Howard gardner and his theory of multiple intelligences education essay

Howard Gardner, born on July 11th, 1943, is one of modern twenty-four hours ‘s greatest psychologists. ( Smith ) He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to parents who escaped from Germany because they were Jewish. ( Winner ) Theholocaustwas an influential factor in his life. ( Gardner ) Another great influence in his life is the decease of his brother Eric, although his parents seldom talked about the affair, it significantly impacted his thought and development. ( Smith ) In other words, his household and equal greatly shaped who he became today. ( Myers 118 ) He was a superb immature kid, who ended up traveling toHarvardUniversity with a grade in Law but his involvement in psychologicalscienceand the societal scientific disciplines grew. ( Gardner ) Finally he developed his theory of Multiple Intelligence in 1983 in his book Frames of Mind: theory of multiple intelligences. ( Gardner ) During that clip period psychological science was progressively popular. For illustration, a outstanding field during the 80 ‘s and 90 ‘s is cultural psychological science which assumes the thought that civilization and head are inseparable. ( “ CulturalPsychology” ) Besides that clip period contained a batch of economic, societal and general alteration which makes his new thought more acceptable. More significantly the fact that he is American agencies that he grew up in a free thought society so he can take from what he learned and transforms it into what he believes is true so base on balls on his sentiments.

Three other psychologists who influenced him greatly are Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner and Nelson Goodman. ( Gardner 3 of 7 ) Jean Piaget who deals with the nature of cognition and how worlds can bit by bit to obtain it, make it, and utilize it. Besides, Jerome Bruner contributed to cognitive psychological science and cognitive acquisition theory in educational psychological science. Goodman dealt with inductive concluding based on human wont. ( Gardner 3 of 7 ) The three of them goes along with Gardner ‘s statement of how kids learn cognition. Besides their plants caused Gardner to go more interested in societal scientific discipline.

Waldorf instruction developed in the early 1900s by Rudolf Steiner was similar to Gardner ‘s thoughts. ( Why Waldorf Works ) It was about incorporating practical, artistic and conceptual elements into larning. This instruction emphasizes imaginativeness and creativeness so that pupils can develop into free, morally responsible and incorporate persons. The first Waldorf School was opened in Germany in 1919 and now there are many schools get downing to utilize methods of Waldorf instruction. ( Why Waldorf Works ) Last an thought credited to be developed by Jerome Bruner in the 1960 ‘s is find larning which promoted custodies on tilting where scholars draw from his or her ain experience and anterior cognition. ( “ Discovery Learning ( Bruner ) ” ) So there were many factors that influenced his thought and that pushed him to develop his theory.

His theory trades with how worlds have many different ways to larn and treat information. ( “ Howard Gardner ‘s Multiple Intelligences theory ” ) He believes that everyone has different degrees of intelligence in each class which is why some kids learn some things faster than others. Gardner believes that intelligence is normally defined by psychometries but it does non adequately describe people ‘s broad mixture of cognitive abilities. IQ trials can sometimes be taken excessively earnestly but it can non find future success ( Gardner 3 ) . Even college aptitude trials are “ thinly cloaked intelligence trials. ” ( Myer 432 ) For illustration a kid that takes longer to larn generation does non intend the kid is dense but that the kid is more intelligent in other countries. In the facet of instruction, Gardner wants to prioritise because he believes the cognition we learn is superficial, “ a stat mi broad an inch deep ” . ( Guignon ) He recognizes that “ Students learn in ways that are identifiably typical ” so he promotes more pupil centered as opposed toteachercentered larning which is a really practical thought.

Harmonizing to Garner, there are 8 perchance 10 intelligences ; spacial, lingual, logical, bodily, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and realistic. Spatial is the ability to visualise with the head ‘s oculus. ( Chapman ) Linguistic intelligence trades with words, spoken or written. These people learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to talks, and treatment. ( Chapman ) Logical-mathematical is about logic, abstractions, concluding, and Numberss, concluding capablenesss scientific thought and probe traditional constructs of “ intelligence ” or IQ. ( Chapman ) Bodily-kinesthetic is the control of one ‘s bodily gestures and the capacity to manage objects skilfully. Musical intelligence trades with sounds, beat, tones, andmusicsing, play musical instruments. ( Lane ) Interpersonal intelligence is about interaction with others. They are largely extraverts, characterized by their sensitiveness to others ‘ tempers, feelings, dispositions and motives and collaborate good with others. ( Lane ) Intrapersonal is the introverted and self-reflective capacities. Those people are introverted but good at decoding their ain feelings and motives. ( Lane ) Lastly is realistic who deals a batch with nature associating information to one ‘s natural milieus. The 9th intelligence is non to the full confirmed yet but it is experiential which is about contemplating phenomena or inquiries beyond centripetal informations. And eventually, the ten percent is moral intelligences covering with moralss and the value of life. ( Chapman )

