The NINTH week!

How wise is it to put Multiple Intelligences (MI) at the end of the course! We learn different things, approaches, learner autonomy, rubric, PowerPoint, one-computer classroom and there MI at last to help us blend all we have learned under one topic and help us create a constructive classroom atmosphere. 

I have learned to know the father of MI and his contributions to society, different articles by other authors with one common goal i.e., to help educators find ways to reach their students. This in turn can help students to discover who they are and what they can do throughout their learning process. Technology when used as a stimulus can trigger positive factors in both teachers and students alike. When combined with MI, the lessons become more interesting and students are more willing to do their lessons from a very completely different perspective which indeed is a far cry from traditional rote learning mode. "John Dewey theorized that learning should not only prepare one for life, but should also be an integral part of life itself." What a meaningful theory!

The researchers concluded "The contrast between the enormous popularity of the learning-styles approach within education and the lack of credible evidence for its utility is, in our opinion, striking and disturbing,” Why? Because we know the usefulness of MI in teaching but we don't apply it in our teaching. So, how will we be able to help students with different learning styles? Why don't we use technology to address the needs of the students? These are the questions that I kept asking after reading all the articles. Because I didn't know how to do it. Not a clue. Thanks for giving me the chance to learn this course. Like Courtney said we walk in with our pockets empty, but when we walk out, it's actually full of things which will be useful not only for us to teach but also for those whom we have to help as long as we are teaching.

I would like to quote a few lines from the article by Jane Carlson-Pickering ( RITTI Fellows Research, November 1999) "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." It is a good suggestion for all the teachers to handle technology with care so as to cater to the needs of students with different MI. This article is particularly to my liking among all the articles I had to read this week. 

What have I done? I have done my best in everything. But honestly, I am worried about my project result. Can I do anything? No, because what is done can't be undone, right? I just have to wait and see. 

The end to our course is drawing near. I can't thank enough Courtney for helping all of us through the difficult times of our studies. Thank You!!

I will definitely miss all my classmates who are helpful, smart and creative. I will miss all the time we have spent together in the course. Thanks to Joan, now we have a Facebook group on the web where we can still keep in touch with each other. 

Learning is a life-long process. But when this is aided with technology, the process itself comes to life and the learners enjoy it rather than see it as a burden.

Best,

Kyi Tha Wai