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In this first chapter, Thomas Armstrong gives us an overview to Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. He tells us that there are eight intelligences (Bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, spatial, verbal, interpersonal, intrapersonal, natural, and musical) that everyone possesses a certain amount of each. Although we all have the ability to learn with all eight of these intelligences, we all have a dominant one and as teachers we are going to see a wide variety of them in our classroom and we have to be able to teach to all of them.

[|Synthesis Jennie]
With all the different types of [|intelligences], it can be hard to hit all of them in a lesson or unit can be tough. As teachers, we also want to help strengthen our students’ weaker intelligences so that they can be veritable if they happen to get a teacher who doesn’t teach to their intelligence. Also when a student takes a [|standardized test], if we know that they are very verbal and have trouble with the mathematical logical part of their intelligence then we can guess that they are going to be somewhere in the middle when it comes to their score. But with this in mind, the tests also don’t even target some of the other intelligences.

Kirsten
The first chapter here gives the groundwork for what multiple intelligences are and how they came about. The most interesting area concerned how an intelligence was determined. Some of the intelligences, like the naturalist intelligence, hadn’t occurred to me as a way a person could learn, but after reading about the theoretical basis for the theory, it made sense. Historically speaking, there was a need for nature-inclined people to help study patterns in the weather, animals, and plants that others may not have picked up on. And now we need nature-inclined people as we face issues like global warming. The section on the possible existence of other intelligences was particularly helpful to me as a future teacher, because it provides a list of other abilities to keep an eye out for. While I may have a student who seems to fit into the logical-mathematical or spatial intelligences, his truest fit could be under the mechanical intelligence. It’s good to know that this is an area that is still being explored and that we could discover more about future students and ourselves.

Brittany
Chapter one of //Multiple Intelligences// in the Classroom covered the eight different intelligences that are present within a body of students in one classroom. For each intelligence there are different techniques of teaching that will target each various learning style. Each student contains all of the eight intelligences, but some of the styles are stronger than others. The stronger intelligences vary for each student, and it is the teacher’s responsibility to present lessons in a manner that will target a wide range of the intelligences. This will impact my future classroom because I will plan my units using multiple techniques so that all the intelligences are taught to. I hope to help strengthen my students’ weaker intelligences by targeting all of the different learning styles.

Jennie
In the first chapter of __Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom__, I learned the specifics about all of the different intelligences. What I found really interesting is what Gardner said in an interview, I’m deliberately being somewhat provocative. If I said that there’s seven kinds of competencies, people would yawn and say ‘Yeah, yeah.’ But by calling them ‘intelligences,’ I’m saying that we’ve tended to put on a pedestal one variety called intelligence, and there’s actually a plurality of them, and some are things we’ve never thought about as being ‘intelligence’ at all (page 3). The idea that all people have a way of learning and some kind of intelligence that they are proficient in keeps people from feeling inferior to others. With this knowledge, I can help all my students realize that they are all smart in different ways, and they can gain self-confidence, and it may help gain my students’ trust.

Ryan Snowman
This chapter introduces the idea of having eight basic intelligences, according to Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner. This was contrary to the idea of having only one intelligence, which was measured by an IQ test. The idea of having eight intelligences makes perfect sense because intelligence cannot be defined into one category. This also explains why people learn differently. Knowing about the MI Theory will help me be a better teacher because now I am aware of the different ways that people learn. For example, if I am teaching something linguistically to a student who learns spatially, the student will not have a lot of success. However, if I teach him the same material spatially, he will be more successful.

Scott
Chapter 1 of Multiple Intelligences introduces us to Howard Gardner’s belief that society as a whole used to define intelligence too narrowly. When identifying intelligences, he was sure to clearly distinguish them from talents, skills, and aptitude. The chapter used the example of savants as support for Gardner’s theory, these are people who seem to have one highly developed intelligence and a lack of some others. I was taught about the eight different intelligences, this should give me an understanding of the theory and help me recognize what intelligences are strongest in my students. Gardner believes that everyone possesses all eight intelligences, but in different levels. Everyone is unique in their levels of each intelligence and how they interact with each other.

Jordan
This chapter discusses that multiple intelligences are more than what a person is “good at”; it is how an individual tends to solve problems in everyday life. As Armstrong mentions, many everyday events require that a person uses more than one of these intelligences simultaneously, but for most, a person has expertise in one or two of these intelligences. It is these intelligences that pose challenges for a teacher in the classroom: in teaching, planning, and understanding. The classroom would be lifeless and dull without these multiple intelligences and rarely does an “intelligence exists by itself in life” (Armstrong 9). As a student, I found it hard to see another person’s perspective, especially when it came to an alternative way to solving a math problem. Looking deeper and as a future teacher, I feel that Multiple Intelligences should be something that students can thrive from. The more that students are able to work out of their comfort zone, the more they are going to be able to apply unfamiliar intelligences that encourages them to use intelligences they once were uncomfortable using. I think that this exploration is something that I could have benefited from because teachers understood me as a goal oriented person and never tried to extract me from my comfort zone.


 * Reference: **Armstrong, Thomas. //Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom//. 2nd. Alexandria, VA: Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2000. Print.

