Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences is based on the idea that there are at least seven different ways of learning. These different approaches to learning are visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, mathematical/logical, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. What this theory is saying about student learning is that learning may be harmed if there is not a wide variety of teaching styles because not everyone learns in the same way.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of levels of intellectual behavior important to learning. This classification has six levels within the cognitive domain and they are knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Bloom’s classification levels relates to student learning because students remember more when they have learned to handle a topic at higher levels of the taxonomy.
Dale’s Cone of Experience is a tool that helps the teacher make decisions about resources or activities. The cone is based on the relationship of various educational experiences to reality. The cone helps with student learning because the closer the experience is to reality, the more students will learn from it.
Each of the above theories relates to the integration/detraction of technology within an Early Childhood Classroom. To illustrate, Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences supports technology integration because each of the seven intelligences can be practiced on the internet. There are many different websites that can help a student according to how they learn best. On the other hand, Gardner’s theory detracts from technology integration because if a child is not good at using a computer or the internet, in this case, they will not effectively be able to learn.
Furthermore, Bloom’s Taxonomy also supports and detracts technology into Early Elementary Classrooms. For example, one of the three domains within the classification system is the cognitive domain, meaning “mental skills” or “knowledge.” These can be learned by using types of technology like videotapes and/or computer assisted instruction. On the other hand, the other two domains which are Affective, meaning “growth in feelings or emotional areas” and Psychomotor, which is “manual or physical skills,” do not relate to the use of technology within the classroom environment. For example, the Affective domain relates to feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes, and none of these relate to technology. Furthermore, the psychomotor domain does not relate much to technology because it mainly deals with physical movements, coordination, and the use of motor-skills.
Finally, Dale’s Cone of Experience supports technology integration 100% because within his hierarchy, each level of experience could incorporate some type of technology. For example, watching a video or designing/performing a presentation.
Each of these three theories relate to the three types of technologies. All three theories relate to Type I technology, which is “teacher technology” because the teacher is the one that would be integrating the technology to the students. Doing this allows her to act as a tutor for the different theories, while becoming a better teacher. Additionally, Type II technology, which is programmed instruction, relates to the three theories because here the students are in charge of their learning. Finally, Type III technology, which is when technology serves as a tool for everyone. This mainly relates to Dale’s Cone of Experience because each experience level deals with using technology as a tool for learning, but the other theories do not depend of technological tools for learning as much.
