Giftedness, Diversity, and

Problem-Solving
C. June Maker • Aleene B. Nielson • Judith A. Rogers

Multiple Intelligences Melissa's test scores did not identify her A Need for Change
as gifted; her writing did. Her poem
and Diversity in The cultural and linguistic character of
shows an unusual sensitivity to the
Educational Settings rhythm of language, a delicate imagery, the U.S. population has changed signifi-
My autumn eyes behold sophisticated choices of descriptive cantly since the early 1900s. These
Spooky costumes skipping in words, and ideas that are unusually ad- changes have accelerated dramatically in
Halloween night vanced for a 9-year-old child. Melissa the past 10 years (National Association
White ghost dancing by my house. likes to write, read, and listen to other for Bilingual Education, 1993; Waggoner,
Orange pumpkin nestled on my window children read. She and other children like 1993), from a predominance of persons
Black witches gliding across the her often are excluded from special pro- of European ancestry to a multicultural
full moon grams that would benefit them greatly, mix of immigrants from Latin America
Red golden leaves falling softly because their scores on standardized in- and Asia. According to the 1990 Census,
from the tree. telligence and achievement tests are not the total number of persons born outside
by Melissa Begay high enough. the United States increased by 40% be-

4 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 lTIultiple intelligences special t"ocus

tween 1980 and 1990. A related fact is The Theory of gifted; instead, they influence the specific
that 14% of the current school popula- Multiple Intelligences ways in which giftedness is expressed.
tion does not speak English at home For example, oral storytelling may be a
(Waggoner, 1993). Many solutions to the problems outlined common form of linguistic giftedness in
Perceptions of giftedness and beliefs have been limited in scope, often involv- some cultures, while writing novels may
about what abilities should be recog- ing only minor changes in identification be more common in others. The form of
nized and developed in U.S. schools also practices. However, Gardner's (1983) a particular language also may influence
have changed dramatically over the years Theory of Multiple Intelligences has of- the expression of giftedness. Navajo has
(Feldman, 1991; Gardner, 1983; Renzulli, fered educators a comprehensive frame- many rich, descriptive words and few
1979; Sternberg, 1981; Treffinger, 1991). work within which fundamentally nouns, while English has many nouns
In spite of these significant changes, different solutions can be devised and im- and categories. In Spanish, nouns pre-
many educators continue to rely on iden- plemented. According to Gardner, cede adjectives, while in English, adjec-
tification instruments and procedures The problem lies less in the tech- tives precede nouns. Such differences
that were designed to measure giftedness nology of testing than in the ways may influence the expression of both lin-
as it was perceived early in this century in which we customarily think guistic and logical-mathematical gifted-
(Bernal, 1990; Klausmeier, Mishra, & about the intellect and in our in- ness. For example, using languages in
Maker, 1987; Renzulli, 1979; Richert, grained views of intelligence. Only which nouns come first may contribute to
Alvino, & McDonnel, 1982). Most tests if we expand and formulate our a holistic style of thinking, while using
of intelligence have been based on or view of what counts as human in- languages in which adjectives come first
judged against the classic Stanford Binet tellect will we be able to devise may contribute to a more linear, analytic
more appropriate ways of assess-
test developed by Lewis M. Terman in style of thinking (Maker, 1994). Environ-
ing it and more effective ways of
the early 1900s (Nielson, 1993). These ment, family values, and a host of other
educating it. (p. 4)
tests, although criticized widely, con- factors can influence opportunities and
tinue to be used as the sale or major cri- To Gardner (1983), intelligence in- motivation for developing any form of
terion to determine whether or not a volves the use of problem-solving skills
particular student is considered gifted that enable people to resolve gen-
(Maker, 1994). uine problems, create effective
The widespread use of intelligence products, and find or create
tests as they are presently normed and new problems. Both the
constructed does not result in equitable problems and the products
representation of the culturally and lin- must be relevant in a partic-
guistically diverse populations of the ular cultural context. Gardner
United States in programs for gifted stu- has identified seven different
dents. A survey conducted by the U.S. intelligences possessed by most
Office of Civil Rights revealed a signifi- people: linguistic, logical-mathe-
cant underrepresentation of Hispanic stu- matical, spatial, musical, bodily-
dents in programs for the gifted. Similar kinesthetic, interpersonal, and
discrepancies exist for American Indians, intrapersonal. Most of us, however, are
Asian/Pacific Islanders, and African not gifted or highly competent in all
Americans. The cultural and linguistic di- seven. Gardner believes that develop-
versity of this country needs to be hon- ment of high-level competence requires
ored, valued, and represented in our innate capacity, motivation, and op-
special programs for gifted students, but portunity. Enviro!1ment, cultural con-
unless significant changes occur, this will text, and language may influence all
• not be possible. Many recommendations of these important factors .
have been made, and many solutions pro- Gardner (1983) has implied,
posed, but they either are not imple- and we believe strongly, that cul-
mented on a wide-scale basis or, if ture, language, and environment
implemented, are not working. The situ- do not determine
One of Gardner's
ation is getting worse rather than better. whether or not an in- seven intelligences
As stated by Callahan and McIntire di vid ual is musical ability.
(1994) "the challenge for public schools will be
is to recognize alternative culturally rel-
evant indicators of outstanding talent that
will be translated into effective assess-
ment strategies and programming mod-
els for children not from the dominant
culture" (p. 7).

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN / FALL 1994 • 5

special Eocus ....ultiple intelligences

6 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 lTIultiple intelligences special f'ocu

