Talk:Howard Gardner

Subject Matter and Disciplinary Thinking

Professors, educators, and policymakers are always talking about how students can learn. This essay compares and contrasts two ways of teaching: subject matter and disciplinary thinking. These two teachings are similar in some ways but very different in others.

First disciplines are subject matters that are taught through memorization, figures, formulas, dates, mentally recording and large numbers. These disciplines include: Mathematics, Social Studies, Biology, History, Literature and Arts, and have their own morphology. They are difficult to master because they are threaten by interdisciplinary thinking and facts. Also these disciplines cannot be interchanged or substituted for one another because they have their own structure of words of a language. On the other hand, disciplines of the mind are taught through real life skills and situations. Like using a letter, newsletter, and accounting to make sense of the real world. While preparing the mind for the future involves a transformation such as instilling in the child's mind, the ability to think like an experienced scientist, and to interpreting the world.

The second way of teaching is how a child ‘learns’ (understands) to interpret the world. Educators have to design a feature of performances. These distinct performances are literature, mathematical proof, scientific testing, historical account and critique in arts. Educators need to choose performances that count so a child can learn. Next they have to develop modes of representation such as theories, concepts of each discipline, distinctive moves, and crucial ideas. If a child has learned one or more disciplines he can use these to apply to new situations. On the other hand, a child understands how changes in technology lead to changes in ways of thinking both then and now. For instance past to present or present to future. This involves transformation from concepts to discipline then to context. This is similar to a blueprint of technological development: first there was a printing press, then a sewing machine, now we have internet. But with any kind of understanding there are threats of misconceptions, stereotypical thinking, and interdisciplinarity.

The third way is how a child learns within their community. For a community to work together citizens need to make a model of them, construct them, and to make them take risks. The community has to learn to be honest with one another since there are many threats to developing a community. Some of these threats are egocentrism, individualism, jealousy, fear, and identity problems. For students to learn in a community, we have to develop in them a capacity to think like experts, integrate disciplinary, and let them embrace the complexity of the world.

As you can see, subject matter and disciplinary thinking are similar using the same disciplines with a goal of teaching young minds. Using different approaches such as hands on activities, real life situations, technology, and by integrating disciplins into teaching is very different. Disciplinary thinking has more flexibility in learning, higher order thinking, and technological activities that help students to acquire learning quickly.

Authors: Gardner,H.(2004). Discipline, understanding, and community. Journal Curriculum Studies, 36, 2, 233-236.

Mansilla, B. V. & Gardner, H. (2008). Disciplining the Mind. Educational Leadership, 65, 5, 14-19.

Caroleen Damon-Frank