The document discusses how teachers can incorporate multiple intelligences into their classroom teaching. It outlines Howard Gardner's theory of eight distinct types of intelligences that individuals learn through. It then provides three steps for teachers to 1) learn about how multiple intelligences affect teaching and learning, 2) find their students' strengths through online or printable assessments, and 3) use the assessment data to incorporate the eight ways of knowing into lessons, groupings and projects.

1. How to Put Multiple Intelligences to Work in Your Classroom
PHOTO
Photo from Multiple Intelligences Revealed http://www.davidlazeargroup.com/multi-
intell/MI_chart.html
Your I CAN is more important than your IQ!
In his theory of Multiple Intelligence, Howard Gardner states that individuals learn in
multiple ways. He identified eight distinct types of intelligences: mathematical/logical,
verbal/linguistic, musical/rhythmic, visual/spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, naturalist/physical world. Teachers can use these eight ways of knowing
not only to motivate students, but also to make better instructional decisions in their
classroom to ensure that they reach every student, every time.
Step 1: Learn how multiple intelligences affect teaching and learning.
Incorporating multiple intelligences in your teaching will ensure that you tap into your
students’ full potential for learning. By teaching in more “brain-compatible” ways,
teachers can engage more learners and educate more authentically and fairly.
• For more information, click here
http://www.learner.org/courses/learningclassroom/session_overviews/mi_home4.
html?pop=yes&pid=1861#.
• Visual learners, click here http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?
pid=1861 to view an on-demand video and see multiple intelligences at work in
the classroom.
Step 1: Explicitly teach your students about the theory of multiple intelligences.
This can be done in whatever way that best fits your teaching style. Here’s what I did
with my fourth and fifth graders:
• Anticipatory Set: Ask students to read the lyrics to a complicated song such as
World’s on Fire by Sarah McLachlan, summarize and interpret the meaning.
Share out. Students will struggle with this and it is ok. Take this opportunity to
discuss that people are smart in many different ways. Sometimes, it is difficult to
fully understand something when we use only one of our ways of knowing – such
as words.
• Instruction: Introduce the term Multiple Intelligences and the eight ways of
knowing while students represent the word using words and pictures in their
journals. While students are working, play the song, World’s on Fire. When
students are finished, ask if anyone has discovered any meaning from the lyrics by
listening to the song. More students will share out. Next, play the music video

2. World’s on Fire. Ask students to use the video to determine the meaning of the
song lyrics. Share out. Many more students will be able to understand the lyrics.
• Independent Practice: Ask students to identify the various intelligences
represented in the video and reflect on the experience in their journals. For
homework, have the students write a letter to a friend describing the theory of
malleable intelligences and how it affects learners.
Step 2: Find Your Students’ Strengths
• How Are You Smart? - MI Online Assessment
http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html
o This quick and easy online form can help you determine which
intelligences are strongest for your learners. Have each student take the
assessment and print the results.
• Printable MI Assessment Survey http://surfaquarium.com/MI/inventory.htm
o This is a longer, more detailed survey you can use to assess your older
students’ multiple intelligences. Once students complete their survey, they
will graph their results and find their strengths. I used this with my fourth
and my fifth graders. To save paper, show the survey on a projector, doc
cam, or interactive whiteboard if possible, and have students track their
results on the final page.
Step 3: Use the data to make decisions about your students and apply the 8 ways of
knowing in your classroom.
• Incorporate multiple intelligences in your lessons, cooperative grouping, and
collaborative projects. Here are some quick lesson ideas to get you started.
http://www.davidlazeargroup.com/multi-intell/MI_chart.html