Sternberg Triarchic TheoryProfessional Development

Princess Anne Middle School

February 1, 2016

Source: GRT presentation/training by Dr. Kristi Doubet, James Madison University, 12/2014

Today’s Targets:

• Understand Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic framework provides a flexible approach that can help teachers better meet the varying needs of students.

• Know the philosophy behind Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory

• Know the characteristics of the three intelligences

• Be able to evaluate assignment options

• Be able to apply the Triarchic Teaching Model to an upcoming unit lesson to appeal to each of the three intelligence profiles.

• If tasks are a close match for their skillsReadiness

• If tasks ignite curiosity or passionInterest

• If the assignment encourages students to work in a preferred manner

Learning Profile

Teachers can differentiate according to a student

Readiness

EfficiencyMotivationAcademic growth

Interest Learning Profile

when the

goal is

when the

goal is

when the

goal is

Assumption: People learn in different ways. Teach & learning would be more

successful if learners could explore and express content in ways that work best for them.

Learning Style: How we take in and process information.

Refers to preferences regarding environmental

elements, interactions, and personal needs.

Intelligence preference: “Ways of thinking”—rooted in

theories about human intelligence. Ceiling-less.

Cultural Background/Gender

Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic

(Dunn& Dunn/McCarthy (4MAT)/Gregoric, etc.

e.g. patterns of communication, views

of authority, perception of time, preference for

competition vs. collaboration

Robert Sternberg (Analytical,

Creative, Practical)

Howard Gardner (Spatial,

Linguistic, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Mathematical-Logical, Interpersonal,

Intrapersonal, Naturalist)

You choose: 1. Pick a column.2. Think and write silently.3. Be ready to share when time is called.

Write a definition of “reality television” that you feel clarifies its key elements and purposes—in other words, compose a definition that couldappear on Wikipedia but that still reflects your perspective of the topic.

Explain to a friend without a TV what

“reality television” is all about in terms of its

elements and purposes. The explanation should

use at least one example to help your

colleague adopt to yourperspective of reality

TV.

Develop a metaphor, analogy, or visual

symbol that represents and clarifies what the

purposes and elements of reality television

really are. Make sure it also communicates your perspective of

Reality TV.

Next Steps

• Indicate the number of the option you completed by holding up that number of fingers. Hold them up high so that everyone can see.

• Try to assemble in a group that includes someone who completed Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3.

• Share your products. When you are finished, discuss the similarities among your products.

• Thank your team members and return to your seat.

Which set of verbs appeals to you most?

Set 1:

Analyze, judge, critique, compare, contrast, evaluate, diagram, identify, explain, present a step-by-step approach, assess

Set 2:

Invent, discover, imagine, suppose, design, predict, find a new way, create, promote, encourage, develop

Set 3:

Implement, apply, use, demonstrate, teach, put into practice, convince, show how, employ, make practical

Which set of verbs appeals to you most?

Analytical:

Analyze, judge, critique, compare, contrast, evaluate, diagram, identify, explain, present a step-by-step approach, assess

Creative:

Invent, discover, imagine, suppose, design, predict, find a new way, create, promote, encourage, develop

Practical:

Implement, apply, use, demonstrate, teach, put into practice, convince, show how, employ, make practical

• As you watch the following clip, think about the different kinds of “thinking” needed to plan and execute this heist.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_bzUIbE5jo

Successful Thinking/Planning involves…

• BIG IDEAS—Those who think creatively; out-of-the-box thinkers, dreamers, “imagineers,” etc.

• CRITICAL EYE—Those who can analyze the plan and see its strengths and weaknesses

• NUTS AND BOLTS—Those who can put the plan into action, think about and address practical concerns, manage people

Differentiating for Sternberg’s Thinking Styles

PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCEANALYTICAL INTELLIGENCE

CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE

Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of IntelligenceSternberg posits that there are three types of intelligence:

We all have some of each of these intelligences, but are usually stronger in one or two areas than in others. We should strive to develop as fully each of these intelligences in students, but also recognize where students’ strengths lie and teach through those intelligences as often as possible, particularly when introducing new ideas.

analytical practical

creative

Why does this matter?

