My Multiple Intelligence School

[NaptownKnight]

I go to a school here in Indy that was founded by eight public school teachers who believed in Howard Gardener's theory of multiple intelligences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_Intelligences

Basically, we get the same amount of time in each class, an hour and twenty minutes. So, for example, our Music classes are an hour and twenty minutes long, the same length as our Linguistic (English) and Math classes. I like it, and we focus on project based learning, meaning students do more projects then just straight up class work, and we are given more creative freedom when doing these projects. We are required to do two major projects a year, which teachers give us two "themes", or an overall topic, like Time and Space, to guide us.

My School also runs off of an alternative schedule, meaning that we get less of a summer break, because those days are spread around in our other breaks (fall, winter, spring). I like the schedule, but since my school is also a magnet school ( a public school that kids from all over the city can attend, instead of being zoned) most of my friends at school live far away from me. Almost all of my friends go to a standard High School, so I'll be a little bored when I am on break and they aren't.

Overall our school has had success, although the freedom they give us is usually taken advantage of. It takes a motivated person to be unsuccessful in a school like this. Our Senior program can be taken advantage of further, but when done right, can be a huge help to getting a job after college. Basically the first part of our day we go to a "apprenticeship" (basically a internship) in the business world, in any field we want to go into. We have to make a resume, make phone calls, and interview to get the apprenticeship, all valuable experience for the real world. I am just starting the program, and am already excited (I hope to get an apprenticeship in the field of law) about the program. Anyways, what do you guys think of the theory, and the school to which I attend?

[Favre]

I go to a school here in Indy that was founded by eight public school teachers who believed in Howard Gardener's theory of multiple intelligences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_Intelligences

Basically, we get the same amount of time in each class, an hour and twenty minutes. So, for example, our Music classes are an hour and twenty minutes long, the same length as our Linguistic (English) and Math classes. I like it, and we focus on project based learning, meaning students do more projects then just straight up class work, and we are given more creative freedom when doing these projects. We are required to do two major projects a year, which teachers give us two "themes", or an overall topic, like Time and Space, to guide us.

My School also runs off of an alternative schedule, meaning that we get less of a summer break, because those days are spread around in our other breaks (fall, winter, spring). I like the schedule, but since my school is also a magnet school ( a public school that kids from all over the city can attend, instead of being zoned) most of my friends at school live far away from me. Almost all of my friends go to a standard High School, so I'll be a little bored when I am on break and they aren't.

Overall our school has had success, although the freedom they give us is usually taken advantage of. It takes a motivated person to be unsuccessful in a school like this. Our Senior program can be taken advantage of further, but when done right, can be a huge help to getting a job after college. Basically the first part of our day we go to a "apprenticeship" (basically a internship) in the business world, in any field we want to go into. We have to make a resume, make phone calls, and interview to get the apprenticeship, all valuable experience for the real world. I am just starting the program, and am already excited (I hope to get an apprenticeship in the field of law) about the program. Anyways, what do you guys think of the theory, and the school to which I attend?

And how do you know anything about how its going to help you after college? Assuming you havent been there, is it safe to assume your just taking a guess? and the Senior program?

I went out on a limb and assumed you werent a senior, if you are, my first question still stands.

[STReetSamurai]

How is that theory? that how it is.

I want to go to your school...

[NaptownKnight]

Yes, I am a senior. I assume it will help me after college because it is real life experience in the buisness world, a hands on experience. No class room can teach you the thins you will learn while on the job. It is safe to assume I am taking a guess, the school's High School is relatively young, and the first graduating class is not out of college yet, but many colleges like the way we are tought, supposedly they think that it is good college prep. We had Purdue University, which was one of a few Universities working with NASA, chose our school as one of two they could choose to help them with research on what kind of food and animals should be taken to Mars on a mission or prolonged stay there by humans. We studied different kinds of fish, how they were effected by different environmental changes and so on. Colleges seam to really like our school.


EDIT: I forgot to mention another educational theory our school applies. The theory of flow originates from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (no, I can't pronounce his name ), basically it means that students should strive for a state when they work, a state where they are so involved with what they are doing they are completely oblivious to the world around them. Younger children (the school is K-12, but the younger kids are at another building) have "Flow Class", which is basically every kid's dream class. All you do is play different board games, computer games, or other activities and practice acheiving a state of "flow". Of course most kids just play games and have fun, but a lot of times they unconciously obtain a state of flow, and learn valuable lessons about how to try and get into this state when activities are less interesting (like a research paper). If you want to know more about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and his theories here is a wiki article on him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi

[STReetSamurai]

What kind of job are you getting?

[NaptownKnight]

How is that theory? that how it is.

I want to go to your school...

I like it, it allows me to do projects on things I am interested on, and thus achieve better grades. I did a project on Marxism last year that got me the best grade you can receive their. I might as well explain the grading system now. Teachers grade your work on motivation, supposedly, and the grades handed out are based upon that. But in reality, you might as well be receiving normal letter grades, because teachers evaluate your work in that way, instead of the way they say they do (by motivation). I received a DLJ (Discipline Level Journeyman) which is the highest grade you can receive at my school (equivalent I guess to an A+ ) on it, and I could tell that the reason I even achieved a grade like that on such a big project was because it was something I was interested in. I know you are interested in Medieval Weaponry from your thread, you could do a project on that (as long as it related to the overall theme of what your class was doing) as work.

I don't know what country you live in but supposedly there are 41 multiple intelligence schools world wide, I guess you could check and see if one is near you.

What kind of job are you getting?

I just finished work on my resume, and hope to get an apprenticeship with a lawyer, law firm, or something in the field of law. If I can not get one in that field then I want to get an apprenticeship in graphic design or a game designer (although I really know nothing about game design or programming, it does interest me). I am pretty sure I can get an apprenticeship in law, however, because not only the apprenticeship coordinator know a few lawyers, my dad is one and probably could help me find a lawyer willing to have interns.

