WHY MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES?
Gardner published Frames of Mind in 1993. He did not intend on writing a book about education. He wanted to prove that people have different capacities for learning. He attempted to do this by using biological and cultural research. The result of his efforts was the original seven intelligences. Gardner does make it clear that the intelligences rarely are independent of each other. They usually work together with one or more other intelligences. In fact, he believes that all of the intelligences are needed in order to function properly in the world. (Brualdi, 1998)
"Good reasons for applying the multiple intelligences theory in our classrooms:
-To help students understand their abilities and those of others.
-To show students how to use their strengths both to learn and to work on their weaknesses.
-To build students' confidence so they would be willing to take educational risks
-To help students learn more by providing 'unforgettable learning' experiences (Kovalik, 1994), that is, those that engage so many senses they will never be forgotten.
-To more accurately assess students' mastery of basic skills and higher-level content."
(Greenhawk, 1997)
Gardner himself makes a good argument for using the MI theory in classrooms. "The intelligences offer one initial way in which we might begin to think about individual differences in the classroom and in other educational environments." (Gardner, 1998)