Notes about Multiple Intelligences Theory Multiple Intelligences The theory of Multiple Intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr Howard

Gardner professor of education at Harvard !niversity" It suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence based on I# testing is far too li$ited" Instead Gardner proposes eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of hu$an potential in children and adults%

linguistic intelligence &'word s$art'( logical)$athe$atical intelligence &'nu$ber*reasoning s$art'( spatial intelligence &'picture s$art'( bodily)+inaesthetic intelligence &'body s$art'( $usical intelligence &'$usic s$art'( interpersonal intelligence &'people s$art'( intrapersonal intelligence &'self s$art'( naturalist intelligence &'nature s$art'("

Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences provides teachers with food for thought about the different ways students can learn as well as how they can present their understandings" Teaching and Learning in 8 different ways ,roviding an entry point into a concept Teachers can provide a sti$ulating entree into a concept that is being studied by considering a range of $ultiple intelligences in order to capture the i$agination of each student" -or e.a$ple when introducing a unit on sustainability a teacher $ay provide an article about the topic &verbal*linguistic( provide so$e graphic infor$ation about the topic &visual*spatial( provide statistics about sustainable issues posing a threat to /ustralian far$ers &logical*$athe$atical( view a series of i$ages fro$ different places ta+en at different ti$es that show how the environ$ent has changed over ti$e and how sustainable practices $ay have influenced these changes &naturalist( watch a recoded debate about sustainability &interpersonal( reading a reflective 0ournal written by a sustainability e.pert &intrapersonal( e.ploring how sustainable practices listen to songs that have a $essage about sustainability &$usical("/ll of these tas+s will tap into different intelligences and will provide opportunities for students to engage with the $aterial being presented" ,roviding appropriate assess$ent tas+s

1hile the previous e.a$ples provide a way into students2 $inds there are also ways that the Multiple Intelligences can be used to assess students2 understandings" 3tudents $ay be as+ed to identify a way that can best e.plain what they have learnt during a unit" In the Tool+it there are $any e.a$ples of the types of tas+s that students $ay choose to underta+e as assess$ent tas+s" 4ach of the 8 Multiple Intelligences in the Tool+it has appropriate assess$ent tas+s at the 4valuate and 5reate levels" It is i$portant that students are given choice6 however it $ay be appropriate at ti$es to encourage students to atte$pt assess$ent tas+s that are not in their 7preferred2 intelligences" / useful website% http%**www"tho$asar$strong"co$*$ultiple8intelligences"ht$