[Count of Montesano]

Hmm, maybe I'm being a little embittered here, but here's how I would break down the intelligences based on their applicability to actually being a success in American adult life:

1. Bodily-Kinesthetic: Are you a star in a major pro sport like football, basketball or baseball? If not quite a star, are you willing to juice your way into the record books? If yes, a high kinesthetic ability is golden.

If not, you can still make a decent living as blue collar worker, provided you don't work at any kind of American factory.

Are you really good at an obscure olympic sport or some classical form of dance like ballet? Then this intelligence is worthless - you'll still need to hold down a crappy day job.

If you want to play a semi-popular sport in America like soccer, may I suggest going to become a star in England and marrying a Spice Girl? Then all the American celebrities will come see you!

2. Linguistic Are you JK Rowling or Steven King? If not, worthless. Yes, today's employers talk about how communication skills are important, but we're only a generation away from L33T speak being recognized as an official language.

A conversation 20 years from now between Wall Street brokers:

ZOMG the market suxzorz 300 points today! We g0t to sellz all ur epix
Ur such a noob!

3. Logical-Mathematical Are you working on the physics engine for Halo 3 or Starcraft 2? If not, you'll do ok but never get paid enough to compensate the fact that modern society's well being rests on your research and work. Your job also has a good chance of one day being outsourced, since numbers are the same in every language, right?

If you choose to become a doctor, be prepared to lose everything in your first major malpractice suit. See interpersonal intelligence for more info on being a trial lawyer.

4. Naturalistic Do you plan to work as a shill explaining why global warming isn't real, or create your own Al Gore cottage industry around global warming while at the same time wasting massive amounts of energy? If yes, this intelligence may help you.

If not - are you nuts?!? Everybody gives lip service to the environment until they find out can't build their new dream house on wetlands or get hit with a high gas tax. Then they want to hang you high for taking away their God-given American right to despoil their surroundings as they please. Manifest destiny and all that.

5. Spatial Do you want to be a pro video game player? Then this is a great intelligence to have. You can also do allright as an architect or an engineer, but I still recommend being a pro video game player. $100 grand for an afternoon's work - sign me up!

Are you an artist? If so, you're screwed unless you can do something really offensive and get a government grant. Since "Piss Christ" is already taken, may I suggest "Bucket of dookie on the Virgin Mary and the American Flag?"

6. Musical Are you a bubbly beach blonde with perky knockers who just won American Idol? Have you done a stint in Sam Quentin, have 20 bullet and knife scars, and extensive experience as a pimp? Congratulations, you have what it takes to make it as a star in America's music industry!

Do you have real musical intelligence but it involves, I dunno, classical music, ethnic music, jazz, etc? Sorry you're screwed.

Caveat - If you're a cowboy but can come up with perfect patriotic songs like "Hadji Girl," you can make it in Nashville. Some EMO kids with music ability can also make a killing, which brings me to...

7. Intrapersonal Do you also have the mathematical/logical skill to become a psychiatrist so you can proscribe Soma happy pills? Do you also have music intelligence to make songs about cutting yourself or engaging in an afterschool bisexual orgy?

If not, go get a job flipping burgers with the 50 million other EMO psychology majors.

Which brings me to the most important intelligence of all for making it in modern day America!

8. Interpersonal It's not so important you can actually work in a team as it is you can backstab others, take credit for their ideas, and comfortably brown nose your boss without making him feel uncomfortable when he sits down.

Interpersonal intelligence is also important in leeching off the hard work of other geniuses, such as the trial lawyer who can make the jury "feel" the loss in his frivolous lawsuit against a hard-working math/logical genius doctor.

If you're truly an interpersonal genius, you can even become president by convincing the entire country you're an aww shucks common cowboy even though you come from a rich family and have spent most of your life on the East coast!

[NaptownKnight]

Actually being a well rounded individual is important, thus being well educated in each of the eight intelligences is important. Odd people become very successful here, but more often than not the middle class or mildly successful are well educated, sensible people.

[Count of Montesano]

I hope you realize Naptown I was completely being sarcastic in the above post - although I truly believe as a working writer verbal intelligence is becoming more and more a useless skill, much like blacksmithing.

I'd actually like to see more American schools provide a well-rounded education but the emphasis is so strong on testing nowadays that won't happen anytime soon.

[NaptownKnight]

I actually didn't know you were being sarcastic, I thought you were some foreigner trying to down on America Sometimes I get to used to people being idiots on the web

[Gary88]

i hated this kind of ******** at school because i was one of the kids who just wanted to read a paragraph in a book, understand it and then be asked questions about it to see if i really knew it. yet i was constantly being told "well maybe it would help you if you created a paradigm for this idea"...no how about you **** off you hippie **** i already understand this easy idea. seriously i'm sure some people love this stuff but i hate it, everyone has there own way of making notes and remembering things but i hate when they try and cater to all of that whilst actually teaching

[NaptownKnight]

Sometimes I feel the same way as you Gary, but more often than not I find it hard to stay motivated in school, and having the freedom to do projects and things on stuff I am interested in helps me a lot. My Freshman year at another, normal school is a goo example of this. I hardly did anything, and was in danger of failing, then I went to my current school and have had few problems since then.

[Gary88]

i agree school need to keep you interested, the last 4 years of school made me lose the will to learn which i have always had. i hate 2 things though. firstly the idea that learning should be fun, it should but in the way that learning something new is fun not in the "lets all play a game and sneakily teach you your times tables" way. secondly i do not need to draw a ****ing picture to learn something nor do i need to make my notes in 5 different coloured pens so i know which part is which, ever heard of a subtitle?