Multiple Intelligences in the Higher Ed
Classroom
Responding to Student Diversity with Practical
Instructional Strategies
Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. (www.thomasarmstrong.com)
Learning Specialists Association of Canada
John Abbot College
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec
May 29, 2017
The Eight Intelligences
• Word Smart
• Number/Logic Smart
• Picture Smart
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•
•
•
•
Body Smart
Music Smart
People Smart
Self Smart
Nature Smart
MI Inventory for Adults
Check those statements that apply:
Word Smart
__ Books are important to me.
__ I can hear words in my head before I read, speak, or write them down.
__ I get more out of listening to the radio or a spoken-word cassette than I do from television or films.
__ I enjoy entertaining myself or others with tongue twisters, nonsense rhymes, or puns.
__ Other people sometimes have to stop and ask me to explain the meaning of the words I use in my
writing and speaking.
__ English, social studies, and history were easier for me in school than math and science.
__ When I drive down a freeway, I pay more attention to the words written on billboards than to the scenery.
__ My conversation includes frequent references to things that I’ve read or heard.
__ I’ve written something recently that I was particularly proud of or that earned me recognition from others.
Number/Logic Smart
__ I can easily compute numbers in my head.
__ Math and/or science were among my favorite subjects in school.
__ I enjoy playing games or solving brainteasers that require logical thinking.
__ I like to set up little “what if” experiments (for example, “What if I double the amount of water I give to my
rosebush each week?”).
__ My mind searches for patterns, regularities, or logical sequences in things.
__ I’m interested in new developments in science.
__ I believe that almost everything has a rational explanation.
__ I sometimes think in clear, abstract, wordless, imageless concepts.
__ I like finding flaws in things that people say or do at home and work.
__ I feel more comfortable when something has been measured, categorized, analyzed, or quantified in some way.
MI Inventory (cont’d)
Picture Smart
__ I often see clear visual images when I close my eyes.
__ I’m sensitive to color.
__ I frequently use a camera or camcorder to record what I see around me.
__ I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, mazes, and other visual puzzles.
__ I have vivid dreams at night.
__ I enjoyed art a lot in school.
__ I like to draw or doodle.
__ Geometry was easier for me than algebra in school.
__ I can comfortably imagine how something might appear if it were looked down upon from directly above in a bird’s eye
view.
__I prefer looking at reading materials that have lots of pictures in them
Body Smart
__ I engage in at least one sport or physical activity on a regular basis.
__ I find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time.
__ I like working with my hands at concrete activities such as sewing, weaving, carving, or model building.
__ My best ideas often come to me when I’m out for a long walk or a jog, or when I’m engage in some other kind of
physical activity.
__ I sometimes get “gut feelings” about things (e.g. I actually feel it in my body).
__ I frequently use hand gestures or other forms of body language when conversing with someone.
__ I need to touch things in order to learn more about them.
__ I enjoy daredevil amusement rides or similar thrilling physical experiences.
__ I would describe myself as well coordinated.
__ I need to practice a new skill rather than simply read about it, or see a video that describes it.
MI Inventory (cont’d)
Music Smart
__ I have a pleasant singing voice.
__ I can tell when a Music Smart note is off-key.
__ I frequently listen to music on radio, records, cassettes, or compact discs.
__ I play a Music Smart instrument.
__ My life would be poorer if there were no music in it.
__ I sometimes catch myself walking down the street with a jingle or other tune running through my mind.
__ I can easily keep time to a piece of music with a simple percussion instrument.
__ I know the tunes to many different songs or Music Smart pieces.
__ If I hear a Music Smart selection once or twice, I am usually able to sing it back fairly accurately.
__ I often make tapping sounds or sing little melodies while working, studying, or learning something new.
People Smart
__ I’m the sort of person that people come to for advice and counsel at work or in my neighborhood.
__ I prefer group sports like soccer, volleyball, or softball to solo sports such as swimming, jogging, and weight training.