giftedness. Thus, children who grow up

in isolated rural areas may have fewer op- What are the benefits Anne J. Udall, Director, Programs for the Gifted,
portunities to develop certain interper- of using multiple Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, NC
sonal skills but more chances for intelligences as the First, the size of the district has no bearing on the useful-
self-reflection and introspection than framework for identi- ness of the framework: The benefits from using multiple
those who grow up in cities. Children fying and developing intelligences are equally strong for all school districts.
whose parents are musicians have many giftedness in a large, In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, we use multiple
more opportunities to develop musical multicultural school intelligences theory because it reflects what we know
ability than children whose parents have district? about intelligence. The theory and the assessment of
little interest in music. problem solving allow us to look at children in away that brings out their strengths. Previ-
ously, we allowed test scores to tell us about students, instead of relying on the valuable
Theory Into Practice judgment and observation of professionals.
Gardner's ideas constitute a useful theo- Multiple intelligences (MI) theory encourages us to instruct children based on their
retical framework; however, specific ap- strengths and interests and forces us to turn our programs for the gifted into programs that
plications must be designed if the help students develop the abilities they need to succeed both in school and as adults.
framework is to be practical in an edu- MI theory provides astructure for our system to look at all children not just gifted ones. It
cational setting. We have added two im- embraces all CUltures, unlike theories that create atwo-tier system in which gifted children
portant components to enhance the from mu~icultural groups and gifted children from the majority culture are seen as different.
usefulness of the theory. The first is a de- Using MI theory, we can identify and serve cu~urally different children with similar gifts in
finition of giftedness that guides both as- similar ways.
sessment and curriculum, and the second MI theory is a profound vehicle for change because it challenges misconceptions and
is a definition of problem types (see Table preconceptions we have held. We see educators confronting their assumptions and examin-
1) that, when combined with varied in- ing their beliefs because the theory forces them to do so.
telligences, forms a problem-solving ma-
trix for designing assessment procedures demonstrated by some children across all dardized intelligence and achievement
and developing curriculum. A gifted per- intelligences. tests. Type I problems are highly struc-
son is a problem solver-one who enjoys Problem Types and the Problem-Solv- tured. The solver knows the solution
the challenge of complexity and persists ing Matrix. Based on the work of re- method and must recall or derive the cor-
until the problem is solved in a satisfy- searchers in creativity and problem rect answer. Type II problems also are
ing way. Certainly, gifted people are ca- solving, Maker (1992) and Schiever highly structured, but the solver must de-
pable of solving simple problems, and (1991) developed a continuum of prob- cide on the correct method to use to pro-
they may do so quickly and effectively lem types that affords many, varied ways duce a correct solution. By definition, no
(Maker, 1994). Often they redefine simple for learners to interact with content and Type I or Type II problems can be posed
problems into complex ones or complex demonstrate competence. for intrapersonal intelligence. The prob-
problems into simple ones. This problem- Problem Types I and II require con- lem presenter cannot "know" a right an-
solving ability may be demonstrated vergent thinking and are most similar to swer about an individual that the
within each of the intelligences, and it is the types of questions found on stan- individual does not know.
Type III problems are clearly struc-
tured, but a range of methods can be used
Table 1. Matrix of Problem Types for Gardner's Seven Intelligences to solve them and they have a range of ac-
ceptable answers. Solutions require a
Type I Type II Type III Type IV Type V combination of divergent and convergent
Clearly defined. Clearly defined. Clearly defined. Clearly defined. Lacks definrtion.
Use method. Select method. Choose from Discover method, Define problem.
thinking. Problem Types IV and V are
Solve correctly, Solve correctly. range of methods. Create solution. . Discover method. more open ended, less structured, and re-
Range of answers. Create solution. quire much more divergent thinking. In
Linguistic Type IV, the problem is clearly stated, but
the learner must select a method and set
Logical-
Mathematical
evaluation criteria for the solution. Type
IV problems are commonly found in tests
Spatial of creativity. Type V problems are ex-
tremely ill structured. The solver must ex-
Musical
plore the possibilities, identify the
Bodlly- questions to be answered, and determine
Kinesthetic the criteria by which an effective solution
Interpersonal
will be recognized. "Real world prob-
lems" (Renzulli & Reis, 1985) are a good
l,.'~j:r.:}~: ~;~.;; I;
,',;,
Intrapersonal
"
example of Type V as they are represented
:t.'" in this matrix.

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN / FALL 1994 • 7

special f'ocus Inultiple intelligences

How has the use of Judith A. Rogers (CEC Chapter and asked his mother to purchase posterboard for his product. The
multiple intelli- #195), Parent, Tucson, AZ
assignment was not due until Thursday, but he wanted to get a "head
gences theory in Children need frequent opportunities start." On Tuesday evening, as dinner cooked in the oven, Ben, his
the classroom to "know" and to "show what they brother, and his mother drove to a nearby market to purchase needed
helped your son? know" through multiple means. In ad- materials. As soon as they returned, he proceeded to claim the dining
dition, some children blossom when given the opportunity to deter- room table as his workspace for the evening. He drew illustrations
mine the problem before they begin to solve it. This is the message and made frequent visits to the yard for natural specimens. He found
my colleagues and I relay to educators. The message is demon- pictures in magazines and attached all of these in an aesthetically
strated poignantly by the actions of a9-year-old fourth grader. pleasing manner to his final product. As he began to label his items,
Ben is ayoung man who, when internally motivated, puts his he commented that he would do something for extra credit and
whole heart and soul into atask, be it on the sports field or in a class added his own definition to each spelling word. He worked steadily
assignment. Unfortunately, many class assignments must filter for 2\1:1 hours, skipped dinner, encouraged his mother and his brother
through the written word, an aspect of Gardner's linguistic intelli- . to sit with him as the evening wore on to browse through his maga-
gence with which Ben is somewhat uncomfortable. Aparticularly dif- zineS, and requested that his brother stop interrupting his concentra-
ficult task for Ben is spelling, a necessary curricular component in tion on several occasions.
the eyes of many classroom teachers. Ben has struggled through tra- His enthusiasm did not die when the final word was incorporated
ditional weekly spelling assignments such as writing asentence with on this product. Rather, he cleaned up his mess and organized his
each word and writing words missed on a pretest five times each. He personal belongings, including his product, for the next moming.
also has attempted to expand the parameters of these assignments in When dawn broke, Ben woke up, made his bed and was ready to
various ways. For example, he included several spelling words in co- leave for school in record-breaking time. He was eager to turn in his
herent, complex sentences-a task that requires more thought than assignment. Later in the week, Ben noted that he did not even mind
does writing asimple sentence with only one word-until he was writing missed pretest words five times each.
told to stop this practice. He also turned to the computer to type his How long do you think this young man will continue to float on
work when his frustration level with the writing task became too high. the success of this one experience? Why should he have to wait for
His personal modifications have made these tasks tolerable, but far more successes when linguistically and logically-mathematically
from enjoyable. More important, his efforts have not resulted in in- capable students get daily doses?
creased spelling accuracy in written work. Activities such as this mayor may not increase Ben's spelling
What might happen if Ben were allowed to approach his spelling proficiency. Only time will tell. A more important result may be the in-
assignment through spatial intelligence, an area of strength? Con- creased self-esteem that comes with knowing one is capable of suc-
sider the following scene. ceeding that will help Ben persevere through other school-related
The assignment given was to design a collage that incorporated tasks that he finds more challenging. After all, shouldn't self-aware-
the spelling words. The teacher-selected list included 29 desert-re- ness that includes knowing, understanding, and appreciating both
lated words; each student was to add one word of his or her choice. areas of strength and areas of limitation be included in the curriculum
For students from the desert, these words were particularly relevant. for all children?
Ben related the assignment to his parents on Monday after school

Diversity and Giftedness The following sections provide spe- multicultural populations (African-Amer-
cific applications of these ideas, including ican, Anglo-American, Navajo, Tohono
The concept of diversity includes not only a description of an assessment process O'Odham, Mexican American) are excit-
cultural and linguistic factors but also a and examples of curriculum planning and ing. The characteristics of students iden-
diversity of gifts and talents, interests, and teaching strategies. Questions about the tified using this process closely resemble
means of self-expression. Within and topic were posed to individuals who rep- the characteristics of the communities
across all cultures, many individual dif- resent the diversity of cultures, languages, from which they come (Nielson, 1993),
ferences exist. Differing opportunities, and environments found in the United and the process is equally effective with
values, and motivation result in varied States, and their answers are interspersed boys and girls. Students identified
patterns of abilities. To move from simply throughout. through this process make gains equal to
accommodating differences to honoring, or greater than students identified by tra-
valuing, and developing them, we must Assessment of Problem- ditional standardized tests when placed
change both practices and beliefs. Gard- Solving Abilities in in special enrichment programs (Maker,
ner's theory, when combined with a dif- Multiple Intelligences 1992). Use of this process also results in
ferent definition of giftedness and a identification of equitable percentages of
matrix of problem types, can be tlsed suc- Using the problem continuum presented students from various ethnic, cultural, lin-
cessfully to design ways to identify and in Table 1, we have designed a process guistic, and economic groups (Nielson,
serve students with diverse gifts, inter- called DISCOVER for assessing problem 1993). Studies are in progress to evaluate
ests, skills, languages, cultures, and val- solving in multiple intelligences. Results the long-term validity of the process
ues. from approximately 3 years of use with when used in a variety of settings.

