Story behind MI theory
Once upon a time, a teacher named Howard Gardner noticed that his students had very different strengths and abilities. Some students were great at music and could pick up a new tune quickly, while others were amazing at solving puzzles or had a natural talent for understanding other people’s emotions.
Gardner wondered if there were different types of intelligence, beyond just the traditional idea of being smart. He began to research and study the idea of multiple intelligences, which suggests that there are many different ways that people can be intelligent.
He came up with a list of eight different intelligences, which he believed were all equally important and valuable. These included:
- Musical intelligence – the ability to understand and create music.
- Linguistic intelligence – the ability to use language effectively.
- Logical-mathematical intelligence – the ability to reason and solve problems.
- Spatial intelligence – the ability to visualize and think in three dimensions.
- Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence – the ability to control movements and manipulate objects.
- Interpersonal intelligence – the ability to understand and communicate with others.
- Intrapersonal intelligence – the ability to understand oneself.
- Naturalistic intelligence – the ability to recognize and categorize natural phenomena.
Gardner realised that each person has a unique combination of these intelligences and that it is important to recognise and nurture all of them. He believed that traditional education often focuses too much on just one or two types of intelligence, which can lead to many people feeling like they are not smart or not good at anything.
Application
With his theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner hoped to inspire educators to create more inclusive and diverse learning environments, where every student’s strengths and talents are valued and celebrated. As an early childhood teacher, I plan experiences to cater for all 8 types of intelligences, e.g. outdoor treasure hunt can involve nature smart child, word smart and physically smart child. How do you apply his theory?
Here is Professor Gardner explaining his theory
