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Howard Gardner Quotes

Psychologist

Howard Gardner is a renowned psychologist known for his theory of multiple intelligences. Born on July 11, 1943, his theory challenges the traditional view of intelligence as a single entity, proposing eight distinct domains of human intelligence.

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All Ifs Way Different Thinking People Teaching Children Humans Kind May Mind School Students World Has Beens Important Needs Problem Want Ability

Famous Howard Gardner Quotes

“If you are not prepared to resign or be fired for what you believe in, then you are not a worker, let alone a professional. You are a slave.”

Ifs Believe Slave Prepared Workers

Author:Howard Gardner

“Much of the material presented in schools strikes students as alien, if not pointless.”

Ifs School Students Materials Strikes Aliens Pointless

Book:The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and how Schools Should Teach

Source: The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and how Schools Should Teach

“It may well be easier to remember a list if one sings it (or dances to it). However, these uses of the 'materials' of an intelligence are essentially trivial. What is not trivial is the capacity to think musically.”

Ifs Thinking Wells May Use Remember Teaching Materials Easier Capacity Lists Teaching Learning

Book:Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century

Source: Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century

“Emile Zola was a poor student at his school at Aix. We are all so different largely because we all have different combinations of intelligences. If we recognize this, I think we will have at least a better chance of dealing appropriately with many problems that we face in the world.”

Ifs Thinking World Different Problem School Faces Chance Poor Students Combination Zola

Author:Howard Gardner

“What is usually called 'intelligence' refers to the linguistic and logical capacities that are valued in certain kinds of school and for certain school-like tasks. It leaves little if any room for spatial intelligence, personal intelligences, musical intelligence, etc.”

Ifs Kind Littles School Certain Rooms Capacity Tasks Musical Etc Logical Spatial

Author:Howard Gardner

“Intelligences are enhanced when a person is engaged in activities that involve the exercise of that intelligence. It helps to have good teachers, ample resources, and personal motivation. Anyone can improve any intelligence; but it is easier to improve the intelligence if those factors are available and if you have high potential in that intelligence.”

Ifs Persons Helping Motivation Teacher Easier Exercise Activity Resources Available Factors Engaged Good Teacher Personal Motivation

Author:Howard Gardner

“I am relieved that, in my own teaching, I don't have to moderate between high stake teaching and education for the virtues. If I did, I would give students the tools to take the tests but not spend an inordinate amount of time on test prep nor on 'teaching to the test.' If the students, or their parents, want drill in testing, they'd have to go elsewhere. As a professional, my most important obligation is to teach the topic, skills, and methods in ways that I feel are intellectually legitimate.”

“In the United States, if you ask teachers, "Are there children whom we should call 'gifted?'", many if not most will say 'No.' That's the politically correct answer. But if you then ask the teacher to rank order students in terms of how well they paint or write or dance, they'll have little difficulty in doing so.”

Ifs Should Writing Wells Children Littles States Order Asks Term Answers United United States Teacher Students Difficulty Paint Gifted Politically Correct

Author:Howard Gardner

“If one develops good habits and routines, it is possible to be a responsible educator most of the time; and to marshal the special energies and reflection for those times, when the correct course of action is not clear, or when one is weighing one wrong against another wrong.”

Ifs Action Courses Energy Clear Special Habit Reflection Responsible Educator Weighing Good Habits

Author:Howard Gardner

“In every part of the world with which I am familiar, young people are completely immersed in the digital world - so much so, that it is inconceivable to them that they can, for long, be separated from their devices. Indeed, many of us who are not young, who are 'digital immigrants' rather than 'digital natives,' are also wedded to, if not dependent on, our digital devices.”

People Ifs World Long Young Familiar Dependent Digital Immigrants Devices Digital World

Author:Howard Gardner

“If you enjoy reading, writing, learning, and sharing what you have learned, don't hesitate to look for a life where you can continue to do those things. It could be as a scientist, an educator, an editor, a journalist, the founder of an organization. You only live once, and it is a tragedy if you deny yourself these options without trying to pursue them.”

Ifs Writing Trying Looks Reading Enjoy Organization Scientist Tragedy Deny Pursue Journalist Editors Founders Educator You Only Live Once Reading Writing

Author:Howard Gardner

“The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all students as if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching them all the same subjects the same way.”

Ifs Way Inspirational Feels Has Beens Past Individual Mistake Education Teaching Subjects Century Students Treats Justified Biggest Mistake

Author:Howard Gardner

“If Confucius can serve as the Patron Saint of Chinese education, let me propose Socrates as his equivalent in a Western educational context - a Socrates who is never content with the initial superficial response, but is always probing for finer distinctions, clearer examples, a more profound form of knowing. Our concept of knowledge has changed since classical times, but Socrates has provided us with a timeless educational goal - ever deeper understanding.”

“If I know you're very good in music, I can predict with just about zero accuracy whether you're going to be good or bad in other things.”

Ifs Knows I Can Judging Very Good Be Good Zero Accuracy

Author:Howard Gardner

“Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves.”

Ifs Needs Important Past Moving Understanding Can Do Mistake Knowing Morality Who We Are Productive Past Mistakes

Book:Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century

Source: Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century

“If you think education is expensive, try estimating the cost of ignorance.”

Ifs Thinking Trying Ignorance Cost Expensive Estimating

Author:Howard Gardner

“Well, if storytelling is important, then your narrative ability, or your ability to put into words or use what someone else has put into words effectively, is important too.”

Ifs Wells Important Use Ability Storytelling Narrative

Author:Howard Gardner

“By nature, I am not an optimist, though I try to act as if I am.”

Ifs Trying Optimist

Author:Howard Gardner

“If we were to abandon concern for what is true, what is false, and what remains indeterminate, the world would be totally chaotic. Even those who deny the importance of truth, on the one hand, are quick to jump on anyone who is caught lying.”

Ifs World Hands Would Be Lying Concern Importance Remains Caught Deny Abandon Chaotic

Author:Howard Gardner