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Background Information

Integrated learning is an approach to curriculum, instruction and assessment designed to help teachers and schools fuse multiple intelligences and learning styles in meaningful and practical ways.  This first unit of instruction provides information on how learning styles and multiple intelligences can be used together effectively.  This is not an "add on" but a practical approach to help teachers prepare students to meet national, state and local standards, as well as run efficient and engaging classrooms.  

Integrated learning means learning that is blended into a whole.  Two great minds of the 20th century-- Howard Gardner (multiple intelligences)  and Carl Jung (learning Styles) supply the two learning models.  Each model has particular strengths and weaknesses that directly correspond to the strength and weaknesses of the other.  This means a truly holistic approach to education, occurs only in the blending together of these two models and others.  Other useful theories associated with learning styles have been developed by:  Anthony Gregorc, David Kolb and Bernice McCarthy to name a few. 

Integrated means incorporated as part of a larger pictures.  From an educator's perspective,  any learning theory, model, or approach is only as good as its applicability.  If it cannot be used without excessive effort, it is not very valuable.  The reality of today's classrooms are that teachers have a dictated curriculum framework,  state standards to meet,  and students to prepare for state tests, and academic and vocational callings.   Integrated learning respects these realities.  The approach is designed so that it can be incorporated into current practices easily.

Integrated means driven by the goal of equality.  We live and learn in an increasingly diverse world.  New students, new issues, and new ideas appear on an almost daily basis, asking teachers to address all forms of diversity--intellectual, physical and cultural.  By uniting these two best  models we have for understanding the diverse ways students think and learn, integrated learning strives to create an environment where all learners feel that their ideas, contributions and work are valued and that they are able to succeed. 

Multiple Intelligences Material

We begin by introducing each model separately.   Today's lesson will look at multiple intelligences.  Take the multiple intelligences assessment located within the Multiple Intelligences PowerPoint to find out which intelligence(s) is your strongest  You may wish to print the PowerPoint documents for future reference.

Note:  The assignment is embedded within the PowerPoint.  Most PowerPoint Presentations will have an application assessment at the end or throughout the presentation.

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