MI+B1+Chapter+14

Abstract (Jesika):
This chapter is about the [potential] [|ninth intelligence,] the Existential Intelligence. People whose dominant intelligence is Existential tend to as the "where does life come from?" and "why do we exist?" questions. Though this intelligence meets most of Gardner's criteria for an intelligence, many, including Gardner himself, are unsure that it is a legitimate intelligence. Though Existentialism is valued in the religious sects, Gardner has emphasized that the intelligence itself is "not religious by nature".

Synthesis (Jesika)
We all agreed that we are not sure that this is a legitimate intelligence. However we did agree that it is worth considering and trying to understand. It was also noted that it seems that [|existentialism] is mostly the curiosity that everyone holds for the meaning of life and that we should tap into that existing enthusiasm and apply it in some way to our classrooms.

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Moe
Chapter 14 presents a potential 9th intelligence that Gardner has discovered, the Existential Intelligence. This intelligence focuses on the awareness of one’s being in the whole spectrum of the universe and how they affect the day-to-day function of the universe. It is often known as a spiritual intelligence and has raised many concerns and caused some controversy. I liked how Armstrong presented this potential 9th intelligence and described it, and ended the chapter by saying that you may not agree that it is an intelligence, but you can still use this sort of thought to get students diving deeper into the material you are going over. It makes sense that people are hesitant to call it an intelligence, but I think it’d be beneficial to students to use existential questions during a unit. Those types of questions are perfect for English teachers because it helps students look at character in respect to the entire novel or work, rather then just in the moment. (I'm not sure if this is an intelligence, I haven't made up my mind yet...)

Amanda Martemucci
MI-Chapter 14: Chapter 14 discusses Gardner’s ninth intelligence, existential intelligence. This intelligence focuses on the capability to ask questions such as “Who are we?” (p. 183). I am a bit confused as to what this intelligence really is. It appears that there are many possibilities to explore with it, which is good. Armstrong discussed how in literature this intelligence could be used to relate to bibles and writers such as Shakespeare. Many pieces of literature deal with life concerns, which connect to this existential intelligence. Thinking about it, I feel as though this may happen naturally in my classroom. Concerns with life happen all the time. Gardner’s ninth intelligence is always present.

Bridget
Chapter 14: MI and the Existential Intelligence Gardener has some what proposed a ninth intelligence that meets the majority of his criteria: Existentialism. This intelligence hasn’t been fully supported by enough evidence to become an official intelligence, but it is worth knowing about and understanding. It focuses on the ability of an individual to see their place in the “big picture” of their life, their world, and their universe. It also includes an understanding of life, death, fate, and an ability to fully experience love or total immersion in art. While this sounds like a “spiritual” or “religious” intelligence, it is not: it simply means an individual strives to answer and understand the big issues and questions that many religions also try to answer, because it is human nature to want to understand. It can be difficult to integrate into a classroom setting, and will often not be included in lesson plans to teach to this intelligence, but it can be done by asking students to think deeper about the subjects they are studying. To me, the existential intelligence is really just trying to answer deeper and more broad “essential questions” and should be used to further probe students’ understanding of material and big questions.

**Kristen**
Though its not official, Gardner has proposed the idea of a possible ninth intelligence which is called the "existential intelligence" which deals with matters of a spiritual or other worldly sort of ideas outside of oneself. This chapter suggests ways that this unofficial intelligence could be used in each of the different subjects. However, doing so leaves the educator possibly walking on eggshells. The discussion of religion or some kind of creation of life can sometimes get teachers into an uncomfortable situation with students and/or parents due to conflicting beliefs and or constitutional rights issues. However, its impossible in some subjects to avoid it, especially in history, science or math. Could you imagine teaching history but leaving out all the religious thoughts and conflicts? I couldn't! Could you imagine science without the questioning about where life started, where the planet started? Could you imagine math or art without reason and the perfect ratios created in nature? A lot of information is left unexplained or unexamined without discussing existential topics.

Chelsea
According to Gardner there is the possibility of a ninth intelligence: existential. Those with existential intelligence concern themselves with ultimate life issues. “The core ability of this intelligence as “the capacity to locate oneself with respect to the furthest reaches of the cosmos…and the related capacity to locate oneself with respect to such existential features of the human condition…””(182). It is important when understanding a existential intelligence that ti does relate to religion, spirituality or any specific set of beliefs. It is also important to understand that an existential intelligence could not be applied as broadly as the other intelligences. In the classroom existential intelligence can be applied to gain a deeper understanding of the material as it is important to understand that it reflects the deeper meaning of such things within the world.

Christina
Chapter fourteen explored the idea of a ninth intelligence, the existential. According to Gardner’s developing theory for this intelligence, the existentially intelligent are able to find their relationship among humanity, intertwining cultures and in the universe. Such an intelligence has been connected with a belief system or religion. The chapter then went on to discuss possible ways to incorporate this type of learner into the classroom. In my own classroom, an existential learner would be incorporated into the class when discussing concepts such as infinity and imaginary numbers.

Jesika
Gardner is unsure whether or not to include existential intelligence into MI theory. It is not a perfect fit but it does have many of the characteristics of an accepted intelligence. It has been seen in savants just like any other intelligence and it is a driving force behind many of the other, pre-existing intelligences. I am fully willing to accept this as an intelligence. It is in everything that we are being taught. Existential intelligence is all about connecting oneself to a greater whole. Connecting to one’s own education perhaps?

Kevin
Chapter 14 examines Gardner’s proposed ninth intelligence, existential intelligence. This intelligence is described as “a concern with ultimate life issues” (182). The author points out that this is not meant as spiritual or moral intelligence, and that Gardner has worked hard to make sure that it is not defined as being necessarily religious by nature. There are a number of non-religious or spiritual occupations that would also show this intelligence, including philosophers, writers, artists, and scientists. The reason this intelligence is not yet a full member is because it does not fit perfectly into all of Gardner’s criteria for an intelligence. I liked the paragraphs the author wrote for ways to use existential intelligence in different subject areas. I hope to be able to apply this intelligence within my own classroom, as a student I would love if classes talked metaphysical issues. For me if I can relate something to the nature of reality it becomes for more significant. It is very easy for me to see the meaninglessness of certain tasks, from a personal standpoint I think I could be much more motivated if I had a teacher who found a way to explore these questions in the context of class.