Howard Gardner 's Theory On Multiple Intelligences

Ever since Spearman proposed the intelligence theory with G factor, there were several other intelligence theories proposed in response or as an alternative to Spearman’s. Among those, Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory would be the most influential ones as they are widely accepted and used in real life. Both of the theories share a critical view towards the unitary perspective which is the traditional definition of intelligence. However, the two theories differ in which they don’t agree with what factors should be the measures of intelligence, as well as the emphasis of the two theories.

The Theories of Howard Gardner and Urie Bronfenbrenner are two theorists at the heart of my education philosophy. I firmly believe in Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory and his perspective that everyone has their own individual learning style. This is important to know, especially when working with children. Understanding how each child learns best and the way they process information provides teachers with a unique viewpoint into each student and allows for opportunities to teach in a way that fosters many benefits for everyone. Using Gardner’s theory as a basis for my teaching, allows me to plan meaningful inclusive curriculum and create a classroom environment that encourages success for each child and their families.

In “A Rounded Version: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, Howard Gardner illustrates how there are a variety of intelligences. Gardner starts off with an example how IQ tests may predict achievement in school but may not predict achievement in life. After finding out certain parts of the brain are responsible for certain functions, such as “Broca’s Area” which is responsible for sentence production, Gardner proposes the existence of multiple intelligences. Multiple studies later led him to propose seven distinct intelligences; Musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Each intelligence has certain classifications. According to Gardner’s classifications, I realized my intelligences are bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, and intrapersonal.

You’re a genius! As this compliment rings in your head imagine that someone is referring to your ability to understand yourself, or even your ability to interact with other people. Under Gardner’s Theory of multiple intelligences each and every one of us have different intelligence strengths, our individual strengths are important in how we develop. Possibly making more unconventional geniuses. Knowing and acknowledging our strengths can help us to excel in life at different levels. Most of us are a combination of many different intelligences. Normally with one or two that are stronger than the others. Like many others you might be thinking intelligence only in reference to a high IQ, and knowledge these other so called “intelligences” are too broad, but I believe you couldn’t be more incorrect. These are possible new ideas for you but consider the fact that we all learn differently if we all had the same type of intelligence than we would all learn the exact same way. As we know this clearly not true. After deep reflection and some research I believe my strongest intelligence is Interpersonal intelligence. Strong interpersonal intelligence are people who are good at understanding and interacting with others nonverbally and verbally. Usually more talented in assessing the emotions and desires of those around them. My second strongest intelligence is intrapersonal intelligences describe as one’s ability to know and understand them self. It is believed that these

Howard Gardner said, “Anything that is worth teaching can be presented in many different ways. These multiple ways can make use of our multiple intelligence.” Howard Gardner has written a book about a theory he called the Multiple Intelligences theory, in which Gardner states that people have one main intelligence from which they learn. There are eight different intelligences, according to Gardner, explaining how people learn best and the different strengths of learning they exhibit. Although Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory has been around since the 1980s, it is still relevant and useful to those in all areas of the education process. Some people believe that Howard Gardner’s theory is too broad and difficult to write a curriculum around. It has been proven, however, in certain instances, that the utilization of this theory raises students’ scores and their success rates.

Lastly, my philosophy thoughts and beliefs follow that of Howard Gardner. Gardner’s work in education suggests that everyone has multiple intelligences that aids in the way that they learn. He believes that because everybody processes information in different ways, then their learning and understanding will differ as well. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory mentions seven main ways in which he believes that students learn. These multiple intelligence include visual-spatial such as visual aids, bodily-kinesthetic involves movement, musical, interpersonal or the interaction with others, intrapersonal or independent learners, linguistic, and logical-mathematical (Lane, n.d.).

The theory of multiple intelligences was developed by Dr. Howard Gardner in 1983. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences is a critique of the standard psychological view of intellect: there is a single intelligence, adequately measured by IQ or other short answer tests. Instead, on the basis of evidence from disparate sources, the theory claims that human beings have a number of relatively discrete intellectual capacities. IQ tests assess linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence, and sometimes spatial intelligence; they are a reasonably good predictor of who will do well in school. This is because humans have several other significant intellectual capacities (Harvard University).

David Wechsler defines intelligence “as a global capacity to think rationally, and deal effectively with the environment” (page 290). Over the course of several years, psychologist’s have presented theories based off of Wechsler’s definition of intelligence such as Howard Gardner’s theory of “Multiple Intelligence's” and Robert Sternberg’s “Triarchic Theory of Intelligence”. While some difference between Gardner and Sternberg are distinct there are similarities to their theories.

Ignacio Estrada, Director of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, once said “If a child can 't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn”. Psychologist Howard Gardner’s research and theories embody Estrada’s quote. Gardner’s works as a developmental and cognitive psychologist have impacted the way children are taught in their early childhood. His findings are focused on how humans think and how they learn in different ways. Howard Gardner is considered one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th and 21st centuries because of his cognitive and developmental research, most particularly his theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Howard Gardner is a Harvard graduate and developmental Psychologist who founded the theory of multiple intelligences. There are nine different types that allow educators to identify differing strengths and weaknesses in students. The types of intelligences include; verbal/linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential. Gardner has created a multiple intelligence charter school that uses these categories to better teach and shape young minds. Along with Gardner; there is another psychologist, Daniel Goleman, who expanded the theory of emotional intelligence over IQ. Emotional intelligence, differing from multiple intelligence, is the ability to recognize one 's own feelings and others emotions and is just as important to success as multiple intelligence.

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences suggests that human beings do not just have a single intellectual capacity, but rather have many different intelligences all with their own strengths. The theory believes that people have a range of all of the 7 intelligences; Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Musical, Bodily- Kinesthetic, Spatial, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. However people may be stronger in a specific intelligence.

     The beginning of the school year is possibly one of the most stressful experiences for a student to endure due to mandatory placement testing—ultimately deciding where and what level a student belongs to based upon their test scores. However, what if a student does not do well on the placement testing because the subjects that the educational system deem ‘intelligent’ are not the student’s strongest attribute? Based upon the low score, the educational system would declare that student to be unintelligent. But is that student really unintelligent? Or are we “brain-washed to restrict the notion of intelligence to the

Scholar Howard Gardner is famous for developing a pedagogical theory detailing seven different ways that humans learn about the world around them. All human beings are different. We all learn knowledge and use our educations in a variety of ways. One flaw found in the educational system is that it doesn't always recognize different learning styles and instead teaches students using limited methods. According to Gardner's theory, this is a problem that needs to be fixed. He details seven different types of intelligence to show the various ways human beings learn.

Howard Gardner recognizes that intelligence is more than the single logical-mathematical processing of stored facts that intelligence tests assess. He views intelligence as problem-solving, problem-creating, and problem-finding across a range of situations. There are a total of eight Multiple Intelligences: Logical-Mathematical, Linguistic, Musical, Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and lastly, Naturalist Intelligence. These Intelligences allow educators to carefully integrate several content areas within a specific curricula.

According to Dr. Howard Gardner each person has nine different kinds of intelligence that are a reflection of the different ways of interacting with the world. Each individual has a unique combination of these intelligences and there is no way two people can have the exact same configuration of this intelligences. He defined intelligence in different perspectives these are; the ability to create a product that is valued in culture, as a set of skills that make a person able to solve problems and as a potential for finding or creating solutions for problems that involve gathering of knowledge. He then put the nine intelligences; this can give an individual several strengths if one decides to focus on them as their way of thinking.