New Approaches for Adults Learners and Their Multiple Intelligences
Aims and objectives
The project set out to explore Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (M.I.), which stipulates that it is of the utmost importance that we recognise and nurture all the various human intelligences. Instruction in school, at most, should acknowledge students’ various strengths and weaknesses. Teaching methodologies must therefore be tailored in such a way as to ensure that we teach everything in multiple ways. Subsequently the project aimed to enhance learning opportunities for adult learners through organised seminars to share expertise, knowledge and experience of M.I. The project aimed to establish pilot projects based on M.I. and to implement these new approaches to teaching and learning techniques, keeping learners involved at all stages in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the project. Overall the project aimed to use each partner’s strength in the organisations and to share best practice through a catalogue of best books where each partner listed good books for the partners to share.
Activities and lessons learnt
Festive Fun: Summer 2005 saw three years hard work come to fruition with a cultural exchange between England and Finland. Apart from the learning aspect of the project, both countries also held an annual Festival and each country was encouraged to participate in the other’s parade.
The visit marked the end of a three year Grundtvig Project with the aim of promoting Howard Gardner’s theory of M.I. and using it in day-to-day teaching to enhance learning opportunities. The other two partners, Denmark and Ireland, recently had their exchange visits with each other.
Over the past year learners from both Shotton I.T. Centre in the UK and Suonenjoki Adult Education Centre in Finland have been exchanging letters, postcards and e-mails to get to know each other in preparation for the trips.
Finns come to Shotton: As part of the intercultural exchange staff and learners from Finland visited Shotton. The visit brought Danish and Finnish people together in a dialogue to raise innovative ways of teaching and learning. On visiting Shotton Hall Comprehensive Schoolvisitors were impressed with the turnaround of this once failing school to the thriving centre of education it has now become. They found the co-operation between the school, parents, community and businesses astounding and were extremely interested in the proposed ‘Life Park’ project - a park that forms a centre for activities within a community that links to adult education, shops, community businesses and leisure facilities. It is envisaged that the life park will be open to the community at night and weekends. This is to help break down the barriers that are associated with school life. A life park is a concept unique in England and will include education and other services for all age groups. The visit also provided an opportunity for learners to get to know their fellow pen pals.
The visit also allowed visitors to sample and become involved in Shotton’s parade, sharing cultural dress and traditional folk songs with the jazz bands, circus acts and the Miners’ Banner and exploring historical life in Shotton. Their visit was completed with a farewell party celebrating cultural diversity.
English Go To Suonenjoki: The visit involved opportunities to sample Finnish cuisine, culture and explore historic landscapes that shaped Suonenjoki. In addition there was also a chance to share British history and culture in the opening parade of the Strawberry Festival. As England has no national dress, fancy dress costumes were hired representing historical English characters, allowing the host to guess the origin of each character.
We had achieved the desired effect and people were talking about the Sisa-Savo Education Centre float and maybe this year the uptake of courses at the centre will have increased. Both exchange visits were a resounding success and since returning the letters and emails have increased in volume. Close friendships have been forged and those involved will never forget the fantastic experience of the summer of 2005.
Achievements
The main achievement for the UK was that our staff became aware of Multiple Intelligences and used it in their day-to-day teaching to enhance learning opportunities for learners whose education has been inadequate. In recognising which intelligence each learner favours, our staff were able to work to their strengths and, in doing so, improve their weaknesses, at the same time building up confidence and willingness to learn more.
The exchange visit gave learners in both countries an opportunity to experience a different culture and have a better understanding of our European partners.
Materials produced
 | Newsletter |
| Website |
| Photographs |
| Learners’ Books |
| Greetings Cards |
| Bookmarks. |
Partnership organisations/countries
Denmark - Kofoeds School Margaret Hellman
Kofoeds School is privately funded and was founded in1928 during the great
depression to help unemployed adults help themselves. Now there are more than
600 students that visit the school every day and choose from training workshops
or classroom studies.
The motto of the school is “Help for Self Help”.
Finland - The Sisa-Savo Adult Education Services Helena Thomas
Sisa-Savo Adult Education Services is a publicly-funded Community College which
has been offering non-formal education services to adult learners for over 50
years.
In addition it offers Open University courses, and courses leading to national language and computing (ECDL) qualifications, as well as tailored training for public and private sector employees and art studies for young people.
Ireland - Warrenmount Centre Pauline McGreary
The Warrenmount Centre was established in 1995 to provide second chance
education for people in the local community. The centre offers a wide range of
courses and the content and methodology is based on the M.I. theory. The
atmosphere is informal and there is a strong emphasis on nurturing the
self-esteem and personal development of participants. Many come to the centre to
explore a new interest, or simply to get out of the house.
Learner involvement
All learners involved in the project had a direct input into the activities in which they participated. The greatest indication of this was when they were given a free hand about where to take our visitors from Finland. Each learner took a group of visitors to a different location around the area.
Impact
On the organisation
As a regeneration partnership the organisation has resulted in more people
taking an interest in promoting new innovation within the village. There has
been keen interest from members of our community who are willing to get involved
and assist when they can. The Partnership’s board has a greater insight into how
organisations in different countries operate and the common problems shared. We
have seen how different counties try to tackle these issues and how we can
implement their methods in our country.
On staff
Staff have become much more aware of learners’ needs and can identify
special equipment to support them with their learning.
On adult learners
This project has brought together a group of learners and provided them with
the opportunity to form friendships within their own community as well as with
learners from other countries. Travelling to a different country with people you
hardly know helps to form a common bond and the shared experiences will be with
them for the rest of their lives. Everyone who has taken part in our exchange
visit is now a part of our Centre’s team and is happy to get involved in any of
our wider activities. Not only has the project bridged the gap between our
European neighbours, it has also bridged the gap between our neighbouring
villages.
On outside organisations
All outside bodies that engage with Shotton Partnership 2000 are impressed
with the way the organisation conducts its work, and it is often used as an
example to others.
Contact details
Name, organisation and address:
Rona Hardy
Shotton Partnership 2000 Limited
7 Friar Street
Shotton Colliery
Durham
DH6 2PA
Telephone no: 0191 5268988
Email:
rona_hardy@yahoo.co.uk
Classification data
Project focus
| Active citizenship | |
| Essential skills | |
| Inter-generational learning | |
| Cultural/multi-cultural |
X |
| ICT and learning |
X |
| Foreign languages | |
| Other* |
Project Type: Grundtvig 2 (learning partnerships)
UK project base
| East Midlands | |
| East of England | |
| London | |
| North East |
X |
| Northern Ireland | |
| North West | |
| Scotland | |
| South East | |
| South West | |
| Wales | |
| West Midlands | |
| Yorkshire and the Humber |
