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You
are here:
Report on the
"Teaching for Intelligence" Conference
April 21 - 26, 1998, New York City
Across state lines and over national borders, more than 1500 educators gathered during the week of April 20th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City to discuss the subversive topic of "Teaching for Intelligence." Why would such a noble-sounding topic be considered subversive? The answer is that enhancing intelligence for all children is a concept that flies in the face of institutionalized educational practice. This gathering, held within a few blocks of The New York Times, addressed issues which, unlike sports, business and dining out, are not considered worthy of sustained interest to readers of that esteemed paper.
However, in the absence of major media attention, voices were heard which were revolutionary in fervor and compelling to an audience moved by educational malpractice in schools across the country and around the world. The voices they heard were those of highly esteemed educators, psychologists, academics and writers who shared insights into a vision of educational excellence for all within our reach, although currently beyond our grasp. Howard Gardner spoke of his expanding concept of multiple intelligences, Theodore Sizer described a new design for schools, Elliott Eisner illustrated the importance of arts education, Reuven Feuerstein captured the hearts and souls of the audience by describing the plasticity of human intelligence and ways to welcome all human beings to a richer, fuller existence.
The theories described were substantiated by demonstrations of practice. A class of New York City school children were led by their teacher through a lesson based on Instrumental Enrichment, a system of educational practice developed by Professor Feuerstein at his center in Israel. The success of this self-selected group of children in passing regents examinations mandated by the State of New York, flew in the face of prior expectations. The long-term, long-lasting results of Instrumental Enrichment and mediated learning were illustrated in other sessions led by Professor Feuerstein, a student of the eminent Swiss psychologist Piaget. Departing, graciously, from his mentor, Prof. Feuerstein described why human beings are not condemned by their genes, but able to expand their intellectual capabilities through appropriate mediation. "Traits, not states," he said were the characteristics that were to be addressed. Traits can be altered. Human beings can enhance their capabilities, a fact that has been demonstrated around the world by teachers working with students previously considered uneducable by society.
According to Professor Feuerstein "Intelligence is not a static structure, but an open, dynamic system that can continue to develop throughout life!" Dr. Feuerstein's revolutionary words, make an enormous difference in how we perceive the role of education. If intelligence is modifiable, and if indeed intelligence can be taught and learned, education has a much greater role than might have been previously imagined.
When Jonathan Kozol addressed the conference on April 25th, he mesmerized the audience with his personal experiences over many years meeting children in their schools and learning from their lives. He shared some of the stark realities, telling us that "In poor neighborhoods, drugs are used instead of therapy." And "asthma is too common. Asthma has eclipsing power." To the audience of educators from across the country and around the world he talked about P.S. 30 in the South Bronx where there are 800 children of which only one child is white. "The schools in the South Bronx are totally segregated." He went on to share experiences he had in this South Bronx neighborhood where he brought Fred Rogers to meet the children at P.S. 30. A little boy named Mario said "Welcome to my neighborhood, Mr. Rogers."
One of the concerns the speaker addressed dealt with testing. "I view with deep concern this mania for testing. If this doesn't change, it will change poetic teachers into dry technicians." He further told his audience that "A good society can only be built on systematic justice. It takes $6,000 to educate; $60,000 to incarcerate." Mr. Kozol brought tears to the eyes of his audience and raised them to their feet for a long standing ovation that endorsed his call for change in the way we educate the children entrusted to us.
Robert J. Sternberg of Yale told the audience that there is a dissociation between practical experience and work in school. He said that "intelligence is not just a single thing." In fact there are three types of intelligence: analytical, creative and practical. Memory is essential for each type of intelligence, but one can have the ability to memorize information without having much ability to use that information. Knowledge can end up being inert. In general, systems of school require memory ability much more than they require analytical, and especially creative and practical abilities. In daily life, however, during and especially after the years of schooling, analytical, creative, and practical abilities are more important than are memory abilities. He, like others, said that "Testing has become national obsession." As a result, children with the most important abilities for success in life may lose many opportunities. Worse, society loses their talents. "We create closed systems that seal off opportunities."
Theodore Sizer spoke of the Habit of Informed Skepticism. "It's not enough that a youngster knows the facts. She should know the meaning behind those facts. Those meanings transform the facts. He urges students to "Find layers of meaning behind facts." He further stated that "I cannot teach well a youngster I do not know. How many kids can I take on and know them well? "He urged educators to "rearrange the school so each teacher can know her students well." He recommended that there be consultation among teachers about kids, just as doctors have consultations in a hospital.
Howard Gardner of Project Zero and author of many books dealing with Multiple Intelligences stated that, "It is the educator's job to capitalize individual intellectual strengths." He went on to say that, "People who have taken on the challenge of redefining intelligence, as Reuven Feuerstein has done, are posing a challenge to the psychometricians. To topple an orthodoxy, propose a new set of ideas." Professor Gardner described the eight intelligences he had previously identified and suggested that there is a ninth: Spiritual/Existential. This form of intelligence asks questions about existence. It enables us "to think about things too large or too small to see."
Further he said, "We could take these intelligences seriously and create schools that appreciate and enhance these abilities. An individual-centered school would take these differences about students very seriously. It would have an assessment specialist. There would be a student curriculum broker and a school-community broker. "If you want every child to learn as much as he or she can, make the school as nurturing an environment as possible.
Among the other speakers at the conference were David Rose, co-founder of CAST (Computer Assisted Special Technology) who discussed, with insightful anecdotes, the implications of technology in education, and Professor Robbie McClintock of Columbia University Teachers College, who placed the development of technology in education in an historical time frame. Eric Cooper, of the National Urban Alliance, and a catalyst in the creation of this conference, described ways in which our perceptions about intelligence are wrong and stated that "We don't need a debate between theories. We need to join together. We can help the learner to bridge the gap between what they know and what they need to know."
As I think back over the entire conference, I am struck by the good feeling that was tangible in every session and in the spontaneous exchanges that took place between sessions. In some ways the conference was the kind of learning environment one might wish a child to experience. There were choices of subjects to be studied, enthusiasm among the members of the group and respect for and questioning of the speakers. There was a bookstore that made it possible to gather additional information for further reflection and printed information about the speakers and their work.
People left, after days of sharing insights and ideas with outstanding members of the education community, with a sense of empowerment to embrace those new ideas and to introduce them to their colleagues at home. It would be exciting to know how far-reaching the impact of this conference will be. As the ripples of enthusiasm, which were evident, spread to schools and districts across the country and around the world, there is reason to hope that children, who have waited far too long, may finally feel the joy of learning and the pleasure of knowing that the world wants them to succeed -- for their own sake and for the sake of the communities in which they live. If that is accomplished, this conference will have been an overwhelming success and a tribute to the people who brought these insightful and innovative individuals together and provided a forum that will resonate in classrooms around the world.
Merle Price can be reached at: merlep@mindspring.com
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