Multiple Intelligences. Looking at future EIL Educators.

Before putting forward some ideas related to how we should think about Colleges of Education –usually known as Training Colleges, a label I deeply disagree with-, it is compulsory to reflect upon the concept of intelligence. If as educators, we keep on thinking that intelligent are only those children who posses logical-mathematical or linguistic skills, I hesitate if we are going to be able to go ahead. I truly believe that beginning by taking into consideration the definition Gardner refers to is an appropriate spring-board: “My theory highlights the human ability to achieve something, to act in the real world”…” intelligence, what we consider intelligent actions, modifies with the passing of time. Intelligence is not a substance in the head as it is oil in an oil pot. It is a collection of potentials that complement among each others.”Now, we can outline some ideas that, to my mind, are of the most important ones we can consider when tying the theory of Multiple Intelligences, future EIL –English as an International Language- educators and the colleges of education where they study, being these ideas: democracy, depth in contents and process-oriented evaluation.

As far as I am concerned with, the education of future EIL educators should be aimed at the need of an increasing democracy at schools. What are we claiming with this? That students are going to role-play political elections? Not exactly. What these days demand are future EIL educators that within the classroom, among classrooms and with other educational institutions pin their ears back to all the talents in a nation.

Another idea would focus on how vital it is to go deeper and deeper in the contents to be dealt with. I consider that current schools have highly achieved the objective of transmitting topics that students can repeat. It is our duty as present, as well as for those future EIL educators to go further. We cannot feel satisfied with the mere replication and reiteration of themes. Our aim must be to deepen each content worked with, critically and creatively. In this way, accordingly, we will even get a more profound understanding of the subject matter from all its angles.

A third idea could be related to the topic of evaluation. If Colleges of Education of future EIL educators have the assertion that when talking about intelligence, we are not referring to only one, which is said to be even inflexible, etc., but that it is considered as the student’s capacity to solve culturally-accepted problems, even more, if people posses a combination of intelligence, which is unique and particular, combination that varies from person to person, so the evaluations our students are given cannot be merely summative or product-oriented.

Concluding, we will make an effort that our future EIL educators become “fighter for a better world, that is, that from a critical perspective, they can understand the ideological dimension of educating” (Mc Laren, 2001)

(To have access to the complete article, click on http://www.lulu.com/content/5474898)


María Eugenia Falabella