How Should We Define Intellegence

In class, we went over IQ testing, as well as Gardener's Multiple Intelligences. Two, very different ways to look at how to assess a child's intelligence. My viewpoint, however, was always leaning towards that of Gardener's Multiple intelligences. Why? Because in a world where we are beginning to become free enough to truly explore the capabilities of the human mind, following the same restricted techniques will not help to nourish a child's natural talents.

Taken from http://www.thedoghousediaries.com/?p=2009

 We can't all be good at something. But why do we have to feel like we're unsuccessful when there are things that every person can shine at. Gardener's Intelligences helps bring to light the many ways in which people can grow, and how their minds differ. Verbal, mathematical, spatial, bodily kinaesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential; we all posess these skills, in varying levels, but its incredibly important that we begin to nourish every single one of them. We need to see the talent in an athlete that is able to make a basket from the three point line, or an artist that understands the reason why they need to paint something. And as teachers, we need to find ways to allow children to excell, and not crush their spirits for having strengths in one area and not another.

Taken from http://fx.worth1000.com/all-sizes/278263/wrong-wrong-wrong/large

One of the unwritten parts of being a teacher is preparing kids for the world beyond school, both morally and educationally. Yet for some reason, we don't always act that way. When a person chooses their career, they are not going to apply all of the things they have learned in school, compartmentalized into different subjects. Instead, they will be asked to perform in the one area they have chosen. While I cannot argue for trying to give a child as rounded out as an education as possible, it is heart breaking when a child with talent it left feeling worthless because it is not the traditionally viewed form of success.

When I'm organizing my classroom, I want to have ways to allow children to complete assignments in whatever way suits them best. I want to make sure that I leave as many options open to them to do things, through music, philosophy, or an artistic work, other than just the normal essay style answer. It may be just a small start, but it would be the least that I can do to allow kids to truly get a chance to shine.

Addition- I have found a young woman on youtube, who displays a brilliant example of how intelligence can be found in multiple ways.