MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

Matilda Gjurgjevi Ivona Marijanovi Glorija Rai Jana Jerkovi Anita Madunovi

WHAT IS MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES THEORY?

Developed by Howard Gardner in 1983. Gardner notes that traditional I.Q. tests measure only logic and language, yet the brain has other equally important types of intelligence.
Refers to a learner-based philosophy that characterizes human intelligence as having multiple dimensions that must be acknowledged and developed in education. Initially developed as a contribution to psychology but quickly adapted by education, teaching and training communities.

All humans have these intelligences, but people differ in the strenghts and combinations of intelligences so likewise learners are viewed as possessing individual learning styles, preferences, or intelligences.

Western schooling and culture focus too much attention on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence. Gardner argues that we should place equal attention on individuals who show gifts in other intelligences: the artists, architects, musicians, naturalists
Strong implications for adult learning and development: many adults find themselves in jobs that do not make optimal use of their most highly developed intelligences but multiple intelligences theory gives adults a whole new way to look at their lives and an opportunity to develop through courses, hobbies or other programs of self-development.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES MODEL

According to Gardner human beings possess different kinds of intelligences which affect different ways of interaction with world. The original list included seven of these and sometimes two more are added.
For Gardner, intelligence is the ability to create an effective product or
offer a service that is valued in a culture; a set of skills that make it possible for a person to solve problems in life; the potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which involves gathering new knowledge.

 The theory's nine currently accepted intelligences are:

spatial (Picture smart); linguistic (Word smart); logical-mathematical (Number/reasoning smart); bodily-kinaesthetic (Body smart); musical (Music smart); interpersonal (People smart); intrapersonal (Self smart); naturalistic (Nature smart) existential.

VISUAL / SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE

Spatial intelligence refers to the ability to comprehend shapes and images in three dimensions and to represent the spatial world internally in your mind. Some possible learning activities are: taking photographs for assignment and classroom newsletters; taking photographs for the school yearbook, school newsletter; taking notes using concept mapping, mind mapping, and clustering or using maps to study geographical locations discussed in class. This intelligence is often relied upon by designers, architects, sculptors, engineers, etc.

LINGUISTIC / VERBAL INTELLIGENCE

Linguistic intelligence refers to the capacity of using any language, native or foreign either orally or in writing to express perfectly what is on your mind and to understand other people in special and creative ways, which is something lawyers, writers, editors and interpreters are strong in. Learning activities include: completing crossword puzzles with vocabulary words; writing short stories and feature articles; writing a letter to the editor.

LOGICAL / MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE

Logical/mathematic al intelligence is the ability to think rationally and solve the mathematical tasks. This intelligence often does not require verbal articulation although mathematicians should be able not only to reason precisely, but also to write down their proof

BODILY / KINAESTHETIC INTELLIGENCE

Bodily or kinesthetic intelligence refers to making the experiment in using one's body to express ideas and feelings as well as the facility to handle objects skillfully. It also involves the control of movement to exhibit fine motor control and characteristics such as grace, balance and agility. Some of the learning activities referring to this intelligence are: creating costumes for roleplaying, skits or simulations; performing skits or acting out scenes from books or key historical events; playing games like Twister and Simon Says.

MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE
Musical intelligence has to do with sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music. People with a high musical intelligence normally have good or absolute pitch, and they are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music. They also have sensitivity to rhythm, meter, tone, melody or timber. Some learning activities can be these: practice by writing songs and music; putting original poems to music; performing them for the class; incorporate a poem they have written with a melody

INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE
Interpersonal intelligence deals with the ability to understand other people. High interpersonal intelligence is characterized by their sensitivity to others' moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations which is strong in salespeople, politicians and teachers. Learning activities related to this area may be: working in cooperative groups to design and complete projects; working in pairs to learn math facts; interviewing people with knowledge about content-area topics

INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE

The ability to understand oneself and apply ones talent successfully, which leads to happy and well-adjusted people in all areas of life.

NATURALISTIC INTELLIGENCE

The ability to understand and organize the patterns of nature.

EXISTENTIAL INTELLIGENCE

The ability to exhibit the proclivity to pose and ponder questions about life, death and ultimate realities.

THE MI SYLLABUS
There is no syllabus as such, either prescribed or recommended, but there is a basic developmental sequence that has been proposed as an alternative type of syllabus design.

The sequence consists of four stages:

1. Awaken the intelligence through multisensory experiences touching, smelling, tasting, seeing and so on.

2. Amplify the Intelligences students strengthen and improve the intelligence by volunteering objects and events of their own choosing and defining with others the contexts of experience of these objects and events.

3. Teach with/for the Intellinence the intelligence is linked to the focus of the class, to some aspects of language learning.
4. Transfer of the Intelligence students reflect on the learning experiences of the previous three stages and relate these to challenges in the out-of-class world.

ROLE OF THE TEACHER

Teachers are encouraged not to think of themselves merely as language teachers, they have a role that is not only to improve the second language abilities of their students but to become major contributors to the development of students intelligences.

ROLE OF THE LEARNER

Learners need to see themselves engaged in a process of personality develpoment above and beyond that of being successful language learners. The MI classroom is designed to support development of the whole person and the environment and its activities are intended to enable students to become more wellrounded individuals and successful learners in general.

Conclusion
Multiple Intelligences is an increasingly popular approach to characterizing the ways in which learners are unique and to developing instructions to respond to this uniqueness. MI is one of a set of such perspectives dealing with learner differences and borrows heavily from these in its recomendations and designs for lesson planning.