As a huge advocate of Gardner and his magnificent theory on Multiple Intelligences, I am overjoyed to write this paper which includes my other favorite subject: technology. Gardner defines multiple intelligences as “a number of distinct forms of intelligence that each individual possesses in varying degrees. Gardner proposes seven primary forms: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, intrapersonal (e.g., insight, metacognition) and interpersonal (e.g., social skills).”
According to Gardner, each individual human possesses a certain unique area in which they display or exhibit a high level of intelligence or ability! For example, a person who possesses musical intelligence may possess the ability to compose music, sing, and play instruments by ear without taking lessons, etc. In the following paragraphs, there will be a brief definition of each of Gardner’s intelligences and how it relates to technology.
Spatial. A person with spatial intelligence is one who is considered a visual learner. In other words, they learn best through pictures, puzzles, charts, etc. According to Wikipedia, “Careers which suit those with this type of intelligence include artists, designers and architects. A spatial person is also good with puzzles.”
Because the internet is full of visual variations, mashups, cloud-computing, gaming and simulations would be visual eye-candy for a person who would be considered a spatial learner. This person may be the one who creates the different websites and such. In the classroom, a student who possessed this intelligence would enjoy creating websites and other assignments on the web.
Linguistic. An individual who possesses linguistic intelligence is considered to be one who is exceptionally articulate through spoken and written words. This person may find blogging and tweeting extremely enjoyable activities even more so than the average individual. In a classroom, a student who possessed this ability would receive gratification from composing their assignments on the computer and working on online collaborative assignments.
Logical-Mathematical. A person who possesses high ability in mathematics and abstract concepts, scientific thinking, and other reasoning capabilities (Wikipedia). A student who displayed logical-mathematical intelligence would gain satisfaction from working on complex math and science assignments, and other computer programs.
Interpersonal. A person who possesses this intelligence is considered to be an extreme extrovert and excellent at communicating and interacting with others. In the classroom, this student would excel in collaborative online assignments. “They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers”(Wikipedia).
Intrapersonal. According to Wikipedia, “People with intrapersonal intelligence are intuitive and typically introverted.” Students exhibiting this particular intelligence would enjoy working alone on the computer conducting researching and completing assignments!
Bodily-Kinesthetic. People displaying this intelligence enjoy physical activities such as athletics, dancing, and acting. They would enjoy the wii or the xbox 360 games, virtual simulations, and anything else that involved movement. These students would enjoy creating assignments that would involve virtual simulations.
Musical. Musical intelligence includes, singing, composing music, and naturally playing instruments without ever taking lessons! Students displaying this intelligence would enjoy composing music on the internet and sharing it with others.
In conclusion, technology complements Gardner’s theory of Mulitple Intelligences for it lends itself to all aspects of his concept.When implementing differentiated instruction in the classroom, technology is ideal because it appeals to students who exhibit the various degrees of intelligences and interests.
Hello Darla. I definitely remember reading through Gardner and his theories. I personally think sometimes reading about this information can be long and somewhat hard to understand. You put it so concisely that it was very easy to follow and made perfect sense. I love Gardner's thought that each individual human possesses a certain unique area in which they display or exhibit a high level of intelligence or ability. That makes me feel confident that I'm at least really good at something. Being in a classroom every day I realize more and more how very different every single student in my room is and how differently they all learn. I try my hardest to use all the different types of intelligences. For one thing it allows my students to be exposed to a plethora of activities and secondly it allows every student to shine in at least one area. It's important for students to see that they can do so many different things. I love that you were able to match each intelligence with something that students can use dealing with technology. I know that my students love anything that they are able to use technology with.
ReplyDeleteHi Darla! You did a wonderful job outlining different technology applications that fit into the various areas of Gardner's views on multiple intelligiences. As educsators, it is very important that we try to use varied types of approaches in our classrooms, reaching all learners. Differentiated instruction can be a challenge, but I think that incorporating technology into instruction allows educators to engage students and create more connections for them.
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