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[ProfessionalDevelopment 1968] Re: Debunking Multiple intelligencesjeffrey A fantine fantine at ohio.eduWed Feb 13 17:06:06 EST 2008
> PD list: > > I think healthy debate (debate that is focused on issues rather than > people) is essential for the progress of our field. > > What I've learned about adult education in the 20 years I've been in the > field: > > -there is no evidence-based or scientific theory of anything that applies > across-the-board to all adults receiving our services. > > -many of the students that do receive our services didn't fit into the > evidence-based or scientifically validated methods of teaching during > their earlier years, which is often why many end up in adult education > programs as adults - therefore, it may not be so wise to find > evidence-based or scientifically validated methods (if they, in fact, > exist) and apply them strictly to the various populations of adults we > serve. > > -no matter how far I move up the administrative ladder in this field, or > how many letters I add after my name, I've remained committed to working > with adults (currently through one-on-one tutoring) to help, in some > small way, keep my work grounded in reality - I learned early on in this > field, to trust only what I know to be true through my own experiences > with those adults I'm working with (and it may seem like a limited > perspective, but what I've also found to be true is that the few adults > I'm working with are no different than those in our system around the > globe) - and what I've learned from my personal experience is that > attention to strengths is essential to effective learning (call it > "multiple intelligences" or "learning styles" whatever you want - the > importance is helping the adult become aware of the process of learning > that works best for them based on their strengths - and the process is > different for each adult - I have seen an adult FINALLY understand how > words are put together and recognize their common parts and patterns > because of being able to manipulate letter tiles - I do not need a > research study to convince me that this was a valid learning experience > for this particular learner - the validation was when he began to read > and spell words after YEARS of failed attempts at trying to learn how to > do this. > > -if you support the fundamental assumptions of adult learning theory, > i.e., adults learn best when connected to their experiences, adults learn > best when relevant, based on their needs and goals, etc. - then you > support the idea of MI and learning styles. > > -is their anyone in our field that believes sufficient research exists to > inform our practice? We do not receive enough funding in adult education > to support the necessary services we need to provide let alone funnel > into significant research that would better inform our field - does that > mean we should abandon PD efforts and methods of service delivery we know > from our own experiences to be effective practice? It is my fear that if > we rely only on evidence-based, scientifically validated teaching in > adult education, we will be perpetuating -for many adult learners- a > system of service delivery that "leaves behind" adults who were "left > behind" as children (hope you get my subtlety here). > > Incidentally, I do believe there is significant research -at least the > kind I find to be most trustworthy and relevant - that supports the idea > of multiple intelligences and learning styles; but wanted my response to > speak to the idea that maybe evidence-based and scientifically validated > research isn't all that it's cracked up to be - and a heavy reliance on > it might do more harm than good to our field. > > -Jeff Fantine > > > > > > > > > >> >> >>> Colleagues: I have followed discussions on several NIFL-sponsored >>> discussion >>> lists recently in which people have advocated teaching to learning >>> styles or >>> to multiple intelligences. This is strange to me given that the federal >>> government has argued for the use of evidence-based, scientifically >>> validated approaches to adult literacy education (see the What Works >>> Clearinghouse sponsored by the U.S Department of Education). But by >>> even loose standards of evidence, there is no credible evidence to >>> support teaching to a person's learning style, preferred learning >>> modality (i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic), multiple >>> intelligences, right brain-left brain preference, or other very >>> malformed ideas. Indeed, there are a wide variety of so-called >>> learning styles (impusive vs reflective; introverted vs extroverted; >>> field dependent vs field dependent and on and on)and no research on >>> how a teacher can take all of them into account everyday and over >>> weeks and months. It is not even certain that a learning style stays >>> the same from the beginning of a course to the end of the course. >>> While I understand the desire of the NIFL to promote useful >>> discussions among adult >>> literacy educators, with only a minimum of censorship, it strikes me as >>> counter productive to advocate for evidence-based, scientifically >>> validated >>> teaching while also permitting the advertisement of commercial >>> workshops that are based on poorly formed concepts and devoid of >>> empirical evidence for the efficacy of such ideas and the practices >>> based on them. Tom Sticht >>> ---------------------------------------------------- >>> National Institute for Literacy >>> Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list >>> professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov >>> >>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to >>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment >>> >>> Email delivered to amuro5 at epcc.edu >>> >>> Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki >>> >>> http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Devel >>> opment >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> ---------------------------------------------------- >> National Institute for Literacy >> Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list >> professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov >> >> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to >> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment >> >> Email delivered to bonniesophia at sbcglobal.net >> >> Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education Wiki >> http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Develo >> pment >> > > > > Jeffrey A. Fantine > Director, Literacy Center > College of Education > Ohio University > 340 McCracken Hall > Athens, OH 45701 > 800-753-1519 > Fax: 740-593-2834 > www.ohio.edu/literacy > > You must be the change you want to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi Jeffrey A. Fantine Director, Literacy Center College of Education Ohio University 340 McCracken Hall Athens, OH 45701 800-753-1519 Fax: 740-593-2834 www.ohio.edu/literacy You must be the change you want to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi
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