Chapters Seven, Nine, Thirteen, and Fourteen MI

When considering the intelligences, we should also consider the best way students learn using them. Would it make sense to have the students of a specific intelligence, for instance linguistic, be spread throughout the room? What purpose would this have in our classroom if these individuals couldn’t talk together or communicate through their intelligence? As long as we differentiate and include all eight intelligences within out lesson then there should be no reason to separate the students. Doing this in the classroom can greatly expand the parameters for student exploration in each intelligence. Although students might do best with an activity based around their intelligence, should we let them venture into another? While the book suggests that it depends on the activity, I say it doesn’t matter. Let students explore; why refine their learning based on what we think is best for them in this case. We should do our best to provide students with experiences that activate all of their intelligences.

Just because a school provides a variety of different subjects does not mean that it should be considered a multiple intelligence school. An analogy that I like to use for this is: just because a pitcher pitched in the major leagues doesn’t mean that he is going to be a good coach. We need teachers who are going to differentiate and use a variety of strategies in order to accommodate for students of all intelligences. Each subject needs to incorporate all eight intelligences. I know that when I become a teacher, I will certainly use all eight intelligences in math; however, it will take the cooperation of all teachers, administration, and the students to create a totally MI school. If a school wants to be considered an MI school, it should consist of a lot of different specialists that are responsible for certain areas. The book proposes a theory that if schools want to be considered MI schools in the future, they should start looking less like schools and more like the real world. I think there is some truth and some false to this statement, although I can see the intent.

To prepare for the real world, a few important concepts for students to grasp are computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Many intelligences are used for each of these to be grasped. In the U.S., there has been a drastic increase in the amount of cultural diversity more recently than ever. When observing intelligences, it is important to keep in mind the MI theory: an intelligence must be valued by a culture in order to be considered a true intelligence. We should not think, however, that certain cultures only value one intelligence. Every culture uses all eight intelligences.

Every culture also uses the concept of existential intelligence. The book suggests the most appropriate way to integrate this concept into our classroom is to help students think about the existential dimensions of whatever they are studying and that assists them in considering the ways in which some professionals have incorporated existential concerns into their own work. The existential intelligence is used in nearly every subject as well, and should be touched on when necessary.