Unit 7: Intelligence

Syllabus
Moodle
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Calendar
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Unit 8

Overview:

Intelligence is a multifaceted concept that has roots in eugenics research and use by the military to assign the most dangerous jobs to the "dumbest" men. Has society outlived the utility value of intelligence? This unit is about these issues.

Readings:

Discussion questions:

Consider these questions as you read. Each of these questions also appear in Moodle.

  1. Does intelligence matter? If so, in what ways? If not, why not? This is really a question about the predictive nature of intelligence. In other words, if you are intelligence (or not)... so what? And who or what is making the judgment about intelligence? Should we trust the judgment? Is intelligence a useful concept for society? If so, how? If not, why not? Is intelligence a useful concept for educators? Take a position and defend it. Is there potential for abuses of the concept of intelligence?
  2. Do you find Gardner's additions helpful or needlessly complexifying? Why or why not? What will you say when a parent requests all instruction to be delivered in a particular format or style (as a past student of mine had run into)? You can't just say "no" without good reason and you can't simply acquiesce either? What will you do and say? Recently, Gardner endorsed an 8th intelligence called the naturalist intelligence. What's to stop this trend toward the proliferation of finer and finer distinctions in skills and abilities? Do we want to continue in this direction? Is it useful? What do you think about emotional intelligence? Again, what good are these distinctions about particular kinds of intelligence? Speak specifically to our job as teachers.

Supplemental materials: