Multiple Intelligences - more than one way to be smart!

I've often wondered why intelligence is measured like it is. Who came up with this? I know some of how tests are field tested and how that kind of research is done. I always felt that I am smarter than any test has ever shown. Up until now I had nothing to back that claim, I just knew it.

I have just finished 2 years of classwork for my master's degree. The degree is in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Instructional Technology. During the program, my fellow gradstudents and I studie studied many learning theories. One of the most fascinating was theory that was brought to light by Howard Gardner. His Multiple Intelligences theory says that there are 8 areas a person have possess intelligence.

Multiple Intelligences Inventory. See what your learning styles are. Just use your browser's back button to get back here when you're done. It's really worth the time. Go ahead. I'll wait.

How did you do? Did some of the answers surprise you? My strongest to weakest turned out like this:

Visual/Spatial intelligence ("picture smart")
Musical intelligence ("music smart") and Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")(tied)
Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")
Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart")
Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart")
Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart")
Linguistic intelligence ("word smart")

The weakest area has always been my downfall in school. Most schools only assess Math and Linguistic intelligences. There are school that offer music, art, and physical education, but they are not considered the back bone of education. For the past few decades many have been crying out for change in education, but shange comes about so slowly.

Until the day comes that we are all appreciated for it's possible that technology can help us deal with the areas we are weak in.

Here are some ways that I have used technology to help my stronger intelligence areas to help me get through graduate school.

1. I do everything visually. Where ever I can I add some kind of graphic or photo to maintain not only the interest of the reader, but my own interest as well. I use a lot of clip art, but I make sure it fits what I am doing.

2. I use word processing programs to help organize and arrange things that I am writing. Ideas most of the time come to me in fragmented ways. I can either scroll up and down the add ideas where they work, or open 2 or 3 documents and then cut and paste them into one paper.

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