8 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 ....ultiple intelligences special f'ocu

The essence of the DISCOVER assess-

ment process is that children engage in Table 2. DISCOVER Process Problem Types, Activities, and
Intelligences, Grades K-2
problem-solving activities in their regu-
lar classroom setting. For three of the ac-
Problem Type'
tivities, they use materials that are novel, Activities and
fun, and versatile, and they interact with Intelligences Type I Type II Type III Type IV Type V

their peers while a trained observer Spatial Find apiece Find pieces that Find pieces and Make any animal Make anything
shaped like a look like arain- make mountains. with as many you wantlo make.
records their problem-solving behaviors 0. (Teacher bow. (Observer (Observer shows pieces as you need. Tell about it if you
and describes their products. Two of the shows a shape.) shows pictures.) pictures.) Tell about your wish.
animal if you want.
exercises do not require observers: a cre- (Observer provides
ative writing task and a math worksheet. connectors.)
In Table 2 are listed the activities, prob- Mathematical- Complete simple Complete simple Complete com- Make a square Make a design or
lem types, and intelligences for grades K Spatial tangram puzzles tangram puzzles plex tangram with as many tan- apattern with the
with a one-to-one with more than puzzles with gram pieces as pieces.
through 2. correspondence one solution that multiple you can.
Because the children work together in between the tan- works. solutions.
gram pieces and
small groups and interact with an ob- the puzzles.
server, they can demonstrate their inter- Mathematical Complete one- Complete magic Write correct Write as many None
personal abilities. The students solve and two-digit squares using number sentences correct number
addition and sub- addition and sub- using numbers problems as you
interpersonal problems as they occur, and traction problems. traction. given (in any can with an
the observers record what happens. Since order). answer of 10.
the open-ended writing activity includes Linguistic Provide a label for Make groups of Make different Tell a story that Write a story
personal experiences as a possible sub- toys given. toys and tell how groups of toys includes all your about apersonal
items in the group and teli how items toys. experience, some-
ject, we also get information about in- are alike. (Some in each group thing you made
trapersonal abilities from children who are obvious.) are alike. (Encour- up, or anything
age going beyond you wish.
choose to write about themselves. the obvious.)

Spatial Intelligence Problem

Solving (Pablo®) What is your best Fourth and Fifth Grade Excel Class
During the first activity, children are di- intelligence? Why Mountain View School
Tumacacori, AZ
rected to build certain constructions (e.g., is it your best?
a rainbow, mountains, an animal) and • I know I have the ability to take things apart and put them together and they'll still work
then to make anything they want to again, such as the TV remote control. I can build model cars and they'll run. I have spatial
make. The difficulty of the tasks varies ability, bodily-kinesthetic ability or mathematical ability.
with the age of the student: Younger chil- • I think that I have spatial ability because when someone loses something they always call
dren may make an animal while older me. Once I found a very small crystal. I would like to improve bodily ability.
children make a machine. • I think I have bodily-kinesthetic ability because I am good at sports and dancing. A lot of
people said that I am a good dancer and in P. E. I am afast runner and good at working
Logical-Mathematical and out. I am good at dancing because I practice almost every day.
Spatial Problem Solving • I think I have spatial ability because my mother always talks about me noticing things. I
(Tangrams) can find small things. One time I noticed that my aunt had blush on her ear.
For the next activity, the children begin by • I don't really know what my ability is, but intelligence is really neat. It gives me things. But
making a geometric figure such as a I think I have the most spatial because I like drawing and activities. Some people say that
square, a triangle, or a parallelogram I am a good drawer.
using as many of the tangram pieces as • I have language ability and spatial ability, I think that these fit because I'm good at com-
possible from a 21-piece set. Next, the puters and talking.
children solve a set of six increasingly • I think I am good at spatial ability. What makes me think that is when my mom and dad
complex puzzles. Observers record the get lost I can show them the way.
time needed to complete puzzles, the • I think I'm good at spatial ability because my mother always told me I was a person that
number completed, and the problem- had the ability to notice details and can reproduce things visually.
solving strategies used. • I have interpersonal. I'm glad I have the intelligence I do because I like to know other peo-
ple's feelings and why they feel like that. I wasn't very surprised that I got in Excel for
Linguistic Problem Solving quantitative because I'm not bad at math, but I hate it.
(Storytelling) • I think, I really think I am best at intrapersonal. I really usually know how I feel and I like to
Finally, the children are given a bag of do what I want to do, not what everyone else does.
toys. After a short period of play, they talk • Spatial is my intelligence. It is easy for me to sketch different things. The only thing I don't
about some of these toys and tell a story do much of is doodling. I am also good at verbal because I like to talk a lot and tell my
involving any or all of them. An adult ideas.
transcribes the story verbatim and en-

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN / FALL 1994 • 9

special f'ocus multiple intelligences

Why have you chosen to use Figure 1. Logical-Mathematical Problem Solving by Krystal and
multiple intelligences and another student with the same standardized math test score.
problem solving as a means
of identifying and serving Use these numbers to write true addition or subtractiOll problema:
your gifted population? ,/'
./ ./
11. 2 S 3 ';Ub5 3+2: ., I,-h.,l, f-)~ , 0/'
Martha Slater, Coordinator of ./ ,/ ./ /'
Categorical Programs, Placentia-Yorba
Linda Unified School District,
12. 9 8 ItS,:'!
Pf'-"
./' ./
·/-11-:.1 9-1:6
V' ."-
Placentia, CA
13. 4 3 7 t-t3':.] Ht.47 2- u-s ,·.j=.Cf

