Reading Comprehension – lesson plan Howard Gardner: ‘Multiple ’ are not ‘learning styles’

Read the title : What do you expect ? Definitions? comparison? points of view ? explanation ? Write down your hypothesis. Then read the first §. Circle the verbs, identify active or passive voice, find their subjects (underline). Link to the object or agent (frame). Read the following 6 and highlight all words, phrases or sentences you know or understand. Read again and underline the 1st sentence of each §. Read one last time and give summarize the § with a title or a sentence.

1st § : Introduction to HG’s MI 2nd § : MI are not learning styles 3rd § : HG’s short biography 4th § : by HG : short history of the success of MI and the issue of learning styles 5§ : the theory of MI 6§ : Learning style : definition 7 and 8§ : Learning styles : issues 9 § : definition of 10§ : definition of style of learning 11th §: definition of senses 12§ conclusion about the differences between MI and learning styles 13§ : Advice for educators : individualize, pluralize, do not refer to“syle”.

A1 to A2 Main topic : MI Author(s) : Valerie Strauss, H Gardner, Katie Davis. Written works ( nature and date): article in the Washington Post 2013, Frame of Mind : The Theory of Multiple Intelligences ( 30 years ago : 1983), The App Generation” ( 2013). Explain what the MI theory is : a model of different from the standardized test on intelligence. New in 1983. MI theory lists 7 to 10 different intelligences. Such as linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal and intrapersonal or the naturalist intelligence.

A2 to B1 What analogy does HG make? The brain is compared to computers. MI means we have several brains not only one computer.

What is the issue with learning styles? They are wrongly compared to MI. Taking learning styles into account can be effective, but the notion is not defined, assessed or exploited. Teaching with learning styles has not been demonstrated as more effective as other .

H. Gardner’s point of view on concerning:

Intelligence We have multiple intelligences, but one has a stronger power so it is often used to learn. Learning Style A hypothesis of how an individual deals with information ( the way students learn). Senses Incoherent, the matter is not how the information reaches the brain ( auditory, visual…) but the processing of the information by the brain

H. advice to teachers : • individualize your teaching. Use “apps” to help you. • Pluralize your teaching : use several approaches to present a lesson. • Do not refer to learning styles

B2

What is H. Gardner feeling towards MI and learning styles : He is emotional about it, so his point of view might be biased/prejudiced : “ has driven me to distraction”, “it’s high time to relieve my pain”.

What is the other goal of this article : The goal is to announce and promote the new book “ The App Generation”. ( two references in the article and the analogy with computers).

Work on words

The fields (of and education) Context Went beyond Context There may be a few more Context The dawn of the digital age Context and idiomatic expression One size fits all approach Context and idiomatic expression One fits all Lexical reference Is likely to be thin Lexical reference Well-renowned Word composition Highly Word composition The former is the latter Word composition Brain, right-brained Word composition Unhelpful/ ill-conceived Word composition Strength/ weakness Word composition outcome Word composition Seek/Shown/ Driven Irregular word

More vocabulary : single= unique, single out=choose, kind = sort, a few = a little number, collapse = fall down, all-purpose = for all functions, to bandy about = discuss in a casual/ informal way, nurture : encourage/stimulate, flawed=faulty, jagged= rough/ irregular, drop=abandon/give up Cultural references : K–12 is a shortening of kindergarten (K) for 4- to 6-year-olds through twelfth grade (12) for 17- to 19-year-old.Also called ELHI, (elementary to high school). Expressions : It’s high time to relieve my pain and to set the record straight = now it time to stop my sufferings and to give the true version, on the mark = correct, across-the-board = for all, go native = adopt the lifestyle of the country you visit.

Cécile Clavel ESPE Académie de Toulouse