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Emily Williams

Life-long Learning Project

Dr. Pritchard

December 3, 2018

Life-long Learning Project

According to Herndon in 2018, the theory of multiple intelligences proposes that "we are

all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial

representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an

understanding of other individuals and an understanding of ourselves. Where individuals differ is

in the strength of these intelligences and the ways in which such intelligences are invoked and

combined to carry out different tasks, solve diverse problems and progress in various domains."

Before this course I honestly did not even know what the theory of multiple intelligences were,

let alone that there was one. I believe our experiences in and out of school have made us who we

are and the trials and tribulations we experience help us to gain knowledge and better ourselves if

we choose. Before reading Emotional Intelligence and 7 Kinds of Smart, I was unaware of how

the ways that I learned fell into specific categories that were spot on with my strengths and

weaknesses.

There are nine multiple intelligences according to Howard Gardner. Verbal-linguistic

intelligence is well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms

of words. Mathematical-logical intelligence is the ability to think conceptually and abstractly,

and the capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns. Musical intelligence is the ability to

produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timbre. Visual-spatial intelligence is the capacity to

think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly. Bodily-

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kinesthetic intelligence is the ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects

skillfully. Interpersonal intelligence is the capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the

moods, motivations and desires of others. Intrapersonal intelligence is the capacity to be self-

aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes. Naturalist

intelligence is the ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature.

Existential Intelligence is the sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human

existence, such as the meaning of life, why we die and how we got here (Herndon, 2018). While

reading 7 Kinds of Smart by Thomas Armstrong, I completed the multiple intelligences checklist

on pages 18 through 23 to see which intelligences I am strong and weak in. Linguistic,

interpersonal, music, and intrapersonal were my strengths while logical-mathematical, spatial,

and bodily-kinesthetic were my weakest. With words (linguistic intelligence), self-reflection

(intrapersonal intelligence), music (musical intelligence), and social experience (interpersonal

intelligence) being my strength they take over my learning style by it being a more social aspect.

When either music or inclusive discussions are incorporated into a lesson I retain the information

better and am more engaged. Numbers or logic (logical-mathematical intelligence), pictures

(spatial intelligence), and physical experience (bodily-kinesthetic intelligence) as well as an

experience in the natural world (naturalist intelligence) are my weakest intelligences so I do not

learn as well if these are the main techniques.

I am able to think back to my learning styles from the past. I have always been a more

hands on learner. I struggled with math, pictures, and physical education. Those were not my

subjects and I was never really pushed to do better than I believed I could. I constantly sing and

talk which are some of the stronger ways that I learn. Wording has always been a big thing for

me, I love learning new vocabulary terms and putting them to use in everyday situations and I
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also try to reflect weekly on what I have learned or am currently learning and what questions I

may still have.

For starters, I need to begin doing activities to strengthen all nine intelligences, especially

the ones I am weakest in. “A person’s desire to participate in an educational program often is the

result of a changing personal, social, or vocational situation. Consequently, programs must be

designed to satisfy the interests of participants. This individual orientation has resulted in the

creation of a continually changing, dynamic field able to respond to the varied needs of society”

(Adult Education 2017). Whether continuing education through school course, activities of your

choosing, or something you want to better yourself at, you have to find interest in what it is. You

also need to realize the potential that you have to be good or better at whatever you struggle

with. First, you have to eliminate those factors that block the realization of a potential. Second,

you have to be exposed to experiences that promote the potential. Finally, you have to make a

personal commitment to develop the potential (Armstrong, pg 159). At the end of each chapter in

the book 7 Kinds of Smart, by Thomas Armstrong, there are 25 ways to develop that

intelligence. Playing Pictionary or other visual games, creating a video presentation, and

redecorating the interior of my house are examples of how to develop my spatial intelligence.

Learning yoga or something of physical relaxation and awareness, activities to develop hand-eye

coordination such as bowling and walking the curbs of sidewalks or balance beams all help to

develop bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. To develop my logical-mathematical intelligence, I

could play games like Go, Clue, or Dominos with family and friends, work on logic puzzles, and

buy a chemistry set and carry out experiments. To strengthen my naturalist intelligence, I can

experience the outdoors by even something as simple as a walk just to clear my head or

gardening to boost my knowledge of the environment. I want to incorporate little ways each
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week to strengthen my weakness but also to gradually change the way I learn in the future. As a

future educator I know that my students all learn differently, and different types of teaching

strategies will have various affects. To be able to teach strategies effectively and with a

knowledge of my own I will have to be able to learn in all the ways available to really gage how

and why students learn that way.

