Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
Musical Intelligence Music comes “naturally” Can be unable to learn or
communicate, but able to perform
Ability to perform and comprehend musically seems to work independently from other forms of intelligence
Learn through songs, patterns, rhythms, instruments and musical expression
Bands nerds report here.
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
Sit down! Be still! Possess a certain
control over movement, balance, agility, and grace, even before formal training
Natural sense of how the body should act and react
Learn though activity – games, movement, hands-on tasks, building
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
Most popular… Ability to mentally process
logical problems (Can you do math in your head…fast?)
Archetypal intelligence, raw intellect of Western culture
Aptitude for numbers, reasoning, problem solving.
Fit well in today’s classrooms. (About half of the population of students.)
“The square root of the hypotenuse of an isosceles triangle is equal to the sum of the square roots of the opposite sides.”
Linguistic Intelligence Ability to construct an
comprehend language All people from all
cultures (including young children and deaf culture) possess the ability to utilize language
Learn by speaking, writing, reading, listening
Successful in traditional classrooms because of consistency with traditional instruction
Spatial Intelligence Comprehend shapes and
images in three dimensions (puzzles, sculptures, navigation)
Ability to perceive and interpret that which we may or may not physically see
Learn by visually organizing (charts, graphs, maps, tables, illustrations, costumes)
Interpersonal Intelligence Ability to interact with
others, understand them, interpret their behavior
How we notice distinction among others (mood, temperaments, motivation, intentions)
People-oriented, outgoing, learn in groups, cooperatively.
Talkative, “too concerned about social activities”
Intrapersonal Intelligence Ability to understand and
sense our “self” Tap into being – who we are,
what feelings we have, why we are this way
Leads to strong self-esteem, self-enhancement, and strength of character to solve internal problems
Conveyed in rage or joy, poem or painting
Tend to be more reserved, intuitive about what is learned and how it relates to self He is in touch with his feelings – he
wants it NOW!
Naturalist Intelligence Ability to identify and
classify patterns in nature Ability to relate to
surroundings and the role each part of the environment plays
Can distinguish nuances between large numbers of similar objects
Learn in the context of outdoors, animals, field trips.
Love subtle differences in meanings. (Non-traditional)
What are the subtle differences in these organisms?
Existentialist Brand new – not very
well defined yet. Learn in the context
of where humankind stands in the “big picture”
Ask, “Why are we here?” “What is our role in the world?”
Fits into the discipline of philosophy.
“We are the world….”
Misuses of the MI Theory Trying to teach all concepts or subjects
using all intelligences Assuming it is enough just to apply a
certain intelligence, no matter how you use it.
Using an intelligence as a background for other activities
Mixing intelligences with other desirable qualities
Direct evaluation or even grading of intelligences without regard to contextFrom: Educational Psychology (2000) by Anita E. Woolfolk.
Good uses of MI Theory
The cultivation of desired abilities Approaching a concept, subject
mater, discipline in a variety of ways
The personalization of education
From: Educational Psychology (2000) by Anita E. Woolfolk.
It’s not how smart are you?
It’s HOW are you SMART?
Now you do it…Teach your students how to make a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich using the multiple intelligences.
Design an activity for Musical Bodily/
Kinesthetic Logical Linguistic Spatial
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic Existentialist
What’s the difference between
an “intelligence” and a “learning style”?
Learning Styles Auditory Visual Kinesthetic Tactile Other