What’s New at MI Research
and Consulting, Inc.?
January, 2005
Hello ~
I wish you a fine start to 2005 and hope that the past year has been beneficial and fulfilling. Many projects at MI Research and Consulting have been progressing apace. It has been another busy year and there is much to report.
The most recent news is that my website has been completely redesigned and updated. We’ve have worked hard to make it a rich source of information about the multiple intelligences as well as a convenient place to learn all about The MIDAS.
Following the 20th Anniversary Commemorative Symposium on Multiple Intelligences at AERA in 2003, I edited a special MI issue for Teachers College Record published by Columbia University. Howard Gardner provides an After word where he lays out his thoughts about the future directions for MI theory. This is essential reading for any serious-minded MI researcher. You may order your copy or subscribe to TCR at: subscrip@blackwellpub.com
There are a lot of MI and MIDAS news and developments that I’d like to briefly share with you. If you have any news please email it to me.
I appreciate your interest in MI and hope that The MIDAS will continue to grow in ways that will bring the power and promise of MI to enhance human potential to all who choose to use it.
Cheers for 2004!
Branton Shearer
MIDAS™ News Update
MIDAS in Schools / Universities
The MIDAS continues to be implemented the United States as well as internationally. Here are a few places:
-- Kent Roosevelt High School -- Thinking Pays:
-- Bridges “At Risk” Student Program -- Academic counseling
-- Freshman Explorations program
-- Tallmadge High School -- Mason City, Iowa
-- All Freshmen -- Middle and High School
-- Waterloo High School
-- All Freshmen Career Explorations
-- Hong Kong: -- Hutichison Comm. College
-- Nice Studio tutoring for children -- faculty and students
-- Shawnee Mission West High School, Kansas
-- all Sophomore students -- Park Tudor Schools, Indiana
-- University of Akron: -- elementary and upper school
-- African-American male new students
-- Kent State Univ:
-- Orientation class pilot project
A recent comment from Rohn Kessler psychologist /owner of Thinking Pays in Boca Raton, Florida:
“The more I work with the MIDAS the more I love it. There’s always something positive to work with, helping me bring out the “sparks of genius” in these kids.”
MIDAS in Translation and
International Projects
MIDAS Chinese Translation
Profession Wu-Tien Wu of National Taiwan Normal University continues to work with the Psychological Publishing Company in Taipei, Taiwan on the translation of the MIDAS into both traditional and simplified Chinese language. He estimates that it will be ready for publication this summer. www.psy.com.tw/ or email: psycho@ms15.hinet.net
MIDAS in the UK
Meanwhile… in England….Mike Fleetham is now pilot testing his CD-ROM version of the MIDAS that is being used by teachers in elementary schools. For more information: <mike.fleetham@ntlworld.com> I look forward to seeing the results of this project. www.aspiroweb.co.uk
MIDAS in Ireland
In October last year I spent over a week in Ireland sharing information about MI and The MIDAS assessment at the National College of Ireland and Waterford Institute of Technology.
Special thanks to my hosts on the green isle. I enjoyed a few extra days driving on the wrong side of the road around Ireland. Plans are underway now for me to present on the career counseling implications of the MIDAS profile to the Institute of Guidance Counselors at their annual conference in Dublin in March. www.docshop.ie/agm/Index.htm
MIDAS Singaporean Adaptation Online
I am happy to report that One Education in Singapore has debuted the MIDAS.SG adaptation for completion online! You may visit their site at: http://astrid.egriculture.com/midas/
The MIDAS continues to be used at this fine private school for a number of interesting purposes including: leadership development, freshman self-insight and assisting ‘at risk’ students. www.chs.edu.sg/
MIDAS Persian Translation
A researcher in Iran has recently completed her master’s program where she translated and administered the Teen-MIDAS to university students. A second student will continue with this research in 2005.
Professor Suan Yoong has created a validated MIDAS.BM translation for use in Malaysia. He hopes to create a national database in the near future. I have been pleased to note that there is a LOT of interest in implementing MI in this country and I will be returning there to conduct a second series of MIDAS workshops.
Several researchers in Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon have created Arabic translations that are being validated with various age groups at this time. See contact information below.
MIDAS.DK Training in Denmark
Teachers at ‘Production Schools” in Denmark continue to receive training in using and understanding their students' MIDAS.DK profiles. The people at MI- Danmark have created a beautiful MIDAS.DK CD-ROM that students use to take the assessment in Danish. http://www.mi-danmark.dk/
The following people have recently embarked on projects to create and validate a MIDAS translation for use in their countries.
Turkey:
Osman Nafiz Kaya in Ankara, Turkey. onafiz@gazi.edu.tr
Romania.
Sorin-Avram, Virtop; Enhancing Motivation Using Multiple Intelligences In Romania; sorinavram2003@yahoo.com
Greece:
Spentzou, Mania; Creating a Greek Translation of MIDAS_KIDS; mziridis@ziridis.gr.
Germany and Switzerland:
Schulte-Mathmann, Michaela; Validating a German MIDAS Translation to be Used with Business Managers; w.mathmann@bluewin.ch.
