| Although many high school age students tend to | | | | area may make the student more likely to |
| think and learn in nontraditional ways, American | | | | engage in areas where they feel less |
| schools still base their instruction primarily on the | | | | comfortable." Since students are not made to feel |
| verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical | | | | as though they are stupid because they do not |
| intelligences. As a result, many students who are | | | | know something, a change in attitude takes place |
| not strong in these traditional intelligences develop | | | | which effectively removes the "block" which once |
| poor attitudes toward school and their academic | | | | prevented learning. |
| achievement suffers. | | | | Multiple intelligences based instruction is effective |
| According to psychologist Howard Gardner's | | | | because it provides a comfort zone by allowing |
| theory of multiple intelligences, intelligences change | | | | students to think in ways that are comfortable |
| with age and with experience. Since our culture | | | | for them. It also helps them develop thought |
| places so much importance on the traditional | | | | processes that they do not normally use by |
| intelligences and since so many high school | | | | providing them with a positive environment in |
| students have strengths in the nontraditional | | | | which they can experiment without feeling that |
| intelligences, it makes sense to incorporate the | | | | they are not "intelligent." Students who are strong |
| multiple intelligences into classroom instruction in | | | | in nontraditional intelligences often are made to |
| order to provide experiences that will change | | | | feel that they don't measure up to the rest of |
| students' intelligences for the better. | | | | their classmates. Multiple intelligences based |
| This is not to say that the development of | | | | instruction provides all students with the |
| linguistic and analytical skills should be abandoned in | | | | opportunities they need to succeed, and students |
| favor of nontraditional approaches to education. | | | | who have been successful are better equipped to |
| Rather, traditional and nontraditional approaches | | | | attempt more challenging work. |
| should be combined to formulate a method of | | | | In short, multiple intelligences based instruction has |
| education that is best suited to the students who | | | | the potential to eliminate (or at least reduce) the |
| populate our classrooms. The multiple intelligences | | | | number of American students who are currently |
| offer a balance which teaches students what | | | | stumbling blindly through our systems of |
| they need to know in order to be successful in | | | | education. These students can be provided with |
| our society in a way that compliments the unique | | | | the opportunities that they need in order to |
| abilities that each individual possesses. | | | | succeed in school while they are improving the |
| All students should have the opportunity to not | | | | verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences |
| only further develop their dominant intelligences, | | | | that they will require in order to be successful in |
| but should also have the opportunity to develop | | | | our society. |
| their weaker intelligences. Students who are weak | | | | Look for multiple intelligences teaching ideas in The |
| in the verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical | | | | Writing Tutor's lesson plans section. |
| intelligences will certainly be at a disadvantage in a | | | | References: |
| culture that places so much emphasis on the | | | | Chen, J. Q., & Gardner, H. (1997). Alternative |
| traditional intelligences. Despite their weaknesses, | | | | assessment from a multiple intelligences |
| however, students who are given the opportunity | | | | perspective. In B. Torff (ed.), Multiple intelligences |
| to succeed using an intelligence in which they can | | | | and assessment: A collection of articles, 27-54. |
| excel demonstrate that they are capable of | | | | Arlington Heights, IL: IRI/Skylight Training and |
| developing their verbal-linguistic and | | | | Publications, Inc. |
| logical-mathematical intelligences. | | | | Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory |
| Because MI based instruction is designed to reach | | | | of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books. |
| a combination of intelligences, the multiple | | | | Gardner, H. (1995a). Multiple intelligences as a |
| intelligences classroom is perceived by students as | | | | catalyst. English Journal, 84 (8), 16-18. |
| a place where everyone can do something well, | | | | Gardner, H. (1995b). Reflections on multiple |
| instead of as a place where some students are | | | | intelligences: Myths and messages. Expanded |
| "smart" and others are not. MI focuses on | | | | Academic ASAP [on-line database]. Original |
| students' strengths and uses those strengths to | | | | Publication: Phi Delta Kappan, 77 (3). |
| build up weaker areas. According to Jie-Qi Chen & | | | | Teele, A. (1996). Redesigning the educational |
| Gardner the multiple intelligences can bridge the | | | | system to enable all students to succeed. NASSP |
| gap from an area of success to an area of | | | | Bulletin, (80) 583, 65-75. |
| difficulty because "the sense of success in one | | | | |