Multiple Intelligences In the Classroom

There are many intelligences that students exhibit in the classroom. However, for this assignment I will focus on two that I am strong in, kinesthetic and rhythmic or musical.

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. For example, I would learn by thinking how I would do something, and performing that task, rather than being told how to do something. Some of the words used to describe this learning style include sensory, reflexive, tactile, concrete, coordinated and task oriented. This describes me because I can stay focused on hands on activities for long periods of time. I enjoy movement and learning by interacting with others. I very much enjoy laboratory work, the act of learning through completing a task.

I also learn by developing patterns aurally in my head. It is difficult for me to work in noisy environments because I am easily distracted. This was interesting for me to learn about myself. For years I have carried around ear plugs to block out background noise when I need to focus. I have even brought them to exams, and they have helped me perform better!
It is also interesting to me that in the past, without even knowing it, I have combined these two skills by teaching fitness classes. This now makes sense to me because being a fitness instructor requires a high level of motor coordination along with being able to understand patterns in music and rhythm. I believe this is why I get restless in traditional classrooms where the instructors talk at me for extended periods of time, or even worse, kill me with ill-prepared and boring powerpoint presentations!

#2. Kinesthetic learners are typically well suited for lab exercises, they may be able to put together experiments quickly, or learn how a circuit works etc..., simply by using their hands and interacting with their classmates. Kinesthetic learning is a type of interactive learning.

Rhythmic learning is related to the analytical domain of learning. These domains are analytic because they involve learning by incorporating information into existing schemas. This child may find it easy to identify the down-beat in a musical selection. They may also get easily distracted when music is being played because they find it difficult to "tune out" the music to concentrate on the task at hand.

#3 To keep a student with kinesthetic or rhythmic intelligence "tuned in" in the classroom it is best to have them doing rather than being. Laboratory exercises (in my content area) are best suited for this.

The teacher could also use games, such as Jeapordy or puzzles, to require students to use their strengths in this area. For example, if a student was having a difficult time learning chemical formulas, these formulas could be placed onto puzzle pieces that the student would arrange and get the correct structure.

#4 Kinesthetic learners could use the game of cherades to "act out" specific vocabulary words or concepts that are tied to the lesson plans. The rhythmic learning individual would like to have books that are interactive and have auido elements available. For example, I like the books that have CD's with them so that I can go online and use flashplayers and interact with the material. These types of activities help me to commit material to long term memory more easily.

5. I have learned, through this exercise and through others, that most learners do not enjoy being "taught to" they enjoy discovering things on their own. I believe this is paramount in their learning. However, I also believe that they should "not reinvent the wheel". It is good to have them interacting as they learn, but the cons to this is that there is only a specific amount of time in the day. Some lessons will be less interactive than others.