Schools that have successful results with all their students use a variety of teaching approaches, engage with families and communities to support life-long learning, and keep students motivated to learn and create. To do this work well, especially in large, urban school systems, practitioners (teachers, aides, school psychologists, and other school personnel) and parents need some specialized tools. The Synapsys Multiple Intelligences Assessment (SMIA) Tools developed by us fulfill this need and provide a framework and strategy that can help teachers in designing classrooms, instruction, and curricula that meet the individual needs of many kinds of students.

1. Discovering
Uniqueness – a
paradigm shift
A presentation by
Parakram, Doors
Synapsys

2. Think of a Paradigm Shift
as a change from one way
of thinking to another.
It's
• a revolution,
• a transformation,
• a sort of metamorphosis.
It just does not happen on
its own , but rather it is
driven by agents of change
and "one conceptual world
view is replaced by
another".

3. Is it possible to identify future scientists, engineers, doctors, philosophers, musicians, artists,
architects, astronauts, pilots, army officers, politicians, designers, actors, diplomats ….in this
class ?

4. Who are they ?

5. I Want to
help my child
to succeed
BUT don’t
know how to
go about
it???

6. My child is good
with something
which is NOT
recognized by
teachers !

7. Interest areas of
child and parents
are different –
“I want to be a
designer v/s
YOU should be
an engineer ! “

8. Hyperactivity
!

9. Learning
Difficulties

10. Concentration
Problems

11. Peer Rejection

12. Disobedience

14. Understanding Thinking Patterns

15. The Essence of MI Theory
• Respect for many
differences among
people
• Multiple variations in
the way they learn
• Several modes of
assessment
• An infinite number of
ways in which they can
leave a mark on the
world

16. The metrics of Intelligence
1904:
Alfred Binet, a
French
Psychologist was
asked by the
Minister of Public
instruction to
devise a test to
find out which
primary grade
children were ‘at
risk’ for failure.
The ‘IQ’ Test was
the result

17. ‘IQ’ dominated the scene
until 1983 Dr Gardner
proposed the MI Theory
‘IQ’ is too narrow a concept
…and there are at least 8
different ways a person can be
‘intelligent’

18. Gardner’s definition of
Intelligence
Intelligence is the ability to solve
problems or fashion products that
are of consequence in a particular
cultural setting or community.

21. Intelligence -
or only an ability ?
1. Potential isolation by brain damage
2. Existence of savants, prodigies,
exceptional individuals
3. Distinctive developmental history
4. Evolutionary history
5. Psychometric/Psychological support
6. Identifiable core operations
7. Symbol System

22. LINGUISTIC

23. • Capacity to use words effectively
– orator, story teller, poet,
journalist
• Ability to manipulate syntax
(structure), phonology (sound),
semantics (meaning), rhetoric
(convincing), mnemonics
(remembering), explanation
(informing/educating)

24. LOGICAL/MATHEMATICAL

25. • Capacity to use numbers
effectively – mathematician,
statistician.
• Capacity to reason – scientist,
software programmer.
• Sensitivity to logical patterns and
relationships
• If-then, cause-effect, inference,
abstractions

26. Visual/Spatial

27. • Ability to perceive visual-spatial world
accurately – guide, hunter, scout
• Perform transformations upon those
perceptions –interior designer,
architect, artist
• Sensitivity to color, line, shape, form
and space
• Capacity to visualize, graphically
present ideas and to orient oneself in a
spatial matrix

28. Kinesthetic

29. • Expertise in using one’s body to
express ideas and feelings – actor,
mime, athlete, dancer
• Using hands to produce or transform
things – craftsperson, sculptor,
mechanic, surgeon
• Specific physical skills –
coordination, dexterity, flexibility,
tactile and haptic (nonverbal
communication) capacities

30. Musical

31. • Capacity to perceive, discriminate,
transform and express musical forms
• Musical aficionado, Composer,
Performer
• Sensitivity to rhythm, Pitch/Melody or
Tone
• Intuitional or Analytical understanding of
music or both.
• Emotional or Kinesthetic connect with
music

32. Interpersonal

33. • Ability to perceive and make
distinctions in the moods, intentions,
motivations and feelings of others
• Sensitivity to facial expressions,
voices and gestures
• Capacity for discriminating among
various types of emotional cues
• Ability to respond effectively to
emotional cues (eg. Influencing
others to follow a certain line of
action.

