Assessment with gardener’s multiple intelligences:
Howard Gardner 2009 states that if we all had exactly the same kind of mind which had only one kind of intelligence, then we could teach everyone the same thing in the same way and assess everyone in the same way; that would be considered fair. When we found out humans weren’t like that, then we decided that the education that treats everyone in the same way is unfair because it picks put one kind of mind which is someone who is very linguistic and logical. If you think like that then great, if you don’t then there is no room on the train for you. (Gardner, 2009).
Teaching assessment should reflect the diverse learning styles of all of the children in the classroom. Students who excel well with one intelligence may not be necessarily excel at another, so it is important to design assessment material that appeals to all intelligences because as stated above this will make our teaching assessment fair for everyone.
“Every student has the opportunity to specialize and excel in at least one intelligence…. each student learns the subject matter in a variety of different ways, thereby multiplying chances of successfully understanding and retaining that information” (Campbell, 1991).
Tips for assessment:
- Be clear about the expectations and how work will be marked!
- Show examples of work and what the teacher will be looking for (exemplars)
- Assessment opportunities may have more than one link to multiple intelligences or may shows strengths in different forms- for example a writing task with a drawn image- the children may write really well and draw really poorly or draw really well and write really poorly- take all intelligences into consideration!
- Develop assessments that appeal to all intelligences and not make one more superior over the others (be creative with assessment)
- Encourage peer evaluation (interpersonal intelligence)
Gardner states that teachers and students, often cannot explain why a certain topics need to be covered in school. The curriculum in the classroom needs to be reconfigured so that there is a stronger focus on skills, knowledge and above all, an understanding of relevant and important learning for our country today. We need to adapt our curriculum as much as possible to the particular learning styles and strengths of individual students. (Gardner cited in Campbell, 1991). To create successful assessment strategies, familiarize yourself with your students' individual learning styles! Knowing how your students learn best can help you choose approaches that will reach them most effectively. Here are some examples of how you may like to assess the children on their individual intelligences:
Linguistic:
- Ask students to engage in writing tasks regularly- choice writing, journal reflections.
- Encourage oral language opportunities- buzz groups, news time, presentations, sharing class work.
- Emphasize creative writing – have students write poems, plays, and stories.
Logical/Mathematical:
- Encourage science experiments
- Engage in regular mathematics activities
- Have student’s complete logic problems and games.
Bodily/Kinesthetic:
- Challenge students partake in physical activity
- Teach children specific sporting skills with appropriate equipment
- Have students build models or use other hands-on techniques to show what they learned.
Visual/Spatial:
- Invite students to participate in activities where they are able to create things- art, technology etc.
- Encourage students to illustrate their ideas using maps, charts, and graphs.
Interpersonal:
- Stage a classroom debate- encourage classroom interaction
- Group work!
- Have students work collaboratively to brainstorm and prepare a project.
Intrapersonal:
- Encourage goal setting in particular areas that the children may find as a strength or a weakness.
- Encourage reflection on work and progress reports.
Musical:
- Challenge students to listen to music and identify musical patterns.
- Ask students to write new lyrics to familiar melodies or to compose a new song.
Naturalist:
- Ask students to keep environmental journals and to share their observations.
- Encourage the children to come up with community initiatives regarding the protection of the natural environment.
The benefits of using Gardner’s Multiple intelligences in the classroom is a great way to assess the children and their individual approach to learning. Studies have shown that students who perform poorly with traditional testing, are more interested in learning when classroom experiences involve learning experiences of interest to the children. Gardner believes that all children possess the all 8 multiple intelligences and that children can learn the same subject matter but it different ways. “These intelligences are located in different parts of the brain and can either work independently or together. These intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened” (Lunenburg & Lunenburg, 2014, p. 1)
Howard Gardner 2009 states that if we all had exactly the same kind of mind which had only one kind of intelligence, then we could teach everyone the same thing in the same way and assess everyone in the same way; that would be considered fair. When we found out humans weren’t like that, then we decided that the education that treats everyone in the same way is unfair because it picks put one kind of mind which is someone who is very linguistic and logical. If you think like that then great, if you don’t then there is no room on the train for you. (Gardner, 2009).
Teaching assessment should reflect the diverse learning styles of all of the children in the classroom. Students who excel well with one intelligence may not be necessarily excel at another, so it is important to design assessment material that appeals to all intelligences because as stated above this will make our teaching assessment fair for everyone.
“Every student has the opportunity to specialize and excel in at least one intelligence…. each student learns the subject matter in a variety of different ways, thereby multiplying chances of successfully understanding and retaining that information” (Campbell, 1991).
Tips for assessment:
- Be clear about the expectations and how work will be marked!
- Show examples of work and what the teacher will be looking for (exemplars)
- Assessment opportunities may have more than one link to multiple intelligences or may shows strengths in different forms- for example a writing task with a drawn image- the children may write really well and draw really poorly or draw really well and write really poorly- take all intelligences into consideration!
- Develop assessments that appeal to all intelligences and not make one more superior over the others (be creative with assessment)
- Encourage peer evaluation (interpersonal intelligence)
Gardner states that teachers and students, often cannot explain why a certain topics need to be covered in school. The curriculum in the classroom needs to be reconfigured so that there is a stronger focus on skills, knowledge and above all, an understanding of relevant and important learning for our country today. We need to adapt our curriculum as much as possible to the particular learning styles and strengths of individual students. (Gardner cited in Campbell, 1991). To create successful assessment strategies, familiarize yourself with your students' individual learning styles! Knowing how your students learn best can help you choose approaches that will reach them most effectively. Here are some examples of how you may like to assess the children on their individual intelligences:
Linguistic:
- Ask students to engage in writing tasks regularly- choice writing, journal reflections.
- Encourage oral language opportunities- buzz groups, news time, presentations, sharing class work.
- Emphasize creative writing – have students write poems, plays, and stories.
Logical/Mathematical:
- Encourage science experiments
- Engage in regular mathematics activities
- Have student’s complete logic problems and games.
Bodily/Kinesthetic:
- Challenge students partake in physical activity
- Teach children specific sporting skills with appropriate equipment
- Have students build models or use other hands-on techniques to show what they learned.
Visual/Spatial:
- Invite students to participate in activities where they are able to create things- art, technology etc.
- Encourage students to illustrate their ideas using maps, charts, and graphs.
Interpersonal:
- Stage a classroom debate- encourage classroom interaction
- Group work!
- Have students work collaboratively to brainstorm and prepare a project.
Intrapersonal:
- Encourage goal setting in particular areas that the children may find as a strength or a weakness.
- Encourage reflection on work and progress reports.
Musical:
- Challenge students to listen to music and identify musical patterns.
- Ask students to write new lyrics to familiar melodies or to compose a new song.
Naturalist:
- Ask students to keep environmental journals and to share their observations.
- Encourage the children to come up with community initiatives regarding the protection of the natural environment.
The benefits of using Gardner’s Multiple intelligences in the classroom is a great way to assess the children and their individual approach to learning. Studies have shown that students who perform poorly with traditional testing, are more interested in learning when classroom experiences involve learning experiences of interest to the children. Gardner believes that all children possess the all 8 multiple intelligences and that children can learn the same subject matter but it different ways. “These intelligences are located in different parts of the brain and can either work independently or together. These intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened” (Lunenburg & Lunenburg, 2014, p. 1)