Intelligence Response Assignment

Intelligence Response Assignment

1. How would each of the theories that you learned about impact your attitude toward students and their ability to learn? Write one or more sentences for each theory.
Spearman’s:  If I were to focus on this theory and student learning I would make attempts to help the students improve their specific skills in relation to “g”.  
Catell’s:  This theory would have me focusing on helping the students to improve their crystallized intelligence by helping to provide the students with a greater range of knowledge and skills that they can draw from.
Sternberg’s:  I would focus more on helping students to first determine what they believe success is based on their understanding of their own culture (recognizing that this will not be the same for all students in my classroom) and then help them to achieve that.
Distributed Intelligence:  I would encourage students to seek out tools and resources that would heighten their abilities to aid them in their work.
Gardner’s:  I would help students to improve their intelligence in the 8 areas of intelligence based on what their needs in those areas would be.


2. What is your definition of intelligence? Explain how this definition will impact how you teach, what you teach, and how you treat students? Be specific. Your response should be a good, solid paragraph.
Intelligence is a person’s capability to use their knowledge, skills, abilities, and resources whether inherent or acquired, to seek out answers to specific, individual life challenges based on their understanding of the world (i.e. their culture).
I’m not convinced that intelligence is a quantifiable value, but I do believe that intelligence is variable throughout one’s life; intelligence can grow.  
Impact—How?  I will teach diversity.  Everyone is different. Everyone learns differently.  Everyone has different intelligence.  
Impact—What?  I will teach students so that they may add to their “toolbox” of knowledge, skills, abilities, and resources.  Also I will help the students to practice using these things to solve problems, real or created.
Impact—Treatment?  I will teach with the attitude that students intelligence can grow.  This will help me to not give up on any of my students.  


3. Reflect on the results of your IQ test. Do you feel that they are accurate? Explain. (Keep in mind that 100 is the average IQ score and 68% of people score between 85 and 115) Would you consider having your students take an IQ test? Why or why not?
As stated above, I am not convinced that true intelligence is a quantifiable value.  Of course I would like to think that my results from this test are accurate, but my results—any results—can be duplicated by just guessing/random chance.  Although it is not likely to happen, it is possible.  Also the questions seemed so narrow in topic that I don’t feel it is an accurate representation of general intelligence.
I don’t think I would place much value on IQ testing in my class.  I think that it could affect the students more negatively than it would positively.  If a students doesn’t do as well as they think they should they could get discouraged (or it could encourage them, but I think that discouragement is more likely).  Or if a student does well they could get complacent and not strive as hard for excellence (or it could encourage them to try even harder, but I think that complacency is more likely).  It can also have the adverse effects of labeling.  For children I think this can be especially harmful.  I look at it as if it were a self-fulfilling prophecy.  The child takes the test, scores low, and they go forward with the idea that they are not intelligent and cannot succeed.  No thank you.


4. Reflect on the results of your Multiple Intelligences test. Do you feel that they are accurate? Explain. Would you consider having your students take a Multiple Intelligences test? Why or why not?
I do not like the design of this test.  I don’t think that the questions are very good.  The grammar in some of them is horrible.  I’d like to think that my intelligence is more complex than to be determined by a few questions on a survey.  The results I got are about the same for all the intelligences.  I am not familiar with any other multiple intelligence tests, but I would definitely not use this one.  I think it’s worthless.


5. How will your Emotional Intelligence impact your teaching and your students? How will you help your students develop Emotional Intelligence?
I think that understanding my own emotions and others’ emotions are critical for success in life.  Understanding that our emotions can influence the effectiveness of learning and teaching activities can make a teacher more effective. 
I will help my students by creating an environment where emotions are understood and respected.  I’ll help to maintain a place where we can express ourselves and be open and honest with each other, where people can be themselves.  I’ll help to maintain a positive social environment by first setting the example and then encouraging and rewarding appropriate behavior.