Throughout the novel I highlighted ways the author engaged Multiple Intelligences from my perspective and elicited student perspectives on their engagement of Multiple Intelligences.  This introduced the discussion of how they might generate ideas for their final projects.  These conversations began before we completed reading the text.  This afforded the students ample time to consider the whole novel and the possibilities developed from the novel for their projects.

In the final chapters of the novel an invited a guest, Diane Potts, came to the class to lead the students through several discussions and interactive lessons around the topic of Multimodalities.  Diane and I had previously discussed how the students naturally represented their understanding using modalities when preparing projects, and that possibly with direct instruction and opportunity to develop this natural tendency their projects might extend themselves even further.   Lead through discussions by a very able other, Diane, the students were quick to grasp the basic ideas of Mode and Media.  By the second lesson, with the construction of an installation/working model, they had connected Multimodalities to Multiple Intelligences. 

Division 15's Introduction to Multimodalities, Multimedia, Multiple Intelligences

After the second visit from Diane each of the students wrote a proposal for their project.  The proposal was to include their understanding of the novel, their understanding of how they might represent their understanding of the novel through several modes and media and potentially a manner in which their viewers might interact with their understanding of the novel.  They prepared their proposals over the week end and shared them individually with Diane in private five minute conversations.  Once they had shared their proposals they set to work.

The students were given just under a week to prepare their projects.  The process of preparing a project for presentation was very well practiced in Division 15, by this time of year. 

My roll was defined a facilitator and documation clerk.  I watched and prompted and took pictures and pointed people in a direction if they needed a direction - very little direction was required this time, they KNEW what they were doing.  

This is seen in the images of them at work: in the classroom, in the computer lab, in the library, individually and in groups, on paper and on computer. 

They knew what to do, integrate their knowledge of the novel and represent it with the modes through appropriate media to engage the audience. 

They knew how to do it, through explaining their understanding in a manner that was of interest to them and in a manner in which others would be able to access the information.  They were busy doing it.