Multiple Intelligences

A Presentation by Salvatore Colosi, Joelle Francht, Justin Kapusta, and Rachel Orland

Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Test

Test (click here)

Background on Multiple Intelligence• Multiple intelligence is a theory that was formulated

by a developmental psychologist named Howard Gardner

• The theory states that human beings have a variety of ways to process information; these "intelligences" are distinct and independent from one another

• Gardner initially identified eight types of intelligence: Linguistic, logic-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic

•  Gardner once said, "It's not how smart you are, it's how you are smart."

• Gardner suggested that in the classroom, teachers should try to incorporate as many of the intelligences as possible

Background on Multiple Intelligence• At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Howard

Gardner runs a program called "Project Zero" • The mission statement of Project Zero is "to understand

and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels"

 • The website for Project Zero: http://pzweb.harvard.edu/ 

 • Project Zero also stresses that each of the eight

intelligences is equally important, and that teachers should incorporate all of them into lesson plans

Linguistic Intelligence

• Aka "word smart"• Involves mastery of language; people with linguistic

intelligence tend to think in words and have highly developed auditory skills

• "Word smart" individuals typically go into fields such as teaching, journalism, writing, law, and translation

• These people memorize information best by using words; they tend to be great at explaining things and have an innate ability to analyze language

• "Word smart" people are good at telling jokes and telling stories; they make stories exciting and compelling with varied language and syntax

Linguistic Intelligence (continued)

• In the classroom, teachers may find it quite easy to incorporate the strengths of "word smart" students into their lessons

• Students with strong linguistic intelligence need open-ended activities that bring out their creative side

• Good activities for them are storytelling, brainstorming, tape recording, journal writing, and publishing

• Students with strong linguistic intelligence may also develop strong interpersonal skills; therefore, they may also possess strong interpersonal intelligence

Interpersonal Intelligence

•  Aka "people smart" • Students with strong interpersonal skills are able to

understand other people; they can generate ideas about how to work cooperatively with other students in the classroom

• Interpersonal intelligence builds on a student's innate capacity to notice subtle distinctions in other people

• For instance, this student may notice contrasts and shifts in people's moods, motivations, intentions, and feelings

• Students with strong interpersonal intelligence often become politicians, religious leaders, salesmen, therapists, or counselors

Interpersonal Intelligence (continued)• In the classroom, teachers can foster interpersonal

intelligence by having students work together in groups on a variety of projects

• In this way, students will develop experience working with a variety of classmates; this should help to strengthen a student's interpersonal skills

• Interpersonal intelligence can be related to linguistic intelligence, since students use language to communicate with other people

• Interpersonal intelligence can also be closely linked with intrapersonal intelligence; sometimes, students who understand themselves are better able to understand other people

Musical Intelligence 

• Students with strong musical intelligence are able to recognize sounds, tones, rhythm, and have a "good ear" for music 

• Students generally have good rhythm, can easily memorize songs, notice different sounds, are talented with an instrument or their voice, can tell when a note is off-key, and often have a song stuck in their head.

• Good career matches are; musician, singer, conductor, composer, music teacher, choir director, and record producer.

Musical Intelligence (continued)

• Students high in musical intelligence learn best through lectures and using rhythm and music as a tool to memorize things

•  Creating musical mnemonics will help  students learn things

• Helping students find patterns in what they are learning is also very helpful

• When teaching students new concepts, have them write songs or repeat the new concept to a tune.

• Students high in musical intelligence will enjoy learning languages and grammar, ciphering and deciphering codes and symbols, and working with numbers and number theory as they get older.  

Naturalistic Intelligence

• Students with strong naturalistic intelligence are comfortable outside, are aware of their surrounding, enjoy collecting rocks, leaves, shells, etc, nurture living things through gardening or caring for pets

• Students are very good at recognizing patterns and colors, sorting and classifying, understanding and explaining natural phenomena, and making crafts and projects out of natural materials.

• Good career choices are; biologist, conservationist, gardener, farmer, zoologist.