Our identification was largely based on

14. 12 2 10 'H'? - 12
./
.2tlO: t2 -,00:: 2 ";'2 -2:= IQ .",-
achievement test scores, resulting in an
YlIU may . . tile_it
identified group of high-achieving,
mostly white and Asian gifted students.
We had become increasingly concerned
about excluding the broad range of other
gifts, talents, and intelligences from our
program and were aware that our largest
minority group-our Hispanic popula-
tion-was barely represented at all.
To address the ethnic challenge, we
began to use the problem-solving as-
sessment to identify Hispanic students
UIC thcsc numbers to write true additioa or IUbtractiOll problema: .
for our program for potentially gifted stu-
dents. This replaced ateacher recom-
11. ..1 21- 5 ., 3-=-
mendation system previously used. We
are just completing our first year with 12. - 9 -l.1 t I~

students identified under the new sys- 13. 4 -1-3 '\-7::

tem, and we feel it is a much more ac- ,/'
14. 12 2 10
curate measure of thinking and
problem-solving ability.
During the spring of 1994, we incor- of lbil paper.
porated the DISCOVER process into our
regular gifted and talented education
identification procedure. Teachers and
principals received inservice training on
the theory, and summer task forces
wrote curriculum that provides for a
broader range of student participation. /0
Our goal is to broaden the range of intel-
ligences represented in our program and solving, and a writing task in which stu- would not have been recognized if tradi-
to provide opportunities for students dents write about anything they choose. tional paper-and-pencil tests were used.
identified through the DISCOVER After observing the students, scoring The three children introduced here have
process to use and expand their special their math papers, and analyzing their re- been involved in enrichment programs
gifts and talents. sponses to the open-ended writing exer- for 3 years, and their giftedness is evident
cise, we enter all information on in their responses to these programs.
checklists of observable behaviors. We Krystal. Krystal showed her giftedness
courages each child to tell the story in his then study the information and develop in response to open-ended math ques-
or her native or dominant language. Older a profile of the students' strengths across tions, as shown in Figure 1. A response
students may tape record their stories, five intelligences: spatial, logical-mathe- from another 8-year-old girl with exactly
write them, or tell them to an adult. matical, linguistic, interpersonal, and the same quantitative reasoning score on
intrapersonal. In the future, the assess- the Developing Cognitive Abilities Test
Logical-Mathematical and ments also will include musical and bod- (DCAT) (9th percentile) illustrates why
Linguistic Problem Solvi!1g ily-kinesthetic problem solving. we consider Krystal gifted in logical-
After the observers leave the classroom, mathematical problem solving. Rather
the teachers conduct two more activities: Case Studies than giving only one answer to each of
a math worksheet, which includes both Using the DISCOVER process, many chil- questions II through 14, as the other
computation and open-ended problem dren have been identified as gifted who child did, Krystal chose to provide all the

10 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

....ultiple intelligences special f"ocus

During the DISCOVER process, students per-

form problem-solving activities: (above) lin-
guistic, (left) logical-mathematical and
spatial, and (below) spatial intelligence.

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN / FALL 1994 • 11

special '-ocus n1Iultiple intelligences

Figure 2. Problem-Solving Behavior Checklist Figure 3. Problem-Solving Behavior Checklist

for Krystal. for Marquis.

Student N.... t:. ~WZ4 f< Studeot Name 27lac1c #::G< <a/

--
J. LoP:a1 Mltb<matkal: """""', _......... _-,be _ _ ~_ 2. Spatial: ~1 ~ _maybe _~ ~deftnitel,.

Probkm-SoIriDc
liali:ll~IliiiiI'"
3.1 Probltl....So"..QI 1.1
3.1.1 caJtesapanpuzzk:swbcDlICCCSSUYwitboatPromptiDl 1.1.1 adds picea to a WDSttUCtioo to make il iato somethiaa differe:1lt

3.1.2 mata puWcs in more tIw1 ooe way 2.1.2 sea which pieces will c:ompIc(e. punk wilhout physically
manipulacilll them. (e.,., cbooscs shapes wilhoul t\Inlilll)

II
3.1.3 IZISWefS co opeD<oded matb quesciom sbow UK of' straten,
(c.•.• 1+9-10,2+8-10,3+7-10. etc.) 2.1.3 taka pieces off

•-
3.1.4 cbccb size o(pieces by puniq ODe 0Cl top ofdleodlu 2.1.4 sees shapes u objecu:. animals. Of IOdlfthiq in eaviroamc:ru
3.1.5 maUs fqUIIt. trianak. or paranelOJnlD in. "iopcaI" way, 2.1.5 makes 1qUAK. triaDak, orpanJlcqram laa.DuDll$ll&l way.

-
(e.•.• 1WU with. shape: aDd adds pieces) (e.,.• stacks IeVenl pieces 10 make a ]·0 square)

-
].1.6 ova wmplcJ: problems quietly 2.1.6 makes IqUAK triancle. or puaJkJoanm in a visual "y,
(e.,., maItes outline aDd fiIb mwith piea:s)

-----
-.---
3.1.1 IOlva all problems without spea6c ella
2.1.7 completes puz:z.lCI 3, S. or 6 befon: ID)' ocbcr JfOUP member
3.1.8 \LIIClIlklJicalsuatttyforlddiqOfsubstit\ltilllpi«:es
2.1.8 seabowlOsubsOnucpicclCsforotbet1lOmaketbesame
3.1.9 uscsnepLivcllUDl.bm iMpeOfpwzle
3.1.10 ocher _
2.1.9 malamorctbanODtJqlW't.lriaDalcorplRllcJosram
3.1.11 ocher _ with man)' pieces
2.1.io dircc:tltbelp&tialaxnpoclt1ltoflll'OUPdfon

_ •
2.1.11 otber<p(:l'ht,£g(bV 4 (:!ff ~f--+---::,....
l.1 ....... (0)
liali:llllil:lllliiiil...
].2.1 JI'OUPU!IS are made by IddiDom of anribuld. (e.,., lbey are 1.1.12 ..... 7 ~ 1--+--+--+--+----1

...••.•
red or p:en)
3.2.2 Jf'OUPinI:I m
made by multiplication of attribuleS, (e.,.,

......... .-
1.2 Produd (I)

-,
they haw 4lep IDd an: mammals)

].2.3 2.2.1 c;oDIInaCC:iosIm U)'IDlDICCricaI with aueoDoo to iaterat aod a p

].2." &DAm 10 mqk squara have been 13cted venic:aI.Iy IDd 2.2.2 COQSlNCCioDIare I)'lDIDe'tricaJ
2.2.3 coascnaccioDI mow atteDtioG 10 desip (I) 011 pieI;:a
].2. .5 maar a:wb problems are writ&ell for optD-eDdell quescions 2.2.4 c;:oIIICI\ICCio art deWIcd
].2.6 probIaIU written for opm-cllded math quesdom art comet 2.2. .5 mabsavarietyoftypesofc:ooanactiocll

-----
3.2.7 IlllwafIbowUDCk:rlCaDdiqoflllOCiaUYe,COIDIlXdalive maka DWl)' COIlIO'\IClioDIdaipi

•
2.2.6
UldctiJtributtvc properties
2.2.7 uses maay picca 10 maR IIarJe aquatt. triaIlak. 01' panlldoJflm
],2.8 • variccy of probkm types are wriuen for opeaaded~.
(e.,.,additioD.~mu1tiplicatioA.~fractioDI) 2.2.8COD1U'11Ctioatare~

- - ..
2.2.9 CODSCruCOoaIln;ccapIa..(e.•.• DWl1pieceslltased.laleral
3.2.9 in math probkmI13·16more diu 0Ilt opc:dtioa. is II5Cd for eIdl
3,2.10 iacludelalJebnicequatioal
oat"
pi,eDeI in
,.)
oIa c:oaDlICklr, ~ ued iA iaIaatiDa

2.2.11 ..... ~ < · L t L J 2.2.10 ClJl*nlCcioGIan hamoroaI

2.2.12
odIa (oJ -I" 2.2.11 ~1bow1DOVClDC:Dl

2.2.12 ~sbowcku ~ 10 wbalwdcaI IIY.!bey are

2.2.13 ockz _
2.2.14 odIn _

12 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 lDultiple intelligences special ~ocus

•••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••• '........................... tivity, Marquis con- zles; and made detailed, complex con-
Figure 4. problem-Solving Behavior Checklist tinually elaborated structions. One example of her creativity
for carey.
on his constructions, is her drawing, made at age 7, shown in
&u
SlU<l<uN....

