The Description of Language Major

7 Intrapersonal Intelligence Intrapersonal intelligence includes the thought and feelings. It refers to the ability to build an accurate perception of one and to use such knowledge in planning and directing one’s life. This intelligence deals with the ability to understand ourselves better. Some people with strong intrapersonal intelligence are theologians, psychologists, and philosophers. 8 Naturalist Intelligence This intelligence enables human being to recognize, categorize, and draw upon certain features of environment including understand natural and human- made- systems. Skilled naturalist includes farmers, botanists, hunters, ecologist, and landscapers. Linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences have been typically valued at schools. Musical, bodily-kinesthetic, and spatial intelligences are associated with the arts, whether interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences are regarded as personal intelligences. The intelligences should not be limited to those being identified above. As Campbell et all 2004 quoted, Gardner in Intelligence Reframed considered potential new intelligences. These include existential, moral, and spiritual intelligences. Existential intelligence entails the ability to contemplate the meaning of life and death. Moral intelligence involves making value judgments. Similarly, spiritual intelligence enables one to grasp cosmic and transcendent truths.

c. Implementing MI Theory in the Classroom

Learning activities based on Multiple Intelligence theory should be well- prepared. Teachers need to plan how learning process is run and what teachers and students have to do. Teachers may also seek information from the students about ways they would most like to learn. Then, having knowledge about MI activities used in the classroom, teachers are able to design deliberate lesson plan. To begin lesson planning, teachers might reflect on the concept they want to teach and identify the intelligence that most appropriate for corresponding the content. That is why, it is necessary for teachers to distinguish students’ intelligence at first. However, many teachers find it overwhelming to incorporate all eight intelligences areas in lessons. Thus, it is recommended that at least four intelligences serve as entry points into any content Gardner, 1993: 232.

1. Recognizing Students’ Intelligences

In order to assist students to learn using MI theory, teachers should first recognize students’ intelligence that most students posses. It is required before planning the lesson. Teachers have to do observation at first. As Amstrong 1994 said cited in Suparno, 2004, there are ways to analyze students’ intelligence which are using test, practicing to teach using MI, observing and collecting students’ documents. The test used here is a simple test with a list of statements. Students can easily tick the statements that they think are best suit with their characters and personalities. Teachers will determine which intelligence students mostly posses.