Howard Gardner on Maria Montessori

The Maria Montessori Italian Association and University of Macerata recently invited Howard Gardner to speak at the Montessori 150 year Anniversary Conference, commemorating 150 years since the birth of Maria Montessori. Gardner’s talk was shown by video to a wide audience of Italian educators; he also made a live, virtual appearance for a Q&A session.

In his talk, Gardner spoke about the context of great Italian thinkers on education: Maria Montessori and also Loris Malaguzzi, why he respects the Montessori approach, and the reason Montessori education has endured. He also touched on how he used Montessori ideas and materials in his own research. 

A video of the talk and following Q&A (in English) is available here.

Gardner Interview on MI Theory During COVID-19

Howard Gardner was recently interviewed by educationpostonline.com. He gave his opinion on questions such as the future of education post COVID-19, the benefits of online education, and learning at home. To learn more, see here.

The interview is also reproduced below:

INTERVIEW: EVERY INTELLIGENCE IS VALUE-NEUTRAL, SAYS HOWARD GARDNER

“Every intelligence is value-neutral. It can be used constructively or negatively,” says renowned developmental psychologist Howard Gardner

By Dipin Damodharan | July 19, 2020 

Howard Gardner needs little introduction. One of the most admirable intellectual cult heroes of our times, this renowned American developmental psychologist happened to be the correction of a faulty tilt in the very concept of human intelligence. We were not at all bothered about judging our children as smart and dumb, given their varying dimensions of general intelligence.

As far as intelligence and teaching are concerned, Gardner provided ample signs that there was something terribly wrong with the so-called conventional method, and it was only going to crash sometime, slowly but surely. Because, we–from the teachers and parents to policy makers and administrators–only thought of maintaining ourselves with our grim take on everything related to intelligence. 

The so-called bright child with conventional intelligence belongs to one line. And others belong to the other line. That is the reason why some students find themselves in limbo despite doing many things right in their schooling.

Gardner has shattered the myth of intelligence being a singular concept and proved that there are multiple intelligences within a human being. He describes human beings as the ones having several relatively independent information processing capacities (Read more about Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences here) . Branded as the founding father of the universally acclaimed Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory, Howard Gardner is the Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

In an exclusive interview with the Education Post Online Chief Editor and Co-founder Dipin Damodharan, Gardner says that he has moved on to study the way that intelligences are used–positively and negatively– in the real world. Excerpts…

How do you look at the future of education in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic?

Of course I hope that we return to regular in-person classes, especially for young students. We will have learned a lot about what topics, approaches, and ages work well online, which can be boosted, and which have to be done in person. Whether and how we apply those learning is an open question. I’d bet more on some countries and regions (northern Europe) than on others (The United States, Brazil).

What do you think of the relevance of the theory of Multiple Intelligences in the new scenario?

MI (Multiple Intelligences) is a theory about how the mind is organized and how it operates. That is not affected by COVID in itself. But to the extent that more education takes place at home, with parents and students working side by side, the more crucial it will be to know about the mind of each student, how it works, what helps it work well, what is frustrating or counterproductive. This requires intrapersonal intelligence (what works for me and how) and interpersonal intelligence (how can I help my child, my sibling, my friends, etc).

As the educational institutions are still closed, how educators can teach students about survival skills using MI theory?

MI theory is very relevant since it features the personal intelligences. We need to learn more about how each of us learns, what works, etc and to make use of that knowledge– that’s intrapersonal intelligence.  And to the extent that we are working with others– peers, parents, children– we need to understand how the other person learns, what works etc.

Of course, the other intelligences are relevant as well– including what I call ‘pedagogical intelligence”– how do we teach someone else?  – and ‘existential intelligence’– what are the big issues in life, and how can we think well about them and make progress in understanding them?

And depending on the topic, we also make use of other intelligences– spatial intelligence in learning geometry or geography, musical intelligence in the arts, and so on.

In countries like India, online education is gaining momentum. What should be the educators keep in mind to not repeat the ‘one size fits all’ mistake of the past?

Online education has become more important in the COVID era. Also, there is every reason to think it will improve, if we study carefully what works and why, and if we also reflect on what doesn’t work, and why not.

I have always felt that online education provides an invaluable opportunity for personalized learning. In a class of 30 or 50 students, it’s very difficult to personalize. But there is no reason in the world why a good online educational system cannot individualize to a great extent. An AI system should be able to custom fit each learner. “One size fits all’ could and should end up in the grave yard— that’s always been an aspiration of MI theory and practice!

Could you tell us how MI theory will evolve further, from a futuristic perspective?

With all due respect, I am no longer working actively on MI. Through the Good Project (thegoodproject.org) I have moved on to study the way that intelligences are used–positively and negatively– in the real world. That’s because, in and of itself, every intelligence is value-neutral– it can be used constructively (the way that South African leader, Nelson Mandela, used his interpersonal intelligence to bring a warring country together) or negatively (the way that Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic, used his interpersonal intelligence to promote hatred and ‘ethnic cleansing.’)

While I am not working actively on MI, I do monitor the findings about the brain and also about artificial intelligence. I no longer think that I have identified correctly all of the intelligences and how they work, but I feel strongly that an appreciation of the multi-faceted nature of the mind will be with us from now on. 

I write about this in my forthcoming memoir A SYNTHESIZING MIND, to be published in September 2020, by the MIT Press.

Gardner Wins Education Research Award

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has honored Howard Gardner with the 2020 Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award. It is AERA’s premier honor, granted for outstanding achievement and success in education research.

Howard Gardner writes:

I am very honored — and also humbled — to receive this recognition from my colleagues in education. In turn, I want to thank my colleagues in research over the decades — and especially the dozens of individuals at Harvard Project Zero with whom I have collaborated and learned from since I began there as a researcher 53 years ago.

While I am best known for developing the theory of multiple intelligences, that was basically a work of intellectual synthesis, it’s our teams’ empirical work — experimental and qualitative — over many years on the development and expression of artistic cognition, the creation of innovative forms of assessment (including the assessment of intelligences in young children), the nature of understanding and creation in and across the disciplines, the experiences and understandings of contemporary secondary school and college students, and, especially, the understanding and the pursuit of ‘good work’ that is being recognized by this award. My fondest hope is that, going forward, individuals the world over will draw on their profile of intelligences to carry out work that is excellent, engaging, and ethical — the intertwined virtues of good work.

Read more in these articles from the Harvard Gazette here and the Harvard Graduate School of Education here.

The AERA press release is reproduced below.

Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award 2020 Award Recipient 

Howard Gardner
Harvard University

Howard Gardner is John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-founder and senior director of Project Zero.  He is internationally known for his theory of multiple intelligences, which profoundly transforms the field of education in authentic assessment, teacher development, human potential, and curriculum design and implementation.  His interdisciplinary research program, including Project Zero and the Good Project, has advanced groundbreaking understanding on student creativity and engagement.  His research contributions have been recognized by the MacArthur Prize Fellowship, the John S. Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, and numerous prestigious fellowships and awards.  

This award is given to honor a meritorious contributor to educational research; its purpose is to publicize, motivate, encourage, and suggest models for educational research at its best.

Teaching Interpersonal Intelligence During a Pandemic

Readers might be interested to see this article by Linda Blair, published in The Telegraph earlier this month. She describes how parents can help their children develop interpersonal intelligence, something which does not only happen in school.

You can read the full article below:

The Telegraph

By Linda Blair | July 6

How to Teach Children Empathy and Social Skills

As children face even more time out of school, Linda Blair offers advice on how to develop their sense of empathy at home

Many children will not be returning to school until autumn, and none will resume normal social activities any time soon. This has worried parents, who fear their children will not only lose out academically, but may also fail to develop good social and emotional skills.

Parents are right to recognise the importance of the latter. Daniel Goleman at Rutgers University has established a link between success at school and work, and well-developed emotional intelligence (EQ). EQ allows us to maintain fulfilling relationships and enjoy greater life satisfaction.

EQ is composed of two parts, self-understanding (the ability to recognise our own emotions and deal with them effectively) and a sensitivity to others. Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner defines this second aspect of EQ as the "ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them". Empathy is the ability to understand others; social skills are what enable us to work cooperatively. It's arguable whether we need people around us to develop self-understanding, but it's hard to imagine how empathy and social skills can be acquired in isolation.

Does it follow that lockdown has caused many children to become less socially skilled and less empathetic? Although the answer depends on several factors - age, personality, personal circumstances, and the extent of social isolation - I'm convinced almost all children will show resilience and regain lost ground once we can feel less self aware and awkward when interacting with others. After all, children have continued to interact socially with their parent(s) - and any siblings - throughout the restrictions.

None the less, because EQ is so vital to well-being, it's important to encourage your children to work on their social and emotional skills.

Here's how:

1. Show interest in their emotions and be a good role model: Ask how they are feeling and respond appropriately. For example, if they're sad, ask if they would like you to give them a hug or read them a story.

2. Talk about how others are feeling: Read to them, and watch TV together. Ask them to guess characters' moods and why they might be feeling that way.

3. Manage conflict well: Use arguments with siblings as opportunities to teach selfregulation (everyone has to sit alone and cool down for three minutes), empathy (each child must try to understand how the other is feeling), and compromise (each child must offer two resolutions).

4. Awaken their inner thespian: Encourage them to write and act out plays or sketches, imagining the world through others' eyes.

5. Use games and apps: There are a number of apps to teach empathy - try www.educationalappstore.com.

6. Demonstrate empathy when explaining current restrictions: When you answer questions about why they can't socialise just now, explain with regard to those they will help, the frail and vulnerable (perhaps a grandparent) and our health and care workers.

Linda Blair is a clinical psychologist and author of Siblings: How to Handle Rivalry and Create Lifelong Loving Bonds.

Review of Howard Gardner Memoir

Howard Gardner’s intellectual memoir, A Synthesizing Mind, is due to be published in September, 2020. Those interested may like to see this review from the Kirkus Reviews magazine.

The full article is reproduced here:

A SYNTHESIZING MIND

A MEMOIR FROM THE CREATOR OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES THEORY

BY HOWARD GARDNER ‧ RELEASE DATE: SEPT. 29, 2020

The latest view of intelligence combined with a compelling autobiography.

Gardner, professor of cognition and education at Harvard Graduate School of Education, has made groundbreaking contributions to cognitive psychology, and this lively memoir includes an extensive yet accessible introduction to his work. The son of refugees from Nazi Germany, he was a bright, curious child with enough musical talent to teach piano. Breezing through Harvard, he sampled the humanities, but psychoanalyst Erik Erikson piqued his interest in the study of human intellectual development. After these early life details, the author delivers a lucid account of the life of a successful academic: thinking, investigating, teaching, and arguing about unanswered questions and then communicating his ideas in hundreds of blog posts, articles, and several dozen books, many for a popular audience. Dismissing the controversy over whether psychology is a “hard” science, Gardner explains that he avoids laboratory experiments, preferring to examine existing ideas to see where they lead. Possessing a “synthesizing mind,” he prefers to “take in a lot of information, reflect on it, and then organize it in a way that is useful.” Although not shy about describing other contributions, his fame rests on theories of how humans process information. Unhappy with the standard measure, the IQ test, which stresses language and logic, Gardner absorbed the massive literature on cognitive psychology and concluded that humans possess seven distinct techniques for acquiring knowledge, which he called “intelligences.” Besides the two IQ standards, he added musical, spatial (navigation, chess playing), kinesthetic (athletics, dancing), interpersonal (leadership, salesmanship), and intrapersonal (self-knowledge, wisdom), which he introduced in his 1983 book, Frames of Mind. He later added several more. Gardner admits that he “would not have achieved a certain degree of notoriety if I had chosen some other noun: seven capacities; or seven competences; or seven kinds of minds” or talents, gifts, or learning styles. “Intelligence” caught everyone’s attention.

An insightful memoir from an eminent psychologist.