My Neighbor

My neighbor’s mother has passed away – SPEAKING My dog has had a strange behavior this week – LISTENING Gasoline price went up $200 yesterday – WRITING My baby cousin began teething yesterday – READING

I didn’t read the newspaper yesterday – WRITING I think I drank too much at your last party – READING I think you are really attractive – SPEAKING (if your partner answers right, say thank you.) Heavy rain has hit towns on the coast – LISTENING

I have been very charitable this year – READING June is usually hot in our country – LISTENING Human Resources announced new layoffs for next year – WRITING I was not given a raise, I was given a promotion only –SPEAKING

Children shouldn’t play with electricity – LISTENING Mom baked a really good plantain dessert – WRITING I was never a cheerleader – SPEAKING I met a magician yesterday - READING

II. THOU SHALT IDENTIFY THY STUDENTS.

Once you are familiar to the physical space where the class will be developed, the next step is to recognize: first, the class as a whole and second, the student as an individual. -

The class as a whole. The group will be the immediate amount of neighbors needed to establish an adequate environment to unfurl the language study. If the class has been together for some time, then it already has a well-defined

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personality. However, this group is formed by single individuals that may have different and well-divided learning strategies and styles. The student as an individual. These learning strategies and styles vary, mainly, depending on which of the brain’s multiple intelligences the student has grown to develop and master. We can divide these multiple intelligences into eight recognized fields.

1. Literature and linguistic intelligence: This type of individual has the ability

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to understand and handle the words whether written or orally (Structures). They often grow and their majors trend to written word handling (Writers, storytellers, orators, journalists, teachers). Logical-Mathematical intelligence: They can, obviously, use numbers, statistics and have to organize information in a systematic way; you will frequently find them in class making charts in their notebooks and highlighting exceptions to rules. Their majors? Scientists, statisticians, mathematicians, computer programmers and most engineers. Visual-Spatial intelligence: These people conceive a 3D image in their minds before visualize the written code of a lively object (Word). They can transform images into messages. They will use colors, lines, shapes and space to locate the knowledge in their minds in a harmonic way (Artists, architects, photographers). Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence: These individuals first in-hand tool to express him/herself is not a book or a pencil, it’s their body. They will move and are gifted to it. The always trend to propose parties and integration activities where they can use all their stamina (Sports people). Musical intelligence: This people depend on rhythm for living. You will easily find them tapping on the tables with their fingers, drawing zigzag lines on their notebooks and repeating your intonation after you finish speaking (Musicians, speakers). Interpersonal intelligence: They perceive and care for the people around them. They are sensitive to gestures, intonation and the feeling people show, for this reason they may seem apart from the teacher or very fond of him/her (Counselor, teacher, spiritual leader…). Intrapersonal intelligence: Contrary to the interpersonal kind of people, they would rather interact with themselves than with people; they know and are aware of their abilities and limitations. They will avoid working in groups, and if made, they will block. Naturalist intelligence: They understand the vital relation between the Earth and humans, the environment as a part of oneself and feel very concerned about a proper space to learn (Biologists, ecologists).

These eight types of intelligences are also contained in four major categories named after colors. The left hemisphere processing contains the Blue color which represents an objective kind of thinking, a problem solving ability, numerical skills, awareness of the importance of money, fast calculation methods, a highly developed sense of logic a strong like for concrete operations. The Green color is also found in the left hemisphere of the brain and its main features are the need for thorough processes (from games to work). Systematic, disciplined and technical-thinking, they are somewhat picky for everything; they are into routines and, therefore, dislike changes.

So we see, the left hemisphere of the brain has linear or sequential process of thinking, an affinity for analysis and reasoning in a verbal and logic way. On the other hand, the right hemisphere of the brain works by patterns and/or connections, processes information from space and movement in highly visual environments and feedbacks the world. It contains the Yellow color which dislikes routines, it’s an audacious and rebellious type of person, they are the rule-breakers, the revolutionaries and innovative for whom the fashion is very important. The last color is Red, which represents humane thinking, the value of social relations where feelings are always involved. These people are very kinesthetic and impulsive. The objective in recognizing our type of students is not only to target their specific kind of intelligence and learning strategies, but also to develop both sides of the brain at the same time.

(Taken from “The ten commandments of the classroom,” Arteaga, 2002)

The definition of intelligence As one would expect from a theory that redefines intelligence, one of the major criticisms of the theory is that it is ad hoc. The criticism is that Gardner is not expanding the definition of the word "intelligence"; rather, he denies the existence of intelligence, as is traditionally understood, and instead uses the word "intelligence" whenever other people have traditionally used words like "ability". This practice has been criticized by Robert J. Sternberg (1983, 1991), Eysenck (1994), and Scarr (1985). Defenders of MI theory argue that the traditional definition of intelligence is too narrow, and thus broader definition more accurately reflects the differing ways in which humans think and learn. They would state that the traditional interpretation of intelligence collapses under the weight of its own logic and definition, noting that intelligence is usually defined as the cognitive

or mental capacity of an individual, which by logical necessity would include all forms of mental qualities, not simply the ones most transparent to standardized I.Q. tests. Some of these criticisms arise from the fact that Gardner has not settled on a single definition of intelligence. He originally defined it as the ability to solve problems that have value in at least one culture, or as something that a student is interested in. However, he added a disclaimer that he has no fixed definition, and his classification is more of an artistic judgment than fact: Ultimately, it would certainly be desirable to have an algorithm for the selection of an intelligence, such that any trained researcher could determine whether a candidate's intelligence met the appropriate criteria. At present, however, it must be admitted that the selection (or rejection) of a candidate's intelligence is reminiscent more of an artistic judgment than of a scientific assessment. (Gardner, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, 1985) Gardner argues that by calling linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities intelligences, but not artistic, musical, athletic, etc. abilities, the former are needlessly aggrandized. Many critics balk at this widening of the definition, saying that it ignores "the connotation of intelligence...[which] has always connoted the kind of thinking skills that makes one successful in school." Gardner writes "I balk at the unwarranted assumption that certain human abilities can be arbitrarily singled out as intelligence while others cannot.” Critics hold that given this statement, any interest or ability is now redefined as "intelligence". Thus, by adopting this theory, studying intelligence becomes difficult, because it diffuses into the broader concept of ability or talent. Gardner's addition of the naturalistic intelligence and conceptions of the existential and moral intelligences are seen as fruits of this diffusion. Defenders of the MI theory would argue that this is simply a recognition of the broad scope of inherent mental abilities, and that such an exhaustive scope by nature defies a simple, one-dimensional classification such as an assigned IQ value. They would claim that such one-dimensional values are typically of limited value in predicting the real world application of unique mental abilities.

Disgust Surprise Delight Sympathy

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In love Hyperactive Surprised

Interested

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Interested Fascinated Mesmerized In trance

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Impatient Troubled Distracted

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