1. e.-aJ: St_,r ....... _-,.. _ _ ..L"_

attended to the de-
signs on the pieces,
the photograph on page 14. She won sec-
ond place in an art show with this un-
7.1 T.... made detailed con- usual framing and sensitive detail. Carey
7.1.1 mattslaOR!lw1OJ1r;J1OIIfMlIfofasctofirems
1.1.2 iDVallS ..... ditremlt. Of oririDl1 . .ys 10 Dye problems. structions, and de- is an artist and a high achiever in acade-
(e·I·.cbl:cbdifi:reatsct of tll2ifMlS,chcd:s.llCwpic:ccs ./ ./
beforrf'elDO'(jllfOlbers) veloped delicate mic subjects. She is a leader in both
1.1.3 IIaItd OWD pwoctucl (s) Btbef dwI copyizIa prod\Kl (s)ofodlen ./ color and line bal- small- and large-group settings. Every
7.I.S sbowS 0t&itdWtiq" 011 ideas or ~ of ocben ance. Like Krystal, suggestion she makes is followed joyfully
wimouc duplicItiq IX «JPyiq
1.1.6 Mb~abowcaskrequimDrDlS ./ he consistently has by those in her group, and other students
7.1.7 doesDOlWUlttoqWleYe.ll.MlCIlotbcrsarefinisbed ./ solved difficult tan- look to her for guidance. She has won
1.1.8 ial:tuseI ill mOOvaQonor enjo)1De1ll as problems jtltn:I5C
iD~ gram puzzles, and many awards in art shows and recently
7.1.9 CollOM chrouJb 10 completion
7.1.10 ~ y wortilll. (e.,., oncoDSU'UCUons. stories. puzzles)
his scores on The won the 4th-grade spelling bee at her
7.1.11 persills 00 taSks tbat ue difficull for himlhcr Raven Progressive school.
7.1.12 mlvdproblCUlSqW.cldy ./
7.1.13 iJll:orporat.e$ clues IDd pew iDfoT1DltiOD illlO problem·solvinl
Matrices reflect in- The final page on the checklist of
......'"
7.1.14 *oM .ouv~rbI1 CIIjo)'lJDtofwt(IIDili.Di.laUlkiDl. playing)
./
./
creasing skills and problem-solving behaviors is one in
'.1.\5 ttJows1J:l\ootvcme:1lliD1ISk,(e.I.• focutsooOWl:lwm. confidence in test which behaviors and characteristics of
nmrr 1h&D odJen. ace e.uily dismaed) ./ ./
7.1.16 orpaiza.....m.u ,/
taking (75th, 67th, products that can be observed across all
7.1.17voert.1izcs~oftalt ./ ,/ and 92nd per- intelligences are listed (see Figure 4).
7.1.11 .mcbesboudarie:sorlalt
7.1.19 eoa1lia: ·pvblcm-tmdiDI·1bilities .,,- centiles, respec- When students demonstrate these be-
7.1.20 cDu _
7.1.21 odtcr _
tively, in grades 1,2, haviors during all activities, we consider
and 3). A section them to be gifted in general problem solv-
7.% ~(a) .- T....
from the problem- ing-a type not included in Gardner's the-
7.2.1 .-.s humor.ta ~ wi'" odIeft.. (e" •• smdaa.
~(s).~(s)
./
solving checklist ory. Children whose strengths are

-
7.2.2 prodl.I;Uormlatioalm_.ariJiaI.or~ ,/
7.2.3 procU:uaR~fnal.mq.e~ ./ (Figure 3) shows the demonstrated in one area are found more
7.2.4 pn:lCb:lIrdlectu~remavedfrom_ira..tl.idl
./
7.2.5 .......
odaer _
observers' decisions frequently than those whose abilities are
1.t.6 """' _ about Marquis's superior in two or more. Students like
strengths in spatial Carey are much less common.
ability. Krystal, Marquis, and Carey are all
possible combinations of numbers and Carey. Carey is quietly creative and gifted. They have diverse profiles of abil-
demonstrated an early understanding of well behaved. Even though her test scores ities, diverse interests, and diverse needs.
reversibility of operations. For the last (69th percentile on the Raven) did not Can this diversity be accommodated in
question, Krystal not only wrote a variety identify her as gifted, she was considered one classroom by one teacher? We be-
of problems, but also demonstrated an- a superior problem solver in all areas in lieve the answer is "Yes," and invite you
other important aspect of mathematical which she was assessed. Her writing is to explore several approaches outlined by
reasoning: logical thought. She used a clear and expressive: She tells interesting the teachers who were asked to respond
clear, logical strategy for generating al- stories with a clear plot and many details. to questions about their classrooms and
ternatives (l + 9,2 + 8,3 + 7, 4 +6, ... 1-1, She used a logical strategy for generating to examine the problem-solving matrix
12-2, 13-3...). When solving tangram alternative answers to the math problems as it is used in curriculum planning and
puzzles, she took them apart without presented; solved difficult tangram puz- described next.
prompting and solved them before any-
one else in her group, all without specific
clues. Krystal has demonstrated these How are Project Mindy Passe
strengths consistently when using num- Coordinator of Project START
bers or manipulatives. A section from the
START teachers Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools
problem-solving behavior checklist (Fig-
developing multiple Charlotte, NC
ure 2) shows the observers' final deci- intelligences in Project START teachers differentiate instruction based on
sions about Krystal's strengths in their students? each student's areas of intellectual strength. The Project
logical-mathematical problem solving. START curriculum focuses on hands-on learning, language immersion, and amulticultural
MarqUis. Marquis is an artist who en- emphasis under a mUltiple intelligences umbrella. Project START students are involved in
joys making detailed drawings of living learning centers and group project work and are grouped according to individual profiles.
things. The picture completion shown in Students may be grouped homogeneously by their common strength or heterogeneously for
the photograph on page 14, done when diversified activities. All students are involved in varied problem-solving activities. Through a
he was 9, shows his artful use of line and focus on strengths, teachers engage children in the learning process. Once students are en-
color. Marquis demonstrates his spatial gaged, using their strongest area of intelligence, they are exposed to and involved in other
abilities when drawing, painting, writing, intelligence areas to enhance concept and skill attainment.
and solving puzzles. During the Pablo ac-

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN / FALL 1994 • 13

special f'ocus multiple intelligences

Marquis' drawing (top) demonstrates his artful use of line and color. Carey's picture (bottom)
demonstrates her attention to detail.

