Intelligence Study Guide

Intelligence Study Guide

Objectives: (These are to help guide your study. You do not need to respond to them, though you are welcome to.)

·      Define "intelligence" and explain how your definition might impact your teaching

Key Terms: (Write a definition for each term in your own words)

Pages 137-152 (143-158 binder/orange)

IQ—Intelligence Quotient—test designed to determine which students would likely be successful in school. Compares mental age to actual age.

Flynn Effect—the increase of IQ throughout the years.

Cognitive Ability—The Ability of a person to deal with images and spatial ideas—high or low

Cognitive Style—using either images or words in thinking—visual or verbalizer

Learning Preference—preference of student to learn using either pictures or words—visual or verbal learner

Intellectual Styles—how a student prefers to structure their learning process in terms of complexity vs. simplicity, unconventional vs. traditional, autonomous vs. value of outside authority, and deep vs. surface learning —a continuum

Write a brief description of each theory of intelligence in the space provided.

Spearman's Two-Factor Theory of Intelligence: g= mental energy, used to perform any mental task, relates to working memory.  "g" draws on specific abilities.  Intelligence is a fixed value that can quantitated.	Catell’s Fluid and Crystallized Intelligence: Fluid Intelligence—mental efficiency and nonverbal abilities which increases until late adolescence and then decreases as a person ages. Crystallized Intelligence—ability to use methods of problem solving relating to cultural contexts.  Can increase throughout life span.  Pulls from knowledge and skills learned
Sternberg's Theory of Successful Intelligence: Idea that an individual’s intelligence is based on their culture’s idea of success.   3 parts: Analytical—mental processes that lead to intelligent behavior Creative—dealing with new situations Practical—choosing an environment in which you can succeed.	Distributed Intelligence: Using the tools found in the environment (whether natural or artificial) to enhance performance.
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences: Many mental abilities: Lingustic, musical, spatioal, logical—mathematical, bodily—kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist.  This theory carries the idea that intelligence change. Based on research that brain damage can affect any one of these 8 and leave the rest unaffected.

Summarize the information about sex and intelligence in your text—No difference in general, but boys IQ scores tend to be more variable.  Slight differences in specific abilities.  Many studies of sex difference and IQ don’t take race and socioeconomic status into account.

Summary: (write a one paragraph summary of the information on Intelligence)

Intelligence is the collection of abilities/skills that help people gain, use and process knowledge for life and its complexities.  Many theories have been developed to describe intelligence gain and use and how the brain may compartmentalize this intelligence.  Systems have developed to attempt to measure Intelligence in order to predict likely success in the classroom. 

More research and observation is needed.  However, we many never find a satisfactory answer for what intelligence really is, how our brain organizes it, if it can expand, and if it is quantifiable.

Application Questions: (Write a detailed and specific response to each question)

1. With which theory of intelligence do you agree most? Why?

I think that I can best understand what I perceive as my own intelligence when I apply Gardner’s theory to my understanding of my thinking/mind.  I feel as though I am more intelligent in several different of the Multiple Intelligences areas and I am more deficient in other areas.  I also grasp onto Stanberg’s theory, relating intelligence to cultural interpretation and applications.  My current knowledge, skills, abilities, and understanding may make me very unintelligent or very intelligent in the view of other cultures (in time and space).

2. How will you incorporate learning and intellectual styles/preferences in your teaching?

I don’t think that it would be appropriate/ effective to attempt to incorporate all learning styles/preferences into every lesson plan, but I do believe it would help learners who learn in different ways (compared to others and themselves) if there is diversity in the way subjects are presented.  Also I believe the more practiced that students have with learning in different ways the better they’ll learn with different style/preferences.