Interpersonal Intelligence

Campbell, Campbell & Dickinson (2004) state:

Interpersonal intelligence enables us to understand and communicate with others

and note differences in moods, temperaments, motivations, and skills. It includes

the ability to form and maintain relationships and to assume various roles within

groups such as group members or leaders. (p. 154)

Electronic technologies provide a range of choices for developing interpersonal skills. These options include cell phones, Internet based e-mail, chat rooms, message boards, news groups, online conferences. Trinidad & Tobago, Ministry of Education, Pan in the Schools Programme and the Mypanyard Programme of the U. K. Department of Education have the potential to foster interpersonal communication among students through online activities.

Reference

Campbell, L., Campbell, B., & Dickinson, D. (2004). Teaching and learning through multiple intelligences. 3rd. ed.

Boston, MA: Pearson.

Visual and Spatial Learners & Learning

One of the criticisms that is levelled on the teaching of reading locally at the secondary level is the absence of an approved textbook/basal reader. Participants of this course, have been exposed to a wide range of relevant resources and websites. Consequently, teachers can be provided with the visual supports to be used to ensure that the needs of students with sensory, learning and physical differences are met. In particular, visual and spatial learners can be offered the necessary support to improve their reading and literacy. These supports include pictorial representations, such as flow charts and visual outlines; visual note-taking and brainstorming tools, such as concept mapping and mind-mapping; visual variety in learning materials, such as highlighting with color and varying shapes; and blending the visual and language arts. Coupled with interactive digital technologies, high quality classroom materials can be provided to present exciting ways to motivate the struggling reader.

Wikis: Their Weaknesses

While the advantages of wikis are generally known and explored we need to be conscious of the disadvantages. The following weaknesses were identified on the website WebTools 4u2use http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.comWikis

· Advertising –

It can be distracting and even inappropriate for learners

· Security Issues

e. g. To prevent non-student visitors from making changes

· Cybercrime -

Vamosi (2005) states that today, criminals are making more money from cybercrime than drug-related crime.

· Computer viruses & spyware –

Loss or misuse of data due to a virus or spyware

· Lack of equity – Presence of male-dominated roles in the software

· Digital divide

A Literature-based Approach to Reading & Media Technology

Traditionally in literature-based teaching of reading, movies of books were presented as an after reading activity. A few of us may recall this activity taking place on a Friday. It was usually a reward to the class for good behavior or provided when a substitute teacher was present. Essentially, it was provided as a 'fill-in' with no guarantee that it would be subsequently related to the text.

Visual media are now purposefully provided as a before reading activity for our reluctant and low ability readers to build their background knowledge and to aid in their comprehension of text. The principle behind this is that knowledge is presented both verbally and non-verbally in a dual-coding system. Visual media could be provided of the setting, characters, and relationships in the story. This strategy can be used to teach comprehension skills, such as summarizing and evaluation skills by comparing and contrasting the media with the text.

Additionally, there are the audio-books which are available in unabridged and abridged recordings. They can provide a shared learning experience; enhance reading levels and comprehension; increase language skills and literacy; provide models of pronunciation, sentence structure, and accuracy in grammar. Additionally, they can serve to motivate auditory learners and as an introduction to the art of storytelling.

For those of us who are committed to a literature-based approach to reading a useful website is: The Children’s Literature Web Guide: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/

Exploring the Musical Intelligence

In an earlier blog, entitled Concept Mapping and Their Possibility for the Spatial Learner, this writer mentioned the need for reading specialists to collaborate with other teachers and departments in the interest of our students. One content area in which this can be done is in music. Music teachers, may be unaware of it, but they do have a unique role to assist our students, many of whom, particularly the boys, have a musical intelligence. This intelligence can find self-expression in an intellectually and emotionally nurturing classroom environment. The reading specialist in a collaborative effort with the music teacher and the students can adopt strategies that have proven to be successful in intervention programmes. Music’s influence with skill building can extend into such areas as:

i. Music spelling: learning to spell new words to music is fun and accelerates learning

ii. Teaching reading musically

iii. Improving language skills: lyrics can provide a rich source of vocabulary words that can enrich comprehension

These are only a few of the methods in which web technology can enhance our students’ musical intelligence and contribute to their reading improvement.

This writer discovered a website called Mypanyard at http://mypanyard.co.uk/Home-steel-pan-panyard.html which is part of the U. K. ‘s Department of Education thrust to encourage the learning of music in primary and secondary schools in England. This website provides a number of steelpan-based activities to encourage reading. Through the Pan in Schools Unit of the T & T. Ministry of Education, ‘web pals’ could be established. An interesting activity would be to use a graphic organizer provided by MyInspiration and compare and contrast the development of the steelpan movement in England and Trinidad. A reading of the history as presented in Mypanyard indicates some pertinent differences.