[Yr7-10it] Multiple intelligences - any evidence ???

[Roland Gesthuizen]

Last year there were some good podcasts on this topic on the ABC.
Kevork is right .. it feels good and has many elements of being a fad.
Check out these two transcript links if you missed the shows.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ockhamsrazor/stories/2006/1763324.htm
"Gardner's book had no great impact among academic psychologists but
he certainly caused a buzz in education circles that he would not have
achieved if he had called his list 'seven talents'. The timing was
evidently right and the notion of multiple intelligences struck a
chord with education authorities and it gave teachers something to
work with. It was also the start of a bandwagon."

Don't forget .. we have just passed the anniversary of the Intelligence Test
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s1560768.htm

Don't educators love moulding these fuzzy numbers and flashing jargon?
It makes for a good service industry of books and lectures .. and
perhaps much sense to me as trying to trying distill a bucket of speed
from a motorbike.

Regards Roland

On 13/01/2008, Kevork Krozian <kevork at edulists.com.au> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Folks,
>
>   Nothing like stirring the pot to start a good chin wag.
>
> Just finished watching "Brain Power" or similarly titled documentary on SBS
> ( Sunday 8:30 pm 13/1/08 ) where several very successful people ( fighter
> pilot, quantum physicist, artist, chess grandmaster, music child prodigy etc
> ) were tested for intelligence.
>
>  One comment caught my attention from an expert : " There is little evidence
> to support the theory of multiple intelligences --  (1) linguistic
> intelligence; (2) musical intelligence; (3) logical- mathematical
> intelligence; (4) spatial intelligence; (5) bodily- kinesthetic
> intelligence; (6) interpersonal intelligence; and (7) intra- personal
> intelligence) as proposed by Howard Gardner --  after which I did a quick
> search on the subject.
>
> I discovered the following link as the first hit basically supporting this
> position of lack of evidence of multiple intelligences which leads me to ask
> if we are just tinkering with a fad.
>
>
> http://nswagtc.org.au/info/articles/McGuinessMultIntellig.html
>
> Questions:
>
> 1.What do people think about the lack of evidence for multiple intelligences
> ?
> 2. The same site claims talent is rewarded much more highly than
> intelligence. Wow !!  Should we be focussing more on devloping talent in
> that case instead of intelligence if we are there to assist our students
> with maximising their rewards in society ??
> 3.Do we believe intelligence can indeed be improved which would mean with
> enough practice you can eventually qualify for Mensa ?? An exaggeration
> simply made to highlight a point.
> 4. Does learning a set of skills or to apply it to a new situation promote
> increasing intelligence ? Are students being "trained" as per VET type
> subjects, or are they there to "learn" a body of knowledge/set of skills ?
> What exactly is learning in that case ?
> 5. Does the ability to apply knowledge to a new situation mean you are more
> intelligent than someone who is not able to do so ?
> 6. Does successful learning and if that is tied to increasing one's
> intelligence become redefined as society changes and new learning tools are
> introduced ? If so, why are intelligence tests unchanged over the last 100
> years ?
>
> One other conclusion from the documentary was that people who were given the
> intelligence test at age 11 and again at age 79 tended to do better on the
> whole at age 79 than at 11. What does that mean ?  Why does your
> intelligence necessarily increase with age ?
>
> Another was a brain scan of the highest IQ score holder amongst the group
> tested in the documentary. This fellow had an IQ of 162 which I think was 1
> in a million yet he had a smaller brain. This was described as an efficient
> sports car vs a larger sedan - less bulk needed due to higher quality
> engine.
>
>  Lots of issues here, but would be interested in people's perspective on the
> subject(s).
>
> Best Wishes
>
> Kevork Krozian
> Edulists Creator and Administrator
> www.edulists.com.au
> kevork at edulists.com.au
> _______________________________________________
>  http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
>  Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by
>  http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
> and
>  http://www.vitta.org.au - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers
> Association Inc


-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
--Margaret Mead