MI+B1+Chapter+11



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Seth- Abstract
Chapter 11 focused on the Multiple Intelligences of students with special needs. Throughout the chapter the book reiterated that teachers who have students with special needs in their classroom should focus on that students strengths rather than their weakness(es). School systems creates IEP's for individual students, especially those with special needs, and it is important that a teacher follow the IEP as closely as possible for maximum learning. The chapter (as well as first-hand experience of having a student with special needs in a class) states that the student is just like any other and is looking to be accepted by his/her peers. Is that so much to ask?

Synthesis:
Nearly everyone in the class had the same things to say. The world needs to focus on what these students with special needs **can** do rather than what they can't. We all seem adiment about making sure that students with special needs feel welcomed in our classroom. Just because a student is differently-abled does not mean s/he can not partake in normal school activities. Studens with [|504 Plans] also recieve attention from school boards and the educators must remain in contact with the student to asssure that the plan is working.

Kim
Chapter 11 talks about different ways that the multiple intelligences can be used to assist students in special education. One really good point the chapter brought up is that most people classify students with disabilities by what they are not able to do instead of classifying them by what they are able to do. Not only does this help by identifying what and how they learn best, it also increases their self-esteem, knowing that they are in fact capable of doing something like all of their classmates are. Using the multiple intelligences in conjunction with a student’s IEP really tailors the lesson for them, helping them to succeed as well as some of their classmates who might be struggling in a similar area but to a lesser degree. I will keep this in mind as I am planning lessons, whether I have students with IEPs in my classroom or not. Using the multiple intelligences is beneficial for all students, but can have an added benefit for students with various disabilities.

Brody
The Multiple Intelligence theory works especially well with students with special needs. The problem with today’s special education system is that teachers have a tendency to focus on what students can’t do instead of what they //can// do. With the MI theory however, teachers can see that students with special needs have strengths in other areas separate from the area they have a disability in. This theory suggests that learning disabilities may occur in all eight intelligences. These disabilities don’t mean that a person is completely incapable though. My favorite author Agatha Christie had dyslexia but is the bestselling author of all time. The MI theory suggests that students not succeeding in one intelligence area can bypass these obstacles by using another intelligence. Agatha Christie obviously used another route to circumvent her weakness and find success. Thus, special education students are just like other students. Both students need teachers focusing on their strengths aside from their weaknesses. These strengths will be especially useful when facilitating individualized educational programs, or IEPs. When thinking about my future classroom, this chapter only reiterates the need for me to use the MI theory because it reaches a wider range of students than traditional teaching strategies.

**Mike**
This chapter talks about how the MI Theory can relate to Special Education. The author suggests that the MI Theory should show off student's strengths instead of what they are weak at. Relating the MI Theory to Special Education really opened up my eyes because you basically learn different techniques a teacher can use in order to help a student grow. If you as a teacher constantly work with a student with special needs and helping them grow then they will eventually thrive as a student and feel better about themselves. What is important is to make sure that students with special needs never feel that they are different or not as smart as any other students in the classroom. As a future teacher, I will make sure that not only my special needs students are comfortable, but I will also make sure that they understand the material as best as they can.

**Jen** This chapter really focus' on the needs of students with special needs and how it's important for teachers to focus on their strengths and recognize them for that. Focusing on these strengths allows the students to gain a new sense of self esteem because they are focusing on the positive. This is important because it's the first time we are really hearing about integrating special needs students into the multiple intelligence and getting them to work together with the other students. This really is important to teachers because as the book discusses the teachers really need to take into account the students intelligences and use that to help them make the curriculum for the classroom. That is when it is crucial to understand the students learning style. The book really discusses how the teachers need to use their energy to direct their time on those having difficulties in schools and this is an important point and maybe a way for them to involve students with special needs into their curriculum more accurately.

