Theory of Multiple Intelligences Introduction Western society has always put great stress on intelligences and intellectual development. But what is intelligence? Since the early 1900s. the I. Q. test has been regarded as the best measurement of an individuals potential and possible role in society. Howard Gardner in his book Frame of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983), puts forth a new and different view of human intellectual competencies. He argues boldly and cogently that we are all born with potential to develop a multiplicity of Intelligences, most of which have been overlooked in our testing society, and all of which can be drawn upon to make us component individuals. The potential for musical accomplishments, bodily mastery, and spatial reasoning, and the capacities to understand ourselves as well as others, are, Gardner argues, the multiple forms of intelligence that we must add to the conventional - and typical tested - logical and linguistic skills long called I.Q. Drawing on many years of research in cognitive psychology and neuro-psychology, and pulling together information from the widest range of sources, Gardner suggests that the multiple forms of intelligences can be mobilized by society to achieve a greater diversity of ends and to fulfill a wider range of social goals. The Theory The theory of Multiple Intelligences presents the idea that there are many ways in which students use symbol systems in composition. Those who are non-verbal are allowed to approach composition different from those who are verbally inclined. The multiple intelligence theory is that children possess seven types of intelligences; linguistic, logical, spatial, musical, motor ability, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Traditionally, schools only reward linguistic and logical skills, but they should reward all intelligences. Teachers can develop their students intelligences by applying Harvard psychologist Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligences Theory, which suggest that approaches other than classroom based education can develop or enhance childrens multiple intelligences. Linguistic Intelligence: According to Gardner means the ability to retain information like lengthy verbal lists. The recollection of large amounts of information is a tremendously important gift in preliterate cultures. Musical intelligence: This gift nobody knows why it emerges so early, and what the nature of this gift might be. It remains uncertain. The aural imagination is simply the working of the composers ear, fully reliable and sure of its direction as it must be, in the service of a clearly envisaged conception. The musical mind has a creative portion, operates selectively, and works with the mechanisms of tonal memory. This tonal memory has been compounded with remembered emotional experiences. Logical mathematical Intelligence: In contrast to linguistic and musical capacities, logical-mathematical intelligence does not have its origins in the auditory-oral sphere. Instead, this form of thought can be traced to a confirmation with the world of objects. For it is in confrontation with the world of objects, in ordering and reordering them, and in assessing their quantity, that the young child gains his or her initial and most fundamental knowledge about the logical-mathematical realm. (Gardner) In Piagets view all knowledge - and in particular, the logical -mathematical understanding which constituted his primary focus - derives in the first instance from ones actions upon the world. What characterizes the individual as a mathematician is a love of dealing with abstractions. It is undeniable that a gift for mathematics is one of the most specialized talents and that mathematicians as a class are not particularly distinguished for general ability or versatility. Piaget noted long time ago that the evolution of science displays certain intriguing parallels with the development in children of logical-mathematical thought. Spatial intelligence: As a definition it is the capacity to perceive the visual world accurately, to perform transformation and modifications upon ones initial perceptions, and to be able to re-create aspects of ones visual experience. Even in the absence of relevant stimuli. Spatial intelligence merges as an amalgam of abilities. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence: there are languages other than words, language of symbols, and languages of nature. There are languages of the body. A description of use of the body as a form of intelligence may at first jar. Skilled use of ones body has been important in the history of the species for thousands of years. The Greeks revered the beauty of the human form. They sought a harmony between mind and body , with the mind trained to use the body properly, and the body trained to respond to the expressive powers of the mind. Bodily use can itself be differentiated into a variety of forms. Fine motor movements of grosser moor actions. The ability to use ones hands and fingers, or carrying out delicate movements involving precise control. The Personal Intelligences: There are two sides of development in human nature. One is the development of the internal aspect of a person or intrapersonal intelligence. This form allows us to detect and to symbolize complex and highly differentiated sets of feelings. The other form turns outward and the core capacity here is the ability to make distinctions among other individuals, and in particular, among their moods, temperaments, motivations, and intentions. These forms of intelligence, according to Howard Gardner are of tremendous importance in all societies in the world, - forms that have been tented to be ignored or minimized. The evidence, now, is that will eventually understand a great deal about the phylogenic origin of these intelligences. The capacity to know oneself and to know others is part of the human intellectual repertoire. Conclusion