"No intelligence is in and of itself artistic or non-artistic; rather several intelligences can be put to aesthetic ends"
-Howard Gardner, Frames Of Mind, 30th Anniversary, 2011
Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligence
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In the late 1970s and early 1980s pyschologist Howard Gardner introduced the concept of multiple intelligences. Gardner suggested that individuals possess eight or more "relatively autonomous" intelligences. Gardner suggested that "individuals might draw on theses intelligences, individually, and corporately, to create products and solve problems that are relevant to the societies in which they live" (Davis, Christodoulou, Seider, Gardner, 2012)
Gardner suggests that only two of these intelligences are frequently used in modern schools: linguistic and logical mathematical. Gardner and associates suggest that the combination of language and logic is what we may refer to as "academic" or "scholarly intelligence" in todays society. (Davis et al., 2012)
MI "represents a departure from traditional conceptions of intelligence first formulated in the early twentieth century." MI rejects the concept of intelligence as an innate, immutable trait predetermined from birth and suggests that in contrast that intelligence is "a combination of heritable potentials and skills that can be developed in diverse ways through experiences" (Davis et al., 2012)
MI contradicts the idea that intelligence is something that can be tested for by only one means. Educators today are examining standardized testing and tracking systems that are in place in some school systems and asking themselves whether this measure of intelligence is equitable. Schools that embrace MI, try with their curriculum and planning to reach a diverse range of students that may show exceptional ability when taught in non-academic ways.
"After twenty five years of reflection on the theory, Gardner accentuates two primary claims: l) All individuals possess the full range of intelligences—the intelligences are what define human beings, cognitively speaking; 2) No two individuals, not even identical twins, exhibit precisely the same profile of intellectual strengths and weaknesses." (Davis et al.,2012)
Connecting to the Visual Arts
All teachers should be looking to students learning preferences and Gardner's concept of multiple intelligences in order to teach to all of their students. Visual Art teachers have a greater opportunity to incorporate more of Gardner's ideas into their lesson plans, however in spite of this fact, most visual arts curriculum caters to those students already strong in visual-spatial ("picture smart") intelligence.
If we look to the contemporary art world we see an interesting shift occurring. Artists are employing other intelligences to create "visual" work. If we examine specifically various contemporary artists' processes employed to create "visual artwork" we might be very surprised by what we find.
This website is a meant to be a teaching resource. We teachers may have a hard time relating a students learning preference to the arts. Students may be more interested in engaging in the arts if they are exposed to artists that think the same way they learn. I've compiled a variety of different visual artists and detailed their artistic process as it relates to Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences. I hope this website inspires you to include some non-traditional choices in your lesson plans that promotes education for all and provides you influential relevant material you can share with your students. Enjoy Browsing!
If we look to the contemporary art world we see an interesting shift occurring. Artists are employing other intelligences to create "visual" work. If we examine specifically various contemporary artists' processes employed to create "visual artwork" we might be very surprised by what we find.
This website is a meant to be a teaching resource. We teachers may have a hard time relating a students learning preference to the arts. Students may be more interested in engaging in the arts if they are exposed to artists that think the same way they learn. I've compiled a variety of different visual artists and detailed their artistic process as it relates to Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences. I hope this website inspires you to include some non-traditional choices in your lesson plans that promotes education for all and provides you influential relevant material you can share with your students. Enjoy Browsing!