Howard Gardner and Applications of Multiple Intelligences Essay

Gardner believes that there atomic number 18 different ship expressive style of solving problems and that there are different ways that intellectual ability is manifested or expressed (Gardner, 1993 1999). What had been current in education in general had been to assess students in terms of their capabilities in Science, Math and speech communication or Communication (English in written and spoken communication).Gardner expanded this to what he termed as multiple tidings which introduced the domains with which any one-on-oneist may possess in whatever degree. These domains include, the logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, intra and inter-personal, naturalistic and existential intelligences (Gardner, 1993 1999).There are evidences that support the supposition in terms of the biological and cultural underpinnings such as those done on development focused on children, empirical research from individuals with brain damage and persons with gift edness. The theory has signifi shtupt implications on both(prenominal) structure and computer programme in the educational nonplusting such as the kind of set up with which the classroom is arranged or the strategies employed in introducing material or assessment of erudition (Gardner, 1993 1999).Problem statementSince Gardner believes that the educational setting at all takes mustiness foster and promote the judgment of multiple intelligences the following pertinent parts of the educational set up involving curriculum and assessment strategies must be changed or reformed (Gardner, 1993 1999). This research therefore attempts to answer the following problem statements What is fourfold Intelligences as a framework in school? What is the description of a curriculum in the secondary level (high school) incorporating the Gardner theory? In this framework, how sack up assessment be done on student nurture and boilers suit progress of students?DiscussionNature of the learner in the Secondary LevelThere are raw material observations gathered by experts on the kind of learner expected to enter into the secondary level. Since the concept of Multiple Intelligences by Gardner would be revolutionary even today, when in essence, most institutions of learning already recognized the blaze and applicability of his position. It would be helpful to deliver alongside in the direction of this notion, quite important figures and principles that would shape up make the application of the Gardner framework in the secondary level easier to grasp and more feasible to comprehend.The curriculum would serve to reflect how learners inch their way into the classroom and courses they are about to undertake and to finish. It is always important to start right by understanding how the learner apprehends and appreciates the material, his preparation in terms of physical, emotional, and psychological maturity, and the way these materials or knowledge could be absorbed and therea fter applied at the correct time and place. It was Malcolm Knowles (1978, 1990) and his theory andragogy who emphasized the model of adult learning.The premise is based on his hypothesis that the maturation of an individual into maturity is manifest when people conduct themselves in adult behavior and consider themselves to be adults. Then they should be dealt with as adults. By adulthood people are self-directing. Knowles taught that adult education was special in a several ways. This lead mean that the presence or absence of some significant details will improve or pull down adult learning experience. This implies that knowledgeable background on adults and the developmental characteristics of that particular stage will spell effective or disastrous results.This paper attempts to evidence the sundry(a) positive and negative learning environments specifically for adults. Positive Learning Environment include 1. Adult learners stretch forth with them a vast amount of experience to the learning environment. This means that tuning in to their particular top dog creates a conducive atmosphere for learning 2. Adults expect on the kind of training they are subject to and how they are to be educated. ExampleUnlike the younger learners where most take on passive role, adults score goals in mind and the learning they receive must fall within those predetermined personal goals 3. the active involvement of students should be encouraged in planning and implementing educational programs 4. Adults need to be able to take to applications for new learning 5. Adult learners expect to have a high degree of influence on how learning will be evaluated 6. Adults expect their responses to be acted upon when asked for feedback on the progress of the program. Andragogy is therefore student-centered, experience-based, problem-oriented and collaborative (Brooks, J 1995). On the other hand, the following can influence adults specifically in the learning experience in an unhel pful way.The Negative Learning Environment includes the occurrence that 1. some adults can move toward prescribed educational settings with anxiety and feelings of high or low self-efficacy. Their method to new learning milieus can be preferential by how they assess or evaluate the new experience. A case in point minded(p) two adults in a classroom where an exercise is about to begin, one individual may meet the assignment in such a way that leads to a feeling of excitement, while other individual interprets the task in such a way that leads to the feeling of embarrassment. It is a fact that the way the individual interprets the situation and the consequent emotion that arises, will affect the kind of action the individual is to take (Burns, 1995, p.16).Burns considers that such assessments, together with the labels such as fear or anxiety can direct some learners to psychologically disengage from the source of distress that is the learning experience. Conversely, when coupled with labels such as excitement or challenge the learner is conducted to take measures that focus on the undertaking.With this slant, the abovementioned findings just aptly show how the Multiple Intelligences framework is the better if not best option to amplify what adult learning insights have offered and how the issues are met and addressed. It would seem that the Gardner framework can be both an approach in the arrangement of teachers approach to the students ease assimilating information and training of skills development Gardners framework serves as assessment tool as well to further check and evaluate position of learning as well as secure its usefulness (i.e., training and knowledge) for a future contrast (Gardner, 1993 1999).The curriculum then would appear more like a university level type that can be seen as implementation of several tracks, individualized in nature, with personal advising installed, and students are evaluated on their overall rank point average perform ance. Personality tests that are primarily geared to measure the Gardner traits are indispensable tools to discovering the self-will of either or combinations of the intelligences (Gardner, 1993 1999). On the course or subject level, students are also handled in individual cases but getting used to the variations will be established in the long run and may no longer be as difficult to implement and follow-up.Evaluation of the student performance and whatsoever behavioural changes are pertinent tasks that teachers are to be cognizant of. In this manner, the application of formative and summative assessments would not only be appropriate but timely as well. According to studies on the subject, both summative and formative assessments are employed to provide a very objective result as to the efficiency and efficacies not only of the teachers methods. The evaluation itself (i.e., assessment for and of learning) is a vital ingredient that is found to help the student realize his poten tials and attenuate the weaknesses hes had in the process of learning (Northern Arizona University, 2009).I believe that the methods of evaluating the interventions for the problem cannot be easily applied or even seen/grasped. However, this can only be understood well when applied (hands-on) to a particular school, class, and individual during a reliable period like during the first half of a given school year. A detailed lesson plan, or syllabus is part of this tool with specific dates and key result areas to serve as a guide.This way, every student has each given the chance to shine his best and not just be a statistic in an otherwise lopsided contest where no real winners are found but rather disillusionment for failed dreams and succumbing to societal pressures are more common and expected.ReferenceBrooks, J (1995) Training and Development competency a practical guide Kogan Page, London.Burns, S. (1995) Rapid changes require enhancement of adult learning HRMonthly June, pp 16 -17.Knowles, M.S. (1978) The Adult scholar a Neglected Species 2nd edition, Houston Gulf Publishing Company, Book Division and Knowles, M.S. 1990 The Adult Learner a Neglected Species 4th edition, Houston Gulf Publishing Company, Book Division.Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences the theory in practice. New York, NY elemental Books. And Gardner, H. (1999). Multiple approaches to understanding. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models (pp. 69-90). Mahwah, NJ Lawrence Erlbaum AssociatesNorthern Arizona University. Formative vs. Summative Evaluation. Retrieved on May 9, (2009), from http//jan.ucc.nau.edu/edtech/etc667/ scheme/evaluation/summative_vs._formative.htm