Work with Walter and other
like-minded educators
in exploring and mastering
the powerful possibilities
for technology in your classroom!
Ever since I was first introduced to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, my views of intelligence and instruction have changed. Where I once was trained to see learning deficits I now recognized untapped potential. Old instructional practices started to give way to new approaches to teaching and learning. It became clear to me over time that, while Gardner was proposing a theory of intelligence, its application for the classroom was as a learning theory. There are entirely new paths to learning; paths that have gone long unexplored.
Gardner 's theory attempts to provide for the complex processes of human cognition without setting limits on its potential. If the human mind has an operating system, Gardner 's model is the manual that attempts to explain how it runs. Perhaps there has never been a better time for Gardner 's ideas to take hold. They seem to answer so many questions and address so many needs in society. Perhaps this is why educators at so many levels have embraced it so readily. What an exciting time to be in education!
As the old saying goes, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything around you looks like a nail.” The tools of technology provide us with a rare opportunity to redefine how and what we teach. There is no longer a one-size-fits-all solution for providing instruction. This is a time of great growth that can also be a time of great peril. Because technology advances so quickly it's very easy to be impressed by new advancements, even to the point of letting the technology supersede the kinds and quality of instruction we provide.
As educators we have a responsibility to make sure that these tools are well grounded in sound theory and practice. If instructional technology isn't built upon a sound instructional foundation it will not fulfill its promise. It will fall by the wayside like many other innovations that have preceded it. Gardner 's theory offers that strong theoretical foundation for the integration of technology into education. This is the premise for this CoP. Please join us!
