Should intelligence be measured only by scores on IQ, SAT, or other standardized tests?
No, says Harvard professor Howard Gardner – educators should think of intelligence as multi-faceted.
Gardner developed his theory of “multiple intelligence” in 1983 because he felt that schools limit students to linguistic (word-smart) and logical-mathematical intelligence. He believes teachers and administrators should devote attention to the way students are smart in individual ways -- in the arts, architecture, music, dance, fashion design, entrepreneurship, or other talents.
"All children learn better when they are given the chance to learn at their own pace and given different ways to gain knowledge, not all children get it through memory or textbooks,” said art teacher Laura Monel at Public School 190 in East New York.
Gardner developed eight different intelligences to promote children potential in schools. The eight intelligences are linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, or naturalist intelligences. The eight intelligences means people are word, number reasoning, picture, body, music, people, self, and nature smart.
"I think he is correct, but some people have taken it to an extreme (sports intelligence, for example). It’s used to be considered widely in schools, which was the basis for the differentiated learning that we try to do. But now we do test prep, test prep, test prep, and there is no room for applying the idea of multiple intelligences,” said Deborah Siner, a retired teacher from P.S. 190.
Gardner’s multiple intelligence is a debated topic because educators and administrators wonder if the theory can work in schools. Even though the theory is supposed to expand teaching skills, students are skeptical and against Gardner’s theory during instruction time.
"I believe where the issue lies is that nobody fits into only one category. There may be a dominating intelligence, by which a person learns best but there are characteristics of other categories that people will have,” said P.S 190 Cooperative Team teacher Shaniqua Harris. “But I think teachers are against it because they still think you have to fit everyone into one category only.”
Most educators would like to include Gardner’s method during instruction time but standardized tests forbid them to utilize the theory. Standardized tests are exams that test students’ knowledge on many subjects. Usually, standardized tests determine which classes should take and their grade level.
But throughout standardized tests are known to be a student’s worst nightmare because they have many disadvantages. Educators feel that they are “forced to teach to the test.” Teachers’ lessons are not creative in the classroom when they are preparing students for the test. Also, standardized tests have emotional effects on students because it’s very stressful and time-consuming. Students may have test anxiety or nervous because they are expected to pass their exams with excellent scores.
"In my opinion, they (teachers) are boxed into trying to teach in the same modality as the test delivery. Paper and pencil only and read then only, “said Harris.
P.S. 190 third and former upper grade teacher, Monique Kelly believes it’s a challenge to introduce the theory to teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and students when the school system has so much emphasis on test prep. School administration is not aware that the multiple intelligence theory can help students learn congruously because each child is unique.
"The structure of the school system focuses on test prep because principals are keeping tallies of how many holdovers in schools. The administration believes teaching or applying the multiple intelligence theory in school constrains the scheduling in schools,” said Kelly. “We are forced to follow a curriculum everyday and it’s a lack of resources coming out of the homes
Meanwhile, Harris follows Gardner’s theory because she categorizes herself as a musical, kinesthetic, and spatial learner. Harris believes she learns best by doing things. She also witnessed some of her students using Gardner’s theory because they are touching items hands on and singing songs in their head so they can understand the material. She knows when people learn by music may not perform at their best on exams so educators should have alternate ways of allowing students to show their understanding.
"Students can make use of the theory if they understand how they learn and then apply those techniques to content,” said Harris. “For example, if a student knows they are a musical learner and they are taught plurals, they can create little songs or rhymes that help them remember the rules for turning a singular into a plural.”
But, Gardner thinks that educators should welcome change inside the classroom when they are teaching their students other subjects. Gardner doesn’t want teachers to teach in eight ways but look for other options when students are having trouble in the traditional logical and linguistic ways of instruction. Once teachers recognize the student is struggling, they suggest ways that the material can be presented to facilitate effective learning.
"Teachers observe their students and look for strengths and weakness. We try to perfect their strengths and really work on their weaknesses to try to balance out their learning style. Most young children fall in to two social categories at a very young age: interpersonal and intrapersonal, who is outgoing and who is not. Then there is the linguistic which a lot of children lack due to parents don’t really hold conversations with their young children,” said P.S 190’s first grade teacher Phyllis Nieves. “In the first grade, they come to me responding to questions using one word responses. This is our challenge to extend vocabulary to help develop their cognitive processes.
Nieves also added, “I really feel that the Department of Education must realize everyone has their own learning style and not every person thinks, feels, and learns the same way. Teachers who have taken education classes and in addition to that being a parent would understand this. I believe in this theory only because of my experience in both being a parent and an educator.”
Gardner’s approach identifies an individual’s strengths but educators should encourage students should seek for help when subjects are difficult and tedious to them. Sometimes when students are advanced in other areas besides reading and writing, they are labeled as learning disabled, ADD (attention deficit disorder), or underachievers. Most educators are so quick to label their students as failures, when there are different ways of thinking and learning.
