Multiple Intelligences Thrive in Smartville
Take a stroll down the bustling streets of Smartville, USA, and you'll see students bringing mailbags full of letters from the Smartville Post Office to Reading Road and Artistic Avenue. They're working as tellers at the Smartville Savings and Learn, expanding their palates at the Smartville Culinary Arts Institute, and painting and sculpting at the Metropolitan Museum of Smart. Reporters cover local news in the Smartville Times, and clerks at the Little Elephant Depot provide tools that citizens need to do their jobs each day. Learning is the universal occupation here, but everyone in Smartville does that job a little differently.
Smartville is the Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy, a charter elementary school, in Gainesville, Georgia. The nickname embodies the schoolwide philosophy: At Enota, the theory that everyone possesses unique talents and aptitudes isn't just accepted and celebrated, it's an integral part of school culture. Kid-friendly labels for Howard Gardner's eight intelligences -- punchy interpretations like "word smart," "body smart," or "nature smart" -- pervade the school, appearing in hallway signs and classroom conversations. The real-world activities afforded by the school's village persona, staff members say, allow students to explore and express the multiple ways of being smart.
No comments:
Post a Comment