14 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 lInultiple intelligences special f'ocus

...................................................................................
What are some ways that Table 3. Using the Problem Continuum to Develop Thematic
multiple intelligences are Cunicula in Mulitple Intelligences
incorporated into the pro-
gram for gifted students in Theme: Connedions
Topic: Native Americans in North Carolina
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
schools? Problem Type

Pam Allen, Teacher of AG Intelligence Type I Type II Type III Type IV Type V
(Academically Gifted); Marlene Baber,
Teacher of AG; Lea Harkins, Teacher of
AG; Mindy Passe, Project START Linguistic Read a road map Study Native After listening to Use Native Create your own
of North Carolina. American symbols. several Native American symbolic alpha-
Coordinator; Carol Reid, Instructional List the Native Write amessage American legends, symbols to create bet or icons that
Coordinator; Brenda Romanoff, American place using some of use that format to apictograph. reflect current
Teacher of AG; Charlotte-Mecklenburg names on the these symbols. wrrte alegend to Write astory cuiturai values.
Schools, Charlotte, NC map. explain life in about the
the 1990s. event(s)
symbolized in
We have used the problem continuum to the pictograph.
design curriculum (see Table 3). Learn-
Logical- Compute the Research the Graph the Create acalendar Create acode.
ers have the opportunity to choose ac- Mathematical number of miles Native American Native American that might have Send amessage
tivities for individual or small-group Cherokees walked calendar. Compare population at been used by a in the code.
projects. Some problems in the matrix per day during the it to calendars in selected times Native American Evaluate the
Trail ofTears. use now. in the past and tribe or afuture effectiveness of
may not be selected by any learners; in the present. tribe. your code.
others may be selected by two or more Predict and graph
future population
individuals or groups. Note that several trends for Native
of the problems could be combined for a Americans in
North Carolina.
larger group activity such as adramatic
production. Spatial Trace the route of Choose aNative Study Native Research Create an original
the Traii of Tears American house American iegends costumes and work of art
on a modern-day form that works about dreams. decorations used inspired by your
Curriculum Planning map. effectively with the Make adream by various tribes. Native American
environment. catcher that Design costumes studies.
with the Illustrate your would reflect for a Native
Problem-Solving Matrix choice. your personality. American
opera/drama.
To build on the diversity afforded by new
identification procedures, educators also Bodily- Demonstrate a Teach a Native Using rhythms you Create adance Use your body to
Kinesthetic Native American American game studied, create a that tells aNative create anonverbal
must have new tools for planning learn- game that teaches to others. dance to celebrate American legend. interpretation of
ing activities. A matrix based on multi- the skills of a Native American an event from
hunting. ritual. Native American
ple intelligences (Gardner, 1983) and the history.
continuum of problem types (Maker,
1992) is used in the curriculum planning Musical Find a recording of Select, prepare, Make modeis Write an opera Create an original
process. Native American and present Native of musical dramatizing work of music
music and share it American songs instruments one of the inspired by your
The problem-solving matrix incorpo- with your class- that convey tribai invented by Native American Native American
rates most of the curriculum modifica- mates. customs and Native Americans stories. studies.
emotions. from North
tions recommended for gifted students Carolina.
(Maker, 1982). Content can be abstract,
complex, varied, and organized in such a Interpersonal Identify the Choose a Trace the With your team, Create an
problems specific charismatic relationships select a Native original way to
way that several disciplines can be inte- Native American leader of aNative of apresent-day American ritual or communicate
grated into a coherent whole. The process groups have had American tribe. Native American custom and with others that
with settlers in identify the family to atribal role play the is inspired by
modifications of higher-level thinking, North Carolina. ways that leader ancestor. Create preparation for your studies of
open endedness, discovery, freedom of Which was the recruited and an artifact or the event. Native Americans.
most severe? persuaded event to honor
choice, group interaction, pacing, and va- Why? followers. the ancestor.
riety are inherent in the matrix design.
Evidence of reasoning can be incorpo- Intrapersonal Choose your Create a Visualize
rated into many of the problems. The favorite event(s) totem poie, mask, yourself as a
from Knots on a shield, or Native American
learning environment also must be Counting Rope. medicine pouch personality.
changed to allow independence, promote Show in some inspired by Create alegend
way the role you your stUdy of you would want
autonomy, and center on learners. Be- would play in the Native Americans, to pass down
cause students are doing related but event(s). that represents to descendants.
your own
different activities, competition is deem- personal beliefs.
phasized and the environment becomes

