If you were ever disappointed in your IQ or SAT scores, take heart. These tests, although revered by the general community as measures of intelligence, may not provide a complete picture of how smart you are. In fact, if you're not linguistically talented, skilled at math, or able to commit obscure facts to memory, you may not perform very well on these traditional tests.

But that doesn't mean you aren't smart. In 1983, Dr. Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education, proposed the revolutionary "Theory of Multiple Intelligences" in his book Frames of Mind. Gardner's theory is that we all exhibit, to some degree, seven different types of intelligence including:

* Linguistic intelligence (as in a poet)
* Logical-mathematical intelligence (as in a scientist)
* Musical intelligence (as in a composer)
* Spatial intelligence (as in a sculptor or airplane pilot)
* Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (as in an athlete or dancer)
* Interpersonal intelligence (as in a salesman or teacher)
* Intrapersonal intelligence (exhibited by individuals with accurate views of themselves)

Source: Intelligence in Seven Steps by Howard Gardner, Ph.D.

Gardner's theory can easily be witnessed. We've all known people who are "book-smart" and others who are gifted athletes. Other examples can be found on the TV show "American Idol"--many contestants can carry a tune, but how many possess the ability to write their own songs, which takes a tremendous amount of musical intelligence? And don't forget the few unfortunates who are lacking in the intrapersonal intelligence area--the ones who should know better than to sing anywhere but the shower!

In the context of experiential education, many educators have adopted Gardner's theory in the classroom by updating their lessons to appeal to different types of intelligence. Not only does it make learning more interesting and fun, there is anecdotal evidence that it improves both comprehension and retention.

Consider the story of Smarty Pants, a learning aid at Fort Craig School of Dynamic Learning in Maryville, TN. Fort Craig is a public school of choice, based on a teaching model of Integrated Thematic Instruction. The students there have never heard of Howard Gardner. But in every classroom, there are "Smarty Pants."

The pants actually feature eight smarts: word smart, picture smart, body smart, people smart, number smart, music smart, nature smart and self smart. The kids know each of the smarts, and they know which ones describe their strengths. When a teacher compliments a child, it is usually about a smart they are showing the class.

At Fort Craig, the intent is to teach every topic using at least four of the smarts, which broadens comprehension of the subject. For example, when first and second graders learn about ants, they participate in a variety of activities designed to appeal to different smarts. They add and subtract ant larvae. They read books about ants and how they structure their colonies. They sing songs about ants ("Head, shoulders, knees and toes" becomes "Head, thorax, abdomen"). They sculpt ants in art class, and cultivate ant farms in the classroom. They even write and perform ant plays (think picnic scenes). And all the while, they use their smarts to learn in different ways.

When I first saw this method, I thought it was interesting but I wondered how much the kids would retain when they spent such a short amount of time learning in lots of different ways. But I have had many conversations with my kids about ants, and other topics they have learned at Fort Craig, and they not only remember the different activities they did, they usually recall many interesting facts about the subject. So, in my experience, Smarty Pants is a winner.

If you're an educator, you don't have to hang a pair of decorated jeans in your classroom (although that might be fun). But you may consider changing up your curriculum to accommodate the different kinds of smarts. By focusing on all the smarts, you have a better chance of reaching every student, making their training experience more effective and memorable.

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