Howard Gardner’s final, and not fully considered intelligence has to do with existential thinking. I think that this chapter does an excellent job at explaining what it is, why it is almost considered an intelligence and how it can be used in the classroom. I like that the chapter specifically mentions that this intelligence is not limited to religion or spiritual concerns, but I think that for most people, when looking at life questions it is related. One of the very interesting things I found in this chapter was that people have been found throughout the world who appeared to be savants in this intelligence, and I loved the example of Forrest Gump. I feel like I have met several people in my life who, wouldn’t necessarily be savants, but would be classified under this intelligence, and that example helped clarify those qualifications for me.
I also really appreciated how the book recognized concerns that teachers might have about incorporating this into their classroom. I think that tying in existential thinking into any topic can be beneficial to students, especially ones who are affected greatly by these ideas. In a way I think that this intelligence should almost be considered an emotional intelligence because all of the relations it has to beliefs. Regardless, it is an extremely useful tool to utilize in a classroom. I can only imagine how much more engaged I would have been if some of my teachers had taken more time with this in my classes. I think that this adds a whole new level to content matter in the classroom, and it’s more than something that should just be considered; it should be used.
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