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The Traditional View:

Alfred Binet & Theodore Simon (early 1900s)

Individuals are born with a certain intelligence

This intelligence is difficult to change

Psychologists can assess one's IQ using short-answer tests.
The New View:
(Gardner, 1998; Denig, 2004; Campbell et al, 1999).
 Howard Gardner (1970s & 1980s).

Research on talented children and adults who had suffered from strokes led Gardner to propose the MI theory.

Gardner arrived at a firm intuition:
Human beings are better thought of as possessing a number of relatively independent faculties, rather than as having an IQ that can be simply channeled in one or another direction (Gardner, 1998).
 Gardner (1999) defines an intelligence as “biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture.”

Gardner defines intelligence as the ability to:

Solve problems one encounters in real life.

Generate new problems to solve

Make something or offer a service that is valued within one's culture (Campbell et al, 1999).

The central question moves from " How smart are you?
" to " How are you smart?
"
1.2.1.Criteria of an Intelligence:

According to Gardner (1983), there are eight signs of an intelligence:
1.
potential isolation by brain damage
2.
the existence of idiots, savants, prodigies and other exceptional individuals
3.
an identifiable core operation or set of operations
4.
a distinctive developmental history
5.
an evolutionary history and evolutionary plausibility
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6.
support from experimental psychological tasks
7.
support from psychometric findings
8.
susceptibility to encoding in a symbol system.
(Gardner, 1983; Chen, 2004; Denig, 2004; Gilman, 2001; Christison,
1998)
1.2.2.
The Eight Intelligences:
“The intelligences are languages that all people speak and are influenced, in part, by the culture into which one is born. They are tools for learning, problem-solving, and creating that all human beings can use” (Campbell et al, 1999).
1) Linguistic intelligence:

Display a facility with words & languages

Good at reading, writing, telling stories, & memorizing words and dates

Authors, poets, journalists, speakers and newscasters exhibit high degrees of linguistic intelligence (e.g. T. S. Eliot, Noam Chomsky)
2) Logical- mathematical intelligence:

To do with logic, abstractions, inductive and deductive reasoning & numbers

Scientists, accountants, engineers, lawyers, doctors, philosophers & computer programmers all demonstrate this intelligence (e.g. Albert
Einstein)
3) Spatial intelligence:

Enables one to perceive external and internal imagery, to recreate, transform or modify images, to navigate oneself and objects through space, and to produce or decode graphic information

Sailors, pilots, artists, sculptors, & architects demonstrate this intelligence (e.g. Michelangelo)
4) Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence:

Enables one to manipulate objects & fine-tune physical skills

Evident in athletes, dancers, surgeons, actors & craftspeople (e.g.
Martha Graham, Michael Jordan)
5) Musical intelligence:

To do with rhythm, music and hearing
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
Learn best via lecture and often use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information

Musicians, singers, conductors & composers demonstrate this intelligence (e.g. Ludwig van Beethoven
)
6) Interpersonal intelligence:

The capacity to understand and interact effectively with others

Politicians, managers, social workers, diplomats, and successful teachers demonstrate this intelligence (e.g. Sigmund Freud, Mahatma
Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt)
7) Intrapersonal intelligence:

The ability to construct an accurate perception of oneself and to use such knowledge in planning and directing one's life.

Philosophers, psychologists, theologians and writers demonstrate this intelligence.
8) Naturalist intelligence:

The ability to observe patterns in nature, identify & classify objects and understand natural and human-made systems.

Farmers, botanists, hunters, ecologists and landscapers demonstrate this intelligence (e.g. Rachel Carson)
Other intelligences:
Spiritual or existential
Moral
(Wikipedia, 2006; Gardner, 1998)
2.1.
Basis for Multiple Intelligences:
Biological basis
Cultural basis (Brualdi, 1996; Gardner, 1991).
2.2.
Distinguishing features of MI theory:
Definition of intelligence based on real-world intelligence
Pluralistic view of intelligence
All 8 (or more) intelligences are universal
Unique profiles of intelligence that develop and change
Each intelligence involves sub-abilities or different manifestations
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Intelligences work in combination, not isolation
They may be conceptualized in three broad categories: object-related, object-free, & person-related
All eight are inherently value-free (Campbell et al, 1999)
2.3.
Audiences for the Theory of MI:
According to Gardner (2004), the various audiences that have reacted to the
MI theory include:

