MI Chapter 13

In this chapter it talks about how MI theory is applicable in the real world, and how the real world ties into the classroom, through computer technology, cultural diversity and career readiness.

When talking about computer technology there were a few things that I thought were worth mentioning. First of all I loved how the book made clear that computers are not just for logical thinkers, despite the stereotype. I feel like the majority of my teachers were under the impression that if they couldn’t use computers (which was only because they believed them to be logically based) than the students couldn’t either. I also really liked the mention of how beneficial and exciting multimedia projects are in concordance with MI theory in the classroom. This is definitely something that I would love to do with my students.

I was beyond excited to see that the book mentioned cultural diversity! I think that MI theory is one of the best ways to help students, especially who are from different backgrounds, connect with each other, simply through how they learn material. I can’t think of a better way to impress upon students how useful MI theory can be, and why they should appreciate it. I think exploring different cultures and how they learn is a great way to explain to students how to use MI in their classroom. It can spark ideas they haven’t thought of, or even create a curiosity in other cultures. It seems to me that too often students separate themselves based on differences instead of accepting similarities. This is not to say they shouldn’t also accept differences too, because that is also a huge part. Overall, cultural diversity and MI theory are something that I plan on using all the time in my classroom.

Finally, I do feel like career counseling is important and I agree that using MI to do this is a great idea. However, I have never fully agreed with the idea that we should be pushing students into figuring out what they want to be when they grow up because it makes it seem like they should be stuck in one profession for the rest of their lives. I prefer the idea of presenting them with multiple opportunities and suggesting that some of them could simply be hobbies or volunteer opportunities and go from there.