Giovanna Spantigati

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES THEORY. EXPLANATION, SURVEYS, EXAMPLES, GAMES, PROJECTS.

WHAT IS THE MIT - THE EIGHT INTELLIGENCES

- MIT IS A WAY AND NOT AN END IN ITSELF. How it is applied, purposes and intents.
- SURVEY
- HOW TO APPLY MIT:
- WAYS
- ENTRY POINTS
- EXAMPLES
- THE GENERIC GAME
- PROJECT

WHAT IS THE MIT

THE MIT IS NEITHER A TEACHING APPROACH NOR A PEDAGOGICAL THEORY. IT IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CONCEPTUALIZATION OF INTELLIGENCE.
The traditional view of intelligence came from the French psychologist Alfred Binet in the early 1900s. Binet had developed a test that identified children at risk for school failure. The test was effective for that purpose. However it was then used as the basis for psychometric measurement of individuals' general capabilities or intelligence. This test included verbal memory, verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and appreciation of logical consequences. In 1912 a German psychologist came up with the "IQ", the intelligent quotient, which represents the instrument which fixes one's the mental and chronological age. The intelligence test became a standard part of the U.S. educational landscape. It was also assumed that intelligence was also inherited and static. Recently IQ test have been less and less used. Yet it determined the emphasis on language and math skills in schools. .

HOWARD GARDNER in his work in neuropsychology.
Gardner began to question the traditional view of intelligence. In the 70s and 80s he conducted studies to understand the pattern of abilities of stroke victims suffering from impaired languages. At the same time he worked with ordinary and gifted children at Project Zero. He realized that people have a wide range of capacities. A person's strength in one area of performance does not predict any comparable strengths in other areas. For instance, a person may be skilled in acquiring foreign languages, yet be unable to find her way around an unfamiliar environment or learn a new song. Likewise, weakness in learning foreign languages does not predict either success or failure with other cognitive tasks. The human mind is a series of relatively separate faculties with non- predictable relations with one another. Most theories of intelligence looked only at problem-solving, regardless of cultural values and beliefs. In this respect, Gardner distinguished his theory as THE ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS OR CREATE PRODUCTS THAT ARE VALUED WITHIN ONE OR MORE CULTURAL SETTINGS.
GARDNER'S DEFINITION OF INTELLIGENCE: INTELLIGENCE IS THE BIOLOGICAL POTENTIAL TO PROCESS INFORMATION IN CERTAIN WAYS THAT CAN BE ACTIVATED IN A CULTURAL SETTING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS OR MAKE PRODUCTS THAT ARE VALUE IN A CULTURE.
The intelligence represents potential that will or will not be brought to bear depending on the values, available opportunities as well as personal decisions made by individuals of a particular culture. Intelligence is in what people can do and the products they create in the real world (in contrast to a sterile test).

THE EIGHT INTELLIGENCES

Linguistic
Logical-mathematical
Musical
Spatial
Bodily-kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalist.

Since there are qualitatively different ways to express intelligence, Gardner, in order to determine these faculties, had to analyze psychological, neurological, biological, sociological anthropological, artistic and humanitarian aspects. Gardner looked at the many abilities individuals demonstrate and the diverse roles they assumed and asked: "What are the basic biological faculties responsible for these abilities that we observe around us every day?" this new view of intelligence gave rise to a list of eight criteria used to identify these basic biological faculties. That is, rather than relying on the results of psychometric instruments, Gardner laid out eight criteria that require different kinds of evidence from brain research, human development, evolution, and cross-cultural comparisons.

THE LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE

Linguistic intelligence is the capacity to use the language, your native language and perhaps other languages, to express what's on your mind to understand other people. Poets really specialize in linguistic intelligence, but any kind of writer, orator, speaker, lawyer, or a person for whom language is an important stock in trade highlights linguistic intelligence.

Key Abilities in Linguistic intelligence: involves perceiving or gene rating spoken or written language. Allows communication and sense-making through language. Includes sensitivity to subtle meanings in language.

Sub-abilities: expressive language, invented narrative/storytelling. Descriptive/instructional language, reporting. Poetic use of language, wordplay.

Endstates or Domains that require significant linguistic intelligence: novelist, stand-up comedian, law, journalist, orator, politics, poet, news correspondence, teaching.

Strategies or Products that emphasize linguistic intelligence: instructions/manual, script, word game, novel, newspaper, discussion, debate/speech, play, lyrics/libretto.

Everyday uses of linguistic intelligence: reading the paper, writing a letter, participating in a meeting.

Linguistic Intelligence is NOT: bilingualism (but might include facility with learning, being talkative, liking to talk.

LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE

People with highly developed logical-mathematical intelligence understand the underlying principles of some king of a casual system, the way a scientist or a logician does; or can manipulate numbers, quantities, and operations, the way a mathematician does.

Key Abilities: Logical-mathematical intelligence: enables individuals to use and appreciate abstract relations. Includes facility in the use of numbers and logical thinking.

Sub-abilities: Numerical reasoning (calculations, estimation, quantification). Logical problem-solving (focusing on overall structure and relationship, making logical inferences).

