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MI & Technology: A Winning Combination!
The signs are all there, and the picture is becoming clearer. Children are engaged in learning; Teachers, old and new, are excited about learning new ways to reach their students. What is the driving force behind this electric charge of educational energy? Technology! Furthermore, when it is used in conjunction with curricula that incorporates the Multiple Intelligences, all students young and old, find that it taps into and sustains their attention. Digital content is one of four "pillars" of school technology, along with hardware, connectivity, and professional development. When teachers implement both the theory of multiple intelligences and technology, they along with their students, find that their classroom experiences become more stimulating.
Learning and Our Emotions |
Creating a State of "Flow" |
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"Triple Coding" Content |
Technology Enhances M.I. |
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Classroom Experiences |
M.I. & Software |
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Exploring a Topic via M.I. |
Additional Findings |
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The Impact of Technology |
Other Technologies |
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Integrating MI & Tech. |
Positive Effects |
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Student Thoughts |
Conclusion |
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References |
Footnotes |
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PowerPoint Overview of this Article
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For the first time in the history of humans dramatic new imaging techniques allow researchers to study the workings of the brain, opening a vast frontier of knowledge on human cognition. Intelligence and learning are multi-dimensional. Educators are continually pondering brain research and its link to multiple intelligences. According to Dr. Larry Squire, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, "There are lots of kinds of intelligence. Intelligence is much more than the ability to create neuronal memory pathways with long-term potentiality. In the real world, memory and intelligence are closely linked". Brain research supports the theory that throughout our lives, we are capable of growing new connections between neurons, and these connections create learning and memory.
The theory of Multiple Intelligences aligns well with our present understanding of the human brain. Managing new approaches to teaching and learning requires a deep understanding of how the brain works, as well as an understanding of what motivates and engages people. Thinking and feeling are connected because our patterning is emotional. Therefore, we need to help learners create a felt meaning, a sense of relationship with a subject, in addition to an intellectual understanding. Our emotions open and close the doors to our ability to learn new information and perform specific tasks. We are emotional about things for which we have a passion. If knowledge comes to us through a modality of interest to us, we will more likely feel that it is important. Additionally, we are most motivated to learn when we are involved in activities for which we possess some talent. Thus, if a teacher presents material through a variety of intelligences, the more likely he will reach a greater number of students. Through these actions, students will be more likely to learn, remember, and apply those experiences, thus creating positive emotional connections. Passive educational experiences alone tend to enervate and have little lasting impact.
Integrating technology and M.I. is what educators are doing to help their students reach a state of "flow." Flow can best be described as a state of high, relaxed concentration where an individual is actively engaged in learning something new, but not to the point of frustration. It is a mental state where one is so involved in their learning experience that they reach a point where they seem to pay no attention to anything outside of what they are doing.
Effective Learning through M.I. means "Triple Coding" Content
One of the reasons M.I. and technology work so well together is because researchers now know that when an individual wants to deeply understand something complex in nature, they should triple code their learning experiences. This means if you are exposed to new ideas that are presented to you through a minimum of three different intelligences, you will have a better chance of remembering the information.
If a teacher weaves together several teaching strategies to present information about one topic, then we can say that he is triple coding the educational experience. As an example, let's take a look at a class learning about simple machines. The teacher may introduce the topic first by showing a demonstration (using a simple machine) on how a simple machine can perform work. Next, he may introduce new terminology to the class via vocabulary words, reading in the content area, or through similar (verbal) activities. A third method of introducing the topic might include showing the students how to create a mind-map of their chapter on "Simple Machines."
A Mind-Map is a visual record of either a piece of written material or an oral presentation. Mind-maps are created by representing key words from the content being covered, and giving them pictorial images to help an individual grasp the information quickly and rapidly with pictures, colors, and new vocabulary. The mind-map could be hand drawn, in color, created with computer add-ons like the CrossPad, or it could be created with a computer graphic program such as "Inspiration." In any event, the students would then have a visual representation of all the information they need to understand, and in this format, it may tap into several of their intelligences just by the nature of its design. (i.e. The logical intelligence is "turned on" by the order involved in the process of making the mind map flow; The visual/spatial intelligence is activated by the color and images represented; and the verbal intelligence is stimulated by the terms associated with this topic). Therefore, information is now stored in the brain both verbally and non verbally. Cognitive retention is even stronger when the mind-map is created by the individual himself. According to Tony Buzan (author of "The Mind map Book"), 95% of the value of mind mapping lies in the making of the map. Mind maps are highly individualized and can reveal the thought processes a person has gone through as they absorb new information.
