Brain Research Applied to Middle School

Abstract: The beginning of this chapter was great as it showed the importance of multiple intelligences. While we have been working to activate as many intelligences in each lesson throughout our lesson planning, it is interesting to think of this process in terms of lemon meringue pie example. When we are exposed to the pie, or any other object, our memories work to track down the taste, feel, smell and experience associated with this object. We compartmentalize each object, thus delving into each intelligence offers us the opportunity to reach students on multiple levels. Chunking sounds like a great method of association. This way, students are not forced to recall one specific detail, but instead can learn a great deal about the topic and, in theory, relate back to this information when it is time to think about the designated topic. The author then teaches a mini lesson on plagiarism, showing the severity of plagiarizing another individual's work.
Synthesis: I would really like to try the triad response method within my classroom, as I feel that this would be an excellent method of encouraging a number of students to speak in a manner that will help them to keep track of the conversation. I think it would be helpful to provide students with a test run of this process before doing this as a whole class. To do this, I would present students with a question, ask each student to write his opinion and then to pass the paper to the left. I would then ask that the next student comment upon the first response, and decide whether they agree or disagree. I would have the students pass it to one more peer, who will again decide whether they agree or disagree, and then ask students to pass the paper back to the original commenter. I would happily reenact a lesson such as the plagiarism mini lesson, as this had an excellent impact on the students and they reacted very well.

Book Talk: A Whole New Mind

In response to the opening activities, my summer job really can not be outsourced. I work for in home as a care provider, and am an employee of a Maine based company. While I am sure that it is possible for such companies to be moved over seas, I do not see this as a possibility. I'm sure that teaching could technically be "outsourced," but I feel that the teacher would need to make the choice to move to a developing country, with the intention of helping those in need. I am absolutely right brained, as I am led far more by emotion and impulse than by rational decisions.

While reading through the six steps presented within the book, I was interested but not overly engaged in the design step, yet the linguistic step would have been a favorite for me in the classroom. I love the idea of taking the first line of a novel and writing a story based on this one line. The next idea was symphony, creating a connection using something that others would not recognize. Empathy was the next category, where I toke the Multiple Intelligence and Fake Smile quizzes. Upon taking this Multiple Intelligence quiz, my top three categories were interpersonal, linguistic and intrapersonal, in that order. This is very true to previous Multiple Intelligence quizzes I have taken, and I thought the descriptions were very accurate. As for the "Fake Smile" quiz, which I thought was really cool, I identified 15 of the 20 of the smiles correctly. Very interesting!

The next step was play, which I think is great in the classroom. Students should always be permitted to play and enjoy themselves in the classroom, and teachers should be able to build this play into a great deal of lessons. The final step was spiritual, so I took the spiritual quiz. The quiz revealed that I am relatively stressed out, so I need to work on my spiritual well being.

This seems like a great book, and I would be very interested in looking into these ideas.

Chapter 13: Outdoor Adventures

Abstract: Wormeli highly praises outdoor adventures as valuable learning experiences for all students. Students are able to create lasting bonds with peers that they might not have otherwise been able to socialize with. Additionally, it is interesting that students tend to gain a greater sense of autonomy through these experiences, as they are forced to clean up after themselves and to prepare themselves for each day of the various adventures. One interesting aspect is that Wormeli discusses a moment where he propels through the air during an adventure and somehow manages to inspire a leadership moment through his own dangerous action.

Synthesis: I want the opportunity to take my students on outdoor adventures, but I feel that it would be necessary to do this during advisory periods as opposed to just during the school year. I hope that I work at a lenient school where outdoor activities are possible, but even if they are not I would be interested in at least bringing students outside during classes. My middle school science teacher led a science camp a few years after I had him as a teacher, thus he enabled students to learn with him outside of the classroom if they were interested.

Chapter 4: Active Learning

Abstract: This chapter focuses upon getting students moving within the classroom. Adolescent students are uncomfortable when forced to sit still throughout an entire class period, thus it is important to get them up and moving during each class. The concept of converting abstract ideas into concrete ideas through movement is an excellent idea. The chapter offers example after example of how students may be actively engaged, whether learning in the classroom or in moving a lesson outside. I feel that I will work to teach as many lessons outside as possible, as this is an excellent way to keep students moving while still conveying the necessary information.

Synthesis: I love the idea of building movement into the classroom. This will not only help students to focus on individual lessons, but to become more actively engaged in the class itself. The chapter suggests having students stand up in class every ten to fifteen minutes, even if it is just to hand in papers or move desks. While I support moving that frequently, I would rather have my students get up and do something more active than merely moving to the front of the classroom for a minute. I liked the idea of having students stand up and converse with a classmate, and I think that this could even be taken a step further by having each student discuss the topic with two students, rotating through the classroom as they discuss.