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Theory of Multiple IntelligenceIn the early to mid 80's, a psychologist and professor at Harvard named Howard Gardner discovered something. Those intelligence tests that we?re all used to? you know, the ones that determine how intelligent you are in the academic department (AKA Math and Linguistic departments)? The ones that deem that you?re retarded if you?re 50, a genius if you?re at 150, and just average if you?re at 100? Well, Gardner decided that these standardizations didn?t come close to fair. These tests only catered to those who were linguistically inclined, mathematically quick. What about the athletes, musicians and artists- they were good at what they could do; right?! Nope. Not until Gardner suggested a system that accounted for 8 kinds of intelligences. 8 different ways an individual could categorize the world; 8 paths of how to learn. They are as follows, with sweeping generalizations in parenthesis: 1. Mathematical-Logical (You?re good at math. ?Reasonable?. ?Logical?.) 2. Linguistic (You?re good with words.) 3. Bodily-Kinesthetic (Bodily movement comes naturally to you.) 4. Spatial (You can visualize well.) 5. Naturalistic (You know how to become one with nature.) 6. Musical (Rhythm and sounds come naturally to you.) 7. Interpersonal (You are social. You know how to get along with others.) 8. Intrapersonal (You? know thyself) Let?s say that you are an EFL teacher who is assigned to a foreign country like South korea. Your classes consist of mono-lingual, yet multi level students who are as different as can be. They are enthusiastic (about computer games). They love English (words like **** off and shut **.) And, they are proactive and participate (in doodling on the desks). With all of these wonderful qualities in common, it is amazing how different they really are. For example, when I am doing a lesson involving music, Sally and Annie are very intrigued. When I?m doing a lesson regarding soccer, Sally and Annie are very distracted but Jason and Jimmy are totally focused. When I?m using mathematical equations to demonstrate a point, Jason and Sally are hitting each other while Annie and Jimmy are raising their hands to provide the correct answers. Based on these observations, I?ve realized that there is a tipping point for each of our students. Knowing what makes them tick and how to make them participate varies in the activities you use. By incorporating the 5 different senses and 8 multiple intelligences, you can activate different students, allowing the teacher to reach more students in one given semester. Applying these methods into one?s lessons isn?t very difficult. In fact, many teachers are already using various techniques to teach the same language point without even knowing that they?re utilizing the MI theory in their practice. However, to every great departure point comes along an end point. No matter how great your planned activities are, how much you think that a particular group of students will enjoy your newest idea, we must remember that we are still teaching one class. That class, though consisting of individuals, will need to be accounted for and addressed as one group. And, since students are rarely one-dimensional, this shouldn?t be too much of a problem. Many students who enjoy music can also enjoy math (say), and students who enjoy sports may also enjoy art. Thus, using ideas that can reach the most students in one class will be helpful for the teacher to organize.