Naturalistic Intelligence (continued)• Students high in naturalistic intelligence learn best

through observing, categorizing, classifying, and working in the natural world

• Using tools suck as a microscope, telescope, or hand lens helps students learn

• Listing data about characteristics and keeping a journal helps students learn

• Having students group, rank, and separate enables them to learn better

• Help students point out similarities and differences when learning multiple concepts

• Having students keep data in a blog or journal is another tool that benefits naturalistic learners.

Visual/Spatial IntelligenceThose with spatial intelligence often display a combination of many of these skills and characteristics:

• To think in pictures and to perceive the visual world accurately• To be able to think in three dimensions and to transform one's

perceptions and recreate aspects of one's visual experience via imagination

• To work with objects

Demonstrated by:

Construction: To be able to make, build, or assemble things 

Artistic Design: To create artistic designs, drawings, paintings, or other crafts

Imagery: Use of mental imagery for observation, artistic, creative, and other visual activities 

Visual/Spatial Intelligence Continued..

Ways to engage students with spatial intelligence utilizing "learning centers" in the class room: 

"Learning Centers, also called "Learning Stations", are situations around the classroom that a teacher sets up for students to work in either small group or individual activities. Each of these centers has supplies and materials that work well together and give students the tools to complete activities and mini-projects--either in groups of two to three students or individually." 

-http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index.html

Visual/Spatial Intelligence Continued..Performance Center: (for encouraging students' Visual/Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal Intelligences)            -Wigs, Costumes, Shoes        -Washable Makeup    -Masks and Props

Build-It, Paint-It Center: (for encouraging students' Visual/Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, and Logical Intelligences)

• Materials for attaching things to other things (glue, staplers, sewing materials, nails and screws, pins, clips, etc.)• Wood, metal, Styrofoam, recycled containers, bottles, cardboard, and tools to work with them• Various types and colors of paper and cardboard (for creating a homemade board game, etc.)• Variety of writing implements (markers, crayons), fabric scraps, modeling clayLearning centers allow for student interaction and group work, peer to peer teaching/learning and can also engage entire groups of students that possess a variety of intelligences. 

Bodily/Kinesthetic IntelligenceBodily-Kinesthetic intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the intelligence of using mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Howard Gardner considers mental and physical abilities to be related. 

Those with kinesthetic intelligence often display a combination of many of these skills, abilities and characteristics:

• To think in movements and to use the body in skilled and complicated ways for expressive as well as goal-directed activities

• Sense of timing and coordination

• Physical Skill: Ability to move the whole body for physical activities such as balancing, coordination, and sports

• Dancing, Acting: To use the body in expressive, rhythmic, and imitative ways

• Working with Hands: To use the hands with dexterity and skill for detailed activities and small work

Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence Continued...As teachers, we may recognize students with kinesthetic intelligence by their behavior and by our personal experience with students. Ways to recognize students with kinesthetic intelligence can be done by observation.Student has/is:• A good sense of balance and/or  rhythm     •Is graceful in movement                                   •"Reads" body language            • Good hand-to-eye coordination               •Can solve problems through doing        •Can communicate ideas through gesture              • Early ease in manipulating objects (e.g., ball, needle                                                    •Good at physical activities (e.g., sports, dance, acting) and craftsWays to engage kinesthetic learners:Incorporated into subject matter: Movies, animations, exercises, physicalizing concepts, rhythm exercises                                               Ways of demonstrating Understanding: Dance recital, athletic performance or competition

Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence Continued...

Aiding children in the classroom with Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence:

For children with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, physical interaction and physical stimulus  are the best avenues to help them learn.

• Make them act out their learning as much as possible• Help them remember what they have learnt by associating it with

hand gestures, body parts, mimes etc.,• Help them do as many experiments and projects as possible to

learn science, mathematics (using objects) etc.,• Give them a stimulative environment where things are within

their sight and reach• Give them access to a diverse set of materials that they use to

create and experiment• Give them breaks to walk around when they are learning.  They

may find it difficult to sit still.

Logical-mathematical

“Math smart”

Overview

• “Is the ability to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complex mathematical operations. These people may like abstract thinking and being organized; enjoy counting, computers, problem solving, and experimenting in logical ways; use logical structure; and prefer orderly note taking.”

