Multiple Intelligences
The article that is to be reviewed is
"Identification of giftedness in
culturally diverse groups" by Wilma Vialle
in Gifted Education
International, 1999, Vol 13, pp 250 -257. In this article
Vialle (1999)
recognises the under representation of disadvantaged students
in educationally
gifted programs.
Vialle identifies the disadvantaged
students as being children
from "...non-English-speaking backgrounds,
indigenous children and
economically disadvantaged children" (Vialle, 1999,
p250). Vialle suggests
the cause of this under representation of
disadvantaged students lies in the
linear model approach "..whereby a narrow
set of identification
procedures– usually an IQ test– is used to identify
gifted students who are
then placed in a program that may or may not be
specifically designed to meet
their intellectual strengths." (Vialle, 1999,
pp. 251-252). Vialles
perceived resolution to neutralise these disadvantages
occurring in the
identification of giftedness is to use an identifying
procedure that shifts from
the more traditional approach of mainly IQ testing
to a more diverse,
multi-facet approach that supports the use of Howard
Gardner's Multiple
Intelligence's Theory. Gardner's Multiple Intelligence
Theory opposes
traditional methods that view intelligence as unitary, and
perceive's
intelligence to contain seven distinct domains. These domains
include and can be
defined as follows: Linguistic Intelligence is the ability
to use language to
excite, please, convince, stimulate or convey information;
Logical-mathematical
Intelligence is the ability to explore patterns,
categories, and relationships
by manipulating objects or symbols, and to
experiment in a controlled orderly
way; Spatial Intelligence is the ability
to perceive and mentally manipulate a
form or object, and to perceive and
create tension, balance, and composition in
a visual or spatial display;
Musical Intelligence is the ability to enjoy,
perform, or compose a musical
piece; Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the
ability to use fine and gross
motor skills in sports, the performing arts, or
arts and craft production;
Intrapersonal Intelligence is the ability to gain
access to and understand
one's inner feelings, dreams, and ideas; and
Interpersonal Intelligence
is the ability to get along and understand others.
(Hatch & Gardner,
1988, cited in Vialle 1999, pp.252-253). Using these
aspects for assessment
criteria to identify giftedness in particular areas,
instead of traditional
measures is the key argument presented in this article.
Several other
authors have share the same view as Vialle when concerning
disadvantaged
students, but offer different assessment procedures again. In
agreeing with
Vialle, Bolig & Day state that "Traditional intelligence
tests...specify
neither how, nor what, to teach to improve performance; they
discriminate
against minorities and individuals whose backgrounds are not middle
and
upper-middle class; they fail to address individual differences
in
motivation, personality, and/or social competence....and they only assess
one
dimension of an individual's abilities, that of
intellectual
ability."(Bolig & Day, 1993, p. 110). Bolig & Day then
present
their method to identify gifted students in a non-discriminating
manner that
consists of the concept of dynamic assessment. Dynamic assessment
includes
static measures of ability as well as dynamic measures that consist
of
"...tests of ongoing learning that measure how easily the child
acquires
new knowledge and skills. (Bolig & Day, p. 110). The idea
presented seems
underdeveloped when compared to that of Vialle as collecting
portfolios of
children work is done in many schools already, and the
disadvantage has more
potential to occur when compared to using Gardner's
Multiple Intelligence
Theory. Multiple Intelligence Theory in identifying
giftedness contains enough
scope to break some of the culturally diverse
barriers sometimes experienced
because of the three underlying principles of
Gardner's Theory that are
pluralisation, contextualisation and
distribution."Pluralisation involves
the recognition that intelligence is a
complex, multi-faceted concept;
contextualisation demands that intelligence
be interpreted in the light of the
milieu in which the individual functions;
and finally, distribution involves the
individual's relationship with other
resources and artefacts, particularly the
ways in such resources are used to
support or enhance intelligent behaviour".
(Gardner, 1994, cited in Vialle,
1999, p. 253). In using a multi-facet
assessment procedure students from
diverse backgrounds are able to show an array
of skills in different areas of
intelligence, and be recognised as containing
such attributes, that were not
traditionally thought about as being intelligence
until recently. There are
still many differing opinions about intelligence and
there are limitations
recognised in both models, traditional and contemporary.
Berk (1997) in
discussing Gardner's Theory acknowledges the importance and
connotations for
the field of Intelligence recognition, but also raises some
limitations and
states that "..neurological support for the independence of
his
intelligence's is weak....[and that] logical-mathematical ability,
in
particular seems to be governed by many brain regions, not just one.
(Berk,
1997, p307). Berk (1997) also recognises that some current mental
tests assess
some of the main intelligence's identified by Gardner . Vialle
in presenting
Multiple Intelligence Theory realises and develops class
room based activities
and assessment practices that relate to the different
intelligence types
identified by Gardner. In presenting these activities and
procedures Vialle is
displaying her competence and usefulness of the
suggested approach. Multiple
Intelligence theory has several important
implications for the class room as it
caters and provides for a large
diversity and actually takes into consideration
cultural background. This can
be seen in his definition of intelligence, in that
"..intelligence refers to
the human ability to solve problems or to make
something that is valued in
one or more cultures". (Checkley, September
1997, The First Seven ...and
the Eighth [online]). The importance is seen in
what is deemed culturally
important, and it needs to be recognised that what is
deemed as important in
one culture might not be given the same significance in
another, therefore
confusion can sometimes occur in determining what is and is
not important. It
can be concluded from Vialle, that there is a significant
under
representation of disadvantaged students in gifted programs
throughout
Australia and the United States. Vialle attributes this to the
traditional
procedures used in determining intelligence among students and
the amount of
biases contained by these tests towards the disadvantaged
students. IN
presenting Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory Vialle
constructs and
appropriate argument about the method that should be used to
determine
intelligence and supports this with relevant, real world class room
activities
and assessment procedures. These procedures allow intelligence to
be recognised
as more than just cognitive competence and focus on real world
skills that are
used in everyday situations and contain little cultural
biases. This article
develops valuable insights into the relevance,
implementation and assessment of
diverse intelligence and states that
"..talent identification can occur as
a consequence of providing an engaging,
varied and challenging environment in
which students' potentials are given
the opportunity to emerge." (Vialle,
1999, p.
253).
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