1. Hello and welcome. Today, I would like to briefly present to you ways in which
multiple intelligences and educational technology can work together to create
multiple entry and exit points to learning.
We will begin by quickly reviewing the two major implications of multiple
intelligences theory, and considering the affordances that MI and educational
technology have in common. Next, we will look at a variety of tech tools that can
be used to enhance learning and create multiple entry and exit points, both in
face-to-face and in online settings, while engaging multiple intelligences. Finally,
we will look at the “why” behind it all. For what reason do we want to
incorporate MI and educational technologies in our classroom?
As we have heard from Howard Gardner and many of the other distinguished
speakers here at the MI World Symposium, there are two major implications
regarding Multiple Intelligences. First, educators should differentiate so that each
child can be reached in the optimal manner specific to that child. Secondly, any
discipline, idea, skill or concept of significance should be taught in several ways,
and should ideally activate a combination of intelligences in order to reach all
students and ensure learners have a deep understanding of the topic. To put the
theory into practice, teachers must design curriculum and instruction that is
individualistic and pluralistic, yet often teacher preparation programs are not
sufficient in educating pre-service teachers in how to do this, focusing more on
curriculum and content standards than instructional design. Furthermore, with all
the pressure to cover the content of multiple disciplines for standardized testing
this becomes an increasingly difficult task. If we add in the modern push to
educate for a global society that utilizes 21st century skills such as creativity and
innovation; critical thinking and problem solving; communication and
collaboration; information and media literacy; and information technology
literacy, the commission may seem daunting.
However, linking educational purposes with MI and with well-chosen technologies
can enable teachers to meet their goals of differentiation and depth of coverage
while exemplifying skills needed in today’s world. Both MI and educational
technologies promote learning that is creative, authentic, exploratory, reflective,
2. interdisciplinary, and rich with a variety of entry and exit points. So what might
the combination of MI and technology look like in the classroom?
It may take the form of digital storytelling that ranges from creating historical
reenactments using tools such as Xtranormal, a text to speech movie maker to
synthesizing content to create a powerful human rights public service
announcement using iMovie; or from programming a simple animation using
Scratch to authoring and illustrating one’s own original story using a graphics
tablet and flash animation. Students are engaged in higher order thinking while
having the opportunity to activate linguistic intelligences as they write their story;
logical-mathematical intelligences as they program, story board and create
animation timelines; musical intelligence when they incorporate or create music
for their project to help communicate the meaning of the story; and spatial
intelligence as they produce their visual project. Make it a collaborative project
and add interpersonal intelligence as they learn to work effectively with others,
not to mention the many 21st century skills that are embedded within the context
of the project.
Authentic simulations are another way to harness the power of MI and
technology. Via immersive environments, students can explore the world around
them. Simulations such as River City and Ecomuve allow students to explore
disease and environmental problems, conduct experiments, track data, and
formulate and test hypotheses, bringing into play logical-mathematical and
naturalistic intelligences. Augmented reality, location-based hand-held games
allow students to be physically present in real-life environments while role
playing, delving into content, and collaborating. Projects such as the Black
Heritage Trail AR project, currently in production in Boston, immerse students in a
historical setting, “meeting” characters from the past, reflecting on personal
priorities and making decisions about viable courses of action. The program uses
GPS, helping students to navigate the space they are in while providing
developmentally appropriate movement as they learn.
Computer-aided Design programs such as AutoCAD and Google Sketch-up allow
users to design the world around them in both two and three dimensions.
3. Students can “build” scale models of architectural structures related to units of
study such as ancient Greece, helping students to explore the time period from
more than one perspective. Integrating math and science, students can create a
landscape design with these software programs that incorporate plant biology,
recognition of patterns and textures, spatial relationships, scale models, material
and cost calculations, topographical and functional use problem solving, and
aesthetics. Within an authentic activity such as this, students touch on naturalist,
logical-mathematical, and spatial intelligences. Take the project a step further,
and have them do the design for a “client,” giving them an opportunity to develop
interpersonal and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences as they discuss the needs of the
client and take hands-on measurements of the property. Designing immersive
environments such as in Second Life and similar open source programs also
replicate this spatial form of learning.
Web 2.0 technologies are another group of tools that allow students to activate
multiple intelligences. The purpose of web 2.0 is to create and share user-
generated content. Blogs and websites provide opportunities to publish and get
feedback on writing and projects, increasing the authenticity of the assignment
and often motivating students to perform better because their work has an
audience. This audience also tends to post comments and discuss the writings,
adding an element of debate and reflection on the points being made. Website
and user interface design components can add logical-mathematical and spatial
intelligences to the linguistic intelligences already in place via the writing
assignment. Wikis, such as Wikipedia, allow users to collaborate on creating
content. Web 2.0 tools are designed for collaboration and communication.
YouTube, Google Docs, Diigo, Facebook, Flickr and other sites allow users to
create, share, and respond to each other. Interpersonal communication is no
longer just face-to-face. There is a whole form of online etiquette and
communication used in today’s world that students must also be aware of.
Moreover, students must learn to reflect on what to post online and what
persona they are creating by the content they generate.
Recent advances in computer assisted instruction and artificial intelligence are
allowing these programs to become disruptive in the field of education, offering
4. easily implemented opportunities to personalize learning. Writing outlines can be
developed through the use of mind maps, helping students develop better
narratives by brainstorming and creating sequences of events. While many
programs still focus on mathematical-logical intelligences and traditional entry
and points, the key takeaway here is that they allow for differentiated learning in
face-to-face and online environments while engaging these traditional
intelligences.
It may seem like a great deal of work to incorporate MI into your instructional
design, not to mention adding in technology, so why bother? My answer to that
is “Good Work.” Ethically speaking, multiple intelligences help to level the playing
field between those who are smart in the traditionally tested linguistic and
logical-mathematical intelligences and those who are smart in other ways.
Technology can provide realistic ways in which to develop these other
intelligences and use them in formal assessment in the classroom. Additionally,
by embedding 21st century skills into your instructional design, you are helping to
level the playing field of the future as we move from an industrial to an
informational society. MI and educational technologies both engage students by
helping to target student interests, encouraging project-based learning, and
providing a means of differentiation. They also allow students to explore and
express their knowledge using a variety of entry and exit points. Multimedia
production, web 2.0 tools and CAI can be especially helpful in bringing multiple
intelligences into online environments by creating opportunities for logical-
mathematical, spatial, musical, intrapersonal, and interpersonal activities in an
arena that is typically very laden with linguistic entry and exit points. Finally,
using MI and technology in the classroom inspires excellence. The opportunities
to apply, analyze, create and synthesize encourage critical thinking and problem
solving rather than rote memorization. Additionally, the in-depth look at content
rather than the typical shallow view one finds when covering broad scopes of
content ensures a better understanding and ultimately a better final product as
students demonstrate their comprehension and abilities.As an educator, I aspire
to do Good Work, and it is for these reasons I am inspired to design with MI and