Classroom teachers and administrators

People involved in the development of curriculum or learning environments

Behavioral and natural scientists

Biologists and neuroscientists

Individuals concerned with educational policy
2.4.
Criticism Directed towards the MI Theory: a) Intellectual relativism b) Success in the classroom c) Lack of empirical evidence d) Each of the eight intelligences is a cognitive style rather than a standalone construct. (Wikipedia, 2006; Gilman, 2001; Gardner, 1998)
“ The idea is not to minimize or to ignore the traditional core components of the educational process, but to revise them and to expand upon them to better include the multiple intelligences of all the students within any one classroom setting” (Roesch, 1997).
3.1.
Why is the MI theory favored by educators?!
Comports with their intuitions that students are smart in different ways
More students can be reached more effectively. (see Appendix A)
(Gardner, 1998)
3.2.
Educational Implications of MI Theory:
1.
Each person possesses all eight intelligences
2.
Intelligences can be developed
3.
Intelligences work together in complex ways
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4.
There are many different ways to be intelligent. (Christison, 1998;
Stanford, 2003)
3.3.
Introducing MI Theory to Teachers:
Step 1 .
Introduce the basic theory
Step 2.
Use an MI inventory (see Appendix B)
Step 3.
Categorize familiar EFL activities
Step 4.
Conduct a personal audit of teaching strategies
Step 5.
Develop different assessment techniques that also address the eight intelligences. (Christison, 1998)
3.4.
Applying the MI theory to EFL/ESL Classrooms:
3.4.1.
How teachers use MI theory in the classroom:
1.
As a tool to help students develop a better understanding and appreciation of their own strengths and learning preferences.
2.
As a tool to develop a better understanding of learners' intelligences.
3.
As a guide to provide a greater variety of ways for students to learn and to demonstrate their learning.
4.
As a guide to develop lesson plans that address the full range of learner needs. (Christison & Kennedy, 2003)
3.4.2. Integrating MI theory into lessons for adults:
Why should MI theory be used in classrooms of diverse learners in university and adult education settings?

Focuses on achievement of competencies directly applicable to life

Supports a student's self-direction

Self-evaluation and student centered assessment. (Shore, 2001)
3.4.3. MI & Curriculum:
 Implications of the MI theory for Curriculum:

Instructional processes capable of enhancing student learning in any discipline

Promote early specialization

A justification for broadening the curriculum to include a wider variety of courses. (Campbell et al., 1999).
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 When Planning a Lesson, Ask the Right Questions!
Certain questions help the teacher look at the possibilities for involving as many intelligences as possible:
Linguistic: How can I use the spoken or written word?
Logical-Mathematical: How can I bring in numbers, calculations, logic, classifications, or critical thinking?
Spatial: How can I use visual aids, visualization, color, art, metaphor, or visual organizers?
Musical: How can I bring in music or environmental sounds, or set key points in a rhythm or melody?
Bodily-Kinesthetic: How can I involve the whole body, or hands-on experiences?
Interpersonal: How can I engage students in peer or cross-age sharing, cooperative learning or large-group simulation?
Intrapersonal: How can I evoke personal feelings or memories, or give students choices? (see Appendix C)
(Armstrong, 1994; Campbell et al., 1999).
3.4.4. MI & Assessment:

Assess students' learning in ways which will give an accurate overview of their strengths and weaknesses.

Allow students to explain the material in their own ways using the different intelligences

Assessment alternatives include logs and journals, graphic organizers, observational checklists, video samples, rubrics, and portfolios. (see
Appendix D) (Stanford, 2003; Brualdi, 1996)
Conclusion
Of course, some educators may think that this learning philosophy works fine with younger kids but that when students reach middle or high school age, they need to put these frills aside and get serious about learning. Unfortunately, this narrow perception of learning helps contribute to the alienation of adolescents. Children do not leave their multiple intelligences behind once they reach puberty. If anything, the intelligence becomes even more intense (especially bodily-kinesthetic and the personal intelligences) (Armstrong, 1994).
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References
Adult Multiple Intelligences: MI Basics . (n.d.). Retrieved December 19, 2006, from http://pzweb.harvard.edu/ami/mibasics.htm
Armstrong, T. (1994). Multiple intelligences: seven ways to approach curriculum .
Retrieved December 22, 2006, from http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/articles/7_ways.htm
Brualdi, A. C. (1996). Multiple intelligences: Gardner's theory . (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED410226).
Campbell, L., Campbell, B., & Dickinson, D. (1999). Teaching and learning through multiple intelligences.
Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon.
Chen, J. (2004). Theory of multiple intelligences: is it a scientific theory? Teachers
College Record, 106(1), 17-23.
Christison, M. A. (1998). Applying multiple intelligences theory in preservice and inservice TEFL education programs. [Electronic version]. Forum, 36(2), 2-
13.
Christison, M. A., & Kennedy, D. (2003). Multiple intelligences: theory and practice in adult ESL. ERIC Digest. Retrieved December 22, 2006, from http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-1/multiple.html
Denig, S. J. (2004). Multiple intelligences and learning styles: two complementary dimensions. Teachers College Record, 106(1), 96-111.
Eisner, E. W. (2004). Multiple intelligences: its tensions and possibilities. Teachers
College Record, 106(1), 31-39.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences . London:
William Heinemann Ltd.
Gardner, H. (1991). Intelligence in seven steps.
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Gardner, H. (1998). A multiplicity of intelligences. [Electronic version]. Scientific
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Gardner, H. (2004). Audiences for the theory of multiple intelligences. Teachers
College Record, 106(1), 212-220.
Gilman, L. (2001). The theory of multiple intelligences . Retrieved December 12,
2006, from http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/mitheory.shtml
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Haley, M. H. (2004). Learner-centered instruction and the theory of multiple intelligences with second language learners. Teachers College Record,
106(1), 163-180.
MI Basics: The Theory Behind the Practice . (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2006, from http://pzweb.harvard.edu/AMI/mi.htm
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Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Saint Louis University.
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Retrieved December 19, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences
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