Multiple Intelligence

“Gardener’s "Theory of Multiple Intelligences" implies that educators should recognize and teach to a broader range of talents and skills, acknowledging that while all students may not be verbally or mathematically gifted, children may have an expertise in other areas, such as music, spatial relations, or interpersonal knowledge” (Early Childhood Today, 2005). As a future teacher, I think all eight intelligences are needed to productively function in society. Therefore, I think of all intelligences as equally important. When I was going to school the use of traditional education systems of verbal and mathematical intelligences were focused.

Out of the eight intelligences I feel the most important is verbal-linguistic intelligence because throughout life we have to use words weather they are written or spoken which in return better auditory skills are developed (Webb, 2007).

A lot of schools have a tight budget and the teacher may be asked to perform multiple subject areas that some schools have a separate teach for (art and/or music). Each person is born with all eight intelligences (Chapman, 1993) and it is therefore recommended that teachers use a variety of ways to teach a lesson (Safi, 1996). I would say to accommodate multiple intelligences into the curriculum design I choose integrated curriculum along with a progressivism curriculum. This way the students can move to different centers that focus on the main subject but can incorporate different intelligence theories into the lesson. I feel by approaching and assessing learning in this manner it will allow a wider range of students to successfully participate in classroom learning.

Early Childhood Today. (2005) Staff Workshop Teacher Handout: Understanding the Theory of Multiple Intelligences Retrieved May 27, 2008 from http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=11999&FullBreadCrumb=%3C a+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch% 2F%3FNtt%3D%2BUnderstanding%2Bthe%2BTheory%2Bof%2BMultiple%2BI ntelligences.%2BStaff%2BWorkshop%2BHandout%2B%26query%3D%2BUnde rstanding%2Bthe%2BTheory%2Bof%2BMultiple%2BIntelligences.%2BStaff%2 BWorkshop%2BHandout%2B%26Ntk%3DSCHL30_SI%26Ntx%3Dmode%2Bm atchallpartial%26N%3D0%26Nty%3D1%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EA ll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E

Safi, A.M.