Howard Gardner and Evelyn Sowell on the Perfect Student
Will our educational system ever produce the "perfect student" graduate of a "perfect school?" If we follow theories of Howard Gardner and Evelyn Sowell, there is a strong possibility. But we must also re-evaluate our testing and evaluation procedures.
The ideal student coming out of the perfect school would not necessarily be the person who has performed the best on multiple choice tests or has had the best attendance record. My ideal student is someone who has learned how to enhance and develop his or her innate intelligences and the perfect school is an institution that helps the student achieve that goal.
Since everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, I believe Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences is an excellent approach to learning. Gardner believes intelligence is "the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural settings." (1.) Using his background in biology and psychology, Gardner tapped into his research to devise his list of seven intelligences: 1., Visual-Spatial Intelligence; 2., Musical Intelligence; 3., Verbal Intelligence; 4., Logical-Mathematical Intelligence; 5., Interpersonal Intelligence; 6., Intrapersonal Intelligence; and 7., Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence.
Gardner believes we are all born with these intelligences, but some are more developed than others by the time we enter the classroom. The challenge is to get educators to implement curriculum that can be adapted to those in the class who are more developed in certain areas, but also not lose those whose intelligences aren't quite as refined. Therefore, curriculum must be engaging on several different levels if learning can be achieved. An educator can use different methodologies in presenting lessons, but the student must be willing to work through difficult areas, or areas where he or she needs to refine one of the innate intelligences.
In my opinion, the perfect student would have made an attempt to learn difficult material and also has made the effort to fully master his natural talents. This is all we can ask of students. There are going to be subjects students will...
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