I know that learning is never done, especially in the evolving world of education. When I

think about the future I envision for myself, I think about the future students I will have. I want

to be a positive and impactful educator to all of them. Peter Vaill coined the term "permanent

white water" to describe the unpredictable environment in which we work. Whatever the

circumstances, nonstop white water puts individuals in the position of doing things they have

little experience with or have never done before—thus making effective learning a most critical

skill. He “suggests seven different modes for learning as a way of being: self-directed learning;

creative learning; expressive learning; feeling learning; online learning (which only means

learning by doing the task required); continual learning; and reflexive learning” (Dugan 1999).

Goleman states on page 93 that “because flow emerges in the zone in which an activity

challenges people to the fullest of their capacities, as their skills increase it takes a heightened

challenge to get into flow. If a task is too simple, it is boring; if too challenging, the result is

anxiety rather than flow”.

My learning priority will be to become a seasoned teacher who is able to differentiate

help and impact students’ lives. I want to incorporate visuals, printed words, sound, motion,

color, realia, instructional setting, learner characteristics, reading ability, categories of learning

outcomes, events of instruction, and performances. Visual media help students acquire concrete

concepts, such as object identification, spatial relationship or motor skills. While the printed
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word is the most common method of dispensing information, sound media offer a stimulus for

sound recognition or recall. Audio narration is a useful tool for students who struggle with

reading. Motion depicts human performance so that learners can copy the movement. This

kinesthetic method can be essential for understanding some subject matter. Choices on color

display are required if it is essential to what is being learned (such as, the sky is blue). Realia

teaches cognitive and motor skills with objects. Realia can be used with individuals or groups,

depending on the situation. Realia may be used to present information realistically, or with the

way learners internalize information. Design must include what materials are being used, as well

as the environment in which it is to be taught. Printed materials should be individualized to allow

the learner to set the pace. Teaching models must consider learner characteristics, as media may

be interpreted in various ways by different learners. Pictures aid learning for poor readers who

understand spoken words rather than printed words; good readers can control the pace, and print

allows for easier review. Learning categories can include intellectual skills, motor skills, verbal

information, overall attitudes and use of cognitive strategies. Teachers have to choose the

external events which support internal learning with events of instruction. It is important for

students to perform tasks that demonstrate learning and retention. The performances can be

categorized by type: covert, overt, motor, verbal, constructed and select (Herndon, 2018).

On page 96 in Emotional Intelligence, Goleman states “empathy builds on self-

awareness; the more open we are to our own emotions, the more skilled we will be in reading

feelings”. There is a big difference between empathy and sympathy, mostly being that you can

gage the persons emotions and respond accordingly. In the classroom this will also be another

thing I will put to use.

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When it comes to all I have learned throughout the semester, I plan to better myself

through any means possible. In 2018 Coroiu stated “the human intellect was no longer seen only

from a restrictive, unilateral perspective (in traditional systems, only mathematical and verbal

intelligence), but in its true complexity, as a balance of the forces which constitute the intellect.”

The nine multiple intelligences are all inside me, some stronger than other, but they balance out.

To become the best educator I can be, as well as the best me I can be I need to continue to learn

and put my life-long learning goals in effect.

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Works Cited

Adult Education. (2017). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 1p. 1. Retrieved from

http://proxygsu- wes1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=funk&AN=AD028000&site=eds-live&scope=site

Armstrong, T. (1999). 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Multiple Intelligences.

New York, NY: Plume.

Coroiu, P.M. (2018). The theory of multiple intelligences. Bulletin of the Transilvania

University of Brasov, Series VIII: Performing Arts, 11(1), 25–30. Retrieved from

http://proxygsu- wes1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.

aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=132957764&site=eds-live&scope=site

Dugan, C. A. (1999). Book review. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 25, 244.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0099-1333(99)80217-1

Gardner, H. (2006). Multiple Intelligences : New Horizons (Vol. [Rev. and updated ed.]). New

York: Basic Books. Retrieved from http://proxygsu- wes1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=461072&site=eds-

live&scope=site

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. New York, NY:

Bantam Dell.

Herndon, E. (2018, February 6). What Are Multiple Intelligences and How Do They Affect

Learning? Retrieved December 3, 2018, from

https://www.cornerstone.edu/blogs/lifelong-learning-matters/post/what-are-multiple-

intelligences-and-how-do-they-affect-learning