Discussion #4 “Multiple Intelligence”
Harvard Professor Howard Gardner proposed a theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner
suggests that all people possess abilities in at least eight intelligence areas. Gardner’s eight
intelligences include: Logical-mathematical, Verbal/Linguistic, Bodily kinesthetic, Musical,
Visual/Spatial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Naturalist. These intelligences help us to learn
as we tackle problems and tasks in our daily lives. His research suggests that each child may
benefit by learning through instructions and activities with his or her intellectual strengths in
mind.
In the video titled, “The Key to Learning Community: Cultivating Multiple Intelligences,”
Principal Pat Bolanos, one of the founding group members decided to create a school dedicated
to developing multiple intelligences and finding out new ways to assess students. Even though
Gardner’s theory was not originally written for educators, she wanted to come up with another
way to assess students, then going the traditional route. She understood the eight intelligence
areas and began to observe how each child learns best and move towards designing instruction to
better suit the needs of each different type of learner. A design for a school honoring the
principles came into play.
Visual and performing arts education is an important part of the school, but the students
attending k through 12 grades spend equal amounts of time developing their skills in science,
math, language arts, music, and athletics. Csikszentmihalyi’s flow concept is a big deal at the
Community. A room is dedicated to the students learning how to go with the flow. The kids
come inside and start to get into the practice of flow. To flow one must become totally involved
in an activity; it can be reading, writing, playing a game, or using the computer. It gives them the
chance to focus on one activity at a time and allow them to learn how to flow. One of the
students by the name of Leili said, “Compared to what some of my friends in other schools do I
think it’s more interesting over here because you really get to understand the thing more than
just, you know, memorize stuff for a test and then write it down and forget it.”