Reaction to Howard Gardner’s Lecture on Multiple Intelligences and the Promotion of Good Work

I was glad I got the opportunity to see Howard Gardner’s lecture on Multiple Intelligences and the theory behind his Good Work Project.

I was most interested in the Good Work Project because I had never heard of it before, and am always excited to learn new theories and ideas.

The Good Work Project asks the question, "How much of the work we do is really meaningful?" "How many feel that they are doing their best work?" And, "How is that work impacted by society as a whole?"
Those are some deep questions to ask yourself when thinking about your career. As a teacher, these questions should be easy to answer if we are doing our jobs right. My main reason for becoming a teacher is so I can answer those questions truthfully without hesitation. A teacher’s job is meaningful and impacts society forever. And, a teacher should constantly question their work and assess themselves to answer the Good Work’s question of, “Do you feel you’re doing your best work?”

From what I gathered at the lecture, The Good Work Toolkit really revolves around Morals, Ethics, and Values. In certain times in any career, a scenario might come up where a person’s morals, ethics, and values are tested. The toolkit goes through these possibilities and discusses what one might do in certain situations.

Dr. Gardner spoke of the Boutique (sp?) Model Of Change, which explains the principle of a role model’s impact. For instance, if a teacher is engaged in the students, the curriculum, and has positive feelings toward the school, community, and education as a whole, it will rub off on other teachers and thus create an impact where those other teachers will change in a positive way. However, if a teacher is burnt out, has negative feelings toward the school, community, and education as a whole, it will rub off on other teachers and students to create an impact where they might change in a negative way. This model shows how the impact of a role model is so strong in any career.

In all, I see the Good Work Project as a great toolkit for teachers. It may be useful for new teachers who are just coming into the profession, where they can develop their own code of conduct. It can also be helpful for veteran teachers, to remind them to reassess their own work to rediscover if it is meaningful and if they are really doing their best work.

Source:
http://goodworktoolkit.org/

The Dumbest Generation? A segment from the documentary, Digital Nation

In a segment from the documentary, Digital Nation, asks the question, Is the Y generation the Dumbest Generation? Kids are learning differently than they had in previous generations because of technology. In the segment, one student said that he has never read an entire book because he doesn't have time. Instead, he goes to Spark Notes and reads the book in 5 minutes. Other students explained that when they are writing a paper for class, they will stop to check Facebook or play a game and then go back to writing the paper. Instead of having one big idea, they are writing with a lot of smaller ideas meshed together.

Professors that were interviewed about this question explained that they believe students aren't as prepared coming into college as they were 10 years ago. Students today can't read of write like previous generations could. Most people are blaming technology for this problem. Or is it a problem? Maybe education needs to adapt to the new way students are learning and living. One professor said that just because the "noun" is changing from reading a book to now watching a short clip, doesn't mean that it is neccessarily wrong. Educators just need to understand how to use the resources that are available and adapt to the new way of thinking by changing the verb!

I do agree with this. However, I also believe that this generation could possibly be the dumbest generation. In an article from USA Today, Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation, believes the cost outweighs the convenience in technology. "Kids are writing more than ever online or in text messages, but it's not the kind of narrative skill needed as adults, he says. Those forms groove bad habits, so when it comes time to produce an academic paper or when they enter the workplace, their capacity breaks down."

It is scary to think only 6% of professors believe college students come into their classes well prepared in writing, as it was noted in the documentary. I believe educators need to integrate technology into learning because it is the way students learn today, BUT, educators also need to understand that the technology distraction can take away from actually learning content. That is the hard part. It is a scary reality today.


Source:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-06-03-dumbest-generation_N.htm