34. Intrapersonal

35. They are good at understanding one's
own interests, goals.
These learners tend to shy away from
others. They're in tune with their inner
feelings; they have wisdom, intuition
and motivation, as well as a strong
will, confidence and opinions. They
can be taught through independent
study and introspection.
Tools include books, creative
materials, diaries, privacy and time.
They are the most independent of the
learners.

36. Naturalistic

37. People with a high degree of this
intelligence are good at observing nature
and their environment and are good at
identifying natural things, birds, animals,
plants, etc.
They may be termed as being ‘one with
nature’ and enjoy being in natural
surroundings. This intelligence also has to
do with being familiar with the environment
around them, perceive potential threats and
opportunities in their environment and also
have a keen understanding of relationships
between natural things.

38. So…
where does intelligence reside ?

39. Its all here !

40. The lobes are like
Departments !

41. The lobes are like
Departments !

43. Personality

44. Human Personality
Dr William Marston’s
Theory which was
first propounded in
1920 in his book –
‘Emotions of Normal
People’. It has been
acknowledged to be the
most enduring and
acceptable theory of
human personality. It is
used widely as the
DISC Theory.

45. So, What is Personality ?
• The word personality itself stems
from the Latin word persona, which
referred to a theatrical mask work by
performers in order to either project
different roles or disguise their
identities.
• "Although no single definition is
acceptable to all personality
theorists, we can say that
personality is a pattern of
relatively permanent traits and
unique characteristics that give
both consistency and
individuality to a person's
behavior."
(Feist and Feist, 2009)

46. The Four Types

47. Why is it important ?
• Parent personality is a major factor
affecting how they communicate
and deal with their child
• Parent personality can affect
learning outcomes via the
psychological environment at home
• Likewise, the child’s personality
also influences the family
environment

48. Personality Types
• LISTENER

49. Emphasis : Cooperates with others within existing circumstances to carry out task.
Tendencies :
• Demonstrates patience
• Develops specialized skills
• Helps others willingly
• Performs consistently
• Shows loyalty
• Listens patiently
• Flourishes in a stable environment
• Predictable
• Friendly
Preferred Environment :
• Maintenance of status quo
• Predictable routines
• Minimal work infringement on home life
• Thrives on sincere appreciation
• Identifies with a group and is not individualistic
• Avoids conflict

50. Personality Types
IDEAL
IST
(I)

51. Emphasis : Works conscientiously within existing circumstances to
ensure quality and accuracy
Tendencies :
• Concentrates on key details
• Tends to be diplomatic and courteous
• Fanatical about accuracy
• Seeks perfection
• Adheres to rules, regulations, directives and standards
• Thinks analytically
• Uses indirect approaches to conflicts
• Uses systematic approach to situations
• Fact finder, Precise
• Careful and cautious
Preferred Environment :
• Clearly defined performance expectations
• Reserved, business-like atmosphere
• Control over factors that affect their performance
• Recognition of specific skills and accomplishments

52. Personality Types
FLASHY (F)

53. Emphasis : Shapes the environment by influencing or persuading others
Tendencies :
• Eager to meet people and socialize
• Wants to create a good impression
• Articulates very well and is a good conversationalist
• Creates a motivational environment
• Entertains people and believes in a ‘fun’ atmosphere
• Can be overly optimistic
• Loves to work in groups and being with people
• Can be very persuasive
• Can be impulsive and spontaneous
• Can be very expressive and comfortable with expressing emotions
• Can be very enthusiastic and charming
Preferred Environment :
• Popularity and Social Recognition
• Public recognition of ability
• Freedom of Expression
• Group activities outside of job
• Freedom from control and detail
• Favorable work environment

