Seana Moran, Mindy Kornhaber, and Howard Gardner wrote an professional article “Orchestrating Multiple Intelligences” that was published in the September 2006 Educational Leadership. This article presents the clearer message of tapping multiple intelligences in the classroom by integrating learning experiences and collaboration. The authors believe that the measure of multiple intelligences is not merely the paper-and-pencil evaluation or check-off of abilities and skills. Rather, the measure of multiple intelligences is the observance of the interplay of the different intelligences that either strengthens, supports, or contradicts the other single or manifold intelligences.
The authors also presented the idea of profiling the students’ intelligences and presume that some students have one or two predominantly strong intelligences and some other weak intelligences, while others have very less pronounced intelligences. It is therefore the role and the goal of the teacher to provide a steady and concrete path for students to develop whatever the strong or the “peak intelligence” that they have, as well as to assist and guide students to choose a career or life path if they have all weak intelligences. Everyone needs to be provided with challenging and rewarding classroom learning experiences, regardless of their level or multiplicity of talents.
The article also offered real life and practical scenarios that equate the dealings of multiple intelligences across the country. Two classic examples of MI assessment study conducted lately were the Project Spectrum at Harvard Project Zero, and the Explorama at Danfoss University
Reflecting upon the ideas and views of this article led to the conception of three perspectives of utmost importance.
First, the article’s belief that “intelligence is not isolated” really struck me deep. I understood very well that “intelligences interact with one another in an individual to yield a variety of outcomes”. This idea is indeed unfolding for me, as I come to realize that the intelligences are in reality, an interplay of different skills, even to a varied degree. It is no wonder why some students who are good in math need also to be good in language as mathematical analysis and logical reasoning require language facility. To some extent, the level of facility of a given intelligence counts much, so a teacher should never label a student with a purity of intelligence, rather, help such student initiate, optimize, balance, and even synergize the peak intelligences.
Next, I agree with the notion that multiple intelligences are a considered a whole company of orchestra, with the individual skill and intelligence playing its part along with the others to produce a harmonic display of personality and talent. Everyone has all of the capacities, innate as they can be. Learning about how these intelligences operate is invaluable to the teachers, as the intelligences may tend to either disrupt the development of other intelligences, compensate for another, or enhance the other. The students should be properly exposed to learning situations inside and outside of the classroom so that they can have the chance to see which skills they have that can complement or distract the others. Providing them with constant and consistent learning exposures that eventually help them establish their own set of winning abilities allows the students to take part in an even bigger orchestra of life.
Lastly, the development of all these intelligences could not be more effective as the full development of both intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. The article advances the importance and the “need to develop, these personal intelligences” as emphasized by the “orientation toward profile, interactions, and experience”. It is a simple notion that once the students know their personal talents, energy level and interests, they can gain a better understanding of the areas that they can easily be expected to excel. Knowing their innate personal preferences and abilities encourages them to develop themselves more in these peak areas, and overcome their weak areas. The path to learning is, in the first place, personal. This path though, can be best trodden if the students know where they are headed.
Once the students are comfortable about themselves, i.e., knowing their skills and their strengths, they can easily fit in any learning groups. Because of their high ability to work and adjust with others, students with high interpersonal skills can comfortably perform the other peak intelligences that they posses as they join the mainstream of the pool of talents in the classroom.*
