Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences model identifies to both the student and teacher the catergories of intelligence that one can celebrate. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences model provides teachers, students and parents with the confirmation that different students have different strengths and they learn in different ways. Students' strengths and preferences affect not only the ease with which they learn but also how they can best represent what they know and understand. Attempts should be made by all for students to prosper in their desired area of intelligence(s) and be given every reasonable opportunity to strive toward their every passion. Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Model does not operate in isolation, except in abnormal individuals, but rather an individual will show a melding of several of them (Gardner, 2006, p. 8). These Intelligences are: Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart") (See Multiple Intelligences Table)
The Passion Project is a unit of enquiry that enables each student to delve into the depths of their inner person and explore what it is that defines passion both generally and personally. We believe that many students are not given the opportunity to properly explore their inner person and thus they may find it difficult to truly strive toward what it is that has them working in their element. The futures of each student may be more accurately determined when it is that each child is with the confidence of knowing their passions and thus strength of intelligence and being confident in pursuing their passion. Armstrong (2009) states that, Dr. Gardner says that our schools and culture focus most of their attention on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence. We esteem the highly articulate or logical people of our culture. Dr. Gardner says that we should also place equal attention on individuals who show gifts in the other intelligences: the artists, architects, musicians, naturalists, designers, dancers, therapists, entrepreneurs, and others who enrich the world in which we live Unfortunately, many children who have these gifts don’t receive much reinforcement for them in school (para. 2). This view is shared by Sir Ken Robinson who stated in 2006 (view video here) that schools are educating creativity out of students. Additionally he questions why there is not an education system in the world that considers the Arts to be as important as Mathematics or Science. The Passion Project works with the idea that students have passions that can be drawn from and aligned with the intelligences from Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Model. The Passion Project attempts to have students find and share what it is that they are passionate about. Some students know exactly what they want in life and consciously strive toward it whilst other are needing a little help in having them discover what it is that they are passionate about. Sir Ken Robinson gave another presentation in 2010 (view video here) and mentioned how people make poor use of their talents. He stated that some people go through life not knowing what their talents may be, or if they have any to speak of at all. Robinson then refreshingly speaks about a fireman who knew he wanted to be a fireman from an early age and against all pressures, being told that he wouldn't amount to anything, set about becoming that fireman he so ever dreamed of being. However, for many students their future is somewhat unknown or suppressed and The Passion Project is for all students to bring to the surface and be confident in sharing what it is that they are passionate about. There are too many examples of adults who regret not pursuing a path that they truly believed in because of external pressures or that they didn’t feel that their path was highly valued and the like. Gardner (2006) states that he believes that our society suffers from three biases: 1. “Westist” which places Western cultural values on a pedestal. Logical Thinking and rationality are important but they are not the only virtues. (p. 23). 2. “Testist” focuses on those human abilities that are readily testable. If it can’t be tested, it sometimes seems, it is not worth paying attention to (p. 23). 3. “Bestest” whereby any belief that all the answers to a given problem lie in one certain approach, such as logical mathematical thinking, can be very dangerous (p. 24). The Passion Project is proudly (and passionately) designed to not favour any of these biases. The Passion Project invites every student to celebrate their passions and identify what is required to pursue their passions. Every passion and cultural value within the classroom and beyond is treated as being equal. There are no 'tests' to assess student knowledge as the learning about one's passion and further understanding of themselves is obviously going to be varied and only realised by the individual who will then explore further their wants and desires regarding their passion. And finally there are a myriad of possibilities that the student can choose to approach many of the tasks which supports the ideal behind Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Model. They are limited by only their own intelligence and creativity. Dr. Howard Gardner explains further how his Multiple Intelligence Model can go toward building a more resilient and effective education system for U.S.A. and possibly beyond. |
