~ The MI News ~
Spring 2001 Edition
(Volume 3, Number 1)
Publisher Branton Shearer | Editor
Cliff Morris
.Table of Contents
1 For your intelligences only by Clifford Morris
2 Lesson planning strategies and MI by Clifford
Morris and Branton Shearer
3 A late Christmas present by Clifford Morris
4 A Danish version of The MIDAS by Branton
Shearer
5 Some multiple intelligences links
by Clifford Morris
1 For your intelligences
only by Clifford Morris
For those of you who are visiting us for the first time,
welcome. Here are a few comments about the newsletter. The MI-News
is provided free by Dr. Charles Branton Shearer's Multiple Intelligences (MI) Research and
Consulting. The main objective in publishing this newsletter is to
provide you with theoretical and practical information about Howard Gardner's MI model
and how this model of the human mind is currently being implemented throughout
the world. We, your MI-News team
try to explore MI applications via discussion, contact and sharing. If
you have an interesting idea, lesson plan, or practical MI suggestion, please email me with your comments. If your
information is applicable to our readership, it will be considered for
publication in the Summer 2001 issue, that is, Volume 3, Number 2.
2 Lesson planning strategies and MI by Clifford
Morris and Branton Shearer
In
this issue, we continue the practice of bringing to your attention a series of
ideas associated with the whole notion of classroom lesson planning and
possible teaching strategies that approach the Multiple Intelligences of Howard
Gardner. Some of the lesson plans are directed to special education
students, while others are geared towards the regular elementary and high
school student. To view these ideas, click here.
3 A late Christmas present by Clifford Morris
I
am not in the habit of bragging about receiving late Christmas presents.
Those of you who know me well would agree that when if comes to commenting
about a late gift from Santa Clause, I tend to be a rather humble chap.
However such can not be the case during this Christmas past. On December
30, 2000, I received a special present and I would like to take this occasion
to share its contents with you.
The parcel arrived in my mailbox, wrapped in a large white
envelope. The return address was: 1078 Cedar View Drive, Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55405-2129. Inside was one of the best presents an editor
could possible receive: a hard covered book all about improving learning by
comprehending emotional learning, that is, learning by promoting Howard
Gardner's social-interpersonal and introspective / intuitive-intrapersonal
intelligences. As there was a huge snowstorm abrewing outside my Kanata,
Ontario home, I simply settled down in my favourite chair and read the complete
text. To read my review, click here.
4 A Danish version of The MIDAS by Branton Shearer
The
"MIDAS dk” is a Danish project aimed at developing a Danish version of
MIDAS which is both adapted to Danish educational settings and developed in an
electronic version as well.
The project started in January of 2000 and will be completed
June of 2001. Several different educational institutions are working in
collaboration: the School for Social and Health Workers in the city of Randers,
Randers Technical and Vocational School, the Guidance Service for Young People
in Randers, Aarhus Production School, Randers Production School and the
Department for Research and Development of Youth Pedagogy at the Royal Danish
Institute of Educational Studies in Odense. The project is supported
financially by Denmark’s Ministry of Education and Social Ministry.
At this point in time (December 2000) the majority of the
work taking place is based on pilot runs of the Teachers’ Guide, the computer
software and the Danish equivalent of “Stepping Stones”. Teachers and
guidance counselors in all of the participating institutions are working with
students to create MIDAS Profiles and formulate plans of action based on these
profiles.
The computer software is designed in such a way that it is
possible to produce statistics on all the answers. This will in turn make
it possible to adjust the wording of the questions where necessary. It
will be possible to produce statistics from both the main and the specific
areas as well as regarding gender, age, school background and ethnic
background. The program itself will attach a code for the institution
administering it as well as a serial number for each questionnaire.
The experiences gained during the pilot runs will be
reflected upon and discussed in the project group during the next few months so
that final corrections can be made and the materials produced for distribution
at the end of the next school year (June 2001).
Certification courses will also be held during the next
months in order that an appropriate number of teachers and guidance counselors
at the involved institutions become qualified to continue working with
MIDAS. The development of certification courses is also an important
element in the efforts of the project to ensure proper ethics in relation to
usage of MIDAS in the future.
The software is also designed with the built-in possibility
of exchanging Danish with another language as it is the intention of the
project to collaborate with educators in other European countries in the usage
and further development of the MIDAS-concept.
For more information on "MIDAS dk", contact
Barbara Day at day.larsen@teliamail.dk
5 Some multiple
intelligences links by Clifford Morris
For those of you who are new readers to this newsletter, may I
bring the following information to your attention. For some time now, I
have been developing a list of web sites especially devoted to The Multiple
Intelligences of Howard Gardner. Some of the sites are mine and many are
those of others. Click here to go to
them. If you know of additional internet web sites associated with MI,
and you feel that their presence here would be of interest to others, please
contact me by clicking here.