This week we are INTELLECTUAL
“Wellingtonians must move into the world able to think critically and to engage in deep
learning. They will be able to study beyond the bounds of any curriculum, to be inquisitive and ask questions of
everything around them, and be imbued with a love of life-long learning”.
Julian Thomas, Master, Wellington College
What does it mean to be intellectual?
From the Latin intