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In 1983, Howard Gardner proposed the theory of multiple intelligence; in which he stated that individuals possess eight different kinds of intelligence. Moreover, each individual demonstrates one kind or several more predominantly over another. Instead of narrowing a person to one specific ability, he theorizes that one has a great range of abilities. Linguistic intelligence focuses on the strength of an individual to fluently communicate through oral and written language. Visual-spatial intelligence gives individuals a strong ability to visualize things such as recognizing patterns, maps, directions, and pictures. Logical-Mathematical intelligence analyzes problems and mathematical operations with ease; excellent problem-solving skills. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence allows individuals to better have physical and motor movement control. Musical Intelligence deals with the ability to recognize rhythm and music. Interpersonal Intelligence gives one a better connection with other people; where individuals can asses the desires, motivations, and emotions of those around them. On the contrary, intrapersonal intelligence gives the individual a better ability to self-reflect and analyze his or her strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, naturalistic intelligence is the ability to be more in tune with nature. Gardner's theory is popular amongst educators as it provides a delineation of the eight different ways to present the classroom material to a student; moreover, it can also be used as gateways for the students to express themselves. It is important to note that not every student is the same. They each have a more predominant intelligence over another, and thus this theory helps better understand one's own strength. Classroom education is not a "one size fits all education", and teachers should be able to expand the range of available teaching and learning tools; those beyond standardized textbooks, and lectures. Learning is fluid and complex, thus students and teachers should adopt techniques that can keep learning fresh, and interactive. Critics often dispute the theory, stating that is it the same as learning styles; where the eight intelligences merely represent talents and personality traits. Gardner then argues that learning styles talk about the styles in which a student approaches a range of tasks or a range of materials. They do not, however, give concise criteria as to how they can be recognized and assessed; merely "a hypothesis". For instance, just because of an individual being skilled in problem-solving doesn't mean that they opt for learning thru lectures or textbooks. Our duty as educators is to facilitate information being smoothly absorbed by the students. In order to do so, we must educate ourselves in the best way to achieve that. Treating every class the same will hinder our ability to teach, class A will never be the same as class B. The same material must be taught; however, our approach will always differ. For example, using this theory to teach world history. Teachers can use visual intelligence by showing maps, musical intelligence by playing music that pertains to a certain time frame, or linguistic intelligence by providing students with literature from that period. In turn, we must always be able to recognize how each lesson or subject can be best taught.