Technology Enhances the Multiple Intelligences
Visuals comprising much of today's technology help at least 30% of our students have a better understanding of all disciplines. At least one third of us are visual learners which means we can comprehend information more rapidly when it is presented to us through pictures, images, graphic organizers, mind-maps, concept maps, videos, etc.). Neuroscientists attribute one's visual/spatial abilities to the following facts: (1) the brain having an attentional bias for high contrast and novelty; (2) 90% of the brain's sensory output is from visual sources; and (3) the brain has an immediate and primitive response to symbols, icons and strong, simple images. Technology based art forms have a tremendous appeal to these students, encouraging artistic expression among our diverse student population. These tools provide an outlet, a form of artistic communication for those who have been constrained by the traditional modes of written and verbal communication. For the visual/spatial child, learning with technology increases their motivation and may foster their creative problem-solving skills as they evaluate the many possible ways of expressing ideas.
When computer Web sites, or software programs display content pictorially, the images force one to stop using his linguistic intelligence. The brain responds to wavelengths of color, lightness and darkness, motion, form and depth. We blink every 2-10 seconds, either as a non-conscious habit to keep the eye moist or clean, or as a signal from our brain that we have just understood or received a "bite" of information. Educators may be underutilizing some of our brain's visual system's best qualities.
Many learners begin to doodle or sketch what they are seeing; thus they tap into preverbal information which might never have surfaced if the visual/spatial intelligence had not been engaged. If color is added, an even stronger impact (brain connection) is made. Mind mapping duplicates the way our brains work, (spatially, non-sequentially, randomly and in branches). This allows the information it represents to more easily become part of our long-term memory.
Computers offer students a multi-sensory smorgasbord. Sights, sounds, imagery, color, textures, lines, shapes, videos, changes in volume, pitch, etc., can be overwhelming to some students who have difficulty focusing or staying on task, but for many others it can be an exhilarating way to learn something new.
Think of how empowering it must be for a student who possesses strong verbal/linguistic proclivities to be able to have the "world of words" at his fingertips! Suddenly, he can become engaged in a multitude of tasks that would excite and challenge him. These activities may include: (1) researching the origins of words or learning the meanings of words he recently heard, (2) learning how to speak in other languages, (3) contributing to his own creative prose and poetry via his own web page, and/or (4) finding a fellow lexicographer that shares his interest in words and their meanings. Even students who normally do not enjoy studying spelling words can be lured into the task when they have ways of incorporating the words into online activities. (i.e. activities such as Hangman, crossword puzzles and word searches, etc., that can be modified with graphics and sounds to integrate terms from daily academic areas of study). Numerous studies have demonstrated that technology is particularly valuable in improving student writing. The ease with which learners can edit their written work using word processors makes them more willing to do so, which in turn improves the quality of their writing.
Imagine the comfort the highly visual/spatial student feels when he is able to "see" how something works, to observe an interactive video that shows him an active representation of the content under study, or to see his own art work displayed on the Internet for all to enjoy. He will continue to hold his attention to a topic, for his most desired method of learning is now activated. Subsequently, when the time comes to present what he has learned, he now sees that his own artistic creations can provide purpose and meaning to the educational experiences of others.
For the intrapersonal side of students, computer based instruction can individualize learning and give instant feedback to them, and with some programs, it may provide the correct answer. This sense of control (self-pacing) is one of the more positive factors relating to student achievement in studies conducted by the RAND report. The autonomy that technology has to offer a student helps them reach a level of comfort as they explore the new frontiers of knowledge. This, in turn, helps them gain a greater sense of responsibility for their work, producing higher quality assignments that reflect the increased depth and breadth of their knowledge and talent.
Computers offer students who love to discuss their ideas and collaborate with others a way to communicate with people around the world. Students with strong interpersonal skills find ways to overcome any language barriers they may have had. Free language translation software available online helps them dialog with those who may eventually serve as their mentors, provide them with valuable information about their culture, offer them needed services, or simply form a lasting bond as an e-pal. Those faced with physical challenges that once made communicating with others difficult, (such as a hearing loss or a disability related to written forms of expression) are now able to use a variety of computer tools that override those impediments.
Even Kinesthetic learners find computers hard to resist, for they realize that working at the terminal attunes their fine motor skills. The need for bodily/kinesthetic activities for many students has lead several educational software companies to develop tools to help students who learn more effectively through that intelligence. Some are exploring the interplay between bodily activity and mathematics and/or science learning using haptic devices - tools that involve force and the sense of touch. Researchers are developing a system to program computers to exert forces that will be experienced by students as they move linear handles.
Students who possess a strong proclivity in the naturalist intelligence may feel an immediate sense of relief when they are given the option of dissecting a frog "virtually" by participating in the "The Interactive Frog Dissection" Web site as a substitute for an actual laboratory dissection.
