Synthesis of Chapter 14 of MI

Synthesis-
The class agreed that it is worth thinking about incorporating Howard Gardner’s ninth intelligence into their lessons whether or not it has been made officially. Many of us thought that it would not be long before it was added to the list of intelligences and were willing to accept it as such. The class thought that it would be fairly easy to incorporate into classes because its nature involves looking for deeper meaning which is what teachers should be asking their students to do. Many of us linked it to science because so many scientists have been inspired by life questions in their research and experiments. There were also connections made to history and literature because both of those subjects deal with why things happen.

Abstract-
The last chapter of the MI book is about a possible ninth intelligence. It is called the existential intelligence and it deals with the big philosophical questions that all humans ask. This intelligence is often controversial though because many cultures answer these big life questions with religious beliefs. However, this intelligence isn’t about being extremely religious but rather about looking for meaning in life, looking for similarities in beliefs between cultures, and in the capability to see the big picture. It does meet many of Gardner’s criteria for being an intelligence but there has yet to be enough evidence to support this idea.

Synthesis of Chapter 3 of UbD/DI

Abstract:
This chapter introduces the backwards design model. In this chapter stage one was described as establishing the goals for the unit, stage two was defined as deciding what evidence will be used to figure out if the students have learned the material and stage three was defined as where the day to day activities that will help students learn and meet the goals from stage one are created. The backwards design model’s purpose is to keep teachers focused on the desired end. In this way teachers are working towards something and not just trying to cover a textbook. This way both students and teachers know where everything is heading.

Synthesis:
Overall the class found the model helpful in planning lessons especially in subjects where there was a lot of material. We all agreed that the model would both help us plan our lessons and help our students learn because having a clear focus makes it easier to differentiate in order to reach all learners, we have a clear goal so it is easier to assess how the students are doing in reaching that goal and because the students won’t just be doing activities or busy work but working towards learning something specific. The class thought that the backwards design model also addresses the gaps in state standards making it easy to meet them while engaging students.