Until fairly recently, the only predominant forms of evaluation of learning capabilities and styles rested on both the linguistic and mathematical intelligences and they were duly addressed by IQ tests. That means that, if you were unlucky enough to score low on either form, you were called a dummy or worse, a retard (this having nothing to do with a neurological dysfunction). Good thing that every so often a brilliant person comes to our planet to elucidate the rest of us about some concerns that we have regarding certain issues or perhaps just to jolt our attention and point us in the right direction. Welcome Dr. Howard Gardner. This scholar from Harvard University determined that thinking only about this duality of mind was totally inaccurate and hence, decided to look for other ways in which a child could excel, regardless of low IQ tests. To Dr. Gardner, "intelligence is the ability to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural or community settings." ? Based on his definition of intelligence, Dr. Gardner found out that there are not only those two types of intelligence mentioned above, the linguistic and mathematical, but in fact, nine of them. Imagine that! Nine intelligences! He named them, Multiple Intelligences. Suddenly, those who were labeled less able realize that they too are intelligent beings and can solve problems in many different ways. Now, note that he doesn't say that intelligence is the ability to receive information. That, he lives to the NLP learning styles, which are different in nature from the Multiple Intelligences. The learning styles are four: auditory, visual, kinesthetic and auditory digital. I speak about them in another article. So because of this "discovery," ? the whole educational system can be modified to include every single student and call them all bright people. Can you imagine the revolution these Multiple Intelligences would cause if every single school in the country would apply this model? We would have to change the way we teach, that's true, but, boy, to see the open smiles and the joy students would show when they finally learn better, get absolutely un-bored, and express their brightness accordingly. What a happy society we would have! So let's dream in the meantime, and check for the explanation of Multiple Intelligences in my next article. |
