So how can teachers strengthen
spatial intelligence for 21st century learners in the classroom?
Spatial intelligence for the 21st century citizen goes beyond reading maps and mentally rotating figures.
It was like I lost
my spatial intelligence for a while.
Not exact matches
Howard Gardner is a psychologist and professor known
for developing of the theory of multiple
intelligences, which points out that a person has multiple
intelligences distributed in various skills, such as logical reasoning, language, music,
spatial sense, kinesthetic ability, and interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
For five weeks, second graders studied spiders; classroom activities ranged from the bodily - kinesthetic (web spinning) to the verbal - linguistic (reading Charlotte's Web and writing poetry) to research projects (incorporating verbal - linguistic, visual -
spatial, and interpersonal
intelligences).
Activities that require use of
spatial intelligence often prove beneficial
for students whose reading and writing abilities don't measure up and
for those gifted members of the class who are bored stiff and unchallenged.
Following are a few
spatial -
intelligence activity ideas that have worked
for my students and can be adapted to many areas of the curriculum.
For example, suppose that mathematical and
spatial intelligence have the structure depicted in Figure 2, where each letter represents a cognitive process.
But as time went on, some educators began casually to conflate «multiple
intelligences» with «learning styles» — to sub out «
spatial intelligence»
for a «
spatial learning style» or «bodily - kinesthetic
intelligence»
for a «bodily - kinesthetic learning style.»
For children who learn through the
spatial intelligence, their classroom work can be enhanced through the use of manipulatives and hands - on work, such as models and dissections.
This translates to students building a diorama of the Alamo
for history class — an activity that would appeal to their
spatial intelligence — rather than just reading about the Alamo.
For example, having students tap into the various aspects of spatial intelligence with contemporary technology tools such as Google Earth or geographic information systems (GIS) enables them to explore spatial ways of thinking and learning for deeper understandings beyond curricular boundari
For example, having students tap into the various aspects of
spatial intelligence with contemporary technology tools such as Google Earth or geographic information systems (GIS) enables them to explore
spatial ways of thinking and learning
for deeper understandings beyond curricular boundari
for deeper understandings beyond curricular boundaries.
This issue of ASCD Express includes a look at Thomas Armstrong's practical MI applications in Multiple
Intelligences in the Classroom, examples of MI theory for differentiated instruction, ways to integrate multimedia and MI, and a video on using bodily - kinesthetic and spatial intelligences to reinforce lit
Intelligences in the Classroom, examples of MI theory
for differentiated instruction, ways to integrate multimedia and MI, and a video on using bodily - kinesthetic and
spatial intelligences to reinforce lit
intelligences to reinforce literacy skills.
Students then use visual -
spatial intelligence when creating a story board and selecting images
for the the multimedia piece; verbal - linguistic
intelligence when writing scripts and recording the narration
for the PSA;
spatial intelligence when evaluating and selecting images; and interpersonal and verbal - linguistic
intelligences when working as a team and planning a narrative that would truly convince others of the importance of evacuation.
In his influential book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple
Intelligences, Howard Gardner began to highlight
spatial thinking
for some facets of classroom learning.
The technology to make useful and affordable robots is within reach and includes smart sensors, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) radar, facial recognition, Wi - Fi and Bluetooth,
spatial mapping and negotiation, and enough computing power
for basic artificial
intelligence and meaningful robot / human communications and interaction a.k.a. Cortana, Alexa, and chatbots.