MULTIPLE ASSESSMENTS FOR MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

"If there is anything that a man can do well, I say let him do it. Give

him a chance." -Abraham Lincoln

Howard Gardner has identified EIGHT ways in which people can be intelligent

and yet most classroom assessments and standardized tests evaluate just two: logic

and linguistic (remember the SATs?).

Many classrooms today incorporate different teaching methods to appeal to the

different ways students learn, but when it comes to the assessment and grading of our

students, many of us still revert to traditional methods of assessment, no matter how

rich and diverse our classroom teaching styles may be.

Creating authentic assessments (also known as performance-based or

alternative assessment) will test abilities beyond a test and on a variety of levels.

Authentic assessments require students to do much more than filling in the blanks or

answer in a Q&A format--they must perform specific tasks or projects based on

knowledge acquired in your class according to the criteria you set forth. Having students

create a diorama, or participate in a debate, or create a song, or devise a chart, or

interview an expert, for example, not only touches upon several intelligences, but

creates a more valid and engaging form of assessment that complements a diverse

teaching style.

Authentic assessments more closely mirror real-world tasks and tests of ability.

This too, mirrors Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences, which were created based on

real-world abilities and applications of skill.

Gardner says it best: ""Let's never pin our assessment of understanding on just

one particular measure, but let's always allow students to show their understanding in a

variety of ways. The theory of multiple intelligences wasn't based on school work or on

tests. Instead, what I did was look at the world and ask, What are the things that people

do in the world? What does it mean to be a surgeon? What does it mean to be a

politician? What does it mean to be an artist or a sculptor? What abilities do you need to

do those things? My theory, then, came from the things that are valued in the world. We

need to develop assessments that are much more representative of what human beings

are going to have to do to survive in this society." (Educational Leadership, 9/97)

logical-linguistic-visual-bodily-musical-interpersonal-naturalist-intrapersonal

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." -Confucius

Multiple Intelligence Assessment Ideas:

(from an article by Linda Campbell in Educational Leadership, 9/97)
Linguistic Logical Bodily Visual

Translate an into a Create a movement or

Use storytelling to Chart, map, cluster, or
mathematical sequence of
explain graph
formula movements to explain
Design and Create a slide show,
Conduct a debate Make task or puzzle
conduct an videotape, or photo
on cards for
experiment on album of
Write a poem,
Make up
myth, legend, short Create a piece of art
syllogisms to Build or construct a
play, or news that demonstrates
demonstrate
article about
Create a talk show Make up
Plan and attend a field Invent a board or card
radio program analogies to
trip that will game to demonstrate
about explain
Describe the Bring hands-on
Conduct an Illustrate, draw, paint,
patterns or materials to
interview of/on sketch, or sculpt
symmetry in demonstrate
Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalist

Give a presentation Describe qualities you

with appropriate Conduct a meeting possess that will help Create observation
musical to address you successfully notebooks of
accompaniment on complete
Intentionally use Describe changes in
Sing a rap or song Set and pursue a goal
social skills to learn the local or global
that explains to
about environment
Indicate the
Participate in a Describe one of your Care for pets, wildlife,
rhythmical patterns
service project to personal values about gardens, or parks
in
Use binoculars,
Explain how the
Teach someone Write a journal entry telescopes,
music of a song is
about on microscopes, or
similar to
magnifiers to
Make an instrument Practice giving and
Assess your own Draw or photograph
and use it to receiving feedback
work in natural objects
demonstrate on
ASSESSMENT WITH GARDENER’S MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES:

Howard Gardner 2009 states that if we all had exactly the same kind of mind

which had only one kind of intelligence, then we could teach everyone the same thing in

the same way and assess everyone in the same way; that would be considered fair.

When we found out humans weren’t like that, then we decided that the education that

treats everyone in the same way is unfair because it picks put one kind of mind which is

someone who is very linguistic and logical. If you think like that then great, if you don’t

then there is no room on the train for you. (Gardner, 2009).

Teaching assessment should reflect the diverse learning styles of all of the

children in the classroom. Students who excel well with one intelligence may not be

necessarily excel at another, so it is important to design assessment material that

appeals to all intelligences because as stated above this will make our teaching

assessment fair for everyone.

“Every student has the opportunity to specialize and excel in at least one

intelligence…. each student learns the subject matter in a variety of different ways,

thereby multiplying chances of successfully understanding and retaining that

information” (Campbell, 1991).

Tips for assessment:

 Be clear about the expectations and how work will be marked!

 Show examples of work and what the teacher will be looking for (exemplars)

 Assessment opportunities may have more than one link to multiple intelligences

or may shows strengths in different forms- for example a writing task with a

drawn image- the children may write really well and draw really poorly or draw

really well and write really poorly- take all intelligences into consideration!

 Develop assessments that appeal to all intelligences and not make one more

superior over the others (be creative with assessment)

 Encourage peer evaluation (interpersonal intelligence)

 Gardner states that teachers and students, often cannot explain why certain

topics need to be covered in school. The curriculum in the classroom needs to be

reconfigured so that there is a stronger focus on skills, knowledge and above all, an

understanding of relevant and important learning for our country today. We need to

adapt our curriculum as much as possible to the particular learning styles and strengths

of individual students. (Gardner cited in Campbell, 1991). To create successful

assessment strategies, familiarize yourself with your students' individual learning styles!

Knowing how your students learn best can help you choose approaches that will reach

them most effectively. Here are some examples of how you may like to assess the

children on their individual intelligences:

Linguistic:

 Ask students to engage in writing tasks regularly- choice writing, journal

reflections.

 Encourage oral language opportunities- buzz groups, news time, presentations,

sharing class work.

 Emphasize creative writing – have students write poems, plays, and stories.

Logical/Mathematical:

 Encourage science experiments

 Engage in regular mathematics activities

 Have student’s complete logic problems and games.

Bodily/Kinesthetic:

 Challenge students partake in physical activity

 Teach children specific sporting skills with appropriate equipment

 Have students build models or use other hands-on techniques to show what they

learned.

Visual/Spatial:

 Invite students to participate in activities where they are able to create things- art,

technology etc.
  Encourage students to illustrate their ideas using maps, charts, and graphs.

Interpersonal:

 Stage a classroom debate- encourage classroom interaction

 Group work!

 Have students work collaboratively to brainstorm and prepare a project.

Intrapersonal:

 Encourage goal setting in particular areas that the children may find as a

strength or a weakness.

 Encourage reflection on work and progress reports.

Musical:

 Challenge students to listen to music and identify musical patterns.

 Ask students to write new lyrics to familiar melodies or to compose a new song.

Naturalist:

 Ask students to keep environmental journals and to share their observations.

 Encourage the children to come up with community initiatives regarding the

protection of the natural environment.

The benefits of using Gardner’s Multiple intelligences in the classroom is a great

way to assess the children and their individual approach to learning. Studies have

shown that students who perform poorly with traditional testing, are more interested in

learning when classroom experiences involve learning experiences of interest to the

children. Gardner believes that all children possess the all 8 multiple intelligences and

that children can learn the same subject matter but it different ways. “These

intelligences are located in different parts of the brain and can either work

independently or together. These intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or

ignored and weakened” (Lunenburg & Lunenburg, 2014, p. 1)