Multiple Intelligences Essay -- essays papers

Multiple Intelligences Thought out our lives, we are faced with many different learning experiences. Some of these experiences have made a better impact than others. This can be attributed to everyone’s different multiple intelligences or learning styles. A persons learning style is the method though which they gain information about their environment. As a teacher, it is our responsibility to know these styles, so we can reach each of our students and use all of the necessary methods. Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard, introduced his theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. Multiple intelligence’s is a theory about the brain that says human beings are born with single intelligence that cannot be changed, and is measurable by a psychologist. Gardner believes that there are eight different intelligences in humans. The eight are verbal linguistic, visual spatial, bodily kinesthetic, mathematical logic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and naturalist. Understanding these intelligence’s will help us to design our classroom and curriculum in a way that will appeal to all of our students. We might also be able to curve discipline problems by reaching a student in a different way. One that will make more sense to them and more enjoyable. We can include all of the intelligences in lessons to accommodate all of the students’ different learning styles at once. By reaching each students intelligence we can assume that a student will perform b etter which, could mean students retaining more important information. A students learning style can also help lead them into a more appropriate career direction. As a teacher you can also learn your own personal learning style or intelligence to help improve the way you learn and teach. Gardner’s first intelligence is verbal-linguistics. A linguistic learner thinks in words. This person uses language to express and understand meaning. These learners pay attention to words and often express themselves through writing. Verbal linguists are skilled readers and speaking I one of their most important strengths. The traditional curriculum usually appeals best to this type of learners. Art is an area were verbal linguist excel because they are able to express their ideas on paper. The students who learn best visually are visual spatial learners. These students usually sit towards the front of a classroom. We rely ... ...are the observers. They enjoy field trips and activities that involve nature, such as insect or leaf collections. Home economic activities may also be good for the naturalist. There are several ways in which a teacher can accommodate every learning style by doing simple things in the classroom. Examples of this would be a certain seating arrangement or even just changing all the time to reach each students style. Knowing and learning styles might be one of the most important things to learn from your students at the beginning of each school year. There are several tests out there that can help with this, but know each style is also important. Knowing your own learning intelligence as a teacher will also help you and is important. This allows you to know in which way you will best be able to absorb information that is important in our teaching. Multiple intelligences are a vital part of any teacher’s lesson plans and are especially necessary in the ever-changing diversities of the schools. Learning styles will bring out the strengths and weaknesses. Works Cited Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind. New York: Basic Books, 1988 Santrock, John. Child Development. McGraw-Hill, 1998