I strive to continually measure and assess the ways in which my students learn. I assess my classes frequently, in forms both formative and summative, in order to discover the different learning strengths present within them, as a body of students as well as individuals. I use this information as well as the cultural backgrounds and traditions of my students to approach the material I am teaching in ways that will make it more accessible to them.
There is a very important question to be pondered in this standard: how does one identify and understand the individual, cultural, and community differences inherent to one’s classroom? How does one create an inclusive learning environment where standards are high yet the understanding of these differences is also of the utmost importance?
For me, this is where Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences comes directly into play.
One of the first things that I do is administer to students a Multiple Intelligences Inventory.
Next, I score their results, and put the data into Excel, creating a graph:
I chose this class a representative because they were the most unique among the others I had. They were very energetic and boisterous, yet at the same time, made perhaps the most memorable contributions to class discussions. Examining the results of their assessment, it all was brought into context. Their highest score was interpersonal–they were naturally very social and outgoing. Their next highest score was existential–they were deep thinkers and liked to contemplate the meaning of things. Their next highest score was musical–they were most engaged when music and song could be integrated with the work we were doing.
The knowledge of who they were in the context of Gardner’s theory inspired the implementation of the following artifacts:
1.Antigone Anticipatory Set
In use of this anticipatory set, students were able to evoke their existential intelligence in contemplation of questions of morality versus the law that they would explore in Antigone. Their interpersonal intelligence was engaged in being encouraged to discuss their findings with the members of their table pods, and then after, as a whole class.
2. The Twitter DM Translation Project 
In this activity, students “translated” the argument between Haimon and his father into modern language and expressed what it would have looked like if they had been arguing over Facebook or Twitter DM. Students were able to engage their interpersonal intelligence in working with members of their table to discern the language of the play and discuss different ways to turn it into modern language. Their musical intelligence was engaged with the option offered to listen to their headphones if they preferred to work alone. Click the picture to experience a sample of student work.
3. Oedipus Rex StoryboardThat
Students used the app StoryboardThat to create a graphic novel retelling of the story of Oedipus Rex so as to have a greater understanding of it. This activity was designed to be focused on interpersonal interaction among those at their table pods; there was much discussion and laughter as they sought to amuse and impress one another with the ways in which they created their graphic. Musical intelligence was also evoked as students were again offered the opportunity to listen to music. The other sections who scored higher on intrapersonal (the desire to work alone) had the option to use their headphones during the Oedipus and Twitter DM project for silent work; this was an intentional differentiation to allow them to seek this option more comfortably. In the instance of the Anticipatory Set, classes who scored higher on intrapersonal who weren’t as keen on class-wide discussion, I would differentiate by visiting them table by table, engaging them in smaller-scale discussions. Culturally speaking, these assignments offered an opening–for the moment, in these contexts, the rigors of specifically “correct” grammar and sentence structure were suspended. This allowed students the freedom to indulge in the expression of their own vernacular, be it that of their culture of origin or simply the culture of youth. The time and the place for the rigors of discipline specifics would come later; but in this opening, I offered the students space to have their own creativity and self-expression embraced and celebrated.