__ When I have a problem, I’m more likely to seek out another person for help than attempt to work it out on my own.
__ I have at least three close friends.
__ I favor social pastimes such as Monopoly or bridge over individual recreations such as video games and solitaire.
__ I enjoy the challenge of teaching another person, or groups of people, what I know how to do.
__ I consider myself a leader (or others have called me that).
__ I feel comfortable in the midst of a crowd.
__ I like to get involved in social activities connected with my work, church, or community.
__ I would rather spend my evenings at a party than stay at home alone.
MI Inventory (cont’d)
Self Smart
__ I regularly spend time alone meditating, reflecting, or thinking about important life questions.
__ I have attended counseling sessions or personal growth seminars to learn more about myself.
__ I am able to respond to setbacks with resilience.
__ I have a special hobby or interest that I keep pretty much to myself.
__ I have some important goals for my life that I think about on a regular basis.
__ I have a realistic view of my strengths and weaknesses (borne out by feedback from other sources).
__ I would prefer to spend a weekend along in a cabin in the woods (or some other solitary place) than be at a resort with
lots of people around.
__ I consider myself to be strong willed or independent-minded.
__ I keep a personal diary or journal to record the events of my life.
__ I am self-employed or have at least thought seriously about starting my own business.
Nature Smart
__ I have pets that I love and/or enjoy animals when I’m around them.
__ I enjoy gardening and/or like to have plants around me at home or work.
__ I can find my way around unfamiliar natural terrain with some ease.
__ I like to visit nature museums, aquariums, zoos, or other places that display living things.
__ I prefer to spend my free time in some kind of natural setting (e.g. lakes, mountains, rivers, etc.).
__ I sometimes just enjoy looking at clouds, mountains, trees, or other natural formations.
__ I have an ability to identify different kinds of birds, plants, or other living things.
__ I have a pretty highly developed sense of ecological awareness and/or sense of responsibility for helping to take care
of Mother Earth.
__ I enjoy TV programs and/or reading about nature topics (e.g. Nature on PBS or National Geographic).
__ I have been involved in organizations or clubs that focus on nature issues (e.g. Sierra Club, bird study group,
hiking group, animal rescue etc.).
Boyle's Law
Number/Logic Smart - equation
Word Smart –
definition
Picture Smart – visual
metaphor
Nature Smart – scuba diving
example
Music Smart – mnemonic chant
Boyle’s Law
Self Smart – personal reflection
(“think of a time in your life….”)
People Smart – cooperative simulation
Body Smart – mouth experiment
MI Study Skills Mind-Map
Word Smart - How can
I use the spoken or
written word?
Number/Logic Smart - How can I
bring in numbers, calculations,
logic, classifications, or critical
thinking?
Self Smart - How can I evoke
personal feelings or memories, or
give students choices?
People Smart - How can I engage
students in peer sharing, cooperative
learning, or large group simulation?
Learning
Objective
Nature Smart - How can I
incorporate living things or
systems?
Picture Smart - How can I
use visual aids,
visualization, color, art, or
metaphor?
Music Smart - How can I bring in music or
environmental sounds, or set key points in
a rhythmic or melodic framework?
Body Smart - How can I involve
the whole body or the use of handson experiences?
8 Ways to Study
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Memorize (Word Smart)
Analyze (Number/Logic Smart)
Visualize (Picture Smart)
Harmonize (Music Smart)
Dramatize (Body Smart)
Naturalize (Nature Smart)
Socialize (People Smart)
Personalize (Self Smart)
MI Study Skills Mind-Map
Number/Logic Smart Word Smart -
Picture Smart -
Self Smart Music Smart -
People Smart Body Smart Nature Smart -
Readings
Armstrong, Thomas. Neurodiversity: Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and
Other Brain Differences. Cambridge, MA: DaCapo/Perseus, 2010.
Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, 3rd Ed.. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2009.
Armstrong, Thomas. 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Many Intelligences: Revised and
Updated with Information on 2 New Kinds of Smart. , New York: Plume, 1999.
Armstrong, Thomas. In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child’s Multiple Intelligences.
New York: Tarcher/Putnam-Penguin, 2000.
Armstrong, Thomas. The Multiple Intelligences of Reading and Writing: Making the Words Come Alive.
Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2003.
Armstrong, Thomas. You’re Smarter Than You Think: A Kids’ Guide to Multiple Intelligences. Minneapolis,
MN: Free Spirit, 2003.
Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
Gardner, Howard.. Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic Books,
1999.
Gardner, Howard. Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice. New York: Basic Books,
2006.
Contact Information
Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
P.O. Box 548
Cloverdale, CA 95425
707-894-4646 phone
707-894-4474 fax
[email protected]
www.institute4learning.com
@Dr_Armstrong