Before we discuss on "Multiple Intelligences" let's se What is Intelligence?
Howard Gardner in his book Frames of Mind, in 1983 has defined "Intelligence" as :
"An intelligence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings"
Dr. Howard Gardner was a professor of cognition and education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 1983 he developed a learning theory. It is based on the belief that each individual has unique intelligence through which he or she is able to learn or teach new information. Initially, Gardner proposed seven intelligences in his book "Frames of Mind (1983). Subsquently, he added the naturalist and existential intelligences. Although each human has all nine, no two individuals have the same amount of each. Gardner suggested that intelligence involves problem solving, and producing products in a context-rich and natural setting.
These nine intelligences are:
- Verbal-linguistic intelligence: The capacity to use language to express what's on your mind and to understand other people.
- Logical-Mathematical intelligence: The ability to understand the underlying principles of some kind of casual system. Ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and cspacity to discern logical and numerical patterns.
- Spatial-visual intelligence: Capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly. The ability to present the spatial world internally in your mind.
- Musical/Rhythmic intelljgence: The capacity to think in music, to be able to hear patterns, recognize them and perhaps manipulate them.
- Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence: Capacity to use your whole for parts of body, to solve problems, make something, or put on a production. Ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects skillfully.
- Interpersonal intelligence: Having an understanding of yourself, of knowing who you are, what you can do, etc.
- Intrapersonal intelligence: The ability to understand other people.
- Naturalist intelligence: Ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature. The ability to discriminate among living things as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world.
- Existential intelljgence: Sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existance such as What is the meaning of life? Why do we die? How did we get here? To exhibit the proclivity to pose and ponder questions about life., death and ultimate realities.
The above mentioned nine intelligences are called Multiple Intelligences.