HEALTH AND WELLNESS TOPIC.14

By likemindblog

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CREATIVE TEACHING.  Helene Brault has been explaining to us how she uses creative teaching to deal with her students ages 7 to 10, who have been diagnosed with learning difficulties.  She combines several teaching approaches and deals with each child’s strengths and way of assimilating information.  She places them in a context where they will succeed and thus be proud of it.

Let us therefore continue with this most interesting series with the following questions:

Q.  8) What do you mean by multiple intelligences?

Howard Gardner, through his research, has identified eight (8) types of intelligence.  I see them more like language skills, i.e. the type who takes pleasure in words, writing etc. Logico-mathematical intelligence or, in other words, the rational, refers to the sudoku numbers addict who’ll end up doing tax reports. Interpersonal intelligence implies a person lives for others and cares about the welfare of his fellowman, he exerts a form of social leadership. The intrapersonal is solitary, questions, analyzes, finds his own balance and is close to his emotions.. The naturalist will be a vet, loves animals, plants, all that is green, defender of the planet. In short, these are the facets of our intelligence. There exist a pretty good test that can help us discover which facet we belong to.  According to this approach, we are rarely pure and our choice of activities always brings us back to this: you are art visuo-spatial and linguistic. your visual strength allows you to put color to music to put it briefly but there is much to say.

Q. 9)  I like that term. Can you elaborate a little, how do you arrive at this term linguistic abilities versus types of intelligence?

Depending on whether one develops or has linguistic intelligence, it is easy to move towards this type of medium. For example: a student who isHelene art.photo-9 dysphasic, for whom communicating or understanding the meaning of what is being communicated is difficult, will not tend to chose a project where written or oral means of communication are required or have some sort of importance. My role will then be to allow him to do a visual demonstration:  a drawing, a painting, a construction of some sort.  I will judge his project using different criteria as he will propose his approach in a different way, enriched by his personal identity.  This in turn will allow him to connect with others while maintaining his own originality.

Q.  10) I understand that music plays an important role too. Can you elaborate a little?

In my class, music acts as a filter to help everyone focus on himself and his learning profile or style. I vary the types of music presented and, that too is part of multiple intelligences as there exist a musical intelligence. The more I allow my students to immerge in different musical universes, the more I open the door to discovery.  Without knowing, certain tunes soothe some people while irritating others. During the day students ask me to play such and such type of music depending on the work to be done in class. Some even try to reproduce the lyrics in sung in Wolof, in Spanish or any other language.

Q. 11a) You vary the styles you, this also being an integral part Helene art.photo_5of multiple intelligences,  if this is so, is there a particular style of music which is requested more often?

Also in your description of multiple intelligences, I have the impression that you’re talking about personality rather than intellect (mind)?

Absolutely, we are not talking at all about IQ.

Q. 11b) You say you allow them to explore different universes and open the door to discovery.  Do you mean a musical universe?

 The concept of multiple intelligences comes from Howard Gardner. We interpret it as best we can, but yes, it is related with the vibrations of our personalities. Music is one of these intelligences.  I integrate music to my teaching because it is part of one of my own facets.  This type of intelligence allows a child to connect with comforting vibrations. Besides, my students learn more easily the words of a song than the correct wording of a question. There is a strategy to learn grammar by incorporating a catchy melody. I vary the type of approach according to the student with whom I’m dealing with. I do not compromise on music, it fits with our routines and reduces the need to talk of certain students because it helps them concentrate. Can you imagine?  I teach thirteen students who do not all have the same work. Therefore music promotes a return to self and allows me to intervene on a one to one basis.

Q. 12) Music promotes inner concentration and allows you to respond on an individual basis, but does it not also create a bond between all students at the same vibration, a sense of belonging, being part of the same unit, cell?  Perhaps not consciously but instinctively?

Seen in such a perspective,  yes because if I forget to turn on the music…. my students ask for it. It is our vibratory fibre, myself includes, it is my connection with the group.  So sense of belonging is quite to way to put it.

ORIGINAL FRENCH VERSION FOLLOWING:

 Q. 8) Qu’entends-tu par intelligences multiples?

 Howard Gardner a défini dans ses recherches huit (8) types d’intelligence.  Bon, pour moi, ce sont plus des habiletés linguistiques, exemple : le type communicateur qui prend plaisir aux mots , l’écrit et…Le logico-mathématique, bref le rationnel, le tripeux nombres sudoku, il finira fiscaliste , l’interpersonnel, il vit animé par les autres et se soucie du bien-être de ses semblables c’est le rassembleur. L’intrapersonnel,  il est solitaire , se questionne s’analyse, se régularise seul, il est poche de ses émotions. Le naturaliste, il sera vet animaux, plantes, verdure, défenseur de la planète.  Bref, ce sont nos facettes.  Il y a un test assez bien qui permet de nous situer.  Nous sommes, selon cette approche, rarement purs et nos choix de champs d’activité nous ramènent toujours à cela: toi tu es visuo-spatiale et  linguistique . ta force visuelle te permets de mettre en couleur la musique.  J’abrège,  il y a tant à dire.  

Q. 9)  J’aime bien ce terme.  Peux-tu élaborer un peu, comment en arrives-tu à ce terme habilités linguistiques versus types d’intelligence?