Part of the brain is formatted to deal with music and art. This area is integral to the developing brain. Music is a part of all of us, and it is critical to us as learners to develop pattern-making skills. Math and science tend to be stronger in students who have a musical or arts background. Research supports the theory that the arts are critical to the spirit and the quality of our lives. A recent lesson showed that learning experiences were enhanced for the musical/rhythmic students when they were able to have their strength intelligence activated. This was accomplished while listening to music from the period of the "French Revolution" or "The Civil War" via midi files and/or videos. These M/R students had much to offer in the way of authentic assessment when they were allowed to incorporate period music or sounds into creative multi-media productions. I have personally witnessed the joy and excitement for learning that musical/rhythmic students possess when they are able to hear and feel an emotional connection to what they are learning. I can recall the overwhelming enthusiasm of a group of second graders when I took them to a web site on Amphibians (their topic of study) that had numerous midi and wav files of the sounds made by these creatures. They wouldn't let me go on to another part of the lesson!
Through the integration of computers into the daily curriculum of my students, I have come to firmly believe that if you want students to understand information, they have to feel it is of value to them. The most motivated students are obviously those who find the topic of study interesting. We all can't like everything, but if something we don't like is presented to us in a way that is appealing (in this case through one of our strength intelligences) then we will be far more receptive to learning more about the topic. Once again, I would like to give you an example of how this might work.
I remember a student several years ago who was gifted in the area of Mathematics, but did not enjoy reading at all. He knew he had to do a book report for his classroom teacher, but he procrastinated until the due date was near. I spoke with him about the task and realized that reading was not something he ever cared to do in his free time. After a lengthy conversation, I suggested that he try a mystery book. (He had never read that particular genre before). When the report was due, I checked in with him to find out how things had gone. I was pleased to hear that he not only completed the book report, but actually "didn't mind" reading the book. Together we discovered some reasons for this. His strengths were very logical in nature, he was attracted to the deductive thinking involved in trying to figure out which character in the story was guilty of committing certain crimes. The process of trying to decipher clues while reading each chapter held his attention.
This was a perfect example of how teachers can learn to "lure" students into a content area that they might not enjoy studying. I would like to provide you with another example of how this strategy was used to help fourth grade students at Hope Valley School (in southern RI) improve their creative writing skills. Working with the students on skills for "Writing in the Content Area", we focused on their Rain Forest unit. Their classroom teachers and I felt that the students needed to work on developing sentence structure, especially with regard to descriptive words.
I decided to present the students with a series of guided imagery writings, all written for specific academic areas. By first "modeling" what guided imagery could do to stimulate the brain, students now had an understanding of the importance of well-placed adjectives in descriptive writing. Students strong in the area of visual/spatial intelligence had no problem forming the necessary images in their "minds-eye" as I read each piece aloud in a quiet, darkened, classroom environment. Because they were asked to use their imaginations, their right brain was immediately activated and turned on for the prominently "linguistic" activity I was presenting. Therefore, the focus on the creation of colorful images in one's mind was the lure needed to draw these visual learners into this necessary pre-writing activity.
Afterwards, these visual/spatial students were the first to contribute to our brainstorming session on listing descriptive words associated with a tropical rain forest. Similarly, those students with musical/rhythmic strengths began generating terms associated with the sounds of the rain forest. From here, students began to create their own guided imageries appropriately titled, " A Journey Through a Rain Forest" which, when ready for publication, were placed onto a colorful web page to be enjoyed by others studying this topic. The students and especially the teachers were thrilled with the well-developed descriptive writing skills they observed. All of us felt their successes were directly related to the fact that we spiraled the content of the unit with approaches from several intelligences, and the lessons had been integrated with a variety of technological resources. Additionally, the fact that the students had the choice of being any living organism in the forest encouraged an emotional connection to their main character, thus linking their reflection to deeper thought processes. Finally, many stated that seeing their work published on the Internet made them feel that they were accomplished writers. Apparently they were, for several other teachers decided they wanted to use the same strategies this year to develop similar skills in their students.
Technological tools and software used in conjunction with a curriculum based on the multiple intelligences can lure students into topics they may have previously disliked. For example, students who may have disliked social studies in the past may be turned on to the topic when the information is presented through a variety of intelligences. One way this could be accomplished would be by incorporating the following strategies:
The following list provides examples of specific tools of the trade that are geared to activate different intelligence areas. Please keep in mind that this is merely a sampling of the thousands of software programs available for today's classrooms.
Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence - The capacity to use language, your native language, and perhaps other languages, to express what's on you mind and to understand other people. Poets really specialize in linguistic intelligence, but any kind of writer, orator, speaker, lawyer, or a person for whom language is an important stock in trade, highlights linguistic intelligence.
Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence- The capacity to think in music, to be able to hear patterns, recognize them, and perhaps manipulate them. People who have strong musical intelligence don't just remember music easily - they can't get it out of their minds, it's so omnipresent.
Also:
As educators, once we have identified a topic to study, we generally gather the words, images, or other visualizations to present information from as many perspectives as possible. But in a technology-rich environment, today's teachers can take the text-based references familiar to most adults and augment them with CD-ROMS containing music, speeches, diagrams, animations, and video clips. Likewise, the Internet allows students to collect original data from experts in the field at colleges, universities and government organizations that have far more resources and up-to-date information than most libraries could ever acquire. In fact, there's so much information available, students are now learning about "Information Literacy - How to search efficiently and effectively". Having access to this immediate information can lead to some valuable learning experiences. Learning is enhanced when material is organized and that organization is apparent to the learner.
Collectively, students can offer teachers an endless source of teaching strategies. Over the past several years, I have found that in a short brainstorming session, they can generate a long list of project ideas and teaching strategies that would enhance the learning experiences of everyone in their class. As a result of this observation, any time I begin to develop a curriculum unit, I seek ideas from the class first. Not only does this provide me with a window into their interests; it also makes me aware of their preferred learning styles. To give you an idea of just what kind of activities students can imagine, here is a list of the strategies (incorporating multiple intelligences and technology) we developed together for their science unit on Sound.
Approaches to this Topic
Verbal/Linguistic
1. Read the Story or listen to the audio tape of
"How the Girl Learned Pitch" by Kathleen Carroll (Sing a Song of
Science" p. 23)
2. Write an original story where it is critical that
the reader be able to "hear" the sounds in your setting. (i.e. An Amusement
Park; Downtown in a large city;
Visit to the Zoo; Concert, etc.).
3. Introduce terms to students that are related to
the topic of sound (refer to science text).
4. Research poetry that deals with the topic of specific
sounds (i.e. City sounds, environmental sounds, animal sounds).
5. Chart the words to the song "The Sounds of
Silence" discuss the meaning of this song’s lyrics.
6. Play a piece of instrumental music, such as classical
music.
a) Have
the students generate a list of words that come to mind as they listen.
b) Let
them use those words to write the story the music represents.
7. Find a piece of literature in which the author
tries to show the reader that the environment is enveloped in noise.
a) How
do you know it is noisy at this point in the story or poem?
b) What
kind of words does the author use to convey noise?
c) How
are they helpful when describing the setting of the story/poem?
8. Make a list of these vocabulary words.
a) When
might you use them in a story?
Logical/Mathematical
1 Research "How does sound travel? How fast?
2. How do we measure sound? Why do we need to? What
is noise pollution?
3. Make a chart or graph of everyday "school sounds."
a) Graph
them to see which ones we hear the most
4. Predict what the design of a piano (lengths of
its strings) has to do with the sounds created by the striking of the keys.
5. Research the following: How do radio stations
transmit sound? Why do we "lose stations" when we travel?
6. Brainstorm patterns of sound we hear in our everyday
lives. What could change these patterns?
7. Sonar: Compare the similarities and differences
between natural sonar (i.e. dolphins & bats) and man-made sonar.
a) Explain
why they are both necessary.
Visual/Spatial
1. View the Bill Nye video "Sound"
2. Read a Guided Imagery to the class such as " Follow
Your Voice" from 200 Ways of Using Imagery in the Classroom.
3. Make three models (different sizes and lengths)
of a megaphone with cardboard or oaktag.
a) Have
the students try them out. What do they notice about the qualities of their
voices after speaking into each one?
4. Drawing to music.
a) Play a piece of classical
music. Have students draw what the music makes them visualize.
5. Using an Electronic Laser Ball, set the
sound activation control so it pulses to music, echoing the rhythms of
music
playing, or even the pattern
of your voice as you speak!
6. Get a "Slinky" (a child’s spring toy).
Hold one end of the Slinky and stretch it across the classroom until it
is taut.
a) Tap
one end of the Slinky so that students may "see" sound waves traveling.
b) Have
students predict what will happen when you strike the spring harder.
c) Discuss
what is happening by observing the vibrations of the coils.
7. Gather two or more different tuning forks and
a shallow pan of water.
a) Strike
the tuning fork and then put the prongs into the water.
1) What do you notice happens? Can you explain this?
8. View the following segments from the Scientific
American Frontiers' PBS Special (February 18, 1998) titled,
"The Art of Science":
Ben Franklin's Harmonica", and "Brain Opera"
Musical/Rhythmic
1. Create sounds with/without manipulatives (try to
create a specific sound)
2. Turn your ruler into an instrument!
a) Take
your ruler and place it so that it hangs over the side of your desk while
you hold it tightly with one hand.
b) Strum
the ruler to create a sound.