A Yale study, based on the premise that intelligence has analytical, creative, and practicalaspects, shows that if schools start valuing all three, they may find that thousands of kids are smarter than they think.

The study found that “Students who instruction matched their pattern of abilities significantly better than the others. Even by partially matching instruction to abilities, we could improve student achievement.

Teaching Triarchically• Offering students choices that reflect Sternberg’s three

intelligences:• Creative intelligence• Practical intelligence• Analytical intelligence

• These assignments are centered around the same learning goals, but are designed for their intelligence strengths. This way, students learn new material more efficiently and successfully.

• The goal is to eventually strengthen all three realms of intelligence – to strength students beyond their comfort zones.

I Like…

• Designing new things

• Coming up with ideas

• Using my imagination

• Playing make-believe and pretend games

• Thinking of alternative solutions

• Noticing things people usually tend to ignore

• Thinking in pictures and images

• Inventing (new recipes, words, games)

• Supposing that things were different

• Thinking about what would have happened if certain aspects of the world were different

• Composing (new songs, melodies)

• Acting and role playing

I Like…

• Analyzing characters when I’m reading or listening to a story

• Comparing and contrasting points of view

• Criticizing my own and others’ work

• Thinking clearly and analytically

• Evaluating my and others’ points of view

• Appealing to logic

• Judging my and others’ behavior

• Explaining difficult problems to others

• Solving logical problems

• Making inferences and deriving conclusions

• Sorting and classifying

• Thinking about things

I like:

• Taking things apart and fixing them

• Learning through hands on activities

• Making and maintaining friends

• Understanding and respecting others

• Putting into practice things I learned

• Resolving conflicts

• Advising my friends on their problems

• Convincing someone to do something

• Learning by interacting with others

• Applying my knowledge

• Working and being with others

• Adapting to new situations

Intelligence Type - Robert Sternberg

Three different types of intelligence:

1. Creative

This type of inteligence is demonstrated by those who are creative, insightful, intuitive, innovative, or able to cope easily with new situations. These people do not always do well on traditional methods of assessment, because they are able to see “around” the questions – to think outside the box.

Intelligence Type - Robert Sternberg

Three different types of intelligence:

2. Analytic

This is the type of intelligence typically thought of as “school smart.” It can include linear and sequential ability. Students with this type of intelligence are able to dissect something and understand its parts. Analytic giftedness is most often measured by traditional scholastic/intelligence tests.

Intelligence Type - Robert Sternberg

• Three different types of intelligence:

3. Practical

People with this type of intelligence are able to put ideas into action. They can apply knowledge and insight to everyday realistic situations; hence, they are good “negotiators” and know how to “work the system.” They can “put wheels” on the analytic and synthetic intelligences.

What did your “assessment” reveal?

• Do you agree or disagree?

• Why?

• Likes to produce knowledge or ideas instead of consuming them, attracted to novelty, sees the world from a unique perspective, often prefers working alone, does not like to e rushed toward completion of tasks, often works in “bursts,” with long periods of incubation (which can look like unproductiveness) followed by quick, highly productive working periods, often has a unique sense of humor.

• Needs: support with setting deadlines and timelines, open-ended assignments with structure, assignments that allow for creative thinking and novel products, support working with other students, frequent outlets for creative thought, support with turning “ideas” into “reality.”

CREATIVE Prompts

• Find a new way to show _____________________________.

• Use unusual materials to explain ______________________.

• Use humor to show _________________________________.

• Explain (show) a new and better way to _________________.

• Make connections between _____ and _____ to help us understand ________________________.

• Become a _______ and use your “new” perspectives to help us think about _____________________.

