To the naked eye, you see a word, but of infinite meaning.
Receiving a good education today is a difficult and complex task, why? You may wonder, because people come with a wide variety of experiences, interests, motivations, and strengths of the different types of intelligence.
According to Howard Garner in the “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” highlights: emotional intelligence, musical intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, kinesthetic body intelligence, spatial intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, naturist intelligence, a total of eight types of intelligence. As the author affirms, all people are owners of each of the eight classes of intelligence, although each one stands out more in some than in others.
Hence, the teacher must know the strengths of each one of his students in order to promote them, help them to focus their personality, to have confidence in their possibilities, working so that they develop as a person and that they are able to face their future successfully.
What are its advantages?
It personalizes learning, motivates the student, facilitates attention to diversity in the classroom, offers more complete and real learning, teaches how to learn how to learn, enhances many abilities and skills, encourages educational innovation and provides more significant results.
How to work multiple intelligences in the classroom?
Depending on the type of intelligence that predominates in the student or according to which one wants to work, we recommend six keys.
- Evaluate the intelligence of the students, that is, reach them by focusing on the intelligence that is most developed and working on the rest so that they also develop it.
- Diversify content and teaching strategies.
- Innovating in methodologies, such as: collaborative learning, project work, gamification or the flipped classroom allow intelligence to be developed in an integral way.
- Bet on active and real learning.
- Use ICTs.
- Evaluate from multiple intelligences, through: activities, exercises, tests, exchanges of opinions and evaluations so that students have multiple opportunities and approaches to learn and demonstrate what they have learned.
According to Eliphas Levi, “A good teacher must be able to put himself in the shoes of those who find learning difficult.”
As a conclusion to this great reflection, the teacher must emphasize putting into practice the teaching model in the classroom and thus achieve great and optimal results.
As Pilar Arnaiz (2003) says “A school for everyone and for everyone”.
Immaculate Garcia Salazar – Teacher – NGO Recicla-Alicante
