Assignment 2:
Gardner and others have emphasized the different learning styles of students. How would you use the theory of one psychologist to effectively engage a preferred learning style?
Using the theories of William Glasser, I will outline a strategy for engaging a student who has high musical and intrapersonal intelligence in my German lessons. This young man, aged 15, is extremely introverted, a loner and struggles enormously with any conversational activities. His written work, whist very reticent, reveals a depth of thought and feeling. Although he often appears to be disengaged, his inner life is rich and his ability to work independently is demonstrated in his talent for playing classical piano. He practices piano for several hours a day and travels long distances to private lessons at the Conservatorium of Music, which he partly finances himself.
Clearly, this young man- I will refer to him as Joseph- has a gift. It is also clear that the methods which work so well in engaging other students (role play, team games based on oral skills, conversations, dramatisations etc.) - are almost unbearable for him in his present stage of development.
Glasser’s choice theory posits five basic needs. Firstly, the need for survival, safety and security. Although Joseph would safe in my lessons, his feelings of emotional security are clearly threatened because he feels existentially inhibited about joining in as his classmates can. His need for love, belonging and acceptance is complex. Although he is a loner, he does not appear to be lonely and his fellow students respect both his quiet nature and his need to follow his passion. In his own way, he belongs. In his private time, he achieves a sense of great power and achievement through his musicianship. He experiences freedom and independence in carving out his learning path himself. His need for fun is fulfilled through the joy of playing.
My strategy for Joseph would be to offer him independent project work in the second half hour of our lessons for a term. In this time he would be given the opportunity to work on a project relating to German culture. He selected a German composer- Ludwig van Beethoven- and chose to perform his “Moonlight Sonata”. The project also required a written overview of Beethoven’s biography.
In missing the second half hour, Joseph would miss the oral activities but would still take part in the instructional, cultural and grammatical aspects of the lesson. The project used the obvious connection of German classical music whilst still placing demands on Joseph’s written linguistic development.
Gardner’s contributions to educational theory and practice have resulted in an approach which values the diversity of gifts and abilities:
“The most imbedded misunderstanding about the nature of intelligence is that language is required for thought. This simply is not true. This misconception has marginalized the vastly important contribution the arts can make to education. We think in several other "symbol systems" besides language, including the use of line and color in drawing and painting, in musical notes when we sing, or play an instrument, or in physical motion when we dance…
Gardner and others have emphasized the different learning styles of students. How would you use the theory of one psychologist to effectively engage a preferred learning style?
Using the theories of William Glasser, I will outline a strategy for engaging a student who has high musical and intrapersonal intelligence in my German lessons. This young man, aged 15, is extremely introverted, a loner and struggles enormously with any conversational activities. His written work, whist very reticent, reveals a depth of thought and feeling. Although he often appears to be disengaged, his inner life is rich and his ability to work independently is demonstrated in his talent for playing classical piano. He practices piano for several hours a day and travels long distances to private lessons at the Conservatorium of Music, which he partly finances himself.
Clearly, this young man- I will refer to him as Joseph- has a gift. It is also clear that the methods which work so well in engaging other students (role play, team games based on oral skills, conversations, dramatisations etc.) - are almost unbearable for him in his present stage of development.
Glasser’s choice theory posits five basic needs. Firstly, the need for survival, safety and security. Although Joseph would safe in my lessons, his feelings of emotional security are clearly threatened because he feels existentially inhibited about joining in as his classmates can. His need for love, belonging and acceptance is complex. Although he is a loner, he does not appear to be lonely and his fellow students respect both his quiet nature and his need to follow his passion. In his own way, he belongs. In his private time, he achieves a sense of great power and achievement through his musicianship. He experiences freedom and independence in carving out his learning path himself. His need for fun is fulfilled through the joy of playing.
My strategy for Joseph would be to offer him independent project work in the second half hour of our lessons for a term. In this time he would be given the opportunity to work on a project relating to German culture. He selected a German composer- Ludwig van Beethoven- and chose to perform his “Moonlight Sonata”. The project also required a written overview of Beethoven’s biography.
In missing the second half hour, Joseph would miss the oral activities but would still take part in the instructional, cultural and grammatical aspects of the lesson. The project used the obvious connection of German classical music whilst still placing demands on Joseph’s written linguistic development.
Gardner’s contributions to educational theory and practice have resulted in an approach which values the diversity of gifts and abilities:
“The most imbedded misunderstanding about the nature of intelligence is that language is required for thought. This simply is not true. This misconception has marginalized the vastly important contribution the arts can make to education. We think in several other "symbol systems" besides language, including the use of line and color in drawing and painting, in musical notes when we sing, or play an instrument, or in physical motion when we dance…
As Martha Graham said, "If I could say it, I wouldn't have to dance it."
Some of us cannot express ourselves easily in language, but we can in other ways- ways which are provided through the arts. And if this expression is pursued with the goal of quality, and with high standards, it becomes the highest possible expression of human thought.”
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/arts/cabc/oddleifson3.htm
With regards to Joseph’s development as an individual, I feel it is important to acknowledge his particular artistic needs at this point of his life. I have a strong belief in the healing power of art and trust that his other abilities will develop to an appropriate degree, nurtured by his musicality and rich emotional life:
“Gardner believes that the intelligences he has identified are independent, in that they develop at different times and to different degrees in different individuals. They are, however, closely related, and many teachers and parents are finding that when an individual becomes more proficient in one area, the whole constellation of intelligence may be enhanced.”
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/mi/dickinson_mi.html
I believe that this project could be not only a potent confirmation of Joseph’s individuality but also a source of social integration. The experience of Joseph’s performance could be an opportunity for his classmates to view the world in a new way:
“If human beings are to survive, we need all the symbolic forms at our command because they permit us not only to preserve and pass along our accumulated wisdom but also to give voice to the invention of new visions. We need all these ways of viewing the world because no one way can say it all.
The arts are acts of intelligence no less than other subjects.”
http://www.newhorizons.org/future/Creating_the_Future/crfut_fowler.html
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