APPLICATIONS OF TRIARCHIC THINKINGFor Creative Thinkers…

• CREATE (a poem, sculpture, a new game, a new equation or example)

• DESIGN (a new approach to solving this problem, a new interpretation of this story, a new poetic form)

• IMAGINE (what it feels like to be a parabola, what communication would be like without grammar)

• SUPPOSE (worldwide temperatures increased 5 degrees on average…, Huck Finn had been name Helen Finn…)

• Likes to break things into its parts, likes to know how things work, enjoys facts as well as ideas, likes to argue, attracted to logical thinking and logical ideas, likes to “think” as opposed to “doing,” typically does well at school tasks, enjoys solving problems, can focus for long periods of time on a single task, may balk at “creative” assignments, likes to find the one “right answer,” may see things as black and white.

• Needs: assignments that require thought as opposed to rote memorization, extended assignments that allow for focused, long-term study, “problems’ to figure out, time to discuss ideas with others, support with how to present ideas in a non-argumentative way, support with listening to and accepting others’ ideas, opportunities to struggle with open-ended questions that have no right/wrong answer

ANALYTICAL PROMPTS

• Show the parts of _______ and how they work.

• Explain why ________ works the way it does.

• Diagram how _____ affects ______ and explain why this relationship is important.

• Identify the key parts of ______ and explain how they affect one another.

• Present a step-by-step approach to _______.

APPLICATIONS OF TRIARCHIC THINKINGFor Analytical Thinkers…

• ANALYZE (a literary plot, a theory in the sciences, a mathematical problem)

• COMPARE AND CONTRAST (two characters in a novel, two systems of government, the styles of two artists)

• EVALUATE (poem, cultural custom, strategy in tennis)

• EXPLAIN (the use of grammar in a sentence, your interpretation of an historical event, the solution to a scientific problem)

• Likes to see the real-world application of things, excellent at implementing plans, a “doer,” highly effective in making things “happen,” organized, less interested in ideas than in action, like to move and do when learning, can be an excellent leader, may struggle with creativity-for-creativity’s-sake assignments, may resist completing assignments for which they see no real-world purpose, can work very well in group situations, may not be traditionally “book smart”

• Needs: Hands-on activities, assignments that are connected to the real world, opportunities to share ideas with practitioners and experts, experiences with more creative, open-ended activities, support with being patient with activities for which they see no immediate application, opportunities to lead (even when they are not the highest achievers, these students can be highly effective at leading groups and delegating responsibilities.

PRACTICAL Prompts

• Demonstrate how someone uses ___ in their life or work.

• Show how we could apply ___ to sole this real life problem.

• Based on your own experience, explain how ___ can be used.

• Here’s a problem at school, ______. Using your knowledge of _______, develop a plan to address the problem.

APPLICATIONS OF TRIARCHIC THINKINGFor Practical Thinkers…

• USE (a lesson in your life that a literary character learned in your life, a mathematical lesson in the supermarket, a lesson learned on the playing field in everyday life)

• APPLY (a mathematical principle to your social life, what you learned in a foreign-language class to an interaction with a foreigner, a lesson from history to the present)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWEekO4ufwM

Example: Persuasive TechniquesLearning Target: SWBAT understand that our power of persuasion depends upon our choice of tools.

• Option 1: Roughly sketch a story-board of a new book in which Pigeon uses more effective argumentative techniques than he did in the previous book(at least four). Include an explanation from the bus driver explaining why he relents.

• Option 2: Which of Pigeon’s argumentative techniques have people used with you? Cite at least four. Then describe the two techniques that are most effective with you and two that are least effective. Explain why.

• Option 3: Evaluate at least four of the pigeon’s argumentative techniques. What was his most convincing point and why? What was his leas convincing point and why? Give him some specific pointers to improve his power of persuasion.

Example: Persuasive Techniques Learning Target: SWBAT understand that our power of persuasion depends upon our choice of tools.

• CREATIVE: Roughly sketch a story-board of a new book in which Pigeon uses more effective argumentative techniques than he did in the previous book(at least four). Include an explanation from the bus driver explaining why he relents.

• PRACTICAL: Which of Pigeon’s argumentative techniques have people used with you? Cite at least four. Then describe the two techniques that are most effective with you and two that are least effective. Explain why.

• ANALYTICAL: Evaluate at least four of the pigeon’s argumentative techniques. What was his most convincing point and why? What was his leas convincing point and why? Give him some specific pointers to improve his power of persuasion.

