The Question Howard Gardner Asked Me

There’s no denying the unabashed giddiness I experienced as I prepared to interview Howard Gardner for Greater Good magazine this summer. If you know Gardner’s work, you are most likely familiar with his groundbreaking multiple intelligences theory, or you’ve read one or more of his over 30 books and 1000 published articles on creativity, the arts, cognition, ethics, goodness, and more.

Considering his almost 60-year legacy as a developmental psychologist, multidisciplinary scholar, and educator, I could barely contain my geeky, fangirl energy when I emailed him a list of prepared questions ahead of our Zoom chat. By the time we taped the live interview, you can imagine my surprise (and glee!) when, mid-interview, he was intrigued by one of my questions, in particular.

Let me ask you a question. Amy, because in the questions you sent, you asked me about curiosity, and I’m curious about why. I’m curious about why you ask about curiosity.

For me, curiosity is that spark inside us that catalyzes the truest, purest (often joyful) learning. It is our aliveness to a question or novelty that compels us to know more. I see Howard Gardner’s life as a case study in curiosity—even though he doesn’t study curiosity, his research interests are so broad and far reaching that I wondered how he came to be such a voracious scholar-learner. Here’s a clip from our chat:

Howard’s response led to an interesting anecdote about his own family—and where curiosity may inevitably emerge.

Well, museums, of course. In a children’s museum there are games and interactive exhibits, questions, and lots of hands-on engagement. Considering this, how might communities support schools in partnering with museums to provide access for all children attending public schools?

Maybe we won’t get every student into a museum this particular year; yet this sparks other ideas. I remember my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Bauer, who somehow made everything into a game or activity with learning stations throughout her classroom. Perhaps you don’t have time to design multiple games and learning activities for your classroom, but could you collaborate with your department or grade-level team to create one station or game per classroom around a unit or subject area each quarter? Or are there other ways you can think outside the box to stir up some curiosity through inquiry, questioning activities, or outdoor exploration?

Curiosity can be joyful and embodied—the life blood of learning. As researcher Todd Kashdan has discovered, curiosity comes in many forms such as “thrill seeking,” “joyous exploration,” and “need to know.” If we welcome and celebrate all types of curiosity at school, we can not only help our students learn but also contribute to their well-being in life.

So, I shouldn’t be surprised that Howard Gardner, the father of multiple intelligences theory, has me thinking more about the ways we can spark curious minds and sustain learning. After all, he has challenged and upended traditional, single-entity notions of intelligence, helping us to think much more expansively about learning in all its forms.

Here were his final, heartening words to me (and to all of us): And I think what’s particularly important to me, and I think to you also Amy, is how to use your mind well, because the mind is a wonderful thing we have. And if you’re curious and you are not afraid of being told you’re wrong, and you’re willing to explore, you can have a wonderful life.

There is room for all of us—and our talents, interests, and questions.