People can think productively in a variety of ways, as described in a theory of Multiple Intelligences (linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal) developed by Howard Gardner (co-founder of Project Zero at Harvard).* For a quick overview of Multiple Intelligences, In a Nutshell & The Components of MI.
* Here is Gardner's original list of "at least seven separate forms of analysis" that he defined as intelligences:
1. Linguistic intelligence (as in a poet);
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence (as in a scientist);
3. Musical intelligence (as in a composer);
4. Spatial intelligence (as in a sculptor or airplane pilot);
5. Bodily kinesthetic intelligence (as in an athlete or dancer);
6. Interpersonal intelligence (as in a salesman or teacher);
7. Intrapersonal intelligence (exhibited by individuals with accurate views of themselves).
[note: More recently, he added Naturalistic intelligence (ability to understand nature, and use this knowledge productively) and is considering others, as explained in Wikipedia.]
You can continue exploring with:
• Howard Gardner's summary (Multiple Intelligences in Seven Steps) and The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
• an overview of Multiple Intelligences from Edutopia.
• ERIC Digest and explorations of its many facets with Andy Carvin.
• a brief analysis of brain-hemispheres, learning modalities & styles, plus "The Intelligences in Gardner's Words" ; and a comprehensive listing of selected resources for Multiple Intelligences (links for web-pages, and reviews of books); read about emotional intelligence; or explore in ERIC.
A starting point for exploring educational implications and applications is a series of articles (about Teaching for Multiple Intelligences, in a special issue of Educational Leadership) that are listed out-of-sequence in this page of search-results.
Bloom's Taxonomy describes a wide range of thinking skills in terms of domains (cognitive, affective, psycho-motor) and levels, as you can see in this overview (of the original & revised versions) & introduction & elaboration & educational applications.
If we have multiple intelligences, maybe we also have multiple learning styles, so we should try to find teaching strategies that will be more effective for students with different LEARNING STYLES. One interesting approach to thinking is VISUAL LOGIC.
Howard Gardner, about his theory: https://howardgardner.com/multiple-intelligences/
https://howardgardner01.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/faq_march2013.pdf
http://multipleintelligencesoasis.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/faq.pdf
Wikipedia describes Multiple Intelligences including its Critical Reception & Use in Education.
Multiple Intelligence Theory: Is It real? (by Emily Southey) examines the theory & criticisms, concluding that "The MI controversy illustrates the occasional divide between practical usefulness and academic accuracy. Many educators have seized on the concept of MIs and implemented it in their classrooms, often to great effect. ... On the other hand, it has been argued that multiple intelligences may simply be "useful fictions," with little-to-no basis in physical reality. Perhaps this an acceptable state of affairs."
by John McCarthy, for Edutopia (about topics) — Multiple Intelligences: What Does the Research Say? and Myth-Busting Differentiated Instruction [for diverse Learning Styles] - 3 Myths and 3 Truths.
opposing Gardner (disclaimer: ----) Daniel Willingham's FAQ and IQ's Corner (by Kevin McGrew) - Gf-Gc, CHC
FAQ intro and Questions+Answers -
MI After 20 Years - The 30th anniversary introduction to Frames of Mind -
The Theory of Multiple Intelligences: As Psychology, As Education, As Social Science (2011) , "I have no trouble reconstructing the steps that led to my promulgation of the theory of multiple intelligences (MI theory). At least in retrospect, those seem clear. At the same time, I have no recollection of what may be the most crucial question: how or why I decided to cast my discussion in terms of ‘intelligences’ rather than some less inflammatory characterization." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences#Definition_of_intelligence
Until then, some useful starting points for explorations, from ACSD (about topics), are:
• an issue of their journal - Educational Leadership - about Teaching for Multiple Intelligences (1997) that includes Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences (by Harvey Silver, Richard Strong, Matthew Perini).
• their book, So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences (2000, by Harvey F. Silver, Richard W. Strong, Matthew J. Perini). non-members can read its Introduction and Chapter 6 - Teaching Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences to Students online, plus an overview of the Study Guide.
To improve the quality of education, what strategies can teachers use to more effectively teach a group of students who vary in their mixtures of multiple intelligences and preferences for different styles of learning? One interesting concept is a strategy of...
Vanderbilt U has an excellent overview of Learning Styles that describes the good intentions and logic of those who want teachers to match their Teaching Styles with students' Learning Styles, but says "despite the popularity of learning styles... there is no evidence to support the idea that matching activities to one’s learning style improves learning," and asks "Why are they so popular?"
Wikipedia says: "Although there is ample evidence that individuals express personal preferences for how they prefer to receive information, few studies have found any validity in using learning styles in education. Critics say there is no consistent evidence that identifying an individual student's learning style and teaching for specific learning styles produces better student outcomes." And later: some researchers say "the idea that students learn best when teaching styles are matched to their learning styles" is "one of the "50 great myths of popular psychology."
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=learning+styles+myths&ia=web
https://www.google.com/search?q=research+learning+styles+myth
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=learning+style+applications&ia=web
https://www.google.com/search?q=effective+teaching+strategies+for+learning+styles
I.O.U. - Later, maybe sometime in 2021, this section will be developed more fully