"Schools tend to treat every child the same because they tend to put everyone in the same box. I think that as long as kids are tested- this trend will continue,” said library and former upper-grade teacher at P.S 190, Ellen Asregadoo. “I feel that it’s up to the teacher to recognize that there are various ways of solving a problem and she has to make sure that the lesson has components that will reach the various lessons in the class.”
The multiple intelligence theory allows educators to figure out their students’ interests. Once teachers discover their students’ hobbies, they can use it so students can have a better understanding of the subject.
"The theory is opposed by people but I agree with Gardner theory because it incorporates a variety of methods to facilitate learning so it can work. I will use his theory according to the personalities of my students,” Kelly. “I have a student who enjoys video games so he wouldn’t be interested in learning through art and music so I would accommodate his learning through technology. As opposed to Patrinia who likes dance and music, I would be geared to teach a form of music, movement, or anything to that nature.”
When students learn the multiple intelligence theory from their teachers, they can study it when they are looking for a job because according to Gardner, “many adults find themselves in jobs that do not make optimal use of their most highly developed intelligences.” For example, a bodily-kinesthetic individual is stuck working at a logical desk job instead of working as a recreational leader, a forest ranger, or a physical therapist. The theory allows students and educators to have another outlook on life because they are examining interests that they discarded back in childhood.
"I think that the theory should be brought to schools if it hasn’t been already because children need to learn with every sense and they may learn better and keep it longer,” said Brooklyn College student Christal James.
Others such as John Jay college student, Lordane Forbes believe that schools shouldn’t follow the theory at all because tells every child that they are equal but that’s not the case. Forbes believes that logical-mathematical and linguistic are the most important intelligences to survive in the “real world.”
"I don’t think the multiple intelligence theory should be taught in schools. There’s a reason why linguistic and mathematical genius are praised because they’re the only two aspects of intelligences that matter. It would create a false consciousness in the school system,” said Forbes. “It’s like academic socialism: the equal distribution of attention given to gifted students, spread out amongst all students; multiple intelligence puts a label on people who aren’t talented so that way they could fit in with the elite. It’s ridiculous, it’s like when technical crew majors get into a performing arts school-they don’t have any real talents and don’t actually deserve the prestige.”
The good news is that the theory of multiple intelligence grabbed the attention of many educators across the state and schools are following the theory to redesign their perception on education. Schools such as Brooklyn College’s Personal Counseling Class, Edward R. Murrow High School, Project SUMIT (Schools Using Multiple Intelligence Theory), or X037 Multiple Intelligence, an elementary school in Bronx believe the theory will benefit students. Project SUMIT wants to foster “high quality work and use MI to promote high quality student work rather than using the theory as an end in and of itself.
The schools want to support diverse learners because they want them to succeed, discover other ways of learning but enjoy learning at the same time. They would utilize the art to develop children’s skills and understanding. They would have curriculum and assessment options because they want to embed curriculum that is acceptable to educators and students.
"I often use Gardner’s multiple intelligences, Murrow was a good lab for that—in classes, I have used multiple intelligences in a variety of ways to achieve what’s now called differentiation in our school system. It’s the ability to reach a number of different types of learners at once or to use the best of each to reach achievable goals, said Daria McCloskey, an English teacher at Murrow. “There are ways to get at kids--- a multi-dimensional approach is always good because the shy kid who doesn’t always raise a hand in class may empress themselves best in writing or art or business or math or science and vice versa. It is good for a teacher to also have backup ways of approaching a student that include ways of learning through the same ways a student may respond (math, science, art, or dance) approaches listed above.
McCloskey also mentioned how multiple intelligence keeps the class from being stuffy and boring…..kids WANT to show you how they learn----it’s about you listening to what THEY are offering and adapting to that----- you learn the dynamics of a class with a series of diagnostic tools at the beginning of the cycle or a semester and run with it. However, the emphasis has been placed on achievement because it’s defined as reducing kids to “data” that perform like trained seals. Kids are left out of the achievement and the corporate model rules--- it has become a culture of fear in schools and a “return to standards” that have nothing to do with learning or life standards.”
There may be issues and questions’ concerning Gardner’s multiple intelligence approach but it has played a huge role in education. From Gardner’s theory, educators question their work and learn their more to education than mandated curriculums and test prep.
“This is the first time I’m hearing of it but it’s a theory that is somewhat plausible, I think it could be taught in schools, its knowledge people will take what they learn from it and build,” said CUNY York College Student, Kadeen Jones. “As a theory there is still room for change in by teaching students because they can challenge it as well. As long as it’s not suddenly taught as a fact proven 100% all the time when its not. Maybe Gardner is right and we don’t know that.”
