Gardner’s Mindsets for the Future

MEXTESOL Tampico

2nd Regional Convention

It’s a Small EFL World After all

Leticia Vela (lety_vela@atsli.edu.mx)

Professor of Cognition and

Education at Harvard

University

Famous for his Theory of

Multiple

Intelligences

Author of over 20 books

and several hundreds of

articles. His newest book:

Five Minds for the Future

Past

Present

FUTURE

Digital

revolution

Biological

revolution

Environmental

revolution

Globalization

Be constant, perseverant

and seek ongoing

improvement

Develop a deep

knowledge in a particular

area—become experts

Know something about

everything--become

lifelong learners

Understand vs. memorize

Encourage results that

meet high standards

Promote daily practice

Ensure completion of tasks

Motivate students to

identify their strengths and

specialize in them

Foster reading

Practical Applications

Know how to collect

information from different

and reliable sources

Understand and

objectively evaluate

information

Disregard unimportant

information

Analyze, put it all together

so it makes sense

Communicate it

effectively

Practical Applications

Demonstrate how to

identify different and

reliable sources (e.g. TV)

Teach how to synthesize

Offer sufficient

opportunities to

communicate findings (e.g.

round tables,

presentations)

Give serious consequences

for plagiarism

Know how to ask ‘high-

order’ questions

Be able to present ideas

in different ways

Be innovative

Understand that creating

involves failing and

starting again

Motivate students to see things

from different view points.

Give students the opportunity to

create their own problems and

solve them.

Raise awareness about the

possibility of different answers to a

same question.

Offer different options to present

results (videos, blogs, sketches,

storyboards, etc.).

Motivate students to try new

disciplines

(learn a 3rd language?)

Practical Applications

Accept and value

diversity

Cultivate understanding

of others

Be tolerant

Develop emotional

intelligence

Relate effectively with

others

Practical Applications

Promote the knowledge of

other cultures and their

customs.

Practice tolerance in the

CR and set an example.

Give priority to respect of

others and their ideas.

Value diversity and

exemplify how

it enriches us.

Reflect at a higher level

Seek excellence,

commitment, and final

good

Focus on our

responsibilities, more

than on our rights

Be aware of the needs of

others

and place them before

ours

Serve beyond self-

interest

Practical Applications

Promote universal values and

encourage students to apply them.

Help students see themselves as

GOOD students, citizens and future

professionals.

Give opportunities for reflection.

How should I behave ? What is my

responsibility?

Share information about people

who are responsible and ethical--

role models.

Be consistent and give fair

consequences

and rewards.

Question

s?

Comments

?