Smartboards in the Classroom

Edutopia.org is an amazing resource and its latest edition has stimulating articles on how Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences has been embraced by educators and utilized in the classroom.

 

Here's an especially interesting Edutopia reader's response to the question "How do you address multiple intelligences in your classroom?"

 

"I keep in mind William Shakespeare and his three audiences. Because the Bard had to keep three levels of audience enthralled and coming back for more, he employed sword fights and gore for the groundlings, romance and intrigue for the gallery, and deep philosophy with dazzling wordplay for the higher-ups. I leave it up to the reader's imagination how to engage this formula in a typical high school English class. In a nutshell: Motion and emotion go hand in hand, and there are always at least three ways of saying anything."

 

Jonathan Edwards

English Department Chair

Harriton High School

Rosemont, Pennsylvania

 

Wonderful!  If content is data that students need to learn and the method of delivery is the activities we create to reach multiple modalities, then by varying the types of activities, we reach students through multiple pathways. 

 

Got It!  Comments?

 

Attachment(s):

Attached is a very interesting paper written by Howard Gardner in 2003 that discusses how his theory of Multiple Intelligences evolved, his thoughts of the ninth modality or even more, and how his theory has been applied in some areas of education.  I find his work thought-provoking.  Enjoy.

Attachment(s): HG_MI_after_20_years.pdf

Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1994.

Armstrong, Thomas. 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Many Intelligences, New York: Plume, 1993.

Armstrong, Thomas. In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child's Personal Learning Style, New York: Tarcher/Putnam, 1987.

Armstrong, Thomas, "Utopian Schools," Mothering, Winter, 1996.

Armstrong, Thomas. "Multiple Intelligences: Seven Ways to Approach Curriculum," Educational Leadership, November, 1994.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Multiple Intelliaences CD-ROM, and Multiple Intelligences Video Series; 1250 N. Pitt St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1453 (800-933-2723).

Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic,1983

Gardner, Howard. Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic, 1993.

Gardner, Howard. Intelligence Reframed:  Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century.  New York:  Basic, 2000.