As a teacher, you will encounter a wide range of students who learn in a variety of ways. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences can be used in the classroom to ensure that curriculum material is reinforced multiple times, allowing each student to assimilate it according to their best strengths. This can be accomplished by incorporating aspects of intelligence into activities and lesson plans. Most schools focus on linguistic and mathematical abilities, but teachers can use the theory to give creative lessons that draw on the talents and skills of the majority of their students.
According to Dr. Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, intelligence is not a single capacity shared by all people, but rather a collection of seven different types of intelligence. These types of intelligence include logical mathematic, linguistic, spatial, and musical intelligence. Kinesthetic intelligence, as well as inter- and intra-personal intelligence, round out the seven types. They are all present in each individual, but different people have varying amounts of each. Gardner claims that all intelligences collaborate to solve problems and function effectively.
You’ll need to start thinking about all of the different aspects of each lesson if you want to structure material and incorporate multiple intelligences in the classroom. For a kinesthetic approach, a math lesson on measurements could be taught using parts of the body to measure objects, or intrapersonally by showing how real-life applications use math processes through examples. In a multi-faceted approach to traditional subjects, students can act out historical scenarios, choose music that expresses art concepts, or use demonstrations.
When used in the classroom to incorporate multiple intelligences, technology is a fantastic tool. Students can reinforce material they’ve been studying by keeping a video diary or a digital journal, as well as creating multi-media presentations. They can even help other students learn if they work together to choose music and artwork for the presentation and then present it to the class. Peer-to-peer lessons are excellent for energizing students who might otherwise become bored with traditional classroom instruction.
Showing your students how to use multiple intelligences in the classroom is another effective way to use this technique. Plan a lesson based on Gardner’s theory and teach the seven intelligences to your students, then ask them to consider how they learn different things. Instead of taking traditional tests, students can create ways to show what they’ve learned and how they learned it if the curriculum allows it. You can give them a self-assessment to help them remember the concept, which they can use in future classes to help them study.