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN / FALL 1994 • 15

special f"ocus ....ultiple intelligences

pleted by student specialists in the par-

How do you Shirley M. C. Begay, Teacher of English, Grades 11 and 12, ticular intelligences and then assembled
develop multiple Rock Point Community School, Rock Point, AZ into a coordinated whole. In the curricu-
intelligences and We follow a problem-solving model. When I presented the first lum matrix presented in this article, for
problem-solving lesson, I wanted the students to become familiar with what I example, musically and linguistically tal-
abilities in your was talking about, so I used illustrations. I said, "You can't be ented students might collaborate to write
students? hasty about solving a problem or you'll be considered a sloppy a Native American opera; spatially tal-
problem solver. You'll come up with sloppy solutions, sloppy altematives, and sloppy op- ented students might design and con-
tions." I wanted them to spend plenty of time gathering ideas and thinking about the answers struct the sets and the costumes;
to the questionnaires they sent out. kinesthetically talented students might
Most of the time when we introduce problem solving to children, we want them to imag- create the dances; students who are
ine and make up problems, but this time I wanted them to think of the problems faced by highly competent in logical-mathemati-
teenagers in this remote area. They brainstormed and then selected problems they didn't cal tasks might plan and monitor the in-
want their children to have. We are hoping to remedy some of these problems. I know we tegration of the components; and'
can't do away with most of them, but we can lessen the pressure of some,.especially if we students highly competent in interper-
look at them in different ways. I don't want the students' ideas to stop in the classroom. I sonal relationships might coordinate the
want them to write the results for publication in the school's newspaper or read them to the production and keep everyone working
chapter presidents, chapter officers, or the school board. together.
For this problem-solving experience, I wanted the students to create a "before" picture
and another after they found solutions and remedied the problem. Most Navajo students like Common Elements in
to incorporate artwork into whatever they do. I allow them to do artwork and visual/imagina- Programs
tive things with whatever they have read. Most of the students who are gifted hate to write, Children with diverse gifts-like Melissa,
but afew of them love to write poems and essays, so I encourage them to use both lan- Krystal, Marquis, and Carey-and those
guage and visual art. who are from varied cultural and lin-
When I was a student, there was a lot of pressure, and I was always in teacher-domi- guistic backgrounds will have many op-
nated classes. I disliked that; it was boring to me. None of the decision-making was left up portunities to develop and appreciate
to the students. I don't want my students to go through that. Usually when I group my stu- their gifts in programs like the ones de-
dents, I let them choose their own partners. We want them to be good problem solvers and scribed in this article. These programs
leaders of tomorrow. By practicing decision making, they learn to exercise their leadership have the following characteristics:
ability. Young people-our future leaders-are faced with many problems. If they start solv- • Providing opportunities for problem
ing problems as students and become good at it, perhaps we will avoid having a corrupt solving in both realistic and fantasy
government and people in leadership positions who are sloppy at problem solving. situations.
• Giving opportunities to design prod-
ucts using strengths and interests as a
psychologically safer, more open, and be evaluated by experts in a domain and/ guide.
more accepting. A variety of grouping op- or by peers. • Providing opportunities for students
tions is available, and students are free The problem-solving matrix has been to acquire skills and information using
to move about the classroom and school used to design and implement varied ac- multiple intelligences and multiple
(and perhaps the community) to obtain tivities for spelling; an integrated unit on symbol systems.
the information and resources necessary westward expansion in the United States; • Involving students in solving prob-
to solve their problems effectively. and integrated theme studies of change, lems ranging from well structured to
Perhaps the greatest modifications are patterns, relationships, and environment. ill structured (Sternberg. 1985a.
in student products. Students seldom The teachers and coordinators of pro- 1985b) .
have the same solutions to problems, and grams for gifted students in the Charlotte- • Planning learning experiences around
they often use different intelligences to Mecklenburg School District used this abstract themes.
perform their work. Solutions to real matrix to structure their curriculum on • Bringing the students' own culture
problems and presentations to real audi- Native Americans and North Carolina and experiences into the curriculum
ences are emphasized. Few problems history. while expanding from this base into
allow a student to excel through simple When students have had some expe- other related areas.
recall; most products require synthesis of rience solving problems designed by ed- • Modeling.
information and transformation into new ucators and have learned about multiple • Emphasizing strengths but encourag-
forms. The student-selected format of so- intelligences and the continuum of prob- ing acknowledgment and effort to de-
lutions to Type IV and Type V problems lem types, most of them will be able to velop in areas of weakness.
provides variety and requires a new ap- use the matrix to design independent • Learning and thinking actively.
proach to evaluation. All learners, in con- study projects or group investigations. • Connecting with and learning from
ference with teachers or mentors, should More complex projects that require high the community.
specify evaluation criteria and evaluate competence in several intelligences can • Interacting with parents and extended
their own work. The products also may be designed as components to be com- families.

16 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 Inultiple intelligences special "ocus

What do you do Marco A. Ruiz, Teacher, Bilingual personal, cultural, or lingUistic experiences from their own lives.
in your classroom GATE Class, Hollinger School,
Tucson Unified School District, In my third-grade classroom, I introduced my students to Shake-
to develop multi- Tucson, AI. spearean plays. To help them make a connection and understand the
ple intelligences significance and importance of these plays, I also introduced famous
and problem- I focus on the strengths of my gifted Hispanic playwrights and their plays. The abstractness and complex-
solving abilities? Hispanic students (e.g., creativity, ity of Shakespearean plays made more sense to the students when
problem solving, leadership, and adaptability) when I plan leaming they were able to compare them with plays written in Spanish about
activities to promote multiple intelligences and problem-solving abili- their own culture.
ties. My students have a wide variety of leaming experiences that en- The first unit we did this year on Hispanic culture concemed emi-
able them to feel confident; therefore, they seldom encounter failure nent individuals who have contributed much to the culture but are
or frustration. I offer students avariety of ways to show competence, never acknowledged-individuals in the child's own family and com-
and I encourage them to express themselves through writing, draw- munity members. We began with awalking tour around the sur-
ing, and storytelling. They can choose their area of expertise in com- rounding neighborhood to help students become fully aware of their
pleting alearning task. local resources. On our tour, we met many individuals in varying pro-
Open-ended questioning strategies promote higher-order thinking fessions. Because the neighborhood population is predominantly
skills and problem solving when used in conjunction with good His- Hispanic, many of the jobs were held by Hispanics. The students no-
panic literature and subject matter relevant to the students' culture, ticed occupations ranging from store clerks to doctors.
concrete examples from their own experiences, topics about which On the tour, we encountered an older man who was a cabinet-
they are knowledgeable, and areas of intrinsic interest. Students maker. He was eager to describe his occupation and what it entailed.
make relevant connections with classroom curriculum, employ multi- On one of my home visits, I discovered that astudent's mother made
ple intelligences and problem-solving abilities, and use prior knowl- pinatas. I invited both the cabinetmaker and the pinata maker to visit
edge to stimulate new learning. Through classroom discussion, we the classroom. The
decide on our units of study and commit ourselves to planning avari- students were able
ety of learning activities to ensure that all students will achieve suc- to compare and
cess. This process allows students to take ownership and provides contrast the
them with opportunities to acknowledge each other's areas of processes involved
strength. in making these
Students are encouraged to solve problems using the Parnes- individuals' products
Osborn Creative Problem Solving Model (CPS) (Treffinger & Isaksen, and how their work
1992). When aproblem arises in class that we cannot resolve contributed to the
through discussion, we use CPS to find creative solutions. Often the community. The
students adapt this model themselves to classroom curriculum when students were able
they deem it necessary. CPS also works well in literature. I encour- to make relevant
Learning activities promote multiple
age students to view the problem encountered by acharacter and connections to ways intelligences and problem-solving.
compare it to areal-life situation. When the problem is presented in the construction
this manner, students have a better understanding of it. They can re- processes could be incorporated into areas of the curriculum and, as
late the problem to past experiences and solve it in apersonal way. an extension of this activity, began to acknowledge their own talents.
Students feel respected when they have options for accomplish- I then presented the students with ascenario in which afamily
ing learning tasks. Their opinions are valued, and their concems are from Mexico, who spoke no English, had just arrived in the United
validated. In this kind of learning environment, students do not feel States. The students could really relate to this problem because it
threatened; they are invited to take risks without fearing failure. They was apersonal experience for some of them. They had to derive a
are free to try varied ways of doing things, thereby developing both solution that would help the family make the transition to their new
their multiple intelligences and their problem-solving abilities. The' country.
more varied options available to the student, the better the results. The students also had the opportunity to interview family mem-
Watching students as they do things by trial and error is fascinating. bers about the changes they had seen in the community. They
They are less likely to give up when they have more options available brought the data to class, and we categorized the data into positive
to complete learning tasks. and negative changes. I then gave the students ahypothetical situa-
For example, my students must determine the form of afinal tion: Acity surveyor was coming to their community to determine
product (e.g., oral presentation, visual or dramatic representation, whether or not it was worthy of a$1.2 million grant. The students
written product) and to whom the product will be presented. Students determined why, where, and how the grant could be used effectively.
also can use computers and tape recorders as altematives to writing. My students have had ample learning opportunities in the class-
This decision-making process requires them to think and apply room to develop numerous problem-solving skills and multiple intelli-
interpersonal skills. gences. My goal is for these skills and abilities to transfer into their
Students must be able to adapt multiple intelligences and adult lives.
problem-solving abilities in their own and other cultures. They must
be able to make connections between abstract concepts and

