Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost.nifl.gov [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.8.7/8.8.5) with SMTP id IAA06862; Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:55:37 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:55:37 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <346874D7.4008@vnet.net> Errors-To: lmann@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Loren McGrail <lmcgrail@vnet.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:1491] Re: About multiple intelligences... X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.02 (Macintosh; I; 68K) Status: RO Content-Length: 3926 Lines: 70 Char, Curious thing this email. We have two very interesting discussions going on at the same time and one of my intelligences tells me that they are related however my cognitive and linguistic intelligences are a little sleepy this morning so I don't think I'll be the one to try and illuminate the connections but rather try and address the issues Char has invited me to respond to. Let me start by saying that there is a whole group of folks up in New England who are exploring the implications of Multiple intelligence theory for adult learners. They are working as part of the NCSALL study. They are approaching this subject through practitioner inquiry. A number of them are ESOL practitioners. Perhaps someone who is online could say more about what's happening with the project. As for myself, I'm very interested in the implications of the current work and research being done in multiple intelligence theory, learning styles,and learning strategies. As I understand it,these are three distinct areas and should not be blended together or used interchangeably to mean the same thing. Perhaps someone on the listserv could define the three. The main thing I know and my New England colleagues remind me, multiple intelligence theory is just that a theory about how children learn. As such it should be discussed as a theoretical approach with implications. At a recent meeting with adult educators here in North Carolina, we explored these new areas and used Armstrong's book 7 Kinds of Smart as our primary text along with articles from a recent TESOL journal from Mary Ann Christianson. She advocates that teachers know what the seven intelligences are and create lesson plans that develop all of them. She,like others,point out how most of our educational approaches just address our cognitive and linguistic intelligences. On this level I find her and Armstrong's points well taken but I do have some concerns about the total focus on the learner's learning behaviour at the cost of looking at the larger social contexts that also impact the learning experience. ESOL teachers, by in large, have known for a long time that they need many different ways in, hence multiple approaches and methods have been developed and used. My concern is that if we spend all our time and energy focusing on how the individual learner processes information,we will lose sight of the equally important discussion of why and what for; in other words the way we make learning connected to people's lives. Are we looking at language and literacy learning as the teaching of basic skills or a process of critical action and reflection? My worry is that often the discussions about MI,learning styles and strategies are divorced from the discussion about overall approach or methodolgy. So for example,if you are trying to follow a more learner centered approach,it would be useful to you to know as much as you can about how individual learners make meaning out of their experience so that you can best meet their learning needs but it is also important because if they have knowledge about how they best learn inside the classroom they might be able to learn and take action outside the classroom. Char,these are my interests and concerns in addition to the labeling issues you raised earlier. I'm curious what others think and maybe someone sharper than me can connect this conversation to the discussion on English only which I'm also very interested in. I share with you one point of connection, I think. I wear a pin that I got somewhere many years ago that says Al Diablo Con English Only. I wear it the same way people wear a red or pink ribbon-- to show solidarity and because it takes a second language (linguistic) intelligence to get the pun. I look forward to hearing other points of view about these issues. Cheers, Loren McGrail lmcgrail@vnet.net
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