54. Personality Types
EFFI
CIEN
T (E)

55. Emphasis : Shapes the environment by overcoming opposition to accomplish results
• Tendencies :
• Strives for immediate results
• Believes in causing action
• Accepts challenges
• Takes quick decisions
• Questions status quo
• Relishes authority
• Likes to manage situations and solving problems
• Task and achievement oriented
• Can take risks
• Egoistic
Preferred Environment :
• Power and authority
• Prestige and challenge
• Direct answers
• Wide scope of operations
• Opportunities for individual accomplishment
• Opportunity for self advancement
• Freedom from direct control and supervision by others
• Likes new and varied activities

56. How have we been teaching ?
“There has been an emphasis on teaching and assessing children in
predominantly two forms, two intelligences, linguistic and logical-
mathematical”
Gardner et al, 1993

57. Learning Styles
Neil D. Fleming’s theory
Propounded in 1987
through work done at
Lincoln University, New
Zealand and at several
schools earlier after
observing over 9000
school lessons. People
acquire knowledge and
information in one or
more predominant ways,
in other words a dominant
or preferred style or a
blend of three styles.

58. •How does one learn best ?
• What does one pay attention to ?
• How does one recall the learning ?

59. Visual

60. Auditory

61. Kinesthetic

62. Learning Motivation
Why do you learn what you learn ?
What motivates you to learn ?

63. Self Cognitive

64. Affective

65. Reflective

66. Reverse/Contrary

67. Brain Hemisphere Dominance

68. Who told us ?
• The theory of Brain Dominance grew out of the
work of Roger Sperry, who was awarded the
Nobel Prize in 1981. Our brains have two
hemispheres – the Left and Right Hemispheres
which are connected by the corpus callosum.
This allows the two hemispheres to
communicate.
• While studying the effects of epilepsy, Sperry
discovered that by severing the corpus
callosum he could reduce epileptic seizures.
But he also observed that since the corpus
callosum was the information highway between
the two hemispheres the patients exhibited
some other symptoms. For example the
patients were unable to name objects
processed visually on the right side of the brain
but were able to name objects processed on
the left side. This caused Sperry to theorize that
language is a left brain activity.

69. Left v/s Right
LEFT
The Left Brain is adept at
tasks that involve logic,
language and analytical
thinking.
• Language
• Logic
• Critical Thinking
• Numbers
• Reasoning
• Convergent thinking
RIGHT
The Right Brain is best at
expressive and creative
tasks.
• Recognizing faces
• Expressing emotions
• Music
• Reading emotions
• Color
• Images
• Intuition
• Creativity
• Divergent thinking

70. Face or Fruits ?

71. Innate Quotients
In most psychometric
tests the emphasis is
on IQ which is nothing
but a combination of
Logical-Mathematical
and Linguistic
Intelligence which are
both Left Brain
attributes.
Is it fair to judge on
IQ alone?

72. IQ

73. EQ

74. AQ

75. CQ

76. Discovering Uniqueness
“ We worry about what the child will become
tomorrow , yet we forget that she is someone today
“

78. But lets see Why ??
• Each child is unique and intelligent in a
distinct way
• Each child has a unique potential to excel
• The uniqueness is innate to a great extent
• Each Teacher is also different and so are
the parents
• We just have to discover this
uniqueness….and harness it to maximize
true learning

79. What to do differently ?
• Teaching in multiple ways
• Identifying VAK Modes and Brain
Dominance
• Understanding Personality of the Teacher
and the Taught
• Understanding MI Profiles, AQ, EQ,CQ
and IQ of children
• School-wide themes – eg : Environment,
Heritage, “Then & Now”

80. • Pods : Special Learning Groups created
by children
• Flow Room : MI Lab Concept
• Tutorials by senior students
• Involvement of Parents
• Customized Assessments and
Assignments
• Mentorships and Apprentice Programs