Howard Gardner

Howard Gardner

Bodily-kinesthetic

• Use the body effectively
• Keen sense of body awareness
• They like movement, making things, touching
• They communicate well through body language and be taught through physical activity, hands-on learning, acting out, role playing
• Tools include equipment and real objects
• Careers related to this kind of intelligence are dancers and surgeons

Musical

• Show sensitivity to rhythm and sound
• They love music, but they are also sensitive to sounds in their environments
• They may study better with music in the background
• They can be taught by turning lessons into lyrics, speaking rhythmically, tapping out time
• Tools include musical instruments, music, radio, stereo, CD-ROM, multimedia
• Careers related to this intelligence are musicians and composers

Visual-Spatial

• Think in terms of physical space
• Very aware of their environments
• They like to draw, do jigsaw puzzles, read maps, daydream
• They can be taught through drawings, verbal and physical imagery
• Tools include models, graphics, charts, photographs, drawings, 3-D modeling, video, videoconferencing, television, multimedia, texts with pictures/charts/graphs
• Careers related to this kind of intelligence are architects and sailors

Theory of Multiple Intelligence

The theory

Howard Gardner is a developmental psychologist best known in educational field for his theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner's theory had an impact in the field of education where it inspired teachers and educators to explore new ways of teaching aimed at these different intelligences.

Interpersonal

• Understanding, interacting with others
• These students learn through interaction
• They have many friends, empathy for others, street smarts
• They can be taught through group activities, seminars, dialogues
• Tools include the telephone, audio conferencing, time and attention from the instructor, video conferencing, writing, computer conferencing, E-mail

Intrapersonal

• Understanding one's own interests, goals
• These learners tend to shy away from others
• They're in tune with their inner feelings; they have wisdom, intuition and motivation, as well as a strong will, confidence and opinions
• They can be taught through independent study and introspection
• Tools include books, creative materials, diaries, privacy and time
• They are the most independent of the learners

Gardner theorizes that there are eight distinct intelligences. His theory has suggested students can learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways. According to his theory, individuals intelligence can differ in strength and can carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains when tested.

Since the publication of his book "Frames of the Mind" in 1983, he has identified and described eight different kinds of intelligence: Visual-spatial intelligence, Linguistic-verbal intelligence, Mathematical intelligence, Kinesthetic intelligence, Musical intelligence, Interpersonal intelligence, Intrapersonal intelligence and Naturalistic intelligence

Meet the

Theorist

• Howard Gardner was born on July 11, 1943 in Scranton, Pennsylvania
• He completed his post-secondary education at Harvard, earning his undergraduate degree in 1965 and his Ph.D. in 1971
• He is currently 76 years old, living with his wife Ellen Winner (m. 1982)
• Gardner currently serves as the Chairman of Steering Committee for Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University

Naturalistic Intelligence

• Not part of Gardner's original theory
• Can find patterns in nature
• Highly aware of even subtle changes to their environment
• Interested in subjects such as botany, biology, and zoology
• Good at categorizing and cataloging information easily
• May enjoy camping, gardening, hiking, and exploring the outdoors
• Doesn’t enjoy learning unfamiliar topics that have no connection to nature

Linguistic

• Using words effectively
• These learners have highly developed auditory skills and often think in words
• They like reading, playing word games, making up poetry or stories
• They can be taught by encouraging them to say and see words, read books together
• Tools include computers, games, multimedia, books, tape recorders, and lecture
• Careers related to this kind of intelligence are writers and translators

Logical -Mathematical

• Reasoning, calculating
• Think conceptually, abstractly and can see and explore patterns and relationships
• They like to experiment, solve puzzles, ask cosmic questions
• They can be taught through logic games, investigations, mysteries
• They need to learn and form concepts before they can deal with details
• Careers related to this kind of intelligence are bankers and mathematicians

Conclusion

Arguments against the theory

Despite it all, all the criticism and arguments against Gardner's theory, the theory of multiple intelligences enjoys considerable popularity with most educators. Many teachers utilize multiple intelligences in their teaching philosophies and work to integrate Gardner’s theory into the classroom. Learning more about the multiple intelligences can help you better understand your own strengths.

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Arguments against the Multiple Intelligence theory come from the field of cognitive psychology, stating that there has been no liable published studies that offer evidence of the validity of the theory. Critics suggest that the Multiple Intelligence theory has no empirical support, not researched or evidence-based, and there is no firm research showing that its practical applications have been effective in the classroom.

Critics also argue that Gardner’s definition of intelligence is too broad and that his eight different "intelligences" simply represent talents, personality traits, and abilities.

https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment