Monthly Archives: October 2013
Howard Gardner: ‘Multiple intelligences’ are not ‘learning styles’
Even before I spoke and wrote about “MI,” the term “learning styles” was being bandied about in educational circles. The idea, reasonable enough on the surface, is that all children indeed, all of us have distinctive minds and personalities. Accordingly, it makes sense to find out about learners and to teach and nurture them in ways that are appropriate, that they value, and—above all—that are effective.Two problems. First, the notion of ”learning styles”’ is itself not coherent. Those who use this term do not define the criteria for a style, nor where styles come from, how they are recognized/assessed/exploited. Say that Johnny is said to have a learning style that is ‘impulsive.” Does that mean that Johnny is “‘impulsive” about everything? How do we know this? What does this imply about teaching—should we teach “impulsively,” or should we compensate by “teaching reflectively?” What of a learning style that is “right-brained” or visual or tactile? Same issues apply.
via Howard Gardner: ‘Multiple intelligences’ are not ‘learning styles’.
Creators, Curators, Instagram, and Snapchat | Pew Internet & American Life Project
Photos and videos have become an integral part of the online social experience. In a new survey conducted by Pew Research Center’s Internet Project, more than half of internet users post or share photos or videos online. Our latest data shows:54% of adult internet users post original photos or videos online that they themselves have created. We call them creators and their number has grown from 46% of internet users last year.47% of adult internet users take photos or videos that they have found online and repost them on sites designed for sharing images with many people. We call them curators and their number has grown from 41% of internet users last year.The creator group is made up of those who have posted photos they have taken themselves 52% of internet users do so and those who have posted videos they have taken themselves 26% of internet users. If a person did either of these activities or both, we consider them an online image creator.
via Creators, Curators, Instagram, and Snapchat | Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Engage Their Minds | The Technologista Series
What I didn’t notice the first time I read this on-line article was that there was a video at the bottom from IBM’s “Technologista Series”. When I finally ran across it, I thought it was an ad. I looked up the YouTube description, and found this, “Women have been part of some of the most important innovations throughout IBM’s history. The Technologista Series celebrates these accomplishments by showcasing 10 technical women at IBM today. Follow the series to gain valuable insights about the unique culture of IBM as well as a chance to see the faces behind the innovations that have changed our world.”
Harnessing Children’s Natural Ways of Learning | MindShift
Fed up with the restrictions at his conventional school, 10-year-old Scott Gray convinced his parents to transfer him to one where children control their own education.His father, Peter Gray, who’s a developmental psychologist, watched his son thrive and began seeking to understand how children learned in such a setting, and what lessons could be drawn from it. Years after his son graduated, Gray discusses his conclusions in his recent book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life.The Sudbury Valley School — a “democratic school” where children are involved in setting and enforcing the rules of behavior, and are free to decide what to do with their time — had been around since the 1960s. So Gray, based at nearby Boston College, began his exploration by surveying its graduates to assess what happens to kids after they leave such a low-pressure learning environment.
via Harnessing Children’s Natural Ways of Learning | MindShift.
Harvey Mudd professors research suggests flipped classes might not be worth the hassle
The concept of the \”flipped classroom\” has become the education worlds darling within the past few years.In a flipped classroom, students watch their professors lectures online before class, while spending class time working on hands-on, \”real world\” problems.The potential of the model has many educators thrilled — it could be the end of vast lecture halls, students falling asleep and boring, monotone professors.But four professors at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. who are studying the effectiveness of a flipped classroom have bad news for advocates of the trend: it might not make any difference.
via Harvey Mudd professors research suggests flipped classes might not be worth the hassle.
The Simple Way to Encourage a Growth Mindset | In Their Own Words | Big Think
If we understand that we can always grow and learn from things, we have what she calls a growth mindset, we’re much more willing to take on a challenge. She has done studies with children that have found that the way that adults praise children affects whether or not they’ll take on the next hard problem. You can use the kind of problems that you give kids in intelligence tests. Like match this picture. And if the kids are praised when they have an easier problem to solve by, \”Oh, you’re so smart\” and then they’re given a choice about whether they would take a harder problem or an easier problem next, they’ll take the easier problem because they don’t want to lose that label of being smart.
via The Simple Way to Encourage a Growth Mindset | In Their Own Words | Big Think.
How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses | Wired Business | Wired.com
That’s why a new breed of educators, inspired by everything from the Internet to evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and AI, are inventing radical new ways for children to learn, grow, and thrive. To them, knowledge isn’t a commodity that’s delivered from teacher to student but something that emerges from the students’ own curiosity-fueled exploration. Teachers provide prompts, not answers, and then they step aside so students can teach themselves and one another. They are creating ways for children to discover their passion—and uncovering a generation of geniuses in the process.
Student Consultants Design Museum Curriculum and Mobile App » Copy / Paste by Peter Pappas
While planning my course, I approached the museum with a simple question – \”What could you do with a dozen unpaid curriculum consultants?\” And so our partnership began – my pre-service history teachers working with professionals at the museum to develop educational material to support their collection. I wanted my student so experience project-based learning from the perspective of the learner in the hopes that they would someday incorporate that approach into their teaching. I also wanted them to recognize that effective teachers are entrepreneurs, actively fostering external partnerships to support learning in their classrooms.
via Student Consultants Design Museum Curriculum and Mobile App » Copy / Paste by Peter Pappas.
Howard Gardner: ‘Multiple intelligences’ are not ‘learning styles’
The fields of psychology and education were revolutionized 30 years ago when the now world-renowned psychologist Howard Gardner published his 1983 book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,” which detailed a new model of human intelligence that went beyond the traditional view that there was a single kind that could be measured by standardized tests. You can read his account of how he came up with the theory here.
via Howard Gardner: ‘Multiple intelligences’ are not ‘learning styles’.
Imaginary friends help kids become better problem solvers, study finds | The Verge
Play dates with an imaginary friend could help children become better problem solvers down the road. According to The Wall Street Journal, researchers have found that children who keep imaginary friends eventually develop better internalized thinking, which separately has been found to help children do better with cognitive tasks like planning and puzzle solving. The research, led from Durham University, found that imaginary friends compelled children to talk to themselves more than they otherwise would. Eventually, around age seven, children begin to convert that chatter into private thought, which is what helps them handle complex thinking.
via Imaginary friends help kids become better problem solvers, study finds | The Verge.
The Sharing Tree 