Gardner’s Theory of Intelligence, Essay Example

I chose Gardner’s Theory of Intelligence because “conception of intelligence should be informed…by “normal” children…gifted persons…and of individuals who have suffered selective forms of brain damage.”  (Neisser et al).  As education and students become more complex, we as teachers need to start thinking about how to tailor education to the student, instead of tailoring the student to the education.  Children learn differently, and if we as educators do more to help develop those different intelligences, learning would have a different meaning to students.

Gardner has listed several ways students learn.  There is Linguistic, or word smart, Logical smart, Spatial smart, Musical smart, Kinesthetic smart, Naturalist smart and Interpersonal smart.  Just because a child is not linguistic smart does not mean he/she has other academic skills that can positively contribute to the class.

Yet what about the gifted and the developmentally challenged students?  Does Gardner’s Theory take into account about their needs?  Gifted students “have more advanced reasoning and meta-cognitive skills.”  (Textbook Source)  Gardner’s multiple intelligences allow gifted students to utilize their skills in more ways than just book learning.  They can apply their knowledge to different ways they learn in order to create a more challenging learning environment for themselves, and maybe even their peers.

On the other end of the spectrum, students who come from different cultures or are academically or socially challenged can use Gardner’s Theory of Intelligence to their advantage.  “As they grow, some children of color are affected by perceptions of other people that they lack intelligence.”  (Textbook Source)  This is a very vague statement as many people think intelligence just means book smart.  A child living in a lower income area may not have access to educational resources, but that does not mean the child is smart.  They could have interpersonal smarts, Linguistic smarts, etc.

In conclusion, Gardner’s Theory of Intelligence allows children to realize that they are smart, and if we continue to develop that type of intelligence, they will have a better learning experience.

Works Cited

Neisser, U., Boodoo, G., Bouchard, T. J., Jr., Boykin, A. W., Brody, N., Ceci, S. J., Urbina, (1996). Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns. American Psychologist, 51(2), 77-101. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.51.2.77. Print Textbook Source