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Abstract
All eight multiple intelligences can be found in every person. Usually, one or two of these intelligences are stronger and more developed than the others. By using a multiple intelligence inventory, one can figure out which intelligences are dominant over the others. Different experiences throughout life cause these intelligences to either develop or diminish. “Crystallizing experiences,” such as a positive experience, cause growth in developing that particular intelligence. Inversely, “paralyzing experiences” are scarring experiences that cause development in that intelligence to stand still. Different factors, such as culture, home life, and situations, all attribute to the growth or withering of intelligences.

[|Synthesis Brittany]
In a classroom, a teacher will be expected to teach a group of students that have an array of [|strong intelligences]. The teacher will have his or her own strengths in intelligences as well. Part of the challenge of being a teacher is to teach to all of the intelligences even when he or she has one or two strengths. In a classroom, the teacher can use the strengths of all of the students to help everyone in the classroom environment to grow in all of the intelligences. Teachers need to be careful while instructing a class so that they avoid “paralyzing experiences” but create “crystallizing experiences.” Most teachers work toward strengthening all eight intelligences in each of their students. This can be achieved by instructing [|class activities], assessments, and units using different formats that target each of the intelligences.

Kirsten
The first chapter here gives the groundwork for what multiple intelligences are and how they came about. The most interesting area concerned how an intelligence was determined. Some of the intelligences, like the naturalist intelligence, hadn’t occurred to me as a way a person could learn, but after reading about the theoretical basis for the theory, it made sense. Historically speaking, there was a need for nature-inclined people to help study patterns in the weather, animals, and plants that others may not have picked up on. And now we need nature-inclined people as we face issues like global warming. The section on the possible existence of other intelligences was particularly helpful to me as a future teacher, because it provides a list of other abilities to keep an eye out for. While I may have a student who seems to fit into the logical-mathematical or spatial intelligences, his truest fit could be under the mechanical intelligence. It’s good to know that this is an area that is still being explored and that we could discover more about future students and ourselves.

Brittany
Chapter two in //Multiple Intelligences// in the Classroom considers the different ways that students can be tested to find the intelligence that they are strongest in. This can aid a teacher while planning lessons because he/she can look at the strongest intelligences in the classroom and use techniques that target those learning styles. Different experiences in a person’s life can alter the way that his/her intelligences are used. Some factors that may transform the way that intelligences are developed could be biological or environmental. In my future classroom, I will use some form of intelligence testing during the first week of class with my students. By doing this, both the students and myself will know how to target their learning so that I can provide the most effective learning experience.

Ryan Snowman
This chapter outlines the importance of identifying your own multiple intelligence, as well as using others as a resource for teaching. For example, I am a bodily kinesthetic learner and I do not learn well spatially. I can either ask a colleague, or a student for that matter, who does do well spatially, to assist me while drawing something on the board. Also, even though you might have one intelligence that you prefer, most people can develop a competent level for all of the categories. Whether the intelligence does develop depends on heredity or genetic factors, personal life, and cultural or historical background. The MI theory will only be valuable to me if I get to know my students. To incorporate into my class, I have to know who my students are and from that, determine what learning style best fits them.

Jennie
I really like the way that Thomas Armstrong talks about how people’s intelligences can be increased or decreased by their personal life, and cultural and historical influences after being given a biological endowment. The idea that we may not have had the musical influences of Mozart around today if his upbringing had been different or he had lived in a different place or time. I’m hoping that maybe if I encourage my students to explore all of the intelligences so they can find out what they are good at and also hopefully they can develop all of them so that they have all the of the intelligences at least partly developed so that they can be well rounded individuals.

J ordan


Contrary to what people may understand about Multiple Intelligences, a person does not have just one. Rather, every person understands each of the eight intelligences and has the capabilities to develop each of these intelligences equally. When we are young, we tend to favor one or two of the intelligences and these are the two intelligences that tend to develop into the intelligences that we favor. Sadly, the spatial, musical, and naturalist intelligences are loosing important in our culture simply because people consider these three intelligences as hobbies instead. What is important to realize, however, is that with the “appropriate encouragement, enrichment, and instruction” (Armstrong 9), any individual can better understand these intelligences. Personally, my strength is in a logical-mathematical intelligence. This allows me to conceptualize the world in one way, but I have not developed other intelligences to the same degree. This has affected me as a learner because I have not been able to think in alternative ways and understand the differences in my peers’ point of view and learning styles. I think that Multiple Intelligences create challenges in the classroom, especially with how students learn. A focus on developing each of the student’s eight intelligences would create for a better learning environment as well as give them a different perspective of how students think and learn.


 * Reference: **Armstrong, Thomas. //Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom//. 2nd. Alexandria, VA: Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000. Print.

Scott
It is important to understand what intelligences may be strongest in each of us. This way, we can understand what biases we may posses, and can understand its effect in class. If we are lacking in a certain intelligence there is a variety of ways to make sure that our students do not suffer for it, such as collaborating with other teachers, asking students for help, and using technology. Ideally though it would be best to develop our intelligences that we may be lacking. There are many factors that decide which intelligences are developed and which are lacking in an individual. It should be a goal of teachers to create more “crystallizing” experiences than “paralyzing” for our students.