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN / FALL 1994 • 17

pecial f'ocus Inultiple intelligences

• Learning in independent, small-group, References

and large-group settings. Bernal, E. M. (1990). The iden-
One of the most important goals of tification blues and how to
these programs is to increase the indi- cure them. CAG Communica-
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process and opportunities for decision Callahan, C. M., & McIntire, J.
A. (1994). Identifying out-
making in situations involving both learn- standing talent in American
ing and other aspects of living. To us, this Indian and Alnska Native stu-
is true empowerment-an essential but dents. Washington, DC: U.S.
often neglected part of education. An in- Department of Education, Of-
cident involving Mary Vuke's class pro- fice of Educational Research
and Improvement.
vides an excellent example of this Feldman, D. H. (1991). Has there
principle in action. been a paradigm shift in gifted
Mary Vuke and her (EXCEL) students education? In N. Colangelo, S.
attended the Southern Arizona confer- G. Assouline, & D. 1. Arnbm-
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ment: Proceedings from the
Gifted and Talented. They are planning a 1991 Henry B. and Jocelyn
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conference, they presented their unit and opment (pp. 89-94). Boston:
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ideas. They said they would have a meet- Klausmeier, K., Mishra, S. P., & This student'demonstrates his ability In a
ing and decide. A week later, June re- Maker, C. J. (I987). Identifi- spatial-artistic activity.
cation of gifted learners: A
ceived this note (see Figure 5). national survey of assessment practices and Information and Resource Center.
We invite each of you to try the activ- training needs of school psychologists. The Schiever, S. W. (1991). A comprehensive ap-
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they may be gifted, average, or have dis- ory of intellectual giftedness. Gifted Child
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wide Enrichment Model: A comprehensive
~o (' 0'2> 1,,\; 1'19· We. ore plan for educational excellence. Mansfield
Professor; Aleene B. Nielson, Assistant Pro-
fessor; and Judith A. Rogers (CEC Chapter
U<2- ry h0. PPy 0. DOUt- Center, CT: Creative Learning.
#195), DISCOVER III-Coordinator, Department
Renzulli, J. S. (1979). What makes giftedness:
~e.t\ng our, q,out<2.S \ n A reexamination of the definition of the
of Special Education and Rehabilitation, The
your 0.1 t' I de gifted and talented (N/S - LTI - G/T Brief
University of Arizona, Thcson.

Si nc.e..( \ Yi #6). Ventura, CA: Ventura County Superin- This research has been supported in part by the
tendent of Schools.
~~
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students
Richert, E. S., Alvino, J. J., & McDonnel, R. C. Education Program, Grant #R206A 30138-93A,
uJlI'ti09 ';or (1982). National report on identification: and the opinions are the sole responsibility of
L\ l:b q nd '5 M-. Assessment and recommendations for com-
'jllAC\e txc.e\ the authors.
prehensive identification of gifted and tal- •
class ented youth. Sewell, NJ: Educational Copyright 1994 CEC.

18 • THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

 ....ultiple intelligences special "ocus

Howdidyoa Mary Vuke

introduce Teacher of Gifted Students, Mountain View School TREAT
Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District
multiple intel- Tumacacori, AZ YOUR
ligences theory
to your gifted In our pull-out program for gifted students, we meet twice a week LEARNERS
students? for about 1'/2 hours. This 6-week unit was done at the beginning TO AN
of the year. First, I introduced the idea of intelligence testing and gave a brief history and
reasons why intelligence testing has been used over the years. We then looked at Gardner's EXCITING
(1983) Theory of Multiple Intelligences and discussed the seven types he has identified. We
also talked about other possible intelligences.
HANDS-ON
Next, I read them a book with a different perspective, The Wise Old Woman and Her CROSS-
Secret, by Eve Merriam. We discussed the book and talked about wisdom: What is
wisdom? How are wisdom and intelligence alike? How are they different? This opened up CURRICULAR
the students' thinking.
After this, the students worked in learning centers that required them to use different
PROGRAM
intelligences in the study of astronomy. Assignments included the following:
1. Interpersonal. You are among 1,500 members of Lunar Colony Six. Word has
reached you that Earth has wiped out its human population with advanced weaponry. You
are now the only Earthling left in the universe. Write or draw about the varied feelings that
members of your community might have.
2. Intrapersonal. Write a letter applying for a job in a space station. Tell which job you
are applying for, why, and what makes you the best person for the job.
3. Musical. Write a song or create music about one or more of the planets.
4. Spatial. Draw a series of pictures of a new planet discovered in our solar system. Do
a full view and a close-up.
5. Logical-Mathematical. Create a page of word or number problems for space-age T II I

students of your age. Put answers on the back of the paper.

6. Linguistic. Create a poem about space.
Soul'h'wesl-
T I' I'" ",, I r

7. Bodily-Kinesthetic. Demonstrate the life cycle of a star using your body. ONE OF A SERIES OF EDU-TREASURE BOXES'-
I did not tell the students which intelligence was used in each center. Instead, I asked
them to think about the skills they were using as they worked in the centers and to write in Created for elementary
their learning journals at the end of the experience. In their journals, they wrote responses through middle school classes,
to questions such as the following: resource rooms or integrated pro-
grams which use holistic, multi-
1. What skills did you use or develop?
sensory approaches.
2. What did you like about the center?
3. Why did you feel this way? • Comprehensive Teacher's
4. What did you not like about the center? Guide • Student Book(s) • Maps
5. Why did you feel this way? • Masters • Bulletin Board Kit
6. What intelligence do you think was used in this center? 20 authentic New Mexican
7. Why do you think so? artifacts: Native American pottery,
After all the students had an opportunity to work in five or six centers, I asked them to Churro wool and weaving,
think about what might be their best intelligence and why. They decided what they were adobe brick, native crops, sage,
best in, and then I gave each of them the results of his or her entrance tests. We discussed tinwork art, mineral samples, and
the criteria for selecting students for programs for gifted students in Arizona and the three petroglyph images.
intelligences tested (spatial, logical-mathematical, and lingUistic), and we looked at the • Writing ) Language Arts ) Social
area(s) in which they had qualified for the program. They compared their personal Studies ) Math. Science • Arts
assessments with the results of the tests and wondered about the reasons for differences
they saw.
One interesting thing we noticed was that interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences
were very strong in girls. They noticed these strengths and talked about how they were
important. The students also noticed that many of them had chosen to participate in spatial (800) 456-1776
activities and preferred the spatial learning center even though few of them had previously
seen it as an area of strength. Children are given far too few opportunities to explore and
exercise their spatial abilities, so when given an opportunity, they choose it joyfully. These
observations have important implications for the ways we teach in all classrooms. P.O. DRAWER 0
ESPANOLA, NM 87532
505.753.7410

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