Multiple Intelligences

With regards to the 3 perspectives on multiple intelligences, I find myself agreeing mostly with Howard Garner’s perspective of the 9 divisions of intelligences. Within these intelligences I find myself a bodily kinaesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal learner. I find myself most intensely interested in material that involves gross motor movements, as well as learning that involves getting to know myself or anyone else. I do not think an individual can have only one specific type of intelligence, but many types of intelligence depending on the situation or stage in a person’s life. 

Ever since I can remember I have loved being outside and moving around. When I was younger I was involved in dance class where I took hip hop, jazz, and ballet. Also I was involved in indoor and outdoor soccer for five years. I took karate and swimming lessons and now I am a lifeguard at a pool in Red Deer.

Ever since I was in middle school my interests have been in listening to other people, in grade 8 I called my self the shrink of the school. I love listening and giving feedback on individual’s dilemmas and problems, and now that I am in college I find myself being a matchmaker/relationship therapist. My best friend at the moment, her last 2 boyfriends of over a year were introduced to her by me!

Erik Erickson's Stages of Human Development

      According to Erik Erikson’s stages of human development I am in the intimacy vs. isolation stage. I find myself exploring different relationships, trying to establish the kind of man I want to settle down with. It’s all about discovery and trial and error at this point, and I’m not planning to ground myself until I reach about 23. I do agree with Erikson’s stages although if I were Erikson I would have added a stage that overlaps the intimacy stage. I would call this stage success vs. Despair. In this stage an individual from the ages 18-30 would either find happiness in a career, or become lost in a sea of hopelessness and failures. I do understand that Erik made these stages a long time ago and therefore he couldn’t foresee how the world works today. I think there is a desire for kids to be successful very young, not only to be working but to be comfortable in a career early in life.

Video: Richard St. John on academic success

     I think Richard St. John's talk on what leads to academic success was very accurate. I find it almost impossible to focus on a task if I have no passion for the task or what it stands for. In high school I found it hard to push through many seemingly pointless homework assignments, and reading assignments. However now that I have entered Red Deer college my determination and push has shot through the roof, because I feel that every task and grade will go towards the career I want to pursue. I also have firsthand experience with pushing and persisting through tough times in college. This is why on top of Richard’s 8 characteristics that lead to success I would like to add optimism. Just imagining a silver lining behind those daunting clouds gave me hope to continue on in my journey to success. Without this optimistic view that I tend to hold to in life, I think the path I took to where I am now might not of happened, or would have taken a whole lot longer to travel.