His theory greatly changed the heads of many and started the development of more across-the-board schools. Traditionally, schools have highlighted the development of logical and lingual intelligence but many pupils do non larn good in thatenvironment. ( Lane ) Gardner ‘s theory argues that pupils will be better served by a wider vision of instruction, wherein instructors use different methods to learn all pupils non merely the few that are intelligent logically or linguistically. ( Guignon ) Although, many instructors see the theory as simple common sense and some even say they already know that pupil learn in different ways, Gardner ‘s system has non been accepted by most faculty members instructions. ( Guignon ) Some schools nevertheless, have developed to better fit Gardner ‘s thoughts. For illustration, one of the most celebrated schools that implement Gardner ‘s theory is the New City School in St. Louis, Missouri. This school has been utilizing the theory since 1988 ( “ Why New City School ” )

There has been much unfavorable judgment for his theory though. Some say he uses the word intelligence in topographic point of ability. ( Gilman ) Others say that he has non settled on a individual definition of intelligence though he admits himself that he has no fixed definition. ( Gilman ) Last and most significantly, he has no empirical grounds for this theory. ( Smith ) In fact, some neurological research disproves his theory and his old plants has major defects. ( Smith )

Recently, the current No Child Left Behind act passed by the Bush disposal does non embrace his theory at all because the Act is about holding pupils all pass standardized trials while he wants to acquire rid of those trials in order to make out to every kid ‘s demands. ( “ No Child Left Behind Act ( NCLB ) | ESEA ” ) His theory affects us so much today because it relates to instruction ; Gardner goes into how schools merely teach superficial cognition significance schools teach a batch of everything but non in deepness into anything so some childs may stand out in one country but non the other. ( Gardner ) There is excessively much shoal cognition so he suggests that kids should larn and really understand constructs non merely larn for taking a trial. ( Smith ) If he obtains more support for his theory, the whole instruction system will hold to be changed. But his thought of an instruction system should work good because this will assist do the instruction system more just and embracing for all childs. Right now, some kids that may look like they are neglecting school but theirfailureis non because they are dense but because the manner topics are taught in school is non how he or she can grok and use. ( Gardner )

Even though Gardner ‘s theory is appealing, it will likely non work because there is no widespread support particularly from authorities. ( No Child Left Behind Act ( NCLB ) | ESEA ) Besides, single instructors particularly in lower classs have unconsciously adapted parts of his theories but because in higher classs there is more lecture manner instruction, his theory seldom applied to higher instruction. ( Guignon ) Furthermore there is so much contention over this theory because it keeps on altering and there is no cogent evidence which makes it difficult to wholly believe this theory. ( Smith ) Additionally, since Gardner is still alive, he can maintain on altering his theory and acquiring more grounds and support. ( Gardner ) Lastly, some schools have already adapted his theory such as the New metropolis school. This school published many books about implementing this theory in more schoolrooms such as the school ‘s instructors have produced two books for instructors, Observing Multiple Intelligences and Succeeding With Multiple Intelligences and the principal, Thomas Hoerr, has written Becoming a Multiple Intelligences School in add-on to many articles on the practical applications of the theory. ( “ Multiple Intelligences Resources ) The school has besides hosted four conferences, each pulling over pedagogues from around the universe. ( “ Why New City School ” ) The school remains a valuable resource for instructors interested in put to deathing the theory in their ain schoolrooms.

It is clear that Howard Gardner has had an of import impact on today ‘s psychological science universe and instruction. His continuity to “ dispute an educational system that assumes that everyone can larn the same stuffs in the same manner ” has decidedly made an impact in the universe as many schools have recognized the different ways kids learn. ( Lane ) Should his theory go more prevailing, who knows what out instruction system will be like in the hereafter.