Personal Philosophy

(Written for Dr. Busch's course, ELED 452 Curriculum on Elementary School)

Howard Gardner proposed a theory of multiple intelligences in the early 1980s (Gardner, 1999). The concept was revolutionary, especially in regard to theories of education. Prior to Gardner, philosophers such as Piaget had influenced education and the idea that one type of intelligence, as measured by the IQ test or similar exams focused on academic standards, could determine the potential success of an individual and whether or not said individual was intelligent.

Gardner found the theories of intelligence lacking explanation for differences amongst individuals. In all, Gardner determined seven intelligences. The first two, linguistic and logical-mathematical, are what academics have historically focused on. To these Gardner added musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences (Gardner, 1993). Gardner’s theory contends that each human has a unique combination of the intelligences, and none of the intelligences are better or worse than another (Gardner, 1999).

Gardner’s theory has had a very strong influence on educational practices and theories. The Key School in Indianapolis, for example, has designed an entire curriculum around the theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner warns, however, that many educators have simply used the theory to support their own private ideas of educational reform, rather than using scientific research to support their use of the theory. Gardner emphasizes the difficulty of measuring each intelligence and, rather than attempt to evaluate students with tests, suggests stimulating the variety of intelligences in each and every student.

Gardner has developed five entry points enabling the nurturing of all seven intelligences in every student: narrational entry point, logical-quantitative entry point, foundational entry point, esthetic approach, and experiential approach (Gardner, 1991). The points allow the teacher to introduce materials in different ways so every student can grasp the new concepts. The theory Gardner has developed holds many important implications for education, and deeply affects what the ideas of teaching and learning.

I believe the learning experience should be directly related to the students’ own experiences. Learning and teaching methods that are directly linked to personal experiences will have a natural, familiar context that conveys meaning to the student. This entails bringing experiences outside of the school into the classroom and encouraging students to continue to learn from their experiences outside of classroom. By allowing individual’s experiences to become part of the curriculum or classroom exercises, the student will be allowed to play a greater part in their own education, which contributes to their appreciation of the learning experience. Bringing materials from familiar environments to use in the classroom can help erase differences between advanced and below-average students (Gardner, 1991).

Using personal experiences and a context rich environment to stimulate and direct the learning experience, I feel students should be encouraged to become independent thinkers. The skills that enable a student to critique, judge, and evaluate their own experiences are critical to an individual’s ability to navigate a lifetime of scenarios (Ross, 1998). Simply forcing rote memorization of formulas, maxims, and procedures does not enable students to invent, discover, or address unique new scenarios. In order for school to prepare students for the responsibilities after school, and, while they attend school, they must be prepared for the unlimited variety of situations possible.

Thinking independently is a quality that is necessary, however, the ability to work effectively with other people, whether in small groups or in partnerships, is also essential to a well-rounded education, and is interrelated to independent thinking. For example, negative outcomes from peer pressure can be explained by the inability to think independently when confronted in a group. The ability to work within a group enables a student to remain independent and voice his or her thoughts and feelings, while respecting the anonymity of other individuals in the group, simultaneously recognizing the integrity and responsibility of the group as a whole. Interpersonal intelligence is only one of the seven original intelligences Gardner (1993) identified, but it is one of the most important. Although the goal is not to enable each and every student to understand other people, the ability to compromise in misunderstandings and to work together is critical for a vital community.

In order for students to learn styles of appropriate interaction amongst peers while thinking independently for themselves teaching methods should maximize student and teacher interaction. Through interaction the teacher can use modeling to encourage proper behavior and attitude. Simultaneously, through teacher—student interaction, the teacher can better evaluate the student and discover his or her learning style, thus adjusting the teaching style to meet the student’s needs. Ultimately, however, student teacher interaction encourages a more informal, relaxed environment, where the teacher acts as a guide or an adviser that encourages the student to accept more independence and find confidence in the learning environment (Hopper, Hurry, 2000).

It cannot be assumed that the school or the teacher can meet every need of the student. As Hopper and Hurry (2000) explained, one of the goals of education is for students to become responsible for their own learning. Children should assume at least part of the responsibility for their learning, which means homework assignments and learning should continue outside of the classroom, and time in the classroom should be used effectively to meet the goals of the school and student. By allowing the student some say as to what they learn (mainly, the context of the curriculum), the student is allowed to set goals, but ultimately it is up to the student to meet those goals. The teacher enables the student by coaching, encouraging and directing the student to the resources available and the skills already acquired, thus building on previous educational experiences. Personal responsibility is linked directly to motivation and personal meaning, and, without it, appreciation of the educational process is lost.

