[MUSIC] "What is intelligence?" Now, I'm sure at sometime we've all grappled with this question: What is intelligence? How do we think about people who are intelligent? Let's look at the first slide and the two quotations that are there. Let's look at the second one: "The 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." Intelligence Reframed. Now, there are various concepts of intelligence. We all used to talk about IQ, a familiar measure of rational intellectual intellect, intelligence which relies on intellect, understanding, and quickness of mind. But now Doctor Howard Gardner thinks differently. He thinks by using IQ, that we limit our understanding of intelligence. Instead, he proposes nine different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults. So, how do I learn best? It's not how smart you are - it's how you are smart. So, we are all smart. And if you look at the diagram on the right, you'll see the nine intelligences that Doctor Howard Gardner identifies. One way is not necessarily better than another. Let's look at Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. If you've had a look at it, how would you rank yourself in terms of your own intelligences? I don't think you necessarily would be exclusively just a single intelligence, you would draw on the line in varying degrees. So, perhaps you might be somebody that's logical, and you would rank that first, or interpersonal second, and existentionalist third. How would you rank your own learning? Think about the peers you work with, how would you rank them? Now, Gardner's multiple intelligences are listed on this slide. Think back to our previous session. How does this link to how we learn in terms of the tactile, the visual, the auditory, think about the bodily kinesthetic or the logical mathematical. So, we're all multiply intelligent but in different degrees. Everyone has all these types of intelligence, but some are more prominent than others. If we know our strong types of intelligence, it can help us. But also, if we know the strength, or the strong intelligence of our learners, it can also help us in our teaching. But there are other concepts of intelligence. For instance, spiritual intelligence, is the intelligence with which we solve problems of meaning and value, and place our lives within a wider context. Is the intelligence that enables us to assess that one course of action is more meaningful than another. Of course, David Perkins has spoken about reflective intelligence. "By reflecting on your own learning, what works and what doesn't work for you, you can develop a set of strategies for learning, which are generic and can be applied across different fields of learning." And of course, emotional intelligence, which can give us an awareness of our own and other people's feelings, motivations and the ability to respond appropriately to pain or pleasure. Let's think a little bit about the spiritual, reflective and emotional intelligence. For instance, one of the things I do in my own teaching is pay attention to how people are feeling. Are people sad when they're learning? When they are in my class. Am I paying attention to the emotional discharge that some of the learners have? That somebody on one particular day might just be crying hysterically? Do I just continue with my lesson, or am I paying attention to the emotional distress? How you're smart impacts the way you teach. Some things to do next, well, we could start by reading about Doctor Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. But perhaps this is stuck as just a theory. Let's look at what Doctor Gardner's theory, how, what this means for our teaching and learning. So, how about taking this list of Gardner's multiple intelligences and having a discussion with your learners to see what they think about this. Rather than understanding that people are intelligent only if they're able to do logical things, but perhaps if they look at the multiple intelligences, the understanding could be that we are all intelligent. That the human potential is much broader than just the logical intelligences that have been identified in the past. I'm sure that discussion could be very affirming and validating to many of your learners. That may privilege in some ways the interpersonal, the visual, the musical and rhythmic, and get a more comprehensive understanding of the intelligences that we all hold. Complete the Multiple Intelligence Test on the Literacy Works assessment Find Your Strength website. That will be a useful tool to let you also understand how you think about intelligences. [MUSIC]
