

2) Welcome and Introduction: The host begins with a warm welcome and an introduction to the World Café process, setting the context, sharing the Cafe Etiquette, and putting participants at ease.

3) Small-Group Rounds: The process begins with the first of three or more twenty-minute rounds of conversation for small groups of four (five maximum) people seated around a table. At the end of the twenty minutes, each member of the group moves to a different new table. They may or may not choose to leave one person as the “table host” for the next round, who welcomes the next group and briefly fills them in on what happened in the previous round.

4) Questions: each round is prefaced with a question specially crafted for the specific context and desired purpose of the World Café. The same questions can be used for more than one round, or they may build upon each other to focus the conversation or guide its direction.

5) Harvest: After the small groups (and/or in between rounds, as needed), individuals are invited to share insights or other results from their conversations with the rest of the large group. These results are reflected visually in a variety of ways, most often using graphic recording in the front of the room.

Art as a communication tool 

For this activity we will use the tool and board game Dixit.

Dixit is a card game created by Jean-Louis Roubira, illustrated by Marie Cardouat, and published by Libellud in Germany. Using a deck of cards illustrated with dreamlike images, players select cards that match a title suggested by the “storyteller”, and attempt to guess which card the “storyteller” selected.

But we will not play this game in a normal way, we will just use it.

We will make groups of four people, and each group will have part of the deck of Dixit. We will put 12 cards of dixit in the table, showing the drawings of the cards. And the activity will be, we will make questions and each of the participants of the group will need to answer, but using a card of the table. All of them will have to answer and take the time they need for that, we will make typical question that you do to meet new people, to discover what they think about some topics, etc. in each new question (new round) we will put new cards in the table replacing the used ones.

After 4 or 5 questions we will make to the groups, they will do it by themselves, they will decide the questions to do.

The idea of this workshop is to make to our teachers think how using art new another channels of communication, and to solve some problems or deal some topics, this channels can facilitate the communication of young people and students, and the information they are going to give with this process, will be different than discussing the same topics without this artistic and creative channel of communication.

Linguistic and Verbal

Verbal or linguistic intelligence is a person’s ability to think and express their thoughts using words. All people benefit from verbal intelligence. From a simple letter to writing a novel to speaking to one another, we all use our verbal intelligence in many language-related activities.

What are the characteristics of people with verbal intelligence potential?

People with the potential for verbal intelligence enjoy all types of wordplay. It gives them a pleasure to read and write about any topic, and they like to learn new languages.

Seemingly boring and confusing sentence structures can become a great source of entertainment for these people. Complex sentences and word structures give them pleasure. They can learn new words and language rules in a short amount of time and use them effectively.

This kind of intelligence is also really developed in the schools, so it will be a good idea to combine the development of it with any other intelligence.

Here are some other characteristics of linguistic people:

•         Loves to read and write
•         Strong editing skills
•         Enjoys learning cool, meaningful and rare words
•         Talks about what they read
•         Remembers excerpts from the books
•         Loves punctuation and rhythm in texts
•         Enjoys dealing with foreign languages, as well as their mother tongue

The most popular professions for verbally intelligent individuals are:

•         Copywriter
•         Editor
•         Critic
•         Journalist
•         Teacher
•         Publisher
•         TV or Radio Presenter
•         Speech Therapist
•         Public Speaker
•         Interpreter

We are going to work with different tools:

– Similarities: Game where kids will have the mission of recognise letters and put them together.

– Word puzzles: Here we are going to present a tool based in gamification, combining the concept of a puzzle with letters, creating words with these pieces of a puzzle.

– Creating a story together: With this activity we will promote the creativity of the kids in order to create stories, which also is really important for this intelligence. We are going to present different techniques to promote this activity

– Making interviews: With methods of Roleplay we can promote to our classroom to develop a TV show about “news” of the group of students, to develop also the talking, the “reading”, the performing in the talking, etc.

– We are poets: One really good way to start developing this intelligence is using and promoting rhymes, so with simple  techniques of giving tools to our kids we can promote these attitudes of “writing” and “creative thinking in the verbal-linguistic of speaking”.

-Our museums: Also, with the roleplay we are going to develop a classroom museum, where each kid will be his own guide of their creation, toys, games, etc. We are going to give techniques to facilitate this process.

Nature intelligence

People with Naturalist intelligence have a sensitivity to and appreciation for nature. Naturalist intelligence focuses on how people relate to their natural surroundings. Naturalists have a special ability to grow plants, vegetables and fruit. They have an affinity for animals and are good at training and understanding them.

Naturalists can easily distinguish patterns in nature. They are aware of and intrigued by weather phenomena. They are good at discovering the wonders of nature. Naturalists love to walk, climb, camp and hike. They enjoy the outdoors. People with Naturalist intelligence are inspired and rejuvenated by nature. Naturalist is one of several Intelligences.

Naturalist Characteristics

•     Notices natural patterns
•     Learns through natural contact
•     Upset by pollution
•     Comfortable with animals
•     Good at gardening
•     Appreciates plants
•     Appreciates scenic views
•     Inspired by nature
•     Enjoys outdoor activities
•     Aware of weather changes  

Nature intelligence has a huge range of knowledge and actions. Workshops and learning objectives we can promote with kids of this age are:

– Different seasons, different food: It is a good idea to connect kids with the reality of the seasons. We propose to do it with the own fruit of each country, making kids understand how seasons affect the lands, trees, etc.

– Painting leaves: With specific technique and specific paintings we can produce interest to our kids about how the trees are working.

– Combining drawing with real materials from nature (as can be a tree where kids will draw the wooden part and will glue real leaves). Another technique can be the use of crayons to trace them in a white paper, transforming its texture in a painting.

– RolePlaying of animals: We are going to also promote activities based on gamification where kids will need to understand how animals behave (in order of walking, making sound, sleep, run, etc).

– Handcrafts with natural resources: This is connected also with kinestesic one, because we are going to use “materials” from nature in order to create artistic results. It will be really useful to give the kids real material from nature in order to connect them with different realities from the nature field. The next step of this activity will be to make excursions to nature instead of bringing it to the schools.

– Garden: To have a little Wall-Garden will be always a great idea in order to make the students to be responsible of the taking care of the plants, where kids will see and understand how is the process from the seed t the real plant, and what the plants need to grow and live.

– Seed balls, also known as “earth balls”, consist of a variety of different seeds rolled within a ball of clay. To make them and after that a little excursion it’s a perfect activity to promote nature values and intelligence.

Interpersonal intelligence.

Interpersonal intelligence refers to the ability of a person to relate well with people and manage relationships. It enables people to understand the needs and motivations of those around them, which helps strengthen their overall influence. People with interpersonal intelligence seem to stand out in a crowd as people with lots of friends and can easily adapt to social situations. They communicate effectively and enjoy participating in discussions and debates. Individuals with interpersonal intelligence are characterized by their sensitivity to other people’s moods, temperaments, motivations, and feelings.

Characteristics

•         People with interpersonal intelligence:
•         Communicate well verbally
•         Are skilled at nonverbal communication
•         See situations from different perspectives
•         Create positive relationships with others
•         Resolve conflicts in group settings

·         Potential Career Choices

Intrapersonal intelligence.

People with intrapersonal intelligence are adept at looking inward and figuring out their own feelings, motivations and goals. They are quintessentially introspective. They analyze themselves and seek understanding. People with intrapersonal intelligence are intuitive and usually introverted. They learn independently and through reflection.

Characteristics

People with intrapersonal intelligence:

Analyze their strengths and weaknesses well

Enjoy analyzing theories and ideas

Have excellent self-awareness

Understand the basis for his or her own motivations and feelings