Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences in Drama

     In class we learned about Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences which states that every person has intelligence, but people differ in the kinds of intelligences they have. The video below is a resource I use often to understand this theory and the different kinds of intelligence that people have. Although most people are a combination of these intelligences it got me thinking about the way that drama can be used to suit the strengths of each intelligence category.

     Often in school, and even society for that matter, we praise people who are logical and mathematical with little regard to building a student’s ability to grow in the other forms of intelligence. I believe that drama provides a perfect opportunity to develop these other forms of intelligences which has been demonstrated in many of our classes. Often each drama activity involves us moving or shaping our bodies in a way that portrays a character or tells a story activating a bodily intelligence not often focused on. An example of this would be during our tableau exercises where we have had to be different people or animals in another setting. For most of our tasks we are asked to work in groups, developing an interpersonal intelligence as we have to work with others and be able to communicate to them effectively. On the other hand drama also asks you to think about your own rule within the group so you must learn to be self-reflective, thus developing those intrapersonal skills. I believe that the addition of music also enriches these activities, as was demonstrated in class, as students think about how pieces of music makes you feel and the emotions they convey. In my opinion music can be added to almost any drama activity that you teach because it shows students how music is also a form of expression and communication. As I mentioned in my previous post about the use of tableau, literacy is often intertwined with drama as students learn to understand stories, identify the key parts, and portray the characters themselves.

     While there are certainly ways that drama can be used to develop a student’s ability to think logically or spatially, I believe that drama provides unique opportunities to develop other skills. Much of the curriculum today emphasizes the importance of literacy and numeracy, but drama gives students a chance to be creative, expressive, and work with others in a setting outside of one’s desk. My dance education class is continuing to show me just how important drama is to the overall development of a child and for the students whose intelligence is outside of literacy and numeracy.