I want my children to understand the world, but not just

because the world is fascinating and the human mind is

curious. I want them to understand it so that they will be
positioned to make it a better place. Knowledge is not
the same as morality, but we need to understand if we
are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive
directions. An important part of that understanding is
knowing who we are and what we can do...

Howard Gardner 1999: 180-181

Multiple Intelligences
in the classroom
 Five Minds for the Future
The "disciplined mind" covers the conventional approach of developing an ability to master
an academic subject, a craft, or a profession as well as, in the other sense of "discipline", the
ability to apply oneself to the business of learning.

The "synthesising mind" is the ability to absorb, sift, select, and make sense of the vast and
indigestible amounts of data that surround us in the internet age. This could be the most important
of the five minds for survival in everyday and working life as we flounder in ever-higher tides of
data.

The "creating mind" is Gardner's third category. This is the mind that "forges new ground"
and discovers new ways of doing things.

The fourth category is the "respectful mind". This is about recognising the "otherness" of
people different from ourselves and respecting the differences of, for example, traditions,
religion, and ethnicity.

Gardner's final category is the "ethical mind". This goes beyond simply respecting others
towards actively striving to do good, trying to make the world a better place.
 How do they stack up?

Disciplined Managing Self

} {
Synthesising Using Symbols & Texts

Creative Thinking

Respectful Relating to Others

Ethical Participating & Contributing

What are Multiple Intelligences?

• Multiple intelligences refers to a theory of

intelligence developed in 1983 by Howard
Gardner, a professor of education at the Harvard
Graduate School of Education.
• Howard Gardner defines intelligence as the
ability to solve problems, fashion products, or
provide services that are valued in a culture.
• Howard Gardner claims that all human beings
have multiple intelligences.

• These multiple intelligences can be nurtured

and strengthened, or ignored and weakened.

• He believes each individual has nine

intelligences:
• Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence -- well-
developed verbal skills and sensitivity to
the sounds, meanings and rhythms of
words
• Mathematical-Logical Intelligence -- ability
to think conceptually and abstractly, and
capacity to discern logical or numerical
patterns
• Musical Intelligence -- ability to produce
and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber
• Visual-Spatial Intelligence -- capacity to
think in images and pictures, to visualize
accurately and abstractly
• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence -- ability to
control one's body movements and to
handle objects skillfully
• Interpersonal Intelligence -- capacity to
detect and respond appropriately to the
moods, motivations and desires of others.
• Intrapersonal Intelligence -- capacity to be
self-aware and in tune with inner feelings,
values, beliefs and thinking processes
• Naturalist Intelligence -- ability to
recognize and categorize plants, animals
and other objects in nature
• Existential Intelligence -- sensitivity and
capacity to tackle deep questions about
human existence, such as the meaning of
life, why do we die, and how did we get
here.
All human beings possess
all nine intelligences in
varying amounts.
• Each person has a different intellectual
composition.

• We can improve education by

addressing the multiple intelligences of
our students.
• These intelligences are located in
different areas of the brain and can
either work independently or together.
What do multiple intelligences have
to do with my classroom?

• There are numerous ways to express oneself, and probably even

more ways to gain knowledge and understand the universe.

• Individuals are capable, the theory of multiple intelligences

advocates, of deep understanding and mastery in the most
profound areas of human experience.

• Even long before the theory emerged and was named in 1983 by
Howard Gardner, numerous teachers fostered the intelligences of
their students.
 Think of it this way:
J.K. Rowling, Richard Feynmann, Savage, Colin
McCahon, Daniel Carter, Helen Clark, Deepak
Chopra, Jane Goodall, and Gary Larson are students
in your class.
• J.K. is writing the next Harry Potter adventure on scraps of paper.

• Richard is daydreaming the equations enabling a quantum computer.

• Savage softly hums the tunes for the sequel to "They don’t know."

• Colin has painted brilliant landscapes on each windowpane.

• Daniel can't wait to get to PE.

• Helen has organized the school's student council.