Take 1 - Before

Plant Assignment Options:

• Use a Venn Diagram to compare roots and stems

• Write a paragraph for your teacher that describes the similarities and differences between roots and stems.

• Design a book cover that compares roots and stems.

Think about the promising and puzzling aspects--• Promising • Puzzling

Steps for “Makeover”

1. “Zoom out” for a conceptual focus. (Plants—a study in ______.)

2. Articulate clear learning goals (KUDs).

3. Begin to design tasks by looking at THINKING represented in each Sternberg intelligence preference (rather than by considering potential “products”).

4. Select a potential product that make sense with the thinking that emphasized.

Step 1: “Zoom out” for a conceptual focus

Plants, a study in Interdependence.

Step 2: Articulate clear learning goals (UKDs)

Plants, a study in Interdependence.Understand:• The parts of a plant are interdependent; all the parts are important for

helping the plant grow.• When something happens to one part of the plant, the whole plant is

affected.Know:• Parts of a plant• Functions (jobs) of plant partsDo (Skills):• Explain the parts and functions of plant parts.

Step 3: Begin to design tasks by looking at THINKING represented in each Sternberg intelligence preference (vs. by selecting a “product”)

INTELLIGENCE FIRST CONSIDER, “WHAT KINDS OF THINKING CAN THE TASK EMPHASIZE…?

…NOT this…

Analytical Comparing, analyzing, critiquing, evaluating, seeing the parts and the whole, using criteria, judging, thinking logically, sequencing, ranking,defending

Make a Venn diagram

Practical Putting to use, adapting, making practical, applying to real world situations, translating ideas for an audience demonstrating, teaching, convincing

Design a how-to booklet

Creative Making new or unusual connections, inventing,innovating, synthesizing, predicting, transforming, making metaphors and analogies

Draw a picture

The Essence of the Thinking + Potential Product• Analytical: Select and compare three plants from a garden (at school, at

home, in your neighborhood). Create a chart, diagram, or table that a kindergartner could understand to draw conclusions about how the parts of the plants and the ways they “work” are similar and different.

• Practical: Show what happens to a plant in the “real world” – how it and its parts are affected by where they live (the weather, people, animals, etc.)—by designing multiple days’ entries in a botanist’s “observation journal (combination of words and pictures).”

• Creative: Connect how the parts of a plant work (alone and together) and how the parts of something else work in a similar way. Depict your connections through pictures (your own or someone else’s) and words. Write a one-page explanation of your chosen analogy.

Now try this:

• At your tables are handouts of different Sternberg examples. Find one that you like.

• Criteria:• Do all three assignment options address the same learning goal(s)?

• Does each of the assignment options ask students to THINK in a way conducive to their preference?

• Do all three assignment options seem to employ the same degree of rigor?

Tips for Teaching Triarchically

• Some of the time, teach analytically, helping students learn to analyze, evaluate, compare and contrast, critique, and judge.

• Some of the time, teach creatively, helping students learn to create, invent, imagine, discover, explore, and suppose.

• Some of the time, teach practically, helping students learn to apply, use, utilize, contextualize, implement, and put into practice.

• Most of the time, enable all students to capitalize on their strengths in order to correct or compensate for their weaknesses—especially when working with new or challenging material.

• Some of the time, push students to choose a “second choice” option to stretch the to of their comfort-zone – especially when working with previously learned material.

• Present assignment options unlabeled and ask student to choose to avoid “diagnosing” or calling attention to labels.

• Make sure your assessments match your teaching, calling upon analytical, creative, and practical as well as memory skills

• Value the diverse patterns of abilities of all students.

It’s Your Turn!

• Develop a TriMind (Sternberg) assignment for a content area of your choice.• Begin by establishing your learning goals.

• Use the guide sheets, examples, template, and prompts to help you develop one task for each preference.

• Describe each task in enough detail for students to understand and complete.

• Devise and describe evaluation criteria that reflect and KUDs and a closure step for the tasks.