Gardner's Multiple Intelligences in Our Classrooms:
Students are Smarter Than We Think: Part I (of III)
by Clifford MorrisAssessing Common Sense Is Not Very Common
What would we do if we found out that students were intelligent in more ways than one? This new form of thinking about mental capabilities would be the godsend for stupid students, as teachers have been trained to treat IQ scores of the very superior range as the only "sacred cow" when identifying smarts. Think, for a moment, that instead of a singular and "horizontal" form of intelligence which cuts across all learning domains, that IQ is more than language and logic. That is the common sense approach to intelligences as argued by Howard Gardner (1983), a Harvard University psychologist. Gardner envisions the mind as containing "vertical frames" of higher mental processes which are specific to particular intellectual spheres. Using his argument as basis, I believe that teachers could identify and train more students as intelligent (see Matthews, 1988).
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences in Our Classrooms
Gardner defines an intelligence as the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products which are valued in one or more cultural settings. The central thesis of his writings is that the mind is multi-dimensional, and organized "vertically" as a number of almost independent content faculties, rather than "horizontally" as a single central processing unit. In contrast to traditional psychological thinking, Gardner views children not as youngsters of one general IQ-type intelligence or general problem solving ability but as beings capable of uneven achievements in several relatively self-contained domain specific skills (which he calls "intelligences"). While quick to admit that his notion of different kinds of minds does not translate well into immediate strategies for tomorrow morning's lessons, he does feel that with effort, insight, and systematic development, his belief might be effective in our future schooling practices.
Gardner (1990) believes that "individuals exhibit strikingly various forms of intelligences" ( p. 38) including Linguistic / Verbal, a language-based aptitude required of reading and writing; Logical / Mathematical, dealing with abstract concepts, patterns and symbols; Visual / Spatial, using mental imagery to absorb knowledge; Bodily / Kinesthetic, acquiring knowledge through movement, physical repetition, and "gut" feelings; Musical / Rhythmic, understanding and creating harmony, as demonstrated by musicians and composers; Interpersonal, a group leadership type of "street smarts"; and Intrapersonal, a solitary, intuitive style of learning. As you read the following styles of learning, think of your students. While each of them is a complex blend of all seven intelligences, how many of the following learning styles appear more dominant than others?
A Linguistic / Verbal Learner
Students intelligent in the linguistic / verbal learning style often have exceptional auditory long-term memory. They like reading and writing biographies and telling long stories. They excel in learning foreign languages, telling jokes, storytelling, tongue twisters, and solving puzzles. They may spell well, enjoy playing word games with many oral directions, and often grow up to become successful writers, secretaries, poets, editors, politicians, teachers, or social scientists.
A Logical / Mathematical Learner
Students "showing promise" in a logical / mathematical style have strong problem solving skills and reasoning capabilities. They ask philosophical questions in a logical manner, excel in mental arithmetic, computer science, and scientific experiments. They enjoy classifying, categorizing, and exploring abstract patterns and infinite relationships. In later life they become logicians, mathematicians, engineers, computer programmers, inventors, accountants, or scientists.
A Visual / Spatial Learner
Many "more-abled" students can put the world together inside their heads such that all things relate to all others in precisely understood ways. They daydream, read best when pictures accompany words, and use construction sets to design gadgets. They enjoy mazes, playing chess, and solving abstract puzzles. Also, they learn best when sketching scenes or drawing cartoon characters. This intelligence is fundamental in geography, architecture, art, sculpture, geometry, engineering, and navigation.
A Bodily / Kinesthetic Learner
Children smart in the bodily / kinesthetic process acquire knowledge through body movement, physical repetition, and "gut" feelings. This skill involves the basic skills of movements in highly differentiated and polished ways, as well as handling objects skillfully. Inventors, architects, surgeons, pianists, engineers and various craftsmen are able to master their fine motor body movements in this way.
A Musical / Rhythmic Learner
Musically clever children are fascinated by all types of sounds; these youngsters enjoy poetry, song, and composing their own melodies. They have a good ear for pitch, rhythm, and tone, talents usually found in musicians and composers. Such students seem to learn better when the music is turned on. They are also sensitive to non-verbal sounds in the environment -- such as distant bells ringing or crickets chirping. Often these children will hear things that other students have missed.
An Interpersonal Learner
Interpersonal intelligence is that capacity or ability to have an effective model about others, what makes them function, and most importantly, how to work effectively with them. Students with this talent often experience success in later life as statesmen, politicians, teachers, religious leaders, salespeople, therapists. This intelligence is very important in understanding how other people "tick".
An Intrapersonal Learner
An intrapersonal learning style is that ability to be acquainted with yourself, to know you inner weaknesses and competencies and being able to act productively on the basis of that knowledge. Students with this skill often require a private place in the classroom to work and study, a location where they can pursue personal hobbies, work on ongoing projects, or explore semi secretive interests.
Summary
In opposition to the conventional notion that IQ tests measure one general cognitive ability and that a student may be generally intelligent, Gardner has posited the existence of simultaneous domains of possible expertise, or intelligences. A student may display a very high skill level in one or more of these skills and show only average or even below average ability in another curriculum area. The kind of domains and activities that a student finds interesting and engaging are assumed to reflect his or her underlying intellectual abilities.
References
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1990, September). Art education and human development. Occasional Paper 3, Los Angeles: The Getty Center for Education in the Arts.
Matthews, D. (1988, December). Gardner's multiple intelligence theory: An evaluation of relevant research literature and a consideration of its application to gifted education. Roeper Review, 11(2), 100-104.
Note: The above article, first published in 1992 when the author was a grade 5/6 classroom teacher at John Young Elementary School in Kanata, Ontario, has been slightly revised and updated.
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on Wednesday, 21 July, 2004