MI- Chapter 1

Within this chapter I have learned the basic idea behind the Multiple Intelligence Theory. This theory first began from the idea that there was this thing called “intelligence” and there was a way to measure it with a test or score. After this idea developed further, Howard Gardner, a Harvard psychologist, sought to expand the possibility of intelligence. He created the theory that intelligence has more to do with the ability to solve problems and with understanding different material in different settings. There are eight intelligences according to Gardner which are labeled as linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Within each intelligence every person has the ability to develop those skills and others as well. Gardner also set up a basis for the multiple intelligence theory. This meant that each intelligence had to meet certain criteria to be considered a true intelligence. There are eight factors that form the criteria he used in order to include the eight intelligences. The factors are labeled as potential isolation by brain damage, existence of savants, prodigies and other exceptional individuals, distinctive developmental history and a definable set of expert “End-State” performances, an evolutionary history and evolutionary plausibility, support from psychometric findings, support from experimental psychological tasks, an identifiable core operation or set of operations, and a susceptibility to encoding in a symbol system. The key points of the MI theory are that every person can posses all eight of these intelligences as well as develop each intelligence to sufficient level of competency. Gardner also believed that intelligences work together in complex ways making it possible for there to be many different ways to be intelligent in each category.

This chapter allowed me to gain further insight into how the multiple intelligence theory actually works. It is one thing to know and be familiar with a theory or tool but another thing to actually understand that theory or tool. The MI theory has taught me that all people are capable of being extremely intelligent. However, we just see different people in different ways. This leads to the labeling of certain “problem” or “disabled” students as such instead of being labeled as intelligent and gifted. I really liked the idea that each intelligence had to meet a certain standard in order to be known as an intelligence. This helped me realize that everyone has something that they can be good at and not to put anyone down for learning differently.