Under the Magnifying Glass
Today we strengthened our naturalist intelligence. We went hunting! We took clipboards and magnifying glasses into the playground to find living things we don’t normally notice. We focused on scientific observation and recording skills. We looked closely at features, sketched details and added informative labels. Some people became fixed on a particular insect or leaf. They spent all their time sketching and marvelling at one object. Other people took many samples of insects and plants. When we returned to class, we wrote detailed descriptions and reflected on our most interesting discoveries. Then we discussed natural intelligence in greater depth. Did you know it was the last intelligence to be added to Howard Gardner’s theory? We began to think about the value of naturalist intelligence in the world today. Keep your thinking hats on. Why is naturalist intelligence important in the world? What other intelligences could be used to make an impact on the natural...
Read MoreThe Teamwork Challenge
Today we strengthened our interpersonal intelligence, by working in teams. We brainstormed ways to make a team successful. We thought about skills such as communicating, accepting others’ ideas and resolving conflicts. Then each team was given a 20-minute challenge: to build the tallest tower possible, using only newspaper and tape. We had a few successes, a few disasters and lots of fun! Here’s one of our efforts. Little did we know, Ms O’Dwyer was recording our conversations. When we went back to class, she read back to us the things we had said. We reflected on whether each comment showed strong or weak interpersonal intelligence. Some of the best interpersonal conversations included: “How should we do this?” “What do you think of this idea?” “I understand what you’re saying.” “Can I help you by…?” “Let’s give each person a different job.” Some of the worst interpersonal conversations happened when people were rushing, panicking and yelling. We laughed and groaned when Ms O’Dwyer read these conversations back to us: “Get me the tape!” “You’re doing it wrong!” “That’s not going to work!” “You didn’t … and you didn’t…” “This is hopeless.” “HURRY UP!” We each reflected on how well our teams communicated, accepted ideas and resolved conflicts. We began to understand that working with other people can help us achieve. Now let’s do some more thinking: Which traits of the Learning Profile are linked to interpersonal intelligence? (And why?) Which PYP skills & attitudes would build interpersonal intelligence? (And why?) ...
Read MoreLearning by singing!
Today we strengthened our musical intelligence. We began by singing a silly song about loose, wobbly teeth. Watch us sing it as a round above. We used our voices and body percussion to explore pitch and rhythm. We talked about how music makes people feel and its importance in different communities. Then we thought about how music can help us learn. We practiced singing multiplication facts to catchy tunes. Some people found it easier to skip count this way. We even put our UOI words into song. We were amazed at how rhythms and tunes improve our memories. Some people loved this activity and some people didn’t enjoy it at all. We are discovering that we all have strengths, weaknesses and preferences. Have you ever used music to help you learn? We’d love to hear about it....
Read MoreDo you Sudoku?
We’ve been solving sudoku puzzles to strengthen our logical-mathematical intelligence. We discovered that our class is filled with logical thinkers! We quickly moved from simple puzzles to 9×9 grids. The room was very quiet while our brains ticked away. As rows, columns and boxes were filled, people whispered, “Yes!” We had a great Friday afternoon of puzzling. Do you sudoku? If not, try these 9×9 grids! Are you a puzzle expert? Tell us about your favourite puzzles. Recommend some new logic puzzles to...
Read MoreIf I were the boss of BISS…
We are investigating multiple intelligences. We have discovered that there are 8 ways to be smart. Today, we strengthened our verbal/linguistic intelligence by writing and reading. We wrote about all the things we would do if we were in charge of the school. Then we read our writing aloud to our friends. What exciting schools we would run! Most people would provide students with ipads, macbooks, iphones and PSPs. Many people would reward students for playing games. Some people would have bigger playgrounds, more PE lessons and ban homework. Sarthak would organise all children to be collected in limousines. Some people even planned to move the school to the ocean or the moon! Finally, we reflected on this verbal/linguistic activity. Some people said creative writing is their favourite thing to do and they find it easy. Other people said writing is hard for them because they can’t think of a word or a sentence. Every day, we will keep strengthening our verbal linguistic intelligence. But back to the topic…do you have any MORE ideas? What would YOU do if you were the boss of BISS? ...
Read More