Analysis

=Analysis =

The first step of the ADDIE model is to analyze the students. It is a fact that a situation in the classroom where there are major differences in a teacher’s preferred teaching style and a student’s preferred learning style there can be much frustration and anxiety (Munroe, 1994). Even worse, the student’s thinking may be stifled, the learning process becomes more difficult, and the probability of the student’s success in the course is jeopardized (Munroe, 1994). Teachers and students would do well to know something about each other’s ways of thinking and communicating. The teacher especially needs to know what sort of learners her students are on an individual basis.

Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory (1983) maintains intelligence is multidimensional. Further he relates that children in the classroom draw on these innate intelligences to accomplish learning tasks (Adams, 2001). This important information can be ascertained by administering a survey that is designed to identify the dominant learning preferences of a student. Initially, Gardner related seven multiple intelligences including: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. To date there are nine. The other two are naturalist and existential (Adams, 2001).

It is critical that teachers examine this information carefully and share it with the students. A class discussion would be beneficial to both teacher and students. Together they all can investigate ways to incorporate learning activities that appeal to everyone in the democratic classroom. This sort of exchange will create an opportunity for students to understand their own learning styles and consider how to harness their strengths and weaknesses. The class discussion can also help students to learn that it is important to come outside of their comfort zones and be open to learning under less preferred conditions. After all, democracy requires compromise. Teachers, too, can discern from this sort of classroom discussion that it is important for her to teach to all of the students’ preferred learning styles not just a few and especially not just according to her preferred teaching style.

Children may show aptitude through more than one of the intelligences in Gardner’s list. When learning mathematics some students may comprehend the concepts not only through the logical-mathematical lens but others as well. The six students who are in the classroom that I have surveyed are strong in more than one intelligence area. All six students scored very close to two intelligences. They did not show dominant strength in just one area. See Figure. 1.


 * **Student ** || **Gender ** || **Race ** || **Age ** || **Strongest Learning Styles (1st / 2nd) ** || **Weakest Learning Style ** || **Special Needs or Skills ** ||
 * **1 ** || M || C || 14 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Bodily-Kinesthetic / Spatial- Visual || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Musical || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Irregular attendance and moods ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2 ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">M || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">AA || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">15 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Bodily-Kinesthetic / Intrapersonal || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Logical-Mathematical || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Does well in class; has difficulty with test-taking ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">3 ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">F || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">AA || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">15 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Musical / Interpersonal || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Logical-Mathematical || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sings and in Drama Club ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">4 ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">M || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">AA || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">15 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Spatial- Visual / Bodily-Kinesthetic || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Musical || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Participates in two sports ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">5 ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">M || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">H || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">15 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Bodily-Kinesthetic / Interpersonal || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Intrapersonal || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Trying to recover losses due to suspension ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">6 ** || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">F || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">AA || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">14 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Interpersonal / Logical-Mathematical || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Intrapersonal || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Very out-going, talkative, usually not focused ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Figure 1.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Two of the students’ weakest intelligence is logical- mathematical. In these cases, the dominant intelligences must come into play so that the students can feel capable of accomplishing the goals for this class.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The dominant intelligences among the six students in this classroom are Spatial- Visual, Bodily-Kinesthetic, and Interpersonal. Therefore, the design of the lessons will capitalize on these strengths in the classroom. Since the content is mathematics students will definitely have to calculate, generalize mathematical conclusions, categorize, use technology, and find ways to represent numbers. However, since none of my students’ strong intelligence is logical-mathematical will lessons have to customize to help the students to absorb mathematical material. For students whose strong learning style is spatial-visual, Adams (2001) reports that improving problem solving skills will require use of diagrams, charts, pictures, and tables or some sort of physical model. For those who are Bodily-kinesthetic the use of dramatization, distribution of objects to illustrate concepts, or use of body parts to reason will be helpful (Adams, 2001). The interpersonal students tend to respond to a cooperative learning environment or debates (Adams, 2001). Of course, we will use many visual aids, moving activities and group work. It is a possibility that the interpersonal dispositions of the students may create a challenge with to keeping them on task, engaged and listening at appropriate times. Allowing students to move about during instruction rather than having them confined to their seats and giving rewards will help with this (Adams, 2001).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Presenting new material in ways that cater to the students’ learning styles is very important. Still it is not certain whether or how a student will take the opportunity to internalize the information being presented. As a result, it makes sense for teachers to cue students to thinking as often as possible (Munro, 2001). Often time teachers are accustomed to asking students to listen. During a lesson we can vary our use of specific cognitive terminology by asking students to visualize, imagine, draw, compare, contrast, sort, record, or evaluate (Costa & Marzano, 2001). By doing so instructors also prompt students to learn and try thinking in terms of many multiple intelligences not just the one that is their own preferred style of learning.

Technology analysis