The Problem With Attempting to Teach Individual Students Using Multiple Intelligent Theory

Going through school, I always got good grades, perhaps because I had a decent memory. Still, I reject the notion that rote memorization is the best way to teach young people the facts of life, or teach them how to of think, a skill which is needed in everything they do, whereas the information they garner from a particular class or subject may never be used, or only in certain areas of the human endeavor, or perhaps at their job. I would like to discuss with you the importance of teaching kids to think.

Now then, for this article I'd like to recommend a very good book that I'd like you to read, so we can have an adequate dialogue in the future. This is a book that I do personally own, and I found it rather intriguing, but I also have some comments and some concerns. The name of the book is;

"So Each May Learn - Integrating Learning Style an Multiple Intelligences" by Harvey F. Silver, Richard W. Strong, and Matthew J. Perini, published by the ASCD - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria VA, 2000, 124 pages, ISBN: 0-87120-387-1.

The book suggests rightfully that different kids think in different ways, and therefore if we are to teach all the kids we need to cover many different ways of teaching, so every child can get it. Because kids have specific intelligences, as per Howard Gardner's "Multiple Intelligences Theory" the book also suggests when teaching math for instance that a teacher uses visuals, sounds, word problems, along with the equations. In this way kids that think differently, can still learn how to do the math problems without feeling stupid, or deciding that math is too difficult of a subject rather than learning how to do a certain type of mathematical problem.

That makes sense right? Sure it does, however, maybe it makes sense to teach every child how to think using all the different methods, therefore when they go into a math class they understand the logical method of thinking, or when they go into a music class they understand that. When they go to physical education, they are learning those types of intelligences, do you see my point? If we concentrate on teaching kids how to think, and all the different ways of thinking, then we don't have to worry about the kids and their style of thinking when they go and learn any particular subject.

All they really have to do is start thinking a different way which corresponds with that classwork. Indeed, I hope all this make sense to you, but again if it doesn't I suggest that you go read that book, perhaps e-mail me so we can have a dialogue, or discuss this topic with your friends and fellow teachers. Please consider all this and think on it.