Howard Gardner set his sights on changing the way that
intelligence is looked at. He considered
the view of a single general intelligence (“g”) as outdated and unable to
account for some of the issues he was encountering as he studied individuals
who had suffered from some sort of brain injury. While his perspective was mainly that from a
psychological standpoint, his theory of Multiple Intelligences soon became a
“beacon of light” for educators around the world.
Gardner
has designated at least 8 different intelligences that he believes (and in his
opinion, empirical research has proven) exist in each individual. Those intelligences include: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical,
spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natural
intelligence. He continues to question
the existence of a ninth intelligence, existential intelligence. In order for an intelligence to “qualify” it
must meet a series of criteria. These
criteria include: the potential for
brain isolation by brain damage, its place in evolutionary history, the
presence of core operations, susceptibility to encoding, a distinct
developmental progression, the existence of idiot-savants, prodigies and other
exceptional people, support from experimental psychology, and support from
psychometric findings. (Gardner, 1983)
Because
educators grasped so quickly onto Gardner’s theory and looked for ways that it
might impact what was going on in the classroom, it seems natural that we
should look to see how Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences might apply
to educational technology use in schools.
Gardner believes that technology is “a tool, not positive or negative”
(Weiss, 2000) and believes that the use of technology in the classroom can
allow for different intelligences to be “showcased” in a variety of ways. For example, someone who exhibits a strong
musical intelligence, might be highly engaged when they’re using a computer
program to compose music. Likewise,
someone who is strongly intelligence in logical-mathematical intelligence,
might enjoy creating a new computer program or modifying existing programming
through the use of Open Source Software. Just using the Internet might expand upon interpersonal and
intrapersonal intelligences due to the very collaborative nature of online
resources now available. There are
numerous other ways in which multiple intelligences may be strengthened by
using educational technology resources.
Gardner
cautions against seeing the multiple intelligence theory as a “educational
prescription” that will cure what is wrong with students in the educational
system (Gardner, 2006). Rather, he
envisions his theory as a platform for understanding about how education is to
be designed for student understanding.
If teachers are using the theory correctly in the classroom, students
will be given the opportunity to demonstrate or show their learning in a
fashion that best suits their strengths.
Similarly, he believes that the assessment practices currently in place
in the United States need to be looked at closely for their connection to
multiple intelligences.
One of
Gardner’s fundamental assumptions about his theory is that there is a
relationship between genetics and culture.
Without the culture valuing a particular intelligence(s), it will not be
important to the child. Our educational
systems are products of the cultures in which we live. The role of technology in the educational
system is also a by-product of our cultural value. As we move forward, it seems apparent that
technology is not going away and as educators, it is our responsibility to
ensure that students are given opportunity and experiences to best use their
intelligences in their learning. It is
through this design that Gardner believes that his multiple intelligence theory
can make the greatest impact. He reminds
his readers that it is especially important that we not allow technology to not
dictate the uses, but rather, the educator and the student. (Gardner, 1999)
Resources:
Gardner,
H. (1983). Frames of Mind. Basic
Books: New York.
Gardner,
H. (1999). The disciplined mind.
Penguin Books: New York.
Gardner,
H. (2006). Multiple intelligences.
Basic Books: New York.
Weiss,
R. (2000). Howard Gardner Talks About Technology. Training & Development,
54(9), 52.
I love Howard Gardener’s theory, and I think you did a wonderful job of explaining it! I even learned some things about the theory that I did not know.
ReplyDeleteI thought the educational prescription part of your blog was very interesting. I agree that education should be designed much differently. I don’t know how standards work in Ohio since I’m new to this state, but in Michigan they had HSSCEs – standards that explained exactly what a teacher was expected to teach students in a year. Maybe one day these standards will be expanded to include the design of education. With stricter standards for teachers in Michigan and merit pay getting closer, maybe design standards aren’t as unrealistic as once thought. This has a big connection to your next paragraph about culture. I always thought culture affected education, but I think it’s time for education to affect culture.
After reading your post, I realize now how much American education needs to change. Teaching really is the hardest job in the world, but I’m hopeful that these changes could occur.
“…his multiple intelligence theory can make the greatest impact.” I’d love to see his theory being put into place and watch the changes that occur.
Thanks for sharing all of this – it was very uplifting and explains how powerful education can be.
I too agree that you did a fantabulous job of explaining Gardner's theory. I am not fond of psychology, but your explanation of this theory has sparked my interest in reading more about Gardner's theory.
ReplyDeleteI am going to disagree with you, though, on your statement, "Our educational systems are products of the cultures in which we live." I only disagree because for minority and rural students their educational systems are not products of their culture.
This is just my personal opinion as an African American student and educator.
If you get the chance to read Gardner, the basis for most of his theory is that of the relationship between biology and culture. If a particular intelligence is valued (or not valued) in a cultural setting, it has the potential to either become or not become a strength. For example, the Eskimos have extraordinary spatial intelligence. They live in a landscape that is mostly the same and they have to use this intelligence in order to get from their hunting grounds and home again. There are similar examples from cultures that value story telling and still others that value the study of music from early ages.
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