The final goal of any educational process should be to help the student to become a successful and contributing member of society. And yet, the terms successful and contributing can have many connotations, depending on the situation and the individual involved. Successful should mean the attainment of the student’s personal goals. A student may desire to be a carpenter, a scientist, or an artist, but that is up to the individual. Contributing refers to being a positive, productive member of society, which entails the character, principle and morals of the individual. The goals of the educational practice can only be implemented through careful and considerable planning. As a teacher, I will have a substantial responsibility designing a classroom and implementing my beliefs about education.

The first and perhaps the most important action I will take as a teacher is to spend time getting to know and understand my students. Notes from previous teachers are not good enough and, in some instances, are detrimental in allowing the student a fair chance to succeed. Rather, I intend to interview each student in groups and privately. Students might even be encouraged to attend a portion of the parent-teacher conferences that might reveal the student’s family life and relationship with their parents, which could directly affect his or her education. The most reliable source for getting to know students, however, will be through their performance in the classroom.

The school year should begin with many different open ended assignments, allowing each student to demonstrate his or her interests and abilities. Every student will also keep a portfolio, ideally containing all of their assignments, but the teacher and student may collaborate on which assignments are graded or value the most, thus allowing the student to have a voice in the educational process. Gardener (1999) refers to such practices as individually configures education, or crafting the teaching practice to match individual student’s needs.

Although progressive education favors student centered learning, in the classroom I would use both student and teacher centered educational practices. Multiple intelligence theory favors the former, but I believe teacher centered learning is still needed. Although students can gain the majority of required knowledge through individualized projects, drills, rote memorization and classroom reviews can compliment the worldly education multiple intelligence practices offer. Hopefully, teacher centered learning will require a minimal amount of time, allowing the majority of the educational process to be filled with student centered learning.

Resource and activity centers are two ways to enable student centered learning. Gardner (1991) suggests children’s museums are the ideal model for such centers. Area where students can learn and be creative must include a variety of materials and be interactive. Allowing the students to design the centers will empower them and enable them to feel part of the process, essentially leading the students into education before they even realize it. Additionally, resource and activity centers allow students to learn in an individualized style, but in a group setting. This is so because the centers can encourage students to fill roles or accept positions and responsibilities that could not be developed in the traditional setting of a classroom with desks arranged in rows facing the blackboard. One example of an activity center is a research lab for history. Students could choose the role of researcher, writer, word wizard, illustrator, or actor, all collaborating on a single project investigating the Civil War. The roles would compliment their learning styles while maintaining the required curriculum.

Activity centers will be a part of greater themes and projects I will do as a teacher. Gardner (1999) has suggested classrooms can have one overarching theme and each student accept or develop an individual project relating to that theme. As a teacher, I would explore such a possibility, but also leave open the opportunity to have many different group projects or individual projects more intimately intertwined with each other. Projects would link the teacher centered learning such as drills and memorization with the resource and activity centers by means of accomplishment. In other words, I will encourage student’s projects to be complex, utilizing as many of their intelligences as possible, and involving wide-ranging concepts that involve every aspect of the core curriculum. I would encourage connections between education and practice, individual and community.

I will encourage and develop the activity centers and the students’ projects in such a manner that they will flow out of the classroom naturally into the surrounding community. Gardner (1999) explains that students should come to realize the materials they use are part of the greater world around them. Collaboration with museums, cultural institutions, businesses, and community leaders will allow students to better understand the context of their learning. By allowing the class to involve the community, or the community to enter into the classroom, I will draw connections between language arts and public communication, math and business, science with industry and nature, in addition to the countless other relationships.

The theory of multiple intelligences as developed by Howard Gardner readily lends itself to educational practice and theory. The theory has enlightened my idea of what it means to be a successful individual and student, and has greatly affected my idea of what a school, classroom, and teacher can be.

Gardner, Howard (1999). Intelligence Reframed. Multiple Intelligences For the 21^st Century.

New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, Howard (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. New York: Basic

Books.

Gardner, Howard (1991). The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should

Teach. New York: Basic Books.

Hopper, Brenda and Pamela Hurry (2000). Learning the MI Way: The Effects on Students’

Learning of Using the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Pastoral Care, December 2000:

26-32.

Ross, Elinor P. (1998). Pathways to Thinking: Strategies for Developing Independent Learners,

K-8. Massachusetts: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.