1) What do you notice about the vibrations created?
2) Now hold the ruler closer to your desk. Strum the
ruler again. What did you observe?
(Discuss how the longer the ruler, the lower the pitch; the shorter the
ruler, the higher the pitch). Longer,
wider vibrations = lower pitch; tighter, faster vibrations = higher
pitch.
c) Let the students experiment
with their rulers as musical instruments. See if they can control pitch
AND volume!
3. Make a Soda Bottle Xylophone.
a) You
will need eight (or more) empty bottles, a black crayon, and a mallet/wooden
dowel for striking the bottles.
b) Fill
the bottles with varying amounts of water and tap them with the mallet.
1) Students will have to use trial and error to create
the entire musical scale.
2) They may wish to mark the water levels with crayon
and/or mark the names of the notes (do, re, mi, fa, etc.).
4. They will discover the following:
1) This model will turn the squawk of a duck call into vowel sounds. http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/vocal_vowels/vocal_vowels.html
c) Brain Music: Participate
online in the world's first
"Brain Opera" developed by Todd Machover
of MIT.
http://brainop.media.mit.edu
Bodily/Kinesthetic
1. Feeling Vibrations - Have students
cup their hands behind their ears and touching their heads. Have them to
say their name and address aloud several times. Ask them what they observed
with their senses. Do the same activity, but have them place one hand on
the front of their throat (on the esophagus). Ask the children what they
felt.
2. Making Vibrations - Have the students take
out their rulers.
a) Tell
them to hold down one end of the ruler on the edge of their desk while
the other end extends outward.
b) Have
the students strum the extended end of their ruler so that it vibrates
and creates a sound and visual movement.
1) Again, ask the students what they observe.
2) Ask the students if they can now tell you what sound
is (vibrations).
3. Let them experiment by repeating the activity
with the ruler extended at different lengths.
4. Have them predict if the sound will change and
how.
a) Try
the activity with a six-inch ruler and then a yardstick.
b) Discuss
their observations about vibrations and pitch.
5. Sound Machine - Have students form groups
of 5-6 students.
a) Each
group then generates a list of machines that make sound.
b) Have
the students select which machine to become.
c) Each
member of the group will become a part of the machine and determine what
sound they should make.
Naturalist
1. Investigate the many ways that animals create sound.
a) Why do they make these sounds? (Communication, protection,
etc.).
2. Make an audio tape of numerous animal sounds.
(You may do this by visiting the zoo).
a) See if your classmates can identify the animals that
you have recorded.
b) If possible, play these sounds through an oscilloscope.
c) How do they compare to one another?
d) How do they compare to human sound.
3. In an outdoor environment, have students make
a list of all the natural sounds that they hear.
a) What determines whether or not a sound is natural?
4. Create an instrument using objects from nature.
a) Challenge- Can you play a note with an acorn?
Interpersonal
1. Pass out one or more hand-held instruments to
a small group of children.
a) Let
them each try playing the instruments one at a time.
b) As
a group, let the children discuss how the instrument creates its sound.
c) Let
them determine if the instrument has more than one pitch.
1) If so, how is pitch created?
2) Can the volume be controlled on the instrument? If
so, how?
3) Let students create their own percussion instrument(s).
1) Play a piece of music, and let them work together
playing along with the music like an orchestra.
a) You may alter this activity by first dividing the class into groups
and giving each group an assortment of
found objects/materials from which they must create percussion instruments
together.
2. Building a "Tin Can Telephone"
a)
Have each student select a partner.
1) Provide each pair of students with the following materials:
2 plastic coated paper cups or yogurt containers; 15-20 feet of string;
2 large buttons.
b)
Poke a hole in the center of the bottom of the cup.
c)
Thread the string through the bottom of the cup.
1) Tie a button onto the end of the string pointed into
the bottom of the cup.
2) Repeat this with the other end of the string so that
both buttons firmly hold.
Intrapersonal
1. Have the students respond to the following in their journals
or on a separate sheet of paper:
a) What
sounds do you hear if you stop and listen for a few minutes to your school
surroundings?
b) Do
these sounds change during the day? If so, how do they change?
2. Reflect on what your life would be like if you could
not hear.
3. What are some of your favorite sounds?
a) How
do they make you feel?
4. If you could be an instrument, which one would you choose
to become and why?
a) Describe
what your typical day would be like.
b) Research
what the design of a sound studio for major motion picture company would
be like.
1) How would it differ from any other room and why?
5. If you could become any sound in the world, what
would that be? Why?
