Thursday, October 19, 2006

Howard Gardner's Problems with School

I don't think Howard Gardner's descriptions of different types of intelligence are very convincing, but I think he is right to question whether school is the right place for the development of various kinds of thinking. It IS hard, for example, to develop creative thought in an authoritarian environment where you are told exactly what to think most of the time.

It also seems strange that we raise our children in a completely undemocratic institution and then expect them to have the skills required to function responsibly in a democracy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligents seems to have worsened or it's just my impression? That five mind theory is just terrible.

It has absolutely nothing to do with true personalised learning to shove people into categories in order to fit utopian plans about the future of society.

It's depressing these people have power on the educational field and say all the wrong things.

Carlotta said...

Well said, Leo.