 Selon qu’on développe ou possède une intelligence linguistique, il y a une facilité à s’orienter vers ce type de médium. Par exemple: un élève dysphasique pour qui communiquer ou comprendre le sens de la communication est ardu, ne se dirigera pas vers un projet où l’écriture ou la diffusion orale prendra de l’importance. Mon rôle sera de lui permettre de faire une démonstration visuelle: un montage, un dessin, une peinture.  Je jugerai  de son projet sur des critères différents et il me proposera sa démarche de manière différente mais aussi enrichie de son identité personnelle. Cela  lui permettra  aussi bien  de se relier aux autres qu’à se différencier.

 Q. 10)  Je comprends que la musique joue un rôle important aussi.  Peux-tu élaborer un peu?Helene art.photo_2

 Dans ma classe, la musique agit comme un filtre pour aider chacun à se recentrer sur lui-même et sa démarche d’apprenant.   Je varie les styles et cela aussi fait partie des intelligences multiples puisqu’il y a l’intelligence musicale.   Plus je permets à mes élèves de baigner dans divers univers plus je leur ouvre la porte aux découvertes.   Sans le savoir il y a des musiques qui apaisent certains  et agressent d’autres. Ils arrivent à me demander pendant la journée tel  type de musique selon le travail à faire. Certains tentent même de reproduire les paroles en wolof, en espagnol ou autre.

 Q. 11a)  Tu varies les styles et cela fait aussi partie des intelligences multiples, les styles de musique tu veux dire?  Si c’est ca, est-ce qu’il y a un style de musique particulier qui revient plus souvent?

 Aussi dans ta description d’intelligences multiples, j’ai plutôt l’impression que tu parles de personnalité et non d’intelligence (intellect)?

Tout à fait, on ne parle pas du tout de QI .

 Q. 11b)  Tu dis leur  permettre de baigner dans divers univers et leur ouvrir la porte sur découverte et.  Veux-tu dire univers musicaux?

La nomination intelligence multiple vient de Howard Gardner.  Nous l’interprétons comme nous pouvons mais oui, c’est en lien avec les vibrations de nos personnalités. La musique est une des intelligences.  Moi ,j’insère la musique car elle fait partie d’une de mes facettes.  Cette intelligence, permet de mettre l’enfant en contact avec des ondes enveloppantes.

 D’ailleurs mes élèves apprennent plus facilement les paroles d’une chanson photo.jpg Helene-dque la formulation correcte d’une question.

Il y a une stratégie pour faire apprendre des règles de grammaire en les intégrant à une mélodie entrainante. Je varie le type d’approche selon l’élève à qui je m’adresse. Je ne fais pas de compromis sur la musique, elle accueille nos routines et diminue le besoin pour plusieurs de parler  parce qu’elle monopolise l’intérieur.  T’imagines, je dirige treize élèves qui ne font pas tous le même travail. La musique crée par conséquent, un retour vers soi et me permet d’intervenir un à un.

Q. 12)  La musique crée un retour vers soi et te permet d’intervenir un à un, mais est-ce qu’elle ne crée pas aussi un lien qui unit tous les élèves à la même vibration, comme une sorte d’appartenance ou une vibration commune et par conséquent ils arrivent à sentir qu’ils font partie d’une même cellule?  Peut-être sans le savoir mais dans le ressentir.

 Vu comme ça oui parce que si j’oublie de partir la musique ….ils la réclament. C’est notre fibre vibratoire même pour moi, c’est mon lien avec mon groupe.  APPARTENANCE EST ASSEZ JUSTE!

Merci Hélène encore une fois de partager ton expérience d’enseignante spécialisée avec nous.  Thank you Hélène for sharing your experience as a specialized teacher with us.

I will keep you posted as to part III which will tell the story of one child in particular.  This will be published next week or the week after, I will advise.  And as far as the Smileys next to a couple of questions are concerned… I have no idea how they got there, nor how to remove them so… smile!

TO THE READER:

Your comments are appreciated.   What do you think of this kind of approach to teaching?

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Filed in: Health • Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Comments

Great topic and one that resonates with me, as well; for, early on, I was (mis)diagnosed with a learning disability. Granted the times (and educational tools that were available) were much different, when I was in elementary school. However, I’ve now come to believe that the root of the problem of the mis-education of our youth is the cookie-cutter approach to instruction and testing, which assumes that all personalities should express themselves in a standardized fashion, with respect to the manner in which one relates the things of which one is knowledgable.

It’s good to see that there’s someone out there in the educational arena who recognizes that although we might all be created equally (with respect to our humanity), we each come to this world with a unique set of gifts.

And perhaps I was trebly blessed to have grown up during a period in which instruction in and appreciation of music were an integral part of the general educational paradigm. Methinks that, with music no longer being widely supported as an essential component to a well-rounded education, our children will suffer — as will us all, in turn.

 

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My name is Michele Andree. I am an artist, I paint musicians in action. I think I’m a musician at heart, my instrument being… a brush, so I play…brush and I paint… music.
I love jazz. I call it freedom music. It promotes special values. I love intelligent people and good conversations.

Some people ask me how music relates to art. Personally I find they go hand in hand. Music is what turns me on to painting. It makes me see colours