8Way Thinking

Using multiple intelligence theory to develop thinking, questioning and learning

It's been several years now since Howard Gardner proposed his famous theory of multiple intelligences in his book Frames of Mind.

Since then his ideas have taken the educational world by storm (although they are not without their critics in the academic world where one fellow academic dismissed the idea as a 'theory of talents'. But then he would - you know what these academics are like, always bickering...)

Ian Gilbert has used Gardner's basic eight intelligences as the basis for a simple little thinking tool in the spirit of De Bono's six 'Thinking Hats' (but without the expensive licensing arrangement).

Combining thinking skills scaffolding, Philosophy for Children practices and MI theory, Ian took the eight intelligences (in no particular order):

1. Logical/Mathematical
2. Verbal/Linguistic
3. Interpersonal
4. Intrapersonal
5. Naturalistic
6. Body/Physical
7. Musical
8. Visual/Spatial

And (over) simplified them into:

1. Numbers
2. Words
3. People
4. Feelings
5. Nature
6. Actions
7. Sounds
8. Sights

Imagine putting these areas on each side of an octagon. Then you take what it is you want to explore, put it in the middle of the octagon and then simply work around each area asking questions to begin with.

So, for example, if your topic was, say, 'beer' (I am typing this on a Friday night) you might come up with questions like:

1. How much beer is drunk in the UK each Friday night?
2. Where does the word 'beer' come from?
3. Who invented beer and why?
4. What sort of emotions do advertisers try and associate with beer in their marketing?
5. What are the natural ingredients of beer and where are they grown?
6. What are the various stages in the beer-making process?
7. What songs have been written about beer and its effects?
8. In TV and magazine advertising, how is beer portrayed?

Simply by going through this process you immediately start to think more deeply and look more closely at a particular subject, whatever that subject may be.

But don't take our word for it, give it a go.

If you click here you'll go to an article Ian Gilbert wrote for the teaching and learning magazine Teaching Expertise about how he used 8Way Thinking as the basis of an amazing 2500 nautical mile circumnavigation of the British Isles in 2005.

Click here to download a useful 8Way Thinking planning wheel.

In the meantime, have a play with 8Way Thinking and let us know how you get on won't you.

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