Multiple Intelligences

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Another way of measuring how we learn is the theory of multiple intelligences, developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, a professor of education at Harvard University. Gardner’s theory is based on the premise that the traditional notion of human intelligence is very limited. Gardner argues that students should be encouraged to develop the abilities they have and that evaluation should measure all forms of intelligence, not just linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence. As you might imagine, Gardner’s work is controversial because it questions our long-standing definitions of intelligence. According to Gardner, all human beings have at least eight different types of intelligence:

YOUR TURN

Write and Reflect

Do a Google search for the term multiple intelligences debate. Write a one-page paper that describes different opinions about Howard Gardner’s theory. Do you agree with the theory? Why or why not?

  1. A verbal/linguistic learner likes to read, write, and tell stories and is good at memorizing information.
  2. A logical/mathematical learner likes to work with numbers and is good at problem-solving and logical processes.
  3. A visual/spatial learner likes to draw and play with machines and is good at puzzles and reading maps and charts.
  4. A bodily/kinesthetic learner likes to move around and is good at sports, dance, and acting.
  5. A musical/rhythmic learner likes to sing and play an instrument and is good at remembering melodies and noticing pitches and rhythms.
  6. An interpersonal learner likes to have many friends and is good at understanding people, leading others, and mediating conflicts.
  7. Intrapersonal learners like to work alone, understand themselves well, and are original thinkers.
  8. A naturalistic learner likes to be outside and is good at preservation, conservation, and organizing a living area.

Where do you think you see yourself? Which of these eight intelligences, do you think, best describes you? As you think of your friends and family, what kinds of intelligences do you think they have? Now, take the inventory.