Brittany
So it interests me that there is a whole chapter devoted to special needs students in a book designed to help all students learn. I think the point of the multiple intelligence theory is that everyone learns in the way that works best for them no matter what disability or advantage they may have. So what if one person does not read so well, there are seven other intelligences and other areas in that intelligence that have nothing to do with reading; yet for that one thing they will be removed from a regular class and put somewhere else where they might not get what they need at all. A student, no matter what their level of learning, wants to be accepted into the social structure of their environment and they cannot do that if the school purposefully separates them from it. To fix that problem, teachers are going to have to learn how to teach around their disability and in the end help all of the other students as well. Dealing with this problem will only serve to make us better teachers and perhaps convince these students that they belong in a world with everyone else.

Seth
Rather than focus on the content in the chapter I want to write this from a personal view. I have had a friend with Down Syndrome in my class and I could see the effort he tried to put into his work. Another of my really close friends, before he passed away, had Down Syndrome. I don’t like it when the students with special needs are separated from the rest of the class and school; it’s demeaning and a form of discrimination. A class should not single out any student, especially if they are different than others in the room. Schools should put as much effort into special education as they do into educating the “normal” students.

Casey
Using the eight multiple intelligences in a special education type setting is the main focus of this chapter. The chapter gives many ideas of how useful the MI structure would be in a special education setting. The MI structure in multiple ways is a better fit for the special education setting because of the diversity in learning styles for these students in this classroom. These students are more apt to respond to this type of structure. If i was to have students from a special education classroom I would definitely try and put my skills in multiple intelligences in use for these students so they would feel comfortable in my class and know that i was putting in the effort to accompany their learning styles and habits.

Lily
This chapter talked about the my theory and using it in special education. Sadly students with special needs have always been pushed back and not really given the chances to learn with the rest of the class. "Over the history of the special education movement in the United States, educators have had a disturbing tendency to work from a deficit paradigm focusing on what students can't do in an attempt to help students succeed in school"(103) As educators we must realize that this is our job we can not walk away from this and just because a student can not learn one way does not mean that they can not learn a different way. Trial and error can occur and it should be fun to learn not a chore but we need to help students find out what learning type makes them more confortable. Such a great chapter!

Kaitlyn Bartlett
In chapter 11 of Multiple Intelligences, the author gives a chart about how to incorporate the 8 intelligences into teaching students with disabilities. After reading this chapter and looking over this chart, I feel like I will be using these ideas in my class a lot. Knowing that I will have students with disabilities in my classroom, I will be able to better tailor my lesson around needs of those students because of this. In high school, I never had students with noticeable disabilities in my classes, so I find it harder for myself to thing of different ways to teach them. This chapter highlights that students with disabilities have strengths in other areas that might not be seen because of their disability. As an educator, I need to focus on this because often I find myself focusing on their inabilities rather than their abilities.

Leighlan
Too often is a special education educator’s focus on the student’s weaknesses. This can causes frustration and poor self esteem. MI is about using one’s strengths to help strengthen one’s learning. This is fun as well as a confidence boost. Most of the time in schools, if a student is struggling, the response is to give them more of the kind of tasks they find difficult so they can “practice”. The MI approach instead tries to weave in a student’s stronger intelligences into a difficult learning task. Instead of having a dyslexic child have more linguistic approaches, the child would be encouraged to sing, sculpt, and visualize letter combinations. If you are struggling as a student and studying doesn’t seem to help try studying in a way that utilizes your strongest intelligences.

Jasmyn
In this chapter Armstrong talks about different ways that the multiple intelligences can be used to assist students in special education. One really good point the chapter brought up is that most people classify students with disabilities their intellectual weakness instead of classifying them by their strengths or what they are able to do. The chapter explains how we, as teachers should focus on the stronger intelligences, because not only does this help by identifying what and how they learn best, it also increases their self-esteem. I know that I will have students with disabilities in my classroom, I will tailor my lesson around needs of those disabled students as well as the capable ones.