How Are Kids Smart? Multiple Intelligence in the Classroom
National Professional Resources
When Dr. Howard Gardner first presented his theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) in the early 1980s, he could have never anticipated the extent it would upend the way educators think about teaching, learning, and what it means to be smart. The theory of multiple intelligences, which posits that a single measure of intelligence (IQ) is insufficient because intelligence is expressed through multiple modalities that constitute different kinds of intelligence, is now well known among both educators and the general public. Many schools have adopted MI as a foundational principle, leading them to focus on the question, "How are kids smart?" rather than, "How smart are kids?" This classic professional development video offers viewers a chance to hear Howard Gardner himself explain the theory of multiple intelligences. It explores the implications of this theory on teaching and learning, and looks at ways in which teachers and administrators can structure curriculum, lessons, assessment, and school culture to account for the diverse learning styles and talents of students with different intelligence configurations (multiple intelligence). To do so, it takes viewers inside a school where MI is incorporated into teaching, classrooms, and the community. "How Are Kids Smart? Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom," is even more relevant today than ever before, as schools grapple with the challenges of increasing diversity, inclusion of students with special needs and the move toward heterogeneous grouping.