28/12/2020
Multiple Intelligence : Part II : Recognising Multiple Intelligence and it's Educational Implications !!
We talked about Intelligence in our last post and what is Multiple Intelligence.. Let's see how can we identify any of these Intelligences in children and how we can help them..
According to Dr. Howard Gardener there is a wide base to the concept of Intelligence and the 8 types of Intelligence grow differently in different people depending upon their hereditary characteristics and the kind of environment they receive. Dr. Maria Montessori has also advocated for these Multiple Intelligence and said that even at the time of birth, a small child possesses these Intelligences.
1. Virtual/Spatial Intelligence : This type of intelligence can be specially seen in painters, architects, people who read maps, navigators, engineers etc. E.g. M.F Husain, Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Gogh.
How will you recognise this type of Intelligence as far as children are concerned?
- Good at putting puzzles together
- Good at interpreting pictures, graphs, charts.
- Enjoys drawing, painting, visual arts
- Enjoys reading, writing
- Recognises patterns easily.
2. Linguistic - Verbal Intelligence : This type of Intelligence can be seen in Lawyers, lecturers, politicians, writers, lyricists etc. e.g. Mr Narendra Modi, Arundhati Roy, Ram Jethmalani, APJ Abdul Kalam.
How to recognise this intelligence in children?
- Good at reading and writing
- Good at debating
- Knows the use of syntax and semantics of a language
- Able to explain things well
3. Logical - Mathematical Intelligence : This type of Intelligence can be seen in Mathematicians, philosophers, physicists etc. E.g. Aryabhata, Shakuntala Devi, Swami Vivekanand, Mahatma Gandhi.
How to recognise this intelligence in children?
- Excellent in problem solving skills
- Enjoys thinking about abstract(existing in thought, not
present, conceptual) ideas
- Can solve complex computations/calculations
4. Musical intelligence : This type of intelligence can be seen in Musicians, Composers, Music Teachers, Singers, Conductors (person who conducts an orchestra, opera, chorus etc with a baton/stick) etc.E.g. Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, Bismillah Khan etc
How to recognise this intelligence in children?
- Enjoys singing
- Enjoys playing musical instruments
- Recognises musical patterns and tones
5. Bodily - Kinesthetic Intelligence : This type of intelligence can be seen in dancers, sportsmen, actors, sculptors etc. E.g. Mallika Sarabhai, Birju Maharaj
How to recognise this intelligence in children?
- Good at dancing and sports
- Enjoys creating things with his/her hands
- Excellent physical co-ordination
- Tends to remember by doing rather than seeing or hearing
6. Interpersonal Intelligence : This type of Intelligence can be seen in Psychologists, Philosophers, Counsellors, Salesperson, and Politicians etc. E.g. Gautam Budhha, Rabindranath Tagore
How to recognise this intelligence in children?
- Good at communicating verbally
- Create positive relationships with others
- Good at resolving conflict in groups
- See situations from different perspectives
- Good at nonverbal communications (facial expressions, eye gaze, gestures[signal/movement of a part of the body e.g. thumbs up], handshakes etc)
7. Intrapersonal Intelligence : This type of Intelligence can be seen in Yogis, Saints, and Theorists etc. E.g. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Sivananda Swami etc
How to recognise this intelligence in children?
- Good at analysing their strengths and weaknesses
- Excellent self-awareness
- Enjoys analysing theories and ideas
- Clearly understands the basis of their own motivation and feelings
8. Naturalistic Intelligence : This type of intelligence can be seen in Biologists, Conservationists, Farmer, Gardener, Environmentalists etc. E.g. Valmik Thapar (naturalist, conservationist and writer), Charles Darwin (theory of evolution)
How to recognise this intelligence in children?
- Interested in subjects like botany, biology, zoology
- May enjoy camping, gardening, hiking and exploring the outdoors
- Doesn’t enjoy the topics which have no connection to nature.
Gardner’s theory carries a quite wide and useful application in the field of Education.
1. Firstly, WE CANNOT GENERLISE INTELLIGENCE .. as all children have different types of intelligence and learning needs.
2. A PERSON NEEDS ALL TYPES OF INTELLIGENCE to function in the society. Thus, schools should have an equal emphasis in all these areas.
3. EVERY CHILD HAS A UNIQUE SET OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE. Thus, the teacher must present the subject matter suiting to most or all of the intelligences. (e.g. if she is teaching concept of heavy and light, she can use variety of different methods to teach the same concept)
4. EVERYONE IS BORN POSSESSING THESE Intelligences.
5. Schools must have VARIATION IN THEIR ACTIVITIES and programs to MEET THE POTENTIAL of each and every learner.
The students should never be discouraged, neglected or denied an opportunity to learn by getting engaged in activities not related to verbal or mathematical abilities.