I’m writing an essay for my Social Science Pedagogy course. It’s about how the introduction of visual and performing arts into social studies curriculum can impact and/or enhance the diverse learning styles of students.
This directly links to Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence(s).
Truthfully, I’m fascinated by the theory of multiple intelligence(s), and I knew I’m an intrapersonal, linguistic, and spatial learner even before I understood this concept.
As a mom, and teacher, by simply paying attention, I discovered and studied the way children learn. Meeting a child where they are is one of the most critical aspects of teaching, and if you understand the way a child learns based on their unique intelligence/learning style, you can provide information in a way they can readily and eagerly receive it.
Social studies educators have the unique task of making geographical, chronological, and cultural content from the past relevant and meaningful to students. There is absolutely nothing simple about this process. History can be nothing but the dullest list events and dates. Finding a way to make it interesting takes mad skills. Therefore, it seems only natural to me that visual and performing art can be incorporated into curriculum to impact so many diverse learning types.
Especially when you consider that in 2015 Lin-Manuel Miranda gave every USH teacher in America one of the most diverse and extraordinary teaching aids in the history of, well, American History.
How does a Broadway hit in a social studies classroom impact diverse young learners perhaps musical and linguistic?
(My sad attempt to mimic the beginning of ‘Alexander Hamilton’ clearly I’m not a musical learner.)
But did you see what I did there?
I used my obsession with the Hamilton soundtrack to make a valid pop culture – education connection.
Y’all! This freaking musical was born to be a social studies aid.
By incorporating Hamilton into a social science curriculum, you’re directly impacting at least five of the nine intelligence(s) straight away. Not to mention presenting to young people one of the most important times in American history in an entirely modern and relevant way. There is no end to how using this show in social studies is applicable!
I have nothing to prove to y’all, but I’m enthusiastic.
I’m also sick of writing this essay, and instead of getting sucked into something ridiculous and random, (for example: youtube or social media) I chose to channel my excitement into something somewhat constructive in a place I can use my regular voice instead of my boring paper writing voice.
Thanks for indulging me, here’s a little something to stimulate whatever kind of learner you are.
It’s time I get back to work, cause I am not throwing away my shot!
Please listen responsibly.
therobynbirdsnest 
Oh baby baby!!!!@ that’s it! That’s the way I like it!!!!!
You know I watched a documentary about multiple intelligences nearly a decade or more than a decade ago… it was about multiple types of intelligences and they got these geniuses in their relative fields and pitted them against Each other in different tests of intelligences.
They got a musical prodigy, chess master, sociologist, jet fighter pilot, dramatist, physicist, etc etc and put them under different tests that included problem solving, spatial awareness, inter and intra personal skills, expressive and receptive communication, typical iq tests, rah rah.
Then they averaged out their scores over all. And the maths geniuses were just as smart as the English geniuses.
And it was so bogus that maths and science are the only “recognised” types of intelligences. Which is so crap. But it’s the way of the my world you know?
Agreed!
Each learning/intelligence types is equally important! How one interprets the world is uniquely singular, and no one better than another. As educators we acknowledge and attempt to facilitate individual intelligence(s) to make learning more personal, therefore more successful.
I absolutely love that all the learning styles average out to the same level of intelligence! What an excellent study!
But, as you say, only certain types are valued as important and as far as I’m concerned, that’s tragic! Consider how our societies would be lacking without musical or kinesthetic learners. Where would we be without interpersonal, existential, or intrapersonal learners?
The idea that only a glorified handful of intelligence types are valued seems utterly ridiculous to me.
Thanks for your thought stimulating comments, Kalliope!
Thanks Robyn. I’m just doing my thing really lol I like to talk about random stuff haha. But I’m so glad that I was able to contribute something! Xx and in uni and your studies, just remember p’s equal degrees so don’t worry if you’re not “top of the class” because theory and practice are not the same thing 🙂
Doing my thing, I feel you on that one. To quote The Libertines “I get along just singing my song. People tell me I’m wrong. F**k ’em.”
Being an adult student is ridiculously difficult, but I enjoy it for the most part. I feel you on p’s equal degrees, I’m over here like, how can I do what needs to be done with as little effort as possible? Passed is passed, am I right? And my university doesn’t do GPAs it’s all pass/fail via cut percentage scores. Bonus for me!
Enjoying talking with you! 😀
I was 22 at uni and a mature age student then! Haha mature age student just means you didn’t come straight out of high school! At my uni they had grade averages of HD, D, C, P and fail. I was a C (credit) student. High distinctions where I could be creative and express myself. And P’s where I was to follow the set prescription formula. I got between credit and distinction when I seriously didn’t give a fuck and just talked out of my ass the whole time, usually the day before it was due. Hahaha. Good times.
The key to getting by is just give the fucking teacher whatever the hell they want so you can get the fuck out of there asap. It’s really rare to find the ones who give a shit about the student. Most of them all want their brain and egos fanned and wanked.
Sounds like college there and here are pretty much the same. 😉
It’s interesting for me because I’m in school online, I never see any other students, or course admins, for that matter. I have weekly phone consults with my adviser and that’s pretty much it.
In many ways I prefer it to being in a classroom. Especially since I’m in a classroom all day at work anyway.
I could never do an online course because I know I’m really super not disciplined. If I’m a home, I just do whatever I feel like at home. I associate physical space with mental space, not very good of my imagination
Well, I know I’m not musical…..
Other than that, I have no idea.
I feel you, Jack. I’m not musical either.
I can remember doing similar activities in chemistry (YES!) class. we used to have a town hall meeting where students all acted out parts. There was a pollution problem plaguing the town that the students all had to solve with assigned points of view. Kids used to get very passionate when they argued for or against various proposed solutions. It was a fun, engaging learning activity. Wish I could have somehow worked Hamilton into the curriculum! 🙂
Sounds like a fun way to engage kids!
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