According to Brualdi (1996) the work of theorist, Howard Earl Gardner’ theory has always been defined by the desire to not only describe the world but to create situations that can possibly change the conditions of the world (Brualdi, 1996). One of his best known works is his Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The theory of Gardner can be used for the development of curriculums in classroom due to its holistic approach in teaching. The primary motivation of Gardner’s theory branched out to the development of the first six intelligences that eventually became nine. The listed intelligences (also known as competencies) are linked to a person’s set of unique aptitude such as capabilities and define/ predict the way that they will display intelligence.
Looking at Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence from an education standpoint, it dictates a lot about human potential. Armstrong (2010) shared that human potential is related to the person’s preference when they learn. In this line, the focus of Gardner’s theory to human potential is found in the reality that people have a unique set and combination of potentialities and intelligences (Armstrong, 2010). In the works of Gardner he mentioned that his works can actually serve as the foundation in understanding the overall personality of a person (Armstrong, 2010). As an example, there are some children who have their own set of learning preferences.
Some children prefer to learn from doing while others prefer being guided when learning. The logic as an educator is to create an atmosphere that will cater to all pf the learning preferences in order to bring out the maximum potential of each student. Favoring one learning style is dangerous because one student loses the opportunity to learn compared to his co-students.
Moreover, as discussed by Gardner, people who excel in one type of intelligence actually needs to other intelligences in order to solve problems. For example, students when tasked to present creatively usually rely on their kinesthetic abilities when they work on their task because they use body motion to present. But outside of the kinesthetic part, they also use their interpersonal skills because they have to work in groups. (for example, role playing). It is important to keep in mind that people have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning. . It will be difficult to approach learning exclusively because the learning curve of students will suffer.
Another observation, for example are there are some students that when being interviewed tend to be less desirable that who they actually are because of the limitations or preferences created by the interview questions. Criteria can narrow down students into stereotypes. As such, educators need to manage their expectation and balance what they expect from their students.. The call for balance is seen when educators prepare their materials. They need to keep in mind the various learning preferences and how they will address the diverse needs of the learners.
In curriculum development, it is important to keep in mind Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence. This is especially true during the planning stage for instruction and preparation of related activities. Instructions, to demonstrate, are prepared in order to help students assess their strengths that may even unconsciously affect their confidence in developing their areas for improvement. Instructions can help students develop in general. The inclusion of multiple learning can be seen when instructions inject a range of appropriate and meaningful teaching approaches and tools.
Educators are now challenged to attend to every type of intelligence. As an answer to this challenge most teachers prepare curriculum based on extending students’ opportunities when it comes to exploring and learning from a topic. The end result must be for children to learn from one lesson and to apply those lessons to the next. The theory is also a call for a deeper exploration towards creativity that at times is not easily addressed and measured by traditional teaching methods. Rigid curriculums were debunked due to the introduction of the concept of multiple intelligence.
One good example is the removal of teacher-centered learning in most schools and the application of student-centered approach to encourage students to discover their own potentialities and solve problems. Another example of this approach is allowing students to report in front of the class. The teacher will just give one topic and the students on their own will brainstorm and think how they will present the topic. The end result of this approach is astonishing because the ideas of the students are truly unconventional and creates a lot of potential for future scientific exploration. It challenges students to look outside of the box and to be not afraid of learning.
In line with exploration, teachers need to re-evaluate their respective measurement of learning, meaning how will they actually measure a student’s performance? Basing a student’s learning capability based on exam results is no longer applicable because some students may perform well in written exams but not in other aspects of learning. Tools must also measure learning holistically in order for students’ learning to be measured on a deeper level. In conclusion, applying Gardner’s multiple intelligence in learning is a great way to introduce holistic and inclusive learning for everyone. In order to develop meaningful learning instructions, the techniques must be grounded by educational theories. In the beginning, the concepts of multiple intelligence have not been easily accepted by some psychologists because of its complexity. Educational theorists, however, embraced Gardner’s notion because of its promise to the educational field.
References:
Armstrong, T. (2010). Multiple intelligences.
http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/multiple_intelligences.htmBrualdi, A, C. (1996) ‘Multiple Intelligences: Gardner’s Theory. ERIC Digest’, Eric Digests, [http://www.ericdigests.org/1998-1/multiple.htm. Accessed June 15, 2008]
