Multiple+Intelligences

=Multiple Intelligences=
 * (submitted by Jill Barrie)**

Definition
The theory was proposed in the context of debates about the concept of intelligence, and whether methods which claim to measure intelligence (or aspects thereof) are truly [|scientific]. Gardner's theory argues that intelligence, as it is traditionally defined, does not adequately encompass the wide variety of abilities humans display. In his conception, a child who masters the multiplication table easily is not necessarily more intelligent //overall// than a child who struggles to do so. The second child may be stronger in another //kind// of intelligence, and therefore may best learn the given material through a different approach, may excel in a field outside of mathematics, or may even be looking through the multiplication learning process at a fundamentally deeper level that hides a potentially higher mathematical intelligence than in the one who memorizes the concept easily. The theory suggests that, rather than relying on a uniform [|curriculum], schools should offer "individual-centered education", with curricula tailored to the needs of each child.[|[1]] (This includes working to help students develop the intelligences in which they are weaker.) Gardner identifies kinds of intelligences based upon eight criteria. His eight criteria for describing something as an independent kind of intelligence (rather than merely one of the skills or abilities included in a kind of intelligence, or a synonym for, or combination of other kinds of intelligence) include:[|[2]] [|[3]] Gardner originally identified seven core intelligences: [|linguistic], [|logical]-[|mathematical], [|spatial], [|bodily]-[|kinesthetic], [|musical], [|interpersonal] and [|intrapersonal]. In 1999 he added an eighth, the [|naturalistic] intelligence, and indicated that investigation continues on whether there is an [|existential] intelligence. The theory has been widely criticized in the psychology and educational theory communities. The most common criticisms argue that Gardner's theory is based on his own [|intuition] rather than [|empirical] data and that the intelligences are just other names for [|talents] or [|personality] types. Despite these criticisms, the theory has enjoyed a great deal of success amongst educators over the past twenty years. There are several schools which espouse MI as a pedagogy, and many individual teachers who incorporate some or all of the theory into their methodology. Many books and educational materials exist which explain the theory and how it may be applied to the classroom.
 * Multiple intelligences** is an educational theory, first developed by psychologist [|Howard Gardner], that describes an [|array] of different kinds of "[|intelligences]" exhibited by [|human beings]. Gardner suggests that each individual manifests varying levels of these different intelligences, and thus each person has a unique "[|cognitive] profile." The theory was first laid out in Gardner's 1983 book, //[|Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences]//, and has been further refined in subsequent years.
 * case studies of individuals exhibiting unusual talents in a given field ([|child prodigies], [|autistic savants]);
 * [|neurological] evidence for areas of the brain that are specialized for particular capacities (often including studies of people who have suffered [|brain damage] affecting a specific capacity);
 * the [|evolutionary] relevance of the various capacities;
 * [|psychometric] studies; and
 * the existence of a [|symbolic] notation (e.g. written language, musical notation, choreography).

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_intelligences