After selecting a couple of activities from each intelligence area, the classroom teachers and I presented this science unit to the students over a period of four weeks. When the time came to access the students, their scores were much higher those of previous years. (They were given a written test and were required to create, construct and perform with an instrument that had least three levels of pitch, and some type of volume control). Each of the teachers noted the following:
I would like to further explain how similar results have occurred in other classes. Last Spring, some of my third grade students worked on a project whereby they collected data and statistics on weather from all over the US. They made predictions about the weather, tracked storms, etc. and recorded their thoughts and observations on a daily basis. In the end, they had a clear picture as to how accurate (or inaccurate!) their weather forecasting had been. This class project infused many types of computer based activities, and numerous learning styles and intelligences were involved throughout the duration of the unit. Most activities were group oriented (Interpersonal intelligence) while others were student-specific (Intrapersonal) in nature.
There are many ways technology addresses different student needs. The Saturn School of Tomorrow, a magnet middle school, in St. Paul, Minnesota, facilitates a variety of technology-supported learning spaces. They are used for different purposes (e.g., cooperative learning areas, computer labs, classrooms with tiered seating and Discourse Systems, an integrated learning system (ILS) lab, an independent study area, and a video production studio). Every classroom is equipped with a telephone and a teaching station that includes a Macintosh linked to the school network and a video monitor to display in-school broadcasts, VCR, or videodisk presentations. Former Saturn School of Tomorrow Lead Teacher, Mike Hopkins, has written about these different uses of technology for learning. As staff developed the many new teaching and learning styles at Saturn, they found effective uses for technology in the following ways:
Recently, David Dwyer, former Director of Apple's Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT), was asked about his findings over the past ten years with regard to the impact technology has had on the acquisition of basic skills for students. One of ACOT sites where this was a high priority was in Memphis, Tennessee. The results showed significant gains in mathematics and language arts. For example, the average third grader word processed at 29 wpm, compared to third graders using pencil and paper that wrote between 9 and 11 words per minute. Teachers reported that, since it was easier for the students to type, they wrote more. Their research also showed that as students became more fluent at writing there was also change in the types and numbers of different words used and their vocabulary became more descriptive over time.
Technology can help address new learning standards that are more authentic, project-based and outcome-driven. In Minnesota, educational leaders are moving to new "Graduation Standards" to replace "seat time standards" and Carnegie units. They are looking to portfolios and performance, in addition to report cards and GPAs. They believe that any activity as rich and complex as human performance must be addressed in a broader context than just the traditional report card. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that numerical and letter grades are inadequate in describing what young learners know and can do. Perpetuating this process cheats the learner and the community.
Many educators and students who enjoy teaching and learning through visual mediums have discovered the power of digital and video cameras. Students with a camcorder have developed wonderful projects as a creative outlet for expressing their knowledge of varied disciplines. Video, perhaps even more than the computer, is the new medium of expression with today's generation. Many students with whom I have worked have constructed remarkably sophisticated productions, even at the middle school level. With the new option of digital imagery, it's even easier to blend the messages of these media together in very powerful presentational ways. The Internet is becoming a huge public forum of student performances worldwide. This arena will provide students new ways to hone their communication skills, for individuals from all over would be able to offer comments and insights to their research via e-mail and other forms of telecommunication.
Over the past several years, I have worked closely with special educators looking into ways in which technology can be used to help students who "learn differently" than most students. Technology has finally reached a point where it can be easily accessed within an inclusion classroom or within a traditional special education setting. Scanner/Reading type programs enable students with Reading disabilities to "hear" the text their classmates are covering. The programs allow teachers to adjust the levels of pitch and volume most appropriate for the individual learner. Programs previously mentioned, such as Inspiration and hardware extensions like CrossPad, offer hope to students who may have difficulty taking notes in the traditional manner (written form). These technologies let students draw, or create mind maps and/or concept maps to gather data. Special needs students now have ways to capture the content being covered in ways that are easier for them to format and process.
Advances in technology have also made it possible to integrate more holistic evaluations of students in different contexts. For example, technologies such as voice recognition programs, handwriting interpreters, pointer stylus tools and touch-screens enable individuals to communicate with computers without having to use keyboards that require fine-motor skills. Emerging trends in technology-based assessment will continue impacting the lives of students with disabilities well into the 21st century. Growth and improvement in special education assessment is inevitable as technology is increasingly used to assist evaluation. Technology can make large differences in placement criteria by enabling more holistic pictures of students to be acquired before placement decisions are finalized. It can provide new opportunities to view students using a more well-rounded academic evaluation and more easily facilitate the integration of multiple teaching and learning modalities. I have seen computers turn struggling students into successful students - students who are proud of their work.
At the Post Oak Elementary School in Lansing, Michigan, teachers and students have worked together to create a web-based curriculum for elementary students with mild disabilities that enhances literacy learning. The site is called TELE-Web (which stands for Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments on the Web). "Tele-Web increases and enhances academic skills of students with special needs. What's more, because student's teach others as they learn, they build self-confidence and self esteem."
