Multiple Intelligences Patty Prodanich 2/21/11 Multiple Intelligences

Picture This: Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Louis Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Carl Jung, and Jane Goodall are all sitting in your School Library. Maya is writing poetry on scraps of paper. Albert is staring off into space thinking about mathematical equations. Pablo is daydreaming while doodling in his notebook. Louis is humming and tapping to a rhythm. Jackie is looking at the clock, counting the minutes until gym class. Martin is planning a student council charity event. Carl Jung is in deep thought about…his thoughts. Jane can’t stop staring at the class gerbil.

“The next time you have a chance to reflect on your class, imagine your students as individuals who have fully realized and developed their intelligences.” (Thirteen.org “Classroom to Concept” Tapping into Multiple Intelligences)

What is intelligence? Are talented chess players, violinists, and athletes “intelligent” in their respective disciplines? Why are these and other abilities not accounted for on traditional IQ tests? Why is the term intelligence limited to such a narrow range of human endeavors? In 1983, Howard Gardner posed these questions in his book entitled Frames of Mind: (Seider 26)

Gardner’s Definition “An intelligence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings.” The ability to solve problems that one encounters in real life. The ability to generate new problems to solve. The ability to make something or offer a service that is valued within one’s culture. (Gardner, Frames of Mind 1983)

Howard Gardner Redefined the concept of being “smart” and diminished the concept of being “dumb.” Teachers especially connected with this idea-classroom experience had already proven different children had different ability types which could not be assessed with traditional testing. (Moran, Kornhaber, and Gardner par. 4)

Think LEGOS (Moran, Kornhaber, and Gardner par. 5) Think of LEGO building blocks. If we only have one shape to build with, it severely limits the types of structures we are able to build. If we are given many shapes and sizes to connect together, then we can build much more complex and variety of structures. This is similar to the way Multiples Intelligences work. (Moran, Kornhaber, and Gardner par. 5)

Ask: How are you smart? Don’t Ask: How smart are you? Teachers need to start asking this question…instead of this. (Gardner, Frames of Mind 1983)

Gardner’s 8 ½ Different Types of Intelligences “How many intelligences is he up to now?” This is a question similar to the one I asked when we were discussing all the different types of literacies. Like literacies, the number of intelligences is varied. Originally he described 7 intelligences, but added naturalistic years later. I will discuss the half in a moment… (Seider 27)

8 ½ Linguistic Logical-Mathematical Spatial Musical Bodily-Kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic ½=Existential Gardner claims we all possess each of these intelligences in some way, shape, or form, and have the ability to develop each; but most develop a high ability in one or two.

ie: computer programmer 2.Logical-Mathematical “Number Smart” ie: computer programmer (Albert Einstein and Marie Curie) 1.Linguistic “Word Smart” ie: poet (Maya Angelou and William Shakespeare) Linguistic-Ability to understand and use spoken and written communication Logical-mathematical-Ability to understand and use logic and numerical symbols and operations

(Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday) 3. Spatial “Art Smart” ie: architect, artist (Georgia O’Keeffe and Pablo Picasso) 4. Musical “Music Smart” ie: composer, musician (Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday) Spatial ability to orient and manipulate three-dimensional space Musical-ability to understand and use such concepts as rhythm, pitch, melody, and harmony

5. Bodily-Kinesthetic “Body Smart” ie: athlete (Jackie Robinson and Jim Thorpe) 6. Interpersonal “People Smart” ie: politician, salesperson (Oprah Winfrey and Martin Luther King, Jr.) Bodily-kinesthetic-Ability to coordinate physical movement Interpersonal-Ability to understand and interact well with other people

ie: autobiographer, entrepreneur 7. Intrapersonal “Self Smart” ie: autobiographer, entrepreneur (Mahatma Gandhi and Carl Jung) 8. Naturalistic “Nature Smart” “You will never describe Charles Darwin with the set of intelligences you provide” (Gardner 18). ie: zoologist (Charles Darwin) Intrapersonal-Ability to understand and use one’s thoughts and feelings Naturalistic-Ability to distinguish and categorize objects or phenomena in nature (Moran, Kornhaber, and Gardner)

What’s with the 1/2 ? 8 ½. Existential (at least provisionally) ie: philosopher (Aristotle) Others suggested: spiritual, moral, humor, cooking, leadership-have not passed his criteria Existential-Ability to contemplate phenomena or questions beyond sensory data (Silver, Strong, and Perini 9)

Common Myths Students need to be grouped according to MI scores. Teachers are required to prepare 8 different lesson types. Everyone is gifted in at least one intelligence. Teachers instead use a few intelligence factors as points of entry into the lesson, and then vary them lesson to lesson. Design rich lessons to enhance deep learning experiences.

Benefits of Integrating MI into the Classroom More diverse and rich lesson plans. Enhances learning for students with disabilities. Creates challenging activities for students who are gifted. Can be used as a tool to improve teaching and learning. It’s not about teaching content, but instead it’s about teaching children (Bernard 34).

Ways to Incorporate MI into the Classroom Project-based learning Cooperative learning Learning centers Multimedia Technology Role playing Project-based in which students are given choices as to how to produce the end product.

Assessing MI Current testing emphasizes mostly linguistic and logical-mathematical. Assessment should be a natural part of the learning process. ie: demonstration, portfolio, presentation Students can be given choices as to how to demonstrate their knowledge. ie: essay, web page, speech, journal Each student has a different reality and the way they perceive their world. Assessing students only one way, limits their potential and creates missed opportunities. These types foster learning and assess a much deeper learning experience vs traditional testing, which emphasizes rote memorization or quick problem solving.

“My intelligence was recognized by those teachers who saw beyond bad spelling and bad writing! My mother both recognized and encouraged my interests when others laughed at them. And I learned from nature. My bond with my dog-my spontaneous learning about his intelligence-greatly expanded my mind.” (Jane Goodall Brilliant Minds)

So much for their laughter now…

Works Cited Bernard, Sara. “From Theory to Practice.” Edutopia April/May 2009: 34. Print. Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic, 1983. Print. Gardner, Howard. Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons. New York: Basic, 2006. Print. Moran, Seana, Mindy Kornhaber, and Howard Gardner. "Orchestrating Multiple Intelligences." Educational Leadership 64.1 (2006): 22-7. Print. New York Public Media. "Concept to Classroom: Tapping into Multiple Intelligences - Explanation." THIRTEEN - New York Public Media. 2004. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. <http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index.html>. Seider, Scott. “An MI Odyssey.” Edutopia April/May 2009: 26-27. Print. Silver, Harvey F., Richard W. Strong, and Matthew J. Perini. So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000. Print.