KEY POINTS

KEY POINTS OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE THEORY

1. M.I. THEORY IS NOT A "TYPE THEORY" FOR DETERMINING THE ONE INTELLIGENCE THAT FITS. IT IS A THEORY OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, AND IT PROPOSES THAT EACH PERSON HAS CAPACITIES IN ALL SEVEN INTELLIGENCES.

2. VIRTUALLY EVERYONE HAS THE CAPACITY TO DEVELOP ALL SEVEN INTELLIGENCES TO A REASONABLY HIGH LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE IF GIVEN THE APPROPRIATE ENCOURAGEMENT, ENRICHMENT, AND INSTRUCTION.

3. INTELLIGENCES ARE ALWAYS INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER AND USUALLY WORK TOGETHER IN COMPLEX WAYS.

4. THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DEMONSTRATE INTELLIGENCE WITHIN EACH CATEGORY. CONSEQUENTLY, A PERSON MAY NOT BE ABLE TO READ, YET BE HIGHLY LINGUISTIC BECAUSE HE CAN TELL A TERRIFIC STORY OR HAS A LARGE ORAL VOCABULARY. MI THEORY EMPHASIZES THE RICH DIVERSITY OF WAYS IN WHICH PEOPLE SHOW THEIR GIFTS WITHIN INTELLIGENCES AS WELL AS BETWEEN INTELLIGENCES.

5. THERE IS NO REASON TO REPRESENT EVERY LESSON IN SEVEN DIFFERENT WAYS. SIMPLE ADAPTIONS OR MODIFICATIONS CAN BE MADE TO REACH SEVERAL INTELLIGENCES AT A TIME WITHOUT STRAYING TOO FAR FROM THE ORIGINAL LESSON.

6. NOT ALL INTELLIGENCES NEED TO BE TARGETED EACH DAY, TWO OR THREE IS SUFFICIENT. TRY TO PREVIEW YOUR WEEKLY PLANS TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE INCORPORATED STRATEGIES FROM EACH AREA OF INTELLIGENCE TO EFFECTIVELY REACH MORE STUDENTS.