Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

After completing a number of readings on Multiple Intelligence Theory, it is evident that understanding the concepts behind this theory are paramount to the success experienced by all teachers. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences centers around the idea that students, and all individuals for that matter, have uniquely different learning styles. Howard Gardner's proposed eight different intelligences - Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Naturalist - and has recently posited the need for a ninth - Existential. Humans, according to Gardner, have a wide range of abilities or "intelligences" that they use to help overcome problems or issues and also create items throughout their lives.

Although all people possess all eight intelligences, some are more of a strongpoint for any given individual than the others. Likewise, the weaker intelligences for one person may likely be a strength of another. In other words, the intelligences can be thought of as many "ways of being smart". For example, it has been revealed that I process information largely through the Bodily-Kinesthetic, Spatial and Musical intelligences. I feel that my ability to take in and process information in a Body-Kinesthetic manner has largely shaped my current and future life. As I found it to be a passion of mine to be athletic, remain fit, and express myself and learn through physical activity inspired me to choose to become a physical and health educator. Also, as having been involved in instrumental music since 3rd grade, music continues to be a love of mine and will, rightfully, find its place within my classroom in the future.

In my opinion, Multiple Intelligence Theory plays an enormous role in both the development of curriculum, assessment, evaluation, and grading within health and physical education. Teachers are quick to forget the differences in learning styles between any two of their students. Curriculum, for instance, should be varied in the sense that unit and lesson plans ought to address the needs of learners who may have strength in any given one of the eight intelligences. This type of method may help avoid biases to include only commonly-addressed intelligences such as linguistic and logical-mathematical. Assessments, too, should allow students to choose (from a set list) the type of assessment (project, test, exam, portfolio, essay, movie, music, poem, etc) that they could complete to meet the standard for passing the course. This provides students with the necessary variety that would hopefully allow students of differing "intelligences" to still be successful.

Finally, evaluation and grading should be done using similar techniques. Evaluations and grades could be done using creative scales developed by or simple observations done by an instructor. These scales could be individualized to whatever assessment is being performed, considering, for example, that a scale for the performance the physical skills of basketball would not be the same as writing to describe how basketball relates to jazz music. It is essential that, when assigning grades, and developing curriculum and assessments, a teacher bear in mind the strengths and weaknesses his or her students exhibit in the way they take in information. Although more work may be required on the part of the teacher to meet the needs of all the different intelligences in her classroom, creating assessments and curriculum to meet these needs will ultimately prove successful for keeping students interested and performing at an exceptional level.