“An educator’s principal purpose is to enhance the growth of every child. When children are labeled ‘unready’ or ’slow learners’ because of standardized test results, their educational opportunities generally become narrow, uninteresting, and unchallenging.”
—Vito Perrone, Harvard Graduate School of Education
According to an article on web site, Association for Childhood Education International, curriculum testing on children can be inappropriate:
- Results in decreased motivation to learn and sets children up for failure
- Doesn’t improve learning and can decrease learning
- Narrows the curriculum, reduces instruction to rote memorization
- Becomes the basis for important decisions for kindergarten entrance, promotion and retention in grades and special education placement (appropriate in some cases)
- Forces teachers to prepare children to take test, undermining efforts to provide developmentally appropriate programs that meets the interest of individual children
I believe the nine multiple-intelligence theories of developmental psychologist Howard Gardner should be measured throughout the middle aged years. They are: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic (movement), interpersonal and intrapersonal (social understanding and self-understanding, naturalistic (understanding of nature) and existential. Existential is asking questions about life and death (Berger, 2009). I remember having a friend named Tracy in the sixth grade. I thought she was so intelligent. She was very smart in all her subjects and along with her academic expertise, she ran cross-country track and was so good at running that she was part of the junior Olympic team (bodily-kinesthetic).
Multiple Intelligences in China~ Ivy Schools in China:
Beijing, China. On June 2nd, Julie Viens, Manager Director of Multiple Intelligences Institute, was interviewed by popular Chinese websites “Yaolan.com” and “Redmama.com”.
During the interview conducted by Hong Hai Zi, Julie introduced the research process and historical practice of Multiple Intelligences (MI) as a response to the prevalent theory of traditional IQ. She explained that just as MI theory is focused on children, so should every education courses be focused on children.
Regarding the evaluation of Multiple Intelligence Schools, Julie had two responses. First, she questioned whether every teacher was able to understand each child with MI theory, and then develop the appropriately individualized curriculum. Second, she noted that current teaching practices were not uniform but varied in nature. Julie then observed that though China was becoming increasingly familiar with MI theory, very few Chinese schools were able to implement MI theory well.
Ms. Viens said that though she did not know many schools in China, she knew that Ivy Schools were the only kindergarten to practice MI education in accordance with the essence of MI Theory. Through photos and text, teachers recorded the growth and progress of the children. By using a variety of teaching methods, teachers inspired and helped children to understand the world and their selves. Also, all Ivy Schools teachers felt that the MI online tools helped enable meaningful communication with parents. Through regular and personal teacher-parent meetings, parents could see for themselves how MI theory and practices had benefited their children.
References:
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Gardner, H. (2006). Development and Education of the Mind: The Selected Works of Howard Gardner. Taylor & Francis Routledge.