• Strengths:o Matho Logico Problem-solvingo Reasoningo Patterns

• Preferences:o Working w/ #’so Questionso Solving problemso Drawing own conclusionso Logic-based problemso Experiments

• Learns best w/:o Classifyingo Categorizingo Working w/ abstracto Patternso Relationships

• Needs:o Science materialso Manipulativeo Field trips

Instructional Strategy

• Quantify it• Think critically about it• Conceptualize it• Teaching materials:

o Calculatorso Graphso Science equipmento Math gameso Math manipulative

Instructional Strategy – Teaching centered

• Teachers can reach students by:o Start off each lesson with a “challenge”

question or brain teasero Include as much logic into lessons as possible.o Answer the question: “why?”o Encourage the students to get to the

conclusiono Provide connections that are logicalo Incorporate technology into lessons

Instructional Strategy – Student centered

• Students tend to:o Create graphs/charts to interpret written infoo Categorize info in logical orderso Organize info into recognizable patternso Solve puzzleso Collect datao Think criticallyo Problem solveo Take notes

Professions

• Scientist• Mathematician• Computer Programmer• Engineer• Accountant

Examples

• John Dewey• Niehls Bohr• Albert Einstein

Intrapersonal

“Self smart”

Overview

• “Is the capacity to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings and to use such knowledge in planning and directing one’s life.”

• Strengths:o Setting goalso Understanding selfo Recognizing strengths/weaknesses

• Preferences:o Work individuallyo Self reflectiono Purse personal interests

• Learns best w/:o Working aloneo Having “space”o Self-paced work

• Needs:o Time aloneo Self-pacedo Choices

Teaching Strategy

• Connect to your personal life…• Make choices with regard to…• Teaching materials:

o Self-checking materialso Journalso Diaryo Materials for projects

Instructional Strategy – Teaching centered

• Teachers can reach students by:o Encourage journaling o Encourage web blogso Encourage individual questionso Create a positive & low-stress environmento Give options to work in groups or individually in

projectso Give project options

Instructional Strategy – Student centered

• Students tend to:o Keep journals/diarieso Individual research o Individual projectso Create portfolios of body of worko Independent readingo Like to chose project topics

Professions

• Psychologist• Counselor• Therapist• Entrepreneur• Philosophy• Theology

Examples

• Eleanor Roosevelt• Sigmund Freud• Gandhi• Ronald Reagan• Bill Clinton

Resources• Cherry, K. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Retrieved from

http://psychology.about.com/od/educationalpsychology/ss/multiple-intell_4.htm• Cherry, K. Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences: Naturalistic

Intelligence. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/educationalpsychology/ss/multiple-intell_9.htm

• Logsdon, A. Mathematical logical learning styles - mathematical logical learners. Retrieved from http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/resourcesresearch/qt/math_learning.htm

• Multiple intelligences and learning styles. In (2011). WikipediaRetrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title

• Multiple intelligences chart. Retrieved from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/intelligence/teaching-methods/2204.html

• Singh, M. Teaching Children Through Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Multiple Intelligence)- Activities, Materials, Examples.                                                                   Retrieved from                                                                                                             http://www.parentree.in/Parentree-editors/journal-808/Teaching-children-through-bodily-kinesthetic-intelligence--multiple-intelligence----Activities--Toys--Materials--Examples.html

• Grow, G. The Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence.                                                                                   Retrieved from                                        http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow/7In/Bodily.html

• Musical Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.mypersonality.info/multiple-intelligences/musical/

• Naturalistic Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.greenhearted.org/naturalist-intelligence.html

• Teaching Children Through Musical Intelligence (Multiple Intelligence). Retrieved from http://www.parentree.in/Parentree-editors/journal-782/Teaching-children-through-musical-intelligence--multiple-intelligence----Activities--Toys--Materials--Examples.html

• Using the theory of multiple intelligences . (2005). Retrieved from http://www.iched.org/cms/scripts/page.php?

• Background on Multiple Intelligences. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/ed_mi_overview.html

• Linguistic Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

• Interpersonal Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.springhurst.org/articles/MItheory.htm