Further thoughts..

Friday 18th October 2012

I went to my local library yesterday... They didn't have the particular ones I was after so I took out 'The Development and Education of the Mind - The Selected Works of Howard Gardner'.

As mentioned in my earlier blog, Gardner talks about 'multiple intelligences'.  In his chapter 'MI Theory - Beyond the IQ' he discusses these intelligences in a little more detail. The two I felt I linked best with when reading the reflection reader were Interpersonal and Intrapersonal. From my further reading I now know I am mostly interpersonal.

Gardner says that interpersonal intelligence is the "ability to understand other people. What motivates them, how they work." He gives salespeople, teachers, politicians, clinicians as examples of professionals that may use this intelligence. 
Going back to the idea of becoming a Dance Movement Therapist, I can see why, having this intelligence myself, I want to explore such a route. I tend to understand people, and if I don't, I want to! I will go to all measures to find out more and learn about their lives and emotions.

Intrapersonal has the same definition but "turned inward". Gardner quotes: "A capacity to form an accurate, veridical model of oneself and to be able to use that model to operate effectively in life."

Reflecting on Gardners views on the MI theory, I am seeing connections with myself and fascinated to discover the reasons behind my aims and interests in life. Without knowing about multiple intelligences and learning styles, I just assumed that everyone did what they did because they enjoyed it.. Now I understand that there are groups of people with similar thought processes, all of which will tend to eventually have a career in similar fields.


Reflective Journal...

I am writing daily. As Boud says: we are "attending to feeling" and "express[ing] ways of experiencing". I feel it is so important for us to express ourselves.. even if no one else reads it. Letting go of emotions, any problems or simply writing a positive part of our day enables us to not let things 'bottle up' inside. Writing something down will let us get things 'of our chest' and having it there on paper - it won't go any where. So, expressing an emotion or thought in writing is one less thing for our mind to be going over and trying to remember. Yes, we will still feel it but we don't have to dwell on the thoughts and can move on to the next. I think it is important to keep the journals private. This allows us to discuss and organise our thoughts to ourselves before we consider sharing them with others. Looking at other blogs, it is good to see how everyone is using the reflective theory within their own professional practice. I shall go into further details on my own reflection when completing tasks on reflective writing.