Inteligencias Múltiples

1. Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide 1
itslearning AS, 2011©
Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning
a practical guide

2. 2 Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide
Variety: the spice of life and learning
How can time-pressed teachers add variety to their teaching – and appeal to learners
who learn in different ways? This paper looks at how to use itslearning to apply the
theory of multiple intelligences in class – giving quick and practical tips that a teacher
can put into practice tomorrow.
Howard Gardner
American Psychologist
& Educator
The theory of multiple intelligences in a nutshell
First proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983, the theory of multiple
intelligences is an attempt to analyse and better describe the concept
of intelligence. Gardner argues that the concept of intelligence that is
traditionally measured by IQ tests (which focus on logical and linguistic
abilities) is insufficient. Instead, he suggests that there are a number of
different types of intelligence. Currently, Gardner lists eight intelligences,
although he seems open to the possibility of there being more.
• Spatial
• Linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Bodily-kinesthetic
• Musical
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalistic
A realistic approach to multiple intelligences in the classroom
For many teachers, Gardner’s theory can be summarised as “students
learn in different ways”; and Gardner’s different intelligences can be viewed
as learning styles. Learners may tend towards one learning style; however,
they are not exclusive, so all learners will benefit from a broad approach to
education that uses different techniques, exercises and activities.
But, as Gardner says himself, no teacher has the time to teach to all eight
learning styles. Instead you should look to teach to two or three different
styles, as this will still make a huge difference to your learners.
You can hear Howard Gardner talking about his theory and how it applies to
education at:
www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-howard-gardner-video

3. Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide 3
CONTENTS
Making teaching to multiple intelligences possible
How can teachers accommodate a number of
different learning styles in their teaching?
The visual-spatial learning style
Working with prezis, visualising test questions and
making courses more memorable
The linguistic learning style
Using audio feedback, playing with wikis and
helping shy students speak out
The logical-mathematical learning style
Creating peer-to-peer tests and helping students
find and correct their own mistakes
The bodily-kinesthetic learning style
Filming homework and dancing the school play at
home
The musical learning style
Rapping about fractions and blogging with song
lyrics
The interpersonal learning style
Asking students to teach each other and using role
plays to explore language
The intrapersonal learning style
Encouraging reflection and sharing advice with
discussion forums
The naturalistic learning style
Bringing the outdoors into the classroom
Tips on differentiation
How can teachers differentiate instruction in large
classes?
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0913

4. 4 Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide
Making teaching to multiple intelligences possible
Teaching every topic, task or problem in seven or eight different ways is far too time-
consuming for most (or all) teachers. The solution is to use different techniques and
approaches when possible, to bring as much variety as you can into your classes.
Although eight different learning
styles have been identified, the
styles are not mutually exclusive.
This means that each learner will
have a preference for a number
of different styles – and as a
result, most learners will benefit
from the variety you add to your
classes.
This paper gives you a brief
introduction to each learning style,
and then gives you some practical
examples of how you can use
itslearning to teach to each style.
Quiz your class
You can assess your class to see which styles are most prominent among your
group of learners. This will help you define the best learning styles to teach.
You can find a good assessment tool here:
www.edutopia.org/mi-quiz.

5. Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide 5
The visual-spatial learning style
People with strong visual-spatial intelligence have a good understanding of the visual
world and its relation to physical items, which means that they can visualise and modify
physical objects in their mind. They are good at solving spatial problems, designing and
doing crafts.
Give your classes some prezi
Prezi is an online tool that allows anyone to create animated presentations
that mix images and text – and teachers can use prezis in a number of ways.
For example, prezis are a great way to visualise the progression of historical
events and how they connect. History teachers can use them to add a visual
element to their teaching, and you can even ask your learners to create a prezi
that outlines the key dates and events in the period you’re studying.
Once completed, prezis can be embedded straight into the learning platform.
Teachers can upload prezis onto course pages as study aids, and learners can
share their prezis with other students.
Study tips for visual-spatial learners
• Colour code your notes
• Add diagrams to your notes when possible
• Use mind-maps to show the connections between things
Use visual test questions
itslearning’s digital test tool gives
you ten different question types to
choose from, including a number
of great visual question tools. This
includes hotspot, an excellent tool
for testing geography and biology.
In hotspot questions, learners must
identify and click a certain part of
an image. For example, you can test
your learners’ understanding of the
human body by asking them to click
on the different organs.
Be creative with your course
Course dashboards in itslearning
function like mini-websites and
you can include a lot of varied
information, as well as a lot of visual
elements. In order to make them
more memorable for visual-spatial
learners, embed videos, use charts
and graphs, and insert images to
support your texts and general
information.

