There Are No Dull Pupils Or Students – There Are Only Dull Teachers Or Instructors! This Is A Teacher Speaking About Multiple Intelligences (MI)

I have been re-inspired to write about Harvard psychology professor Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) because my youngest daughter Graciela is now teaching at Potter’s Place in El Nido, Palawan – the school covering elementary grades up to senior high school. As a teacher, I learned years ago that each individual has one’s own intelligences.

This new dedicated blog “Multiple I’s” was inspired when I read Vikram Mansharamni’s article shared on Facebook (15 June 2020, CNBC, cnbc.com): “Harvard Lecturer: ‘No Specific Skill Will Get You Ahead In The Future’ – But This ‘Way Of Thinking’ Will.” The phrase “Harvard Lecturer” is indirectly saying, “If Harvard endorses the idea, you better subscribe to it!”

Mr Mansharamni says:

Many of us have been told that deep expertise will lead to enhanced credibility, rapid job advancement, and escalating incomes. The alternative of being broad-minded is usually dismissed as dabbling without really adding value.

But the future may be very different: Breadth of perspective and the ability to connect the proverbial dots (the domain of generalists) is likely to be as important as depth of expertise and the ability to generate dots (the domain of specialists).

Mr Mansharamni is selling the virtue of “broadmindedness” and dismissing the virtue of “depth of expertise” – which goes against the grain of hiring college majors. Ah, instead of this theory by Harvard professor Mansharamni, I accept the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) by another Harvard professor, Howard Gardner. I accepted MI a great many years ago. Those 9 intelligences point to 9 specific expertises to be developed in learners from kinder to college!

Mr Gardner’s 9 MIs are as follows:

1.     Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence – “Body-Movement Smart”
2.     Existential Intelligence – “Life Smart”
3.     Interpersonal Intelligence – “People Smart”
4.     Intrapersonal Intelligence – “Self Smart”
5.     Linguistic-Verbal Intelligence – “Word Smart”
6.     Logical-Mathematical Intelligence – “Number/Reasoning Smart”
7.     Musical Intelligence – “Sound Smart”
8.     Naturalistic Intelligence – “Nature Smart”
9.     Spatial Intelligence – “Picture Smart”.

With MI, you can be broadminded in 9 different intelligences!

The first time I encountered MI, I believed in it – it was at the Cahbriba Alternative Schoolin Los Baños where 3 of my children took their high school; Cahbriba was founded by the wife-and-husband team Pilar & Cielito F Habito (yes, the NEDA head). I, a creative writer myself, immediately embraced the MI multi-universe.

The bad thing about the old method of teaching is that only 1 intelligence quotient (IQ) is considered, and the emphases are on arithmetical, memory and vocabulary skills (Britannica, britannica.com). IQ does not measure hidden interests or talents; in contrast, MI measures where you are smart in or with: athletics, life, people, self, language. logic, music, nature, or visuals.
(“Girl learner” from laurieadachi.com)

I first blogged about MI 07 March 2007 (“Primate Change? Or Climate Change?” The American Frank, wordpress.com). In the last 15 years, I have learned that:

At any stage of the learning process, from Grade School to Grad School, with MI, there are no dull learners – only dull teachers!@517