MIDAS™ Research and
Development Projects
MI “Thinking Styles Survey" and the BBC Leonardo da
Vinci and Return to Learning Websites
Nearly 200,000 people have completed the MI Thinking Styles Survey that I created for the BBC Science website. This inventory also included a brief school satisfaction questionnaire. I have written three papers that document the development and validation of the Thinking Styles Survey as well as describe the characteristics of the nearly 200,000 respondents. www.bbc.co.uk/science/leonardo/
Since the MI Survey was such a hit on the Leonardo site the BBC Return to Learning group has placed the Survey on their website for adults who are continuing their education. www.bbc.co.uk/learning/returning/index.shtml
MIDAS “Existential Inquiry” Scale:
It has been an interesting project to create and validate a scale for the proposed 9th intelligence, Existential. After 4 revisions and 3 quantitative studies, I have shared these results with Dr. Gardner as he reviews the research pertaining to the proposed intelligence. He estimates that he’ll report on the status of the proposed 9th intelligence sometime this spring. For now, I am confident to describe my set of 14 questions as assessing “Existential Inquiry or Thinking.” Regardless of its status in the constellation of intelligences it is obvious to me that this is an important human characteristic that has implications for education. The response from teachers and students participating in my studies has been very positive. One insightful educator puts it this way. “
I want to thank the dozen or more people who have contributed to this research and development effort. Your assistance, encouragement and wise feedback has been invaluable.
MI Leadership Scale
The MIDAS Leadership Scales are being used regularly at Kent State University with Learning to Lead classes. Student feedback is very positive. The goal is to provide a means to describe, discuss and enhance individual student Leadership abilities. MI provides the guidance to develop Leadership capabilities not just for the elite, but for all students who can take on Leadership positions in their chosen fields. Howard Gardner’s writing in Leading Minds provides inspiration that a “strengths-based focus” can bring out the best in us all. A draft of the MIDAS Leadership Handbook will be available in the near future.
MIDAS-KIDS: My Young Child
The revised My Young Child version of MIDAS-KIDS (completed by the parents of 4 – 8 years old children) continues to undergo validation. Pilot sites are needed.
MI Education and Training
Web-based Online MI Learning
My WebCT Multiple Intelligences online workshops at Kent State University continue to grow in both number of participants and quality. I am slowly figuring out how to use more and better MI-inspired teaching ideas in the online environment. It has been a great challenge (as well as a great black hole of time!) . Hey, no one ever said that high quality MI teaching was going to be quick or easy, but I have definitely found it to be much more rewarding and worthwhile to both myself and the learners. It is an investment in time and energy and imagination that keeps paying dividends even when the stock market is in the tank. It does get easier once the basic MI framework is in place, so take heart all you newbie MI teachers out there.
> M.I. WebCT Preview page www.personal.kent.edu/~sbranton/
> Kent State Univ. KSU College of Continuing Studies http://ccsweb.ccs.kent.edu/
MIDAS Researchers Around the
World in 2004
Many people have been using The MIDAS for a wide variety of research projects over the course of the past year. I hope that my revised website and resurrected MIDAS Newsletter will serve as a means for researchers to share their results in the coming year. For MI theory to evolve in its effective application and acceptance, I believe that it is essential for people to share their successes as well as their challenges. Science moves along as we work through problems, correct mistakes and step-by-step reveal what is true. Here is a list of new MIDAS researchers in the past year.
Del Valle, Rosa. Predominant intelligence and its relationship with the academic performance of the technical careers or applied sciences. Puerto Rico, red31@prtc.net
Schulte-Mathmann, Michaela; Validating a German MIDAS Translation to be Used with Business Managers; w.mathmann@bluewin.ch.
Paddington, Carol; Multiple Intelligences and Leadership; Z3flyer@earthlink.net.
Baer, Allison; Teaching Literature Through Visual-spatial Activities; readerbaer@neo.rr.com.
Sorin-Avram, Virtop; Enhancing Motivation Using Multiple Intelligences In Romania; sorinavram2003@yahoo.com
Spentzou, Mania; Creating a Greek Translation of MIDAS_KIDS; mziridis@ziridis.gr.
Hessell, Sherelle; Teacher and Parent Perceptions of Child's MI Profiles; sh03e@garnet.acns.fsu.edu.
Short, Joy; A Cross cultural Investigation of MI in University Level Nutrition Students; shortje@slu.edu.
Hazen, Kari; Evaluating Student;s Language Arts Perfomrance using a variety of MI strategies vs. a strictly Visual Pulbisher's Strategies; karihzn@aol.com.
Herron, Prentiss; Evalution of MI Profiles of Teens and Adults; buzzman@knology.net.
DiMatteo, Lucy; Relationship between Online Instruction in a College Setting and Teaching Strategies Using MI; ladimatteo@hotmail.com.
Mills, Amber; Comparing MI Profiles and Students' GPSs; amberjoymills@yahoo.com.
McGrath, Eddie; Assessing MI Profiles of Students in Ireland;