6. 6 Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide
Use audio feedback as well as written feedback
Traditionally, we think of strong linguistic learners as good at reading and
writing, but they are also usually good speakers and listeners – and audio
feedback is a great way to add variety to how you give feedback to learners.
And it will save you time.
When correcting a piece of work, instead of writing all your comments,
simply open the audio recorder and speak your feedback into your
microphone. You can save the audio file to the learner’s dashboard as a
note, and they can listen to it at any time. And because most of us speak
faster than we type, this kind of feedback method should make assessing
work faster.
Use discussions to release shy linguistic learners
Not all linguistic learners like speaking in front of others, and the
itslearning discussion tool is a great way to let them express their opinions
without having to stand up. So how can you use it? You can use discussion
forums to introduce a topic (ICT teachers, for example, can start a
discussion thread about CCTV at the start of a module on internet privacy)
or as homework assignments (English teachers can set-up a discussion
using a question on a set text and ask students to comment as part of their
homework assignment).
The linguistic learning style
People with strong verbal-linguistic intelligence can use words effectively for reading,
writing, listening and speaking. Poets and authors are often seen as the epitome of verbal-
linguistic intelligence.
Study tips for linguistic learners
• Talk about what you learn
• Retype your notes
• Write outlines or summaries of what you learn
Avram Noam Chomsky
American linguist &
philosopher
Just2Easy wikis
Just2Easy makes a number of
teaching and learning applications
that are fully integrated into
itslearning. One of the most
popular is a document sharing tool
that allows learners to work on the
same text document at the same
time. As the document is updated
live, the learners – and the teacher
– can see when new text is added
or existing text modified.
Teachers can use this tool in a
number of ways. For example, you
could ask your learners to create a
wiki about the topic as part of their
revision. Simply create a document
and write the key words for that
topic. Then split your learners
into pairs and ask them to start
defining each word. As the edits
are made live, learners can add to
each others’ definitions and correct
each others’ inaccuracies.

7. Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide 7
Ask your learners to write the end of term test
Asking students to write test questions forces
them to research a topic, as well as prioritise
which aspects of the topic are most important.
itslearning’s in-built test tool makes this very easy
to do. Simply ask your students – alone or in groups
– to come up with ten questions each for the end of
term test. You can then choose the best questions
for the final test.
This not only gives you a bank of questions to use
in future tests, but it also ensures your questions
are varied. And because learners are often tech-
savvy, they will most likely unlock the test tools full
potential by including a range of question types and
including multi-media to make the questions more
engaging.
Encourage learners to go back and correct their
mistakes
itslearning includes a number of tools for teaching
and assessing maths. Kikora, for example, contains
more than 4,000 maths exercises, targeted to
different age groups and skill levels. But the beauty
of Kikora is how the exercises are completed.
Instead of simply giving learners the correct answer
at the end of the exercise, it isolates the point at
which the learner went wrong. This means learners
can go back to their mistake and work out how to
correct it. Kikora even gives hints if a learner is
really stuck.
The logical-mathematical learning style
People with strong logical-mathematical intelligence can understand complex problems,
both logical and mathematical. They ask questions, find solutions and reflect on the
problem-solving process.
Study tips for logical-mathematical learners
• Don’t just memorise: think carefully about the cause and effect of what you learn
• Stop periodically to reflect on what you’ve learned