Cara
When becoming a teacher, one should at least be a little familiar with the theory of Multiple Intelligences. A teacher should keep in mind that everyone has different learning styles and that not all students will be strong in the same intelligences. A curriculum should touch upon each of the eight intelligences in order for the students’ education to be truly equal. There are people whom are very strong in one intelligence, but weak in the others and vice versa. Each individual is different, so teaching grammar in a linguistic only approach will not help the student who has a strong spatial intelligence. When I begin building lessons plans, I am going to do my best to ensure that I include the eight intelligences in my teaching.

Ryan
In chapter one of //Multiple Intelligences// by Thomas Armstrong I learned that there are eight multiple intelligences and that everyone possesses all eight intelligences. Something else that I learned from this chapter is that Howard Gardner was the man who came up with the theory of eight multiple intelligences. Learning about the eight multiple intelligences has impacted me in the way that I now look at myself. I would like to become better rounded in all eight intelligences. In the future this will impact my classroom and myself as a teacher by trying to teach to all of the eight intelligences of my students. Also I would like to continue to learn about all of the eight multiple intelligences.

**Sarah**
Chapter One provided a substantial history of the theory of Multiple Intelligence and gave a brief overview of what each of the eight intelligencs consisted of. I found the chapter to be a necessary tool to really begin to comprehend the overall concept of M.I. To fully understand any concept, I believe it is pertinent to gather all information (or as much as humanly possible) to get a more complete grasp on the idea. Chapter One did just this by explaining much of the past development of the Multiple Intelligence test dating back to Alfred Binet.

Tim
Chapter one of //Multiple Intelligences// talked shortly of different IQ tests and touched upon our culture too narrowly defining “intelligence.” The chapter went through the eight different intelligences and also explained what defines an intelligence. This chapter further forced the fact upon me that creating a lesson plan for all the students to understand will be a very difficult process. I had never thought about how much time a teacher must actually put into creating a lesson plan. My knowledge of the eight intelligences was further broadened as the authors of the book gave vivid descriptions of all of them. The eight intelligences each having their own trajectory I found to be very interesting, it had never occurred to me that someone with a strong Musical Intelligence would be able to use their skills at a different age than someone with Logical-Mathematical Intelligence. Knowing the differences between the eight intelligences and understanding what each of them stand for will help me create better lesson plans for the various learners in my classroom.

Corinne
There are eight Intelligences outlined by Howard Gardner that describe different ways that people learn. Some people need to move around to learn while others benefit more by reading or seeing. This impacted my thinking of the grading and assessment system that I have experienced in schools. Many teachers throughout my school career have assessed what the students learn with essays and tests. The state also requires periodic standardized tests, including one that is needed to graduate high school. With the knowledge of multiple intelligences these forms of assessment seem narrow minded and inaccurate when it comes to assessing a student’s intelligence and capability to learn. They target only one or two of the eight intelligences instead of the whole spectrum.

Rachel
As obviously stated by the title, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences suggests that, rather than being limited to one intelligence, at least eight intelligences are visible in human beings. Every person possesses all eight and possibly even more, but some can be much more dominant than others. According to this theory, using basic intelligence tests to assess a person’s level of intelligence produces narrow, inaccurate result. As an educator, standardized tests will be required of my students. By keeping this theory in mind, I’ll be able to know that even students who test low on a certain scale still have a lot of learning potential, they just require a different approach that better suits his/her method of learning.

Leah
Howard Gardner, a Harvard psychologist, disputed the definition of intelligence previously established by IQ tests. In Gardner’s book Frames of Mind he offered Eight different intelligences that each average human has: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic intelligence. Gardner also hand eight factors that provided support for his theory. The cognitive theory of multiple intelligences is useful for teachers to know so that that they can create lessons that target more than just student’s ability to listen and take notes. It’s also important to remember that each person has all eight intelligences and the capability to strengthen each intelligence. Differentiated Instruction will help tap into future learner’s dominate intelligence and help them succeed, along with strengthening their weaker intelligences.

Mykayla
This chapter added some interesting facts about the eight intelligences. I knew that each person had some of all the intelligences, however I did not know that that even if someone is predominantly spatial or kinesthetic that they also rely on pieces of the other seven. This will make teaching a variety of learners less difficult because the students are likely to have the same little pieces that help them learn. The information about the core operations will also be beneficial because I will know what abilities or talents that my students have that are unique compared to other students. These core operations will allow me to find ways to teach my students effectively. I can alter my lessons to fit their unique abilities for that they can retain the information better.

Drew
As I read this chapter I was slowly consumed by Howard Gardner’s ideas. I am believing what he has to say because he backs it up so well! Page 7 of the text brings up a very intriguing point that at different points in history, different intelligences would have been considered more important. This is definitely a reasonable point because people live and utilize different abilities now than they did over one hundred years ago. What I find particularly brilliant about Gardner is the fact that he uses what he disagrees with (standardized tests) to further prove his point of the existence of multiple intelligences. As it turns out, what standardized tests are really doing is testing multiple different intelligences. Of course, given someone is extremely intelligent in one area and not intelligent at all in another, they may end up scoring somewhere in the middle. The fact that intelligences work together is something I have never thought of before. You could have tons of linguistic ability and no mathematical ability and you would need both to perform some math problems. These are all things that I will definitely keep in mind in my classroom. I would hope to improve my students and help them be more well rounded or hit on their particular abilities when needed.