and Extension to our Teaching Thanks to Howard Gardners theory we learned that each of us possess at least seven entirely different ways to understand the world and to express ourselves: linguistic, spatial, musical, logical-mathematical, body-kinesthetic, and to find two kinds of social intelligence, intrapersonal (knowledge of self) and interpersonal (knowledge of others). Each intelligence has its own means and models for expression. Each represents an area of expertise with a specific body of knowledge, as well as a way of approaching learning in any domain. As teachers we can use this theory stimulating students in all their domains, not typically part of traditional western education. Students may experience new ways of expression, helping their individually, understanding multiple perspectives. No two educators are alike but in one way we are the same: we are all trying to give children quality teaching. With these new approaches to the mind of the students in which we want to do things in ways that fall outside the normal practices of the society, this is the way that can open us to diverse intelligences and sets of intelligences with which each of us is equipped. Emotional Intelligence One of the best selling books of 1995 was Daniel Golemans Emotional Intelligence. This book, which galvanized popular sentiments that some form of intelligence beyond academic knowledge and cognitive problem-solving capacity is essential to success in life, represents a broader trend toward examining the personal attributes and skills that link academic intelligence and success in school, work, and interpersonal relationships. Goleman defines personal talents as aptitudes that are primarily intrapersonal and enable one to take constructive action with respect to both people and task. Personal talents include affective processes and aptitudes and connative processes and aptitudes, such as volition and self-regulation. These two correlated sets of abilities help an individual develop self-awareness, capitalize on personal strengths, minimize personal weaknesses, make effective life decisions and set and achieve goals. Individuals have different levels of these personal abilities, just as they have different levels of intellectual, artistic, or musical abilities. Individuals with high levels of personal talent are often found among the ranks of the eminent. A key finding of Benjamin Blooms study of world-class experts in several talent fields was that, as children and adolescents, these individuals set goals for themselves and practiced long hours to achieve those goals.13 Talented adolescents are also distinguished by their capacity for consistent and intense concentration on academic tasks, athletic events, and musical performance. Bloom also describes eminent achievers as combining great emotional acuity and technical excellent in their activities, which suggests that emotional intelligence was integral to their success. Many distinguished writers have the emotional intelligence necessary to rebound from early losses and to express their personal pain and conflict through the creation of great literature. Achievement appear to be extraordinary in their ability to focus their attention, sustain their works efforts, and use their creative efforts as a vehicle for emotional expression. According to Goleman, emotional and connative components or personal talent are closely related. For example, emotional information is key to decision making, which is essential for self-regulation and goal attainment. Similarly, connative processes are crucial to the development of skills in affect regulation. John Mayer and Peter Salovey define emotional intelligence as the ability to monitor ones own others emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide ones thinking and actions.14 They have developed a hierarchical, cognitive model of emotional intelligence that includes four components, listed from the simplest to the most complex: 1. Perception, appraisal, and expression of emotion; 2. Emotional support for thinking; 3. Understanding and analyzing emotions and applying emotional knowledge; and 4. Reflecting regulation of emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth. Occupations that require emotional intelligence include psychotherapy, social work, teaching, creative writing, and organizational leadership. Emotional intelligence also predicts positive relationships and work histories. However, research on emotional intelligence is still in its infancy, and work is under way to develop a scale to measure the four levels of Mayer and Saloveys Model of Emotional Intelligence. Even less attention has been given to emotional processes in education, although that may be changing. For example, for a couple of years there have been created several projects like Project Charlie that provides direct training for social and emotional learning. This program was designed to build basic skills in personal and social talents in the general New Haven school population. Application in my classroom - Emotional Intelligence15 Its time to replace the current model of intelligence. When we give an achievement test, we accept the idea that we are testing a form of expertise, but this is also when we administer an I.Q. test. What differs is the level of experiences we measure, and, probably more important, the way we perceive what are measuring. As a teachers and all who use ability and achievement tests should stop distinguishing between what the two kinds of tests assess. I will pay attention to the differences among kids and try to use that knowledge to personalize instruction and assessment. It will allow me to plan educational programs that will enable children to realize desired end states (for example, the musician, the scientists, and the civic -minded person).
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 10:48:59 +0000
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