Review_Author: Helen Ellis
Book_Author: Howard Gardner
Book_Title: Multiple Intelligences: Theory in Practice Multiple
Intelligences: Theory in Practice
Date: 5/25/99
Time: 8:59:48 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.204.199
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Multiple Intelligences: Theory in Practice by Howard Gardner gives a concise introduction to the theory of multiple intelligences and its applications. It focuses on practical issues, and is very relevant to our discussions in EDST 820. Gardner stresses the concepts of situatedness and reification of intelligence. Perhaps most importantly, he recognizes that one of the great obstacles to educational reform is that currently, education is driven by assessment. Until we change our methods of assessment, methods of teaching and learning will not change.
First, Gardner presents the theory. He asserts that there is no such thing as generalized intelligence, such as that measured by the Stanford-Binet IQ test. Instead, there are an infinite number of intelligences, which can be factor analyzed into seven main intelligences: Musical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Logical-Mathematical, Linguistic, Spatial, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal intelligence. The Stanford Binet IQ test and others that sprung from it test only logical, spacial and linquistic intelligences. Even standard tests that are meant to test specific talents test these only through the lens of spacial-logical-linquistic intelligence.
Gardner proposes that the seven intelligences are best evaluated directly, via activities, rather than through use of standard paper and pencil assessment tools. The reason for this is that Intelligence resides not strictly in the individual, but within interactions between the individual, community and environment. For example, a student who has an innate potential talent for music will never be musically intelligent unless he has the opportunity to learn music. If he never comes into contact with music, musical instruments and resources, he will never demonstrate musical talent. Therefore, the intelligence resides in the musical interactions and activities as well as in the individual.
In a program called "Project Spectrum," Gardner worked with pre-school age children to examine intelligences, propensities and talents, providing them opportunities to engage directly in activities. Observing children in activities is a better way for them to learn and to assess them than having them sit at desks and do worksheets, and other traditional rote, teacher-directed activities. Such assessment should be formative, and guide the individualized instruction plan for the child, rather than to pigeon-hole him/her into a "track."
Instruction should be individualized in order to capitalize on the individual's strengths. The child's strengths should be used to help him learn in his areas of weakness. For example, if a child is strong in music, use mathematical aspects of music to engage him in mathematics. Gardner thinks that this will lead schools to cover fewer subjects, but to cover subjects in more depth. The primary activity in school will be projects completed with teacher guidance in which students can demonstrate "performances of competence" rather than rote skills. (Gardner points out that adults rarely have to take tests or recite multiplication tables in their work life. Instead, work consists mainly of projects.)
The school of the future will have a "curriculum broker," who will use the child's assessment results to guide the student to curriculum that interests and engages them, and provides a vehicle for mastering other skills. Assessment will help a child succeed, rather than providing teachers with a label for the child, indicating how much or how little can be expected of a child. The only drawback to this theory is that there has been little rigorous empirical research to support it, due partly to the nature of the subject. It approaches education with a more subjective orientation. While necessary due to the nature of the theory, this approach makes consistent, reliable, large-scale measures difficult to obtain. (Frankly, I think this is probably not too important to Gardner. His theory is so focused on the individual that whether or not a student meets some national standard may be irrelevant to him).
I recommend this book. It is not very long, it is interesting, and it covers a variety of relevant issues while giving a succinct introduction to the theory and its practical applications.