8. 8 Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide
Ask learners to complete their homework on video
For early learners, it’s often easier to understand basic
multiplication when they have a concrete example – so
you can use physical items, such as pens, to show them
how to do basic multiplication. If you want your students
to revise the work at home, set them some simple
multiplication exercises. But instead of asking them to
write down their answers, ask them to video their hands
moving the objects around as they complete the task.
How to videos
For people with strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence,
the best learning takes place when they are ‘doing’.
How to videos are a great way to allow them to do this.
For example, if you are teaching learners about pulley
systems, you can ask them to make a simple pulley
system for their homework – and video themselves
doing it. This way, they physically do the work while also
talking through the process (and hopefully theory). If you
ask them to upload the video to the learning platform to
complete the assignment, you also get a record of their
work.
Students dance the school play at home
Many schools choose to put on a musical each year as the
big chorus lines and dance numbers allow students of
varying ability to take part. But teachers also have limited
time to rehearse the dance numbers with students. One
solution is to record the dance number on video and
upload it to a specially created school play course page.
This means the students can watch the video and dance
along at home.
The bodily-kinesthetic learning style
People with strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence think in movements. They use movements
either for self-expression, or as precision actions to achieve a goal (think surgeons,
athletes, choreographers and film/theatre directors). They often retain information best if
it’s associated with an activity.
Study tips for bodily-kinesthetic learners
• Pace & recite as you learn
• Act out material or design learning games
• Use flashcards

9. Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide 9
Mr. Duey fractions rap
There are a number of educational musicians
on YouTube who sing educational songs (a good
example is Mr. Duey, who raps about maths).
To appeal to musical learners, you can play the
video in class and ask learners to sing along. You
can even embed the video alongside homework
assignments for learners to listen to as they do
their homework. (itslearning’s YouTube add-on
means that this is simple to do and that learners
can watch the video without leaving the learning
platform.)
Lyrics to teach a language
When teaching a language, you can use songs
to teach new vocabulary, revise grammatical
structures, practice pronunciation or simply
inspire debate. Play the song for your learners and
after they’ve heard it once or twice, ask them to
discuss the meaning of the song or answer a set of
questions about it. For homework, create a gap fill
exercise using the song lyrics and embed the song
alongside the assignment so the learners can listen
to check their answers.
The musical learning style
People with strong musical intelligence not only enjoy music but also understand sounds
and the emotions they convey. They often learn best while listening to music and will
associate what they have learned with the songs they heard when they learned it.
Lyrical blogs
You can even ask your students to write their own
lyrics to explain a mathematical subject and they
can share their lyrics with their classmates via their
blog or sing them directly into the in-built sound
recorder.
Study tips for musical learners
• Create rhymes to remember material
• Beat out rhythms while studying
• Play music when you study
Mr. Duey, a middle school teacher and rap musician

10. 10 Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide
Create a pages containing information to educate
others in the class
People with strong interpersonal intelligence
understand other people well and so make good
teachers. They also learn best in a group. To
combine these two skills, you can divide your class
into small groups and ask each group to create a
study page for the others in the class, covering a
different aspect of the theme you’re working on.
In itslearning, pages are like mini-websites that
teachers and learners can use to present, organise
and share information. When teaching learners
about the solar system, for example, you can ask
each group to create a page about a different
planet. The learners need to work together to
decide what material to include, and how to arrange
it so that the others can benefit from exploring it.
Use video and role-play in language classes
Language teachers can use embedded videos in
itslearning to inspire language learners. If you’re
teaching holiday language, for example, begin the
exercise by showing your learners a video of a bad
holiday interaction (a scene from Fawlty Towers
may be a good option). Then ask your learners to
discuss why the interaction went wrong.
Finally, you can ask your learners to act out a
similar situation with a better outcome. You can
even add a role-playing aspect of the exercise by
asking learners to act out scenes for different
complaints and even assign each learner in the
role-play different ulterior motives.
Study tips for interpersonal
learners
• Study in groups
• Act out material with others
• Teach what you learn to someone else
• Write test questions for other students
The interpersonal learning style
People with strong interpersonal intelligence thrive on social interaction. They understand
the motives, emotions, perspectives and moods of other people – and learn best in a group.

11. Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide 11
Encourage reflection with individual learning
plans
itslearning comes with an in-built individual
learning plan tool (ILP) that helps learners
understand and reflect on the learning process.
It’s easy to use and quick to do. Begin by showing
your learners the aspects of the curriculum that
they have to cover, and ask them to set themselves
learning goals connected to the curriculum.
Your learners should then record these goals in
their ILP, and set out a plan for achieving them.
You can add comments or questions to the ILPs to
encourage reflection, and should encourage your
learners to update their ILP regularly to show how
they are getting on. Once the learner has achieved
a goal, she can record her work in her ePortfolio
– and use her blog to reflect on how the learning
process worked.
Use discussion forums to share advice
Vocational training often involves dealing with and
learning from real-life situations. For example,
nurses study in class, but also gain experience from
a number of different work placements during their
course. But how can you enable these nurses to
learn from each others’ experiences when they are
often working in different places?
Use itslearning to set up discussion forums where
learners can share experiences and ask for advice
from each other. You can monitor the discussion to
ensure people are always getting the best advice
and you can even use examples as discussion
points in class.
The intrapersonal learning style
People with strong intrapersonal intelligence have a good understanding of who they are
and how they feel, and they know their limits and abilities. These people often work best
alone, and are very good at setting goals, managing deadlines and reflecting on results.
Study tips for intrapersonal learners
• Study in a quiet setting
• Write short summaries of what the material means to you

12. 12 Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide
The naturalistic learning style
People with strong naturalistic intelligence understand the patterns of living things, and
they apply scientific reasoning to the world. They often learn best by relating abstract
concepts to something concrete in nature.
Study tips for naturalistic learners
• Study outside when it’s practical
• Relate abstract information to something in nature
• Take breaks when studying and head outdoors
Aurora Borealis
An aurora is a
natural light
display in the sky,
particularly in
the high latitude
regions, caused
by the collision
of energetic
charged particles
with atoms in
the high altitude
atmosphere.
Bring the outdoors inside
People with strong naturalistic intelligence
are often happiest when outside, but it isn’t
always easy for a teacher to take a class
outside, so use itslearning to bring natural
elements into the class. For example, when
teaching natural biology, use itslearning to
embed images and videos of the plants and
animals in their natural environment – and
show these to the class.
Visualise the connections
Mind-maps have been used for many years
to help people organise their thoughts and
visualise the connection between ideas.
People with strong naturalistic intelligence
can use mind-maps to make theoretical
systems and connections appear more
concrete.
You can embed mind-mapping tools (such
as MindMeister) directly into itslearning so
learners can make and share mind-maps
in an electronic format. You can even create
your own mind maps on a subject and
share them with your students for revision
purposes.

13. Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide 13
Use groups to differentiate in classes
In itslearning, it’s possible to assign
permissions for each learner. This means
you can create one assignment for weaker
learners, and tougher assignments for
learners who are ready for a challenge.
For example, most question-based
assignments increase in difficulty as the
questions progress. Let’s say you have
a 20-question assignment: you can set
questions 1–10 for your weaker learners,
questions 5–15 for your intermediate
learners, and questions 10–20 for the real
brain boxes. Simply create different groups
of learners within each course, and then
assign each group the relevant test when
you set the assignment.
Use videos to explain topics
Some people remember things much
better if they see them. An easy way
to accommodate this is to record your
explanation of a topic. For example, when
explaining how to do long multiplication,
you can train your webcam on your pen
as your work through a problem on paper.
Learners can then watch the video at home
to get both a spoken and visual explanation
of long multiplication before they begin
their homework.
How to use itslearning to differentiate teaching in large classes
One of the hardest aspects of teaching to multiple intelligences is finding the time to teach
a subject in different ways. Here are some tips on how to use itslearning to individualise
your teaching for each learner.
Offer different hand-in options on assignments
While some learners find writing essays easy, some
struggle to communicate in writing even if they understand
the subject well. So let learners choose how they complete
certain assignments. For example, you can let your learners
hand-in a written answer, or record their answer with the
in-built sound or video recorder.
Let learners pursue their interests in their own time
If you have learners who are interested in a specific area,
they may be keen to work more in that subject than the
curriculum requires. Luckily, course pages allow you to
upload a great deal of varied study material, so you can
include ‘extension material’, such as links to interesting
websites, additional test questions and book extracts, that
learners can use at home to extend their learning.
Have extra material ready to go
Some learners work faster than others and so complete
class exercises before the rest of the class have finished.
itslearning allows you to keep a bank of exercises always at
hand. If a learner finishes an assignment quickly, you can
simply give them one of the extra activities you have on the
learning platform to complete while the rest of the group
‘catches up’.

14. 14 Teaching Multiple Intelligences with itslearning - a practical guide
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