If it is true that each of an individual's intelligences displays a set of psychological processes, it is important that these processes be assessed in an "intelligence-fair" manner. In contrast to traditional testing methods that merely measure achievement with a paper and pencil, a more fair measure would respect the different thinking, processing and performance modalities that may distinguish each intelligence. Standardized achievement tests may not measure the changes in students that educational reformers are looking for. Instead, they need to examine and refine new measures which are under development to assess areas that many teachers feel can be affected by the use of computers, such as higher order thinking skills, project conceptualization, effectiveness of presentation, technical qualities, and originality to name a few.
Educators who have already integrated technology successfully into their daily classroom experiences know how necessary it is to have alternative forms of assessment, which may be dramatically different than past methods of evaluation and/or standardized tests. Extra preparation time is devoted to the development of content-based rubrics for their ever-changing, technology-rich curriculum. In order for these changes to become widely accepted, their problem becomes, "How do we get the public as well as our own educational leaders to see and accept these newly designed, more individualized assessment tools that more clearly demonstrate a student's acquisition of knowledge?"
The impact of technology is too multi-faceted to answer the question, "Does it Work?" in a simplistic manner. Considerations must be taken to examine its impact on areas such as student learning and motivation; teachers, and the technology; levels and types of instruction; and schools as formal organizations. Technology offers us new opportunities to assess students using a more well-rounded academic evaluation. It facilitates the integration of multiple assessments.
Authentic Assessment in a technology-rich educational environment which includes performance assessment based on statewide and or national standards, requires by its nature, a curriculum-based rubric that is student-specific. Successful curriculum units are those which are developed not only by teachers, but by the students as well. When they are asked to contribute to the development of the rubrics, they assume a sense of ownership, thus they become more actively involved in the educational process and can more easily see the purpose of learning the designated skills. When these rubrics include technology standards and creativity (in addition to demonstrating a deep understanding of the content) students have the freedom to develop highly personalized interpretations that incorporate their strength intelligences.
While observing their presentations, students (and especially teachers) are exposed to the theme in ways they have never dreamed. For one individual can not possibly explore the topic as thoroughly as when many individuals incorporate their multiple intelligences! Teachers will be amazed at the overwhelming variety of exciting demonstrations, role-plays, multi-media presentations, etc. that their students have developed. Furthermore, students usually state that they had fun learning and preparing for their exhibition. Through observation alone, teachers can get a multi-sensory display of how well the class has not only learned the subject matter, but has incorporated higher order thinking through the application and synthesis of the content. This is a far more exciting way to determine what students have learned than always having each individual evaluated in the same manner. A written evaluation is not necessarily the best way to evaluate a student’s achievement.
Teachers and students alike are finding technology to be a stimulating part of their daily lessons. The enthusiasm I have observed from teachers and their students, as they explore the options technology has to offer them, never ceases to amaze me. The saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" definitely does not apply to technology for I have witnessed the excitement in the eyes of veteran teachers, as they become proficient in this area. Technology's captivating qualities lure students and teachers alike. It appears that everyone seems to find an area within their brain (an intelligence/talent perhaps), that becomes activated with computer integration. These changes have caused a number of positive effects within the classroom:
A review of technologies and student learning styles shows that no one technology is suited for all students and all curricula. Technologies should be chosen to support a diverse student population and their unique learning styles. It is inappropriate for teachers to assume that all students can learn in the same way and can be force-fitted to one method of delivery. The chosen technologies should also support the type of content to be shared with students and the expected learning outcomes.
Technology is a valuable tool. It has the power to support students and teachers in gathering, organizing, manipulating and presenting information. When both are encouraged to use their innate intelligences creatively, computers may extend and enhance what the individuals are able to produce, whether the task is to write a report, graph data, create a drawing/design, etc. It levels the playing field for those who may be otherwise limited due to disabilities.
For our students to find a place of value in today's society, they must acquire new technological skills on a day to day basis. As educators, we must continue to investigate how students learn best; which testing methods reflect authentic learning; and which instructional media enhance their intelligences, motivation, inquiry and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Every child enters this world with a passion for learning. As educators we can do one of two things - either emblazon that desire for learning - or extinguish it. If we chose to dampen their full potential, then we take the chance of crushing their spirits as well. If educators create a climate that truly empowers children, then they will not want to leave that environment. Teachers must continue to take risks, try new techniques, explore new technologies, for through these actions, they will turn a child's talents along with his passion for learning into a powerful, creative force.
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Buzan, Tony. Use Both Sides of Your Brain. (1993). New York, New York. Penguin Books, U.S.A., Inc.
