The theory of multiple intelligences could be used with effect in a special education scenario as it focusses on individualising learning experience depending on the strengths of each child, Julie Viens, director, Multiple Intelligences Institute, U.S. said in a video conference on Thursday evening.
The virtual discussion on “Understanding Multiple Intelligences” was organised here, jointly by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai, and Vidya Sagar. While MI essentially involves personalising the learning experience, it is not limited by that. One strategy may easily work with a large collection of children with similar abilities, and may be of more significance in a special educator's classroom, Ms.Viens said.
MI, as a concept evolved by Howard Gardener, works on the principle that there are multiple intelligences at work that are manifested in performance.
Intelligences work in combination, not in isolation in the real world, Ms. Viens said, illustrating it with an example of a writer requiring logic and intra-personal skills in addition to linguistic skills.
While traditional teaching methods focus on verbal communication and focus on the weakness of the child to build education platforms, MI pays attention to what children can do. While it puts kids into accelerated domain-specific programmes, allowing them to do so can also work as a bridge to engage them in content that does not necessarily come easy to them, she added.
In truly inclusive classrooms, there are multiple ways in which content is being worked upon and at various levels.
In typical MI classrooms it is difficult to tell the special education kids from the regular education kids, Ms. Viens said. Using out-of-the-box techniques, including music, to teach children even abstract concepts like Algebra, taking it beyond the verbal boundary can help these children learn easier.
The best way to use MI well is to mirror or extend how we use it in the real world, she added. Usha Ramakrishnan, chairperson, Vidya Sagar, said in teaching children with certain disabilties, the teacher finds that because of brain damage, there are certain areas that are non functional.
For instance, for children with learning disabilities, or autism, there are spatial problems and intra and inter personal communication issues.
Looking at alternatives certainly accelerates the child's learning process, for instance, removing the chalk and board for a child with learning disability has shown to help.
Rajul Padmanabhan, director, Vidya Sagar, regulated the discussion that followed.