In chapter two of //Multiple Intelligences// by Thomas Armstrong I learned that it is important to make sure that all eight intelligences have to be covered and that it is important to get help with intelligences that one may lack in. Another key point I gained was that a weak intelligence might not have reached its full potential and it’s not okay to judge students intelligence to early. This knowledge will impact me by trying to become better rounded in each of my intelligences before I become a teacher. This will impact me as a teacher by the way I try and prepare my lessons. Also as a teacher I will look for help from my fellow teachers in order to help me with my weaker intelligences and try to help develop all eight intelligences of my students.

Cara
Chapter two explains that it is important for a teacher to understand their own intelligences. I plan on filling out the inventory in the book, although I think that I know which of my intelligences are more developed than the other. I’ve gotten ideas from this chapter to help me find ways to keep all eight intelligences in the classroom, even though certain ones may be more undeveloped for myself. Crystallizing and paralyzing events were explained, and I myself have had a paralyzing event in which a creative writing teacher negatively critiqued a story of mine. Up until a couple of years ago, I had stopped writing fiction all together. As I continue to work towards becoming a teacher, I hope to more fully develop each of my eight intelligences so that I can help a wider range of individuals and learning styles.

**Sarah**
Chapter Two delved deeper into the Multiple Intelligence theory by providing a closer look at each of the Intelligences. What I found most useful was the included self-intelligence test. To rephrase what author Thomas Armstrong wrote, the key to effectively teaching Multiple Intelligences is to first understand one’s own Intelligences. From my self-quiz, I learned that I am primarily of the Musical Intelligence with my weakest Intelligence being the Naturalist. Knowing where my underdeveloped Intelligence lies will allow me to specifically address the Intelligence in attempt to nurture it into something stronger so that I, in turn, can provide my students with a plethora of varied Intelligence stimuli.

Tim
This chapter touched upon the development of Multiple Intelligences which to me was very interesting. The enablement or disablement of one of the eight intelligence in a person I didn’t realize could be traced back to a specific moment in time, like with Einstein and his father’s compass. I also, for the most part, thought the development of the intelligences was all genetically related. It never occurred to me that a person’s surrounding environment could have a large impact on developing a different intelligence. This chapter impacted me because it made me think about my shortcomings with the different intelligences and how I really only feel capable in a few different areas. I would be very nervous to try some different teaching strategies just because I would not feel very comfortable with what I was doing. That’s why the paragraph about tapping different resources to help cover the spread of the eight different intelligences was comforting. Some of the ideas the book used to help cover the different intelligences in a lesson plan I could definitely see myself using as a teacher (Such as “drawing on a colleagues’ expertise”).

Corinne
I never gave much thought to where our intelligences come from and why we are stronger in some areas and not in others. These intelligences can be inherited, a result of the era you are in, and also a product of your environment and experiences. I recalled a time when a teacher embarrassed me during a math lesson, and since then I have avoided math and been easily discouraged in the subject, and have always struggled with it. It asserts the idea that teachers need to encourage learning in students, and even when they progress more slowly than the other students, it does not necessarily mean that the potential and capability to learn is not there. There is always multiple ways to teach a lesson so that each individual learner can understand, and it is the teacher’s job to not quit on their students but to do everything in their power to push their students towards success.

Rachel
To be able to apply the theory of multiple intelligences to my students, I need to first understand how it affects me as a teacher. Just like a student’s dominant intelligences determine how they learn best, my dominant intelligences determine my teaching style. To make up for the intelligences that aren’t as dominant, Armstrong recommends that I use my resources. These include other teachers, technology, and my students. To understand how to take full advantage of these resources, I need to know what my deficiencies are first. Also, I need to understand that there are factors that affect the intelligences of my students that are beyond my control, such as family, geographical, and cultural influences. These and many other influences make every student’s learning style unique.

Mykayla
After reading chapter two, I discovered that there is not an accurate test for determining one’s eight intelligence levels. This concerns me because if I cannot accurately test my students how am I going to know the absolute best way to teach to them. The inventory sheets give a mediocre idea of one’s intelligence level and I suppose that can be useful. Another interesting fact was to ask your students for ways to incorporate their learning style into the classroom. It is simple enough to do; I would have never thought to use that strategy. It is comforting to know that if I lack experience in an area that a student excels in that I can ask him or her for ideas.

Leah
This chapter demonstrated how important it is to develop a good learning environment in the classroom. The factors of intelligences (biological, personal life history, and cultural and historical background) are all very important and the example of Mozart was very powerful. It’s also important as an educator to be aware of tendencies to prefer or discriminate against specific intelligences when instructing a class. Fortifying previously less used intelligences will enable a teacher to aid a student with an inclination towards that intelligence more. Before helping our students expand each of their intelligences we must master our own, just as we must master the content of our subject before we can teach our students.

Drew
This chapter focuses mainly on MI on the developmental level. It provides great pointers on how to tap into the MI that one may not be particularly fond of on a personal level. The texts suggestions are pretty straight forward: talk to colleagues, ask the students for help in areas you are not strong in, and use the technology around you to your advantage. This chapter also touches on what has effects on the development of areas of intelligence which include your biology, personal life, and your cultural background. All can make positive and negative effects on different intelligences or just push more emphasis on honing certain ones. I think the suggestions in this chapter are very useful. Also, I think being aware of students biology, personal life, and cultural background can help a teacher better understand how to work with a student. These are things that I will take particular notice of when working in the classroom. I will strive to play off of the strengths of students, as playing off the weaknesses would be redundant.