Campbell, Don. The Mozart Effect - (1997). Avon Books. New York, New York.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly Ph.D. - FLOW: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. (1990). Harper & Row, New York.
Dryden, Gordon and Vos, Jeannette, Ed.D. The Learning Revolution. (1994). Jalmar Press. Torrance, CA.
Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. (1983). New York. Basic Books, a Division of Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
Gardner, Howard. The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach. (1991). New York. Basic Books, a Division of Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
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Gardner, Howard. The Disciplined Mind. (1999). Simon & Schuster. New York.
Gardner, Howard. Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. (1999). Basic Books. New York, New York.
Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence. (1995). New York. Bantam Books.
Jensen, Eric. The Learning Brain. (1995). Turning Point Publishing. San Diego, CA.
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Sylwester, Robert. A Celebration of Neurons: An Educator's Guide to the Human Brain.
(1995). ASCD Publications. Alexandria, VA.
Periodicals:
Danielson, Patricia, M.Ed. and Michel, Chris, Ph.D. "Whole Mind Study Skills". The Accelerated Learning Institute of New England. January, 1996
Education Week. "Technology Counts '99: Building the Digital Curriculum. September 23, 1999.
Means, Barbara and Olson, Kerry. "The Link Between Technology and Authentic Learning". Educational Leadership. April 1994.
World Wide Web
Athena University- "Educational Resources" - http://www.athena.edu/Links/index.html
Australia. St. Patrick's Marist College. Brain-Flex: An independent learning programme for secondary schools http://www.magna.com.au/~cbounds/Brain_Flex/BFIntro(1).html
Educational Leadership. November 1998. Vol.56 No.3 "How the Brain Learns: The Brains Behind the Brain" Page 4 http://www.ascd.org/pubs/el/nov98/extd"arcangelo.html
Hope Valley School. Grade four student's Visual Imagery Website: " A Journey through A Rain Forest" (1999) http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/hv/imagery.htm
Kinzie, Mable et al. "The Interactive Frog Dissection". (1996) http://curry.edschool.Virginia.EDU/go/frog/
Pacific Bell, "Learning Applications - A Library of Internet-Based Instruction" 1996.
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Saturn School of Technology – St. Paul Minnesota. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/saturn.html
Star Schools - http://www.fwl.org/edtech/starschools.html
"Technology and Learning" - August 24, 1999. An Interview with David Dwyer. Page 7.
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University of Wisconsin. Department of Anatomy. "Global Brain-Stem project" http://www.anatomy.wisc.edu/bs/text/bs/bs.htm.
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iRoberts, Linda. Education Week. September 23, 1999. Building the Digital Curriculum. Page 5
iiEducational Leadership. November 1998. Vol.56 No.3. How the Brain Learns: The Brains Behind the Brain. Page 4
iiiCsikszentmihalyi, Mihaly Ph.D. (1990). FLOW: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row, New York.
ivLozanov, Georgi. (1988). Suggestology and Outlines of Suggestology. Gordon and Breach, New York, NY.
vCross Pen Company. Lincoln, RI. The CrossPad is a digital pen and pad developed by the Cross Pen Company to allow a note taker to digitally record words and/or pictures, and then upload the information to your computer.
viJensen, Eric - The Learning Brain. (1995). Turning Point Publishing. San Diego, CA. p.80
viiJensen, Eric - The Learning Brain. (1995). Turning Point Publishing. San Diego, CA. p.310
viiiTechnology and Learning - August 24, 1999. An Interview with David Dwyer. Page 7.
ixThomas K. Glennan and Arthur McImed, Fostering the Use of Educational Technology: Elements of a National Strategy. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 1996
xUsing Haptic Devices
to Learn Mathematics and Science. TERC, Inc. 1998
http://www.terc.edu/mathofchange/UHD/home.html
xiHope Valley School,
Grade four student's Visual Imagery Website: A Journey through
A Rain Forest focused on the development of visual imagery to
develop skills in descriptive writing.
http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/hv/imagery.htm
xiiM.I. Smart! Program Web sites. Chariho Regional School District. Wood River Junction, Rhode Island. http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/curriculum/MISmart/mi_smart.htm
xiiiSaturn School of Tomorrow.
Former Lead Teacher, Mike Hopkins. 1996.
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EDReformStudies/EDTech/saturn.html
xivTechnology and Learning
- August 24, 1999. An Interview with David Dwyer.
Page 7.
http://www.techlearning.com/content/reviews/articles/dwyer.html
xvRose, Patricia A. Principal of the Post Oak Elementary School. Lansing, Michigan. Research Connections in Special Education. Number 3. Fall 1998.
xviThis category attracted the highest number of students overall
jane
carlson-pickering
november 1999