The Theory and Use of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom
Teachers are constantly being taught and told how to better instruct their students. From ‘teaching to the test’, thematic units, and multicultural education, there are a variety of strategies that can be implemented into lesson plans. When I was in graduate school I felt overwhelmed by the options available to teachers. The one that I related to the most is Multiple Intelligences.
Howard Gardner developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences in the 1970s. He viewed intelligence as ‘the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural setting’ (Gardner & Hatch, 1989). And he believed that people learned and retained information in different ways, thereby meaning that their intelligence, or expertise, was lead by that certain method of learning.
Howard Gardner originally believed there were seven intelligences, and in the 1990s added the eighth – naturalistic. If I am correct in my research, he is currently conducting research to see if there are more.
Bodily-Kinesthetic
This area has to do with bodily movement and physiology. In theory, people who have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should learn better by involving muscular movement, i.e. getting up and moving around into the learning experience, and are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance.
Interpersonal
This area has to do with interaction with others. They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate.
Verbal-linguistic
This area has to do with words, spoken or written. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and discussion and debate.
Logical-mathematical
This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers.
Visual-spatial
This area has to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects.
There appears to be a high correlation between spatial and mathematical abilities, which seems to indicate that these two intelligences are not independent.
Naturalistic
This area has to do with nature, nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings. They are also good at recognizing and classifying different species. They must connect a new experience with prior knowledge to truly learn something new.
Intrapersonal
This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. Those who are strongest in this intelligence are typically introverts and prefer to work alone. They are usually highly self-aware and capable of understanding their own emotions, goals and motivations. They often have an affinity for thought-based pursuits such as philosophy. They learn best when allowed to concentrate on the subject by themselves. There is often a high level of perfectionism associated with this intelligence.
Musical
This area has to do with rhythm, music, and hearing. Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture. In addition, they will often use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information, and may work best with music playing in the background.
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Graph of Multiple Intelligences
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I use Multiple Intelligences strategies because I feel that when students understand how they learn, they are more enabled to make lessons and life work for themselves. Also, as a classroom teacher by integrating Multiple Intelligences ideas into your lessons, it allows you to be more flexible and creative with their presentation. In math, have students write their answers on paper or wipe boards; use pictures to calculate results. Do more hands on experiments in science; take the class outside to read. Once you start adjusting your lessons and inserting Multiple Intelligences into it, you are making a variety of lessons, thereby bringing more creativity to the format, and engaging a larger range of your students.
An added benefit, is that when the theory of Multiple Intelligences is that when it is explained it can assists you in better understanding how you learn and retain knowledge and experiences. Therefore, by knowing how you learn you are then better-abled to ensure that when information is presented to you, that you in turn remember it in such a way that is best for your learning style.
To see what your learning style is, print out this quiz provided by Scholastic.
http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/detail/?id=36447&ESP=PRT/ib//acq/teachersapprec///teachersarticle/freeprintable