For years the definition of intellect was very bleak and shortsighted. There was even a time that a person’s intellectual capacity is measured through a test which then converts it to numerical value, also known as IQ or intelligence quotient.
For example Albert Einstein, the German physicist that developed the theory of relativity and one of the two pillars of modern physics has an IQ of 165. While Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian renaissance polymath and the painter of the famous ‘Mona Lisa’ believed to have a IQ of 220. The musical genius Mozart has IQ of about 160.
Today although IQ test is still used to measure brain capacity, there is also what is called multiple intelligence. The concept of multiple intelligence is that a person can be ‘smart’ in different areas and incapacity in one area does not mean that the person is intellectually challenged. As compare to IQ which garners all the aspects of knowledge in one measurement, multiple intelligence is more flexible and malleable. There are different categories of intelligence according to a Harvard psychologist, Dr. Howard Gardner. According to his theory, there are eight categories of factions of intelligence, visual-spatial, linguistic-verbal, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Each faction covers different talents and skill. Visual-spatial deals with the ability of a person to interpret visual and spatial information, people who are intelligent in this area usually are good at using maps, interpreting charts and graphs, they are good at retaining details through seeing or reading about them. These types of people have a potential in architecture, engineering, photography, and arts. Linguistic-verbal on the other hand is all about language and speaking. These are the type of intellectuals that excels in public speaking, writing, journalism, and teaching. Logical-mathematical as the name of the faction suggests deals with the numerical and mathematical intelligence. These are the kind of persons that do well in mathematics, problem solving and analyzing abstract concepts and ideas. Bodily-kinesthetic is all about bodily movements, coordination, and control. These are the type of people who enjoys sports and other physical activities. They tend to remember things by doing it rather than just seeing it. Musical Intelligence is the natural perception in music, tones, melody, rhythm, and structure. Interpersonal Intelligence is the ability to relate and interact with other people. They have an instinctual awareness about the people around them. While Intrapersonal Intelligence, is the opposite. Intrapersonal intelligence is the awareness of one’s self. It is the deep understanding of emotions and feelings. They are the people who have a great control with their personal motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Naturalistic is the most recent addition to Gardner’s theory and has been met with more resistance than his original seven intelligences. According to Gardner, individuals who are high in this type of intelligence are more in tune with nature and are often interested in nurturing, exploring the environment and learning about other species. These individuals are said to be highly aware of even subtle changes to their environment.
The theoretical concept of multiple intelligence only proves that no matter what, people are naturally smart. And as educators, it is our job to identify which faction a student belongs to and adapt our methods of teaching according to that. It is the most effective way of making sure that each student relates to the lessons and topics we install in them.
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By: Leo Marco Paulo D. Peralta Teacher I | Bataan Christian School| Pilar, Bataan