Endstates or Domains that require significant logical-mathematical intelligence: Mathematician, scientist, engineer, computer programmer, architect, stock broker, budget analyst, accountant, statistician.

Strategies or Products that emphasize logical-mathematical intelligence: Graph, spread sheet, flow chart, timeline, equations/mathematical proof, invention, computer program, business plan, logic puzzle.

Everyday uses of logical-mathematical intelligence: Reading the bus schedule, solving puzzles, managing family checkbook.

Logical-mathematical ability is NOT: only oriented to numbers (and includes non-numerical logical relations).

MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE

Musical intelligence is the capacity to think in music, yo ne able to hear patterns, recognize them, remember them, and perhaps manipulate them. People who have a strong musical intelligence don't just remember music easily - they can't get it out of their minds, it's so omnipresent.

Key Abilities: Musical intelligence: involves perceiving and understanding patterns of sound. Includes creating and communicating meaning from sound.

Sub-abilities: Music perception. Music production. Composition/notation.

Endstates or Domains that require significant musical intelligence: Musician/singer, choreographer, music critics/authors, conductor, disc jockey, piano tuner, composer, choreographer, cheerleader.

Strategies or Products that emphasize musical intelligence: composition/song, critique/analysis, jingle, recital/performance, sound effects, musical/opera, dance set to music, recording/sampling, soundtrack/accompaniment.

Everyday uses of musical intelligence: appreciating a song on the radio, playing a musical instrument, distinguishing different sounds of the car.

Musical intelligence is NOT: engaged by playing "background" music.

SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE

Spatial intelligence refers to the ability to represent the spatial world internally in your mind - the way a sailor or airplane pilot navigates the large spatial world, or the way a chess player or sculptor represents a more circumscribed spatial world. Spatial intelligence can be used in the arts or in the sciences. If you are spatially intelligent and oriented toward the arts, you are more like to become a painter or a sculptor or an architect than, say, a musician or a writer. Similarly, certain sciences like anatomy or topology emphasize spatial intelligence.

Key Abilities: spatial intelligence: involves perceiving and transforming visual or 3-D information in your mind. Allows for the re-creation of images from memory.

Sub-abilities: understanding casual or functional relationships through observation. Use of spatial information to navigate through space. Sensitive perception or observation of visual world and arts. Production of visual information or works of art.

Endstates or Domains that require significant spatial intelligence: architect, sculptor, surgeon, navigator, cartographer, painter, photographer, dancer, athlete.

Strategies or Products that emphasize spatial intelligence: graph/chart, painting, blue prints, diagram, film, tv program, map, sculpture, model, invention.

Everyday uses of spatial intelligence: finding your way in an unfamiliar town, giving/using directions, playing chess/chekers.

Spatial intelligence is NOT: necessarily visual (note that blind people gain excellent spatial abilities).

BODILY-KINESTHETIC INTELLIGENCE

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to use your whole body or parts of your body - your hand, your fingers, your arms - to solve a problem, make something, pr put on some kind of a production. The most evident examples are people in athletics or the performing arts, particularly dance or acting.

Key Abilities: Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: allows an individual to use one's body to create products or solve problems. Refers to the ability to control all or isolated parts of one's body.

Sub-abilities: athletic movement. Creative movement (including responsiveness to music), body control and fine motor abilities. Generating movement ideas (such as in choreography).

Endstates or Domains that require significant bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: dancer, athlete, actor, choreographer, artisan, mime, sculptor, surgeon, sign language interpreter.

Strategies or Products that emphasize bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: dance performance, mime, sculpture, painting, other arts product, play, textile, charades, sports games, jewelry performance art.

Everyday uses of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: playing on the company's football team, getting in and standing in a crowded subway car, brushing your teeth, fixing something.

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is NOT: necessarily demonstrated by an "antsy" or physically active child. Unstructured release of "energy" through physical activity.

INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE

Interpersonal intelligence is understanding other people. It's an ability we all need, but is at premium if you are a teacher, clinician, salesperson, or politician. Anybody who deals with other people has to be skilled in the interpersonal sphere.

Key Abilities: Interpersonal intelligence: is a sensitivity to the feelings, beliefs, moods, and intentions of other people. Involves the use of that understanding to work effectively with others. Includes capitalizing on interpersonal skills in pursuit of one's own ends.

Sub-abilities: assumption of distinctive social roles (e.g., leader, friend, caregiver), ability to reflect analytically on the social environment, others. Taking action (e.g., political activist, counselor, educator).

Endstates or Domains that require significant interpersonal intelligence: activist, social scientist/researcher, management consultant, community organizer, religious leader, negotiator/arbitrator.

Strategies or Products that emphasize interpersonal intelligence: tutoring(teaching, community action, democratic classroom, moral dilemmas, action research, peer mediation, play, community service, leadership opportunities.

Everyday uses of interpersonal intelligence: retail transactions, asking or giving directions, interactions with co-workers, parenting.

Interpersonal intelligence is NOT: a preference for working in a group. Being well-liked. Being polite, possessing the "social graces". Being ethical or humane.

INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE

Intrapersonal intelligence refers to having an understanding of yourself, of knowing who you are, what you can do, what you want to do, how you react to things, which things to avoid, and which things to gravitate toward. We are drawn to people who have a good understanding of themselves because those people tend not to screw up. They tend to know what they can do. They tend to know what they can't do. And they tend to know where to go if they need help.

Intrapersonal intelligence: enables individuals to form a mental model of themselves. Involves drawing on the model to make decisions about viable courses of action. Includes the ability to distinguish one's feelings, moods, and intentions and to anticipate one's reactions to future courses of action.

Sub-abilities: self-understanding, the ability to self-reflect analytically. Articulating that understanding through other types of expression(intelligences (poetry, painting, song, etc.) Using that self-knowledge well, toward personal or community goals.

Endstates or Domains that require significant intrapersonal intelligence: therapist, poet, motivational speaker, psychologist, artist, activist, spiritual/religious leader, musician, philosopher.

Strategies or Products that emphasize intrapersonal intelligence: genealogy, portfolio/reflections, sermon, poem, journal/diary, action plan, artwork, autobiography, musical composition/lyrics.

Everyday uses of intrapersonal intelligence: job/career assessment, religious practices, therapy.

Intrapersonal intelligence is NOT: preferring to work alone and/or in isolation.

NATURALIST INTELLIGENCE

Naturalist intelligence designates the human ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configurations). This ability was clearly of value in our evolutionary past as hunters, gatherers, and farmers; it continues to be central in such roles as botanics or chef. I also speculate that much of our consumer society exploits the naturalist intelligences, which can be mobilized in the discrimination among cars, sneakers, kinds of makeup, and the like. The kind of pattern recognition valued in certain of the sciences may also draw upon naturalist intelligence.

Key Abilities: Naturalist intelligence: is the ability to under stand the natural world well and to work in it effectively. Allows us to distinguish among, classify, and use features of the environment. Is also applied to general classifying and patterning abilities.

Sub-abilities: observational skills, pattern recognition and classification, knowledge of the natural world. Employing that knowledge to solve problems and fashion products (e.g. farming, gardening, hunting/fishing, coking, etc.)

Endstates or Domains that require significant naturalist intelligence: naturalist, zoologist, head chef, botanist, farmer, environmental educator, biologist, ship's captain, forest ranger.

Strategies or Domains that require significant naturalist intelligence: growing plants/flowers, surveys of flora/fauna, field notes, animal husbandry, studies/experiments, nature walks, outward bound, creating and using classification systems (for natural or non-natural phenomena)

Everyday uses of naturalist intelligence: cooking, gardening, enjoying scenery, organizing CDs or other collection.

Naturalist intelligence is NOT: limited to the outside world.



ALL 8 INTELLIGENCES ARE UNIVERSAL
Intelligence originates biologically; that is, all human beings are at promise for each of the intelligences. How and to what extent the intelligences manifest themselves depend on nurture to a significant degree. An individual's intelligences develop and change; intelligence is not solely inherited and develops based on interaction with our environment.


INTELLIGENCES WORK IN COMBINATION IN DOMAINS. Each intelligence is relatively autonomous in its raw state. Each intelligence represents a different way of thinking, solving problems, and learning. Although each intelligence operates relatively independently - that is, the brain has distinct mechanisms and operations for each intelligence - in reality they work in combination, in the context of a domain or discipline. Effective work in any domain is realized through the use of several intelligences. Intelligence refers to biological and psychological potential and abilities, whereas domains or disciplines are social constructs. While intelligence is the raw material we bring to bear in solving problems or fashioning products, domains are culturally-organized. Computer programming, car mechanics, gardening and soccer are all examples of domains. For example, violinist needs musical intelligence, but only in combination with interpersonal abilities, such as communication with other musicians in orchestra; intrapersonal such as translating the emotion of the piece; and bodily-kinesthetic, such as the physical act of playing the instrument. Put simply, the musical domain generally requires high levels of musical intelligence, but other intelligences must be tapped to successfully perform in this domain.

Any particular intelligence can be applied in many domains. (Spatial intelligence: arts, sailing, gardening, surgery.) Each individual possesses a unique amalgam of intelligences that distinguishes each of us from the other. Applying MI is getting to know your students through an MI lens; that is identifying their strengths and interests. Teachers observe their students and put the students at the center of the reflection process and the goal for students is to see their own intelligences , to own them and see themselves as intelligent people with a variety of abilities. Intelligence is demonstrated in real world contexts, in the problems individuals solve and things they make. Emphasizing the strengths and intelligences, MI eliminates the negative self-perception and lack of self-esteem in many students.

One year after the publication of Frames of Mind, some US schools began to discuss about how to apply this theory. Collaborations started between schools and Project Zero in Harvard. The difference between MI and other school reforms is that Gardner does not propose a specific method. Schools are the ones which try to apply MI. Gardner did not give a pedagogic approach. Even though Gardner is interested in the applications of his theory, he is more interested in the field of research within Project Zero, rather than creating schools which use MI.