How do Learners Learn?

Teacher's often wonder if they are reaching their students. Is that student just sitting in class or actually learning? Why are all students not engaging in the class?

Maybe those students are not engaging because they learn in a different way then the teacher is teaching. Maybe as a teacher we can do more to engage them and get them involved in the class. Howard Gardner wrote a book called Frames of the Mind. In his book he views intelligence as "the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural settings." 

To better understand our learners we can study Gardners 8 Multiple Intelligences which refers to the way students prefer to give back information. Keep in mind this is different then a students learning style.

1. Spatial 

2. Kinesthetic (body smart)

3. Musical (music smart)

4. Interpersonal (people smart)

5. Intrapersonal (self smart)

6. Naturalist (nature smart)

7. Verbal Linguistic (word smart)
8. Logical Mathmatical (number smart)

It's important to always keep the students best interest in mind. As teachers we want students to be excited about our class, we want them engaging, and we want them to walk away with something that will help them be successful. The scary part is that standarized tests measure less then half of these multiple intelligences. Are we really getting a good representation then of what students are learning in class? It's interesting to compare a state standardized test system with a core class and then an agriculture class. I believe that Agricultural Education puts more emphasis on these intelligences then one might think. Through an ag program we are able to challenge students through hands on, experiential education.