• Deepak provides in-class spiritual counseling.

• Jane adds a new animal to the class zoo daily.

• Gary scrawls funny pictures in the margins of his notebook.

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.
 How can applying M.I.
theory help students learn
better?
Students begin to understand how they
are intelligent.

In Gardner's view, learning is both a social and

psychological process. When students understand
the balance of their own multiple intelligences
they begin
• To manage their own learning
• To value their individual strengths
 Teachers need to understand how students
are intelligent as well as how intelligent they
are.

Knowing which students have the potential for

strong interpersonal intelligence, for example, will
help you create opportunities where the strength
can be fostered in others. However, multiple
intelligence theory is not intended to provide
teachers with new IQ-like labels for their students.
Students approach understanding from
different angles.

The problem, "What is sand?" has scientific,

poetic, artistic, musical, and geographic points of
entry.
 Students that exhibit comprehension
through rubrics, portfolios, or
demonstrations come to have an
authentic understanding of achievement.

The accomplishment of the lawyer is in winning

her case through research and persuasive
argument, more than in having passed the bar
exam.
 Students become balanced
individuals who can function as
members of their culture.
Classroom activities that teach to the intelligences
foster deep understanding about the essential
questions of life, such as: Where do we come
from? What's the world made of? What have
humans achieved? What can we achieve? How
does one lead a good life?
 How do I apply multiple
intelligences (M.I.) theory
in my classroom?
There are many different ways to
apply multiple intelligences theory
in the classroom. You probably
employ a variety of intelligences
already.
 While you look at the following
grid, think of other events,
artifacts, content and activities you
might incorporate into the subject
matter you teach.
 Incorporated into subject
Intelligence type Demonstrated by
matter

Verbal-Linguistic Books, stories, poetry, speeches, author visits Writing stories, scripts, poems, storytelling

Counting, calculating, theorizing,

Mathematical-Logical Exercises, drills, problem solving
demonstrating, programming computers

Musical Tapes, CD's, concert going Performing, singing, playing, composing

Posters, art work, slides, charts, graphs, video Drawing, painting, illustrating, graphic
Visual-Spatial tapes, laser disks, CD-ROMs and DVDs, design, collage making, poster making,
museum visits photography

Movies, animations, exercises, physicalizing Dance recital, athletic performance or

Bodily-Kinesthetic concepts, rhythm exercises competition

Teams, group work, specialist roles

Interpersonal Plays, debates, panels, group work

Journals, memoirs, diaries, changing

Intrapersonal Reflection time, meditation exercises
behaviors, habits, personal growth

Terrariums, aquariums, class pets, farm,

Collecting, classifying, caring for animals at
Naturalist botanical garden and zoo visits, nature walks,
nature centers
museum visits

Working on causes, charity work, astrology

Existential charts
Community service
What are some simple
ways to get started?
Most importantly, start small . . . no matter
how grandly you're planning. Minor
adjustments to your curriculum make a big
difference in students' motivation and
understanding.
Here are four strategies for
applying M.I. theory to
your class:
Add a cross-curricular element to a
unit.

• For example, think of how you might liven up a math

lesson by inviting students to write song lyrics, invent
dances, or write stories that help them recall important
math facts or procedures.

• Emphasize the core curriculum, but invite student

expression in areas previously considered outside the
scope of that content.
Offer students a variety of presentation
options for projects.

• In addition to writing reports, let students "show what

they know" by giving oral presentations accompanied by
visual aids they create to organize the information and
remove the pressure to know everything by heart.

• Other presentation options include role-playing exercises,

plays, debates, murals, Web publishing, and multimedia
computer presentations (using multimedia software such
as Powerpoint or Keynote).
Apply M.I. thinking to group projects.

• To help students develop "interpersonal intelligence," use

cooperative learning techniques.

• In the case of M.I. work, after ascertaining some of your students'

multiple intelligence strengths, you may wish to organize
cooperative learning groups so that there is an interesting
distribution in each group.

• Students with strong interpersonal skills often make wonderful

theatrical directors, while those with a strong visual intelligence
love painting imaginative sets. Have your resident naturalist and
interpersonalist collaborate to organize your nature walk.
Involve the community, parents, family,
and guest speakers.

• Compose a panel of education-friendly local citizens to review your

students' M.I. demonstrations of understanding.

• Bring an outside expert into the class to enhance lessons. For example,
when teaching about geometry, invite the builder who is building a
house down the street to discuss how he uses geometry in construction.

• Motivate students through field trips to local businesses (e.g.

newspaper offices, restaurants, theater companies, museums, radio and
TV stations, music studios, book stores, and dairy farms) to see how
material studied in class can apply to the outside world.
 What are some of the
challenges I may face?
 When trying out new techniques in the
classroom for the first time, unexpected
problems may come up. Here are a few
potential problem areas.
 Assessment
• becomes more complicated.

• Take the case of a report. If the modification you have added to

report-writing is to write an illustrated report, then evaluation
will likely include assessment of not only the writing but also
the illustration.

• One student may produce brilliant writing and inadequate

illustration while another may illustrate well and write poorly.

• There are several ways to address this sort of dilemma:

 Develop methods of assessment
that don't indicate one
intelligence is more valuable than
another.
These may include rubrics . . . letting
students know at the outset the
criteria for weighting different parts
of the project.
 Additionally, try to incorporate a component of your
assessment that shows development of M.I. over time in
a few areas.

• This way, students and parents will see that

students are not "locked into" a particular
intelligence, but actually have room (and school
support) to develop in other areas.
Show students concrete examples of finished
assignments or projects before they begin
their assignments.

• Exhibit both the minimum

expected, and an example of
the highest caliber (against
which the students can
measure their achievement.)
Allow for flexibility and feedback
during the process.

• Provide extra time (either during "free" periods,

or after school) for students to work on their
projects. In class discussion, students may help
you formulate appropriate standards for M.I.
evaluation.
Without turning over the responsibility
for evaluation, engage students in the
process.

• Some rubrics include

peer evaluation.
Some classes set up
student panels to
review
demonstrations.
 The Timetable may seem to block
some of your plans.
• Incorporating multiple intelligence activities into your work does
not necessarily entail more time.

• However, when students are doing activities that they enjoy, they
become entranced, in what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
calls a state of "flow." When the students are absorbed in their work,
you may feel frustrated with the amount of time the schedule allows.

• Assigning projects and performance-based tasks can mean

restructuring part of the daily schedule, altering the physical setup
of the classroom, or allowing extended time for completion of
assigned work.
Key principles
Key principles of multiple intelligences
(M.I.) theory to guide curriculum
structure and lesson planning include
the following:
It is important to teach subject matter through
a variety of activities and projects.

• To this end, fill the classroom with rich and

engaging activities that evoke a range of
intelligences.
• Also, encourage students to work collaboratively
as well as individually to support both their
"interpersonal" and "intrapersonal" intelligences.
Assessments should be integrated
into learning.

• And students need to play an active role in their

assessment.
• When a student helps determine and clarify the
goals of classroom activities, his or her academic
success and confidence increases.
Offer students a number of choices for
"showing what they know" about a
topic. In addition to traditional paper
tests, students need opportunities to
create meaningful projects and
authentic presentations.
It is counterproductive to label students
with a particular intelligence.

• While an artistic genius may begin to reveal herself in

grade 2, it limits her potential for understanding to fail
to expose her to opportunities to access her other
intelligences.
• All students have all intelligences.
• By nurturing the whole spectrum, teachers motivate
students, foster their learning, and strengthen their
intelligences.
Some advice to end with...
• Make natural and common sense choices rather than
forcing material.
• Not every lesson or assignment has to have all of the
intelligences and all modalities of instruction.
• M.I. Resources consist of both materials and people.
You will need both as you answer each question and
meet each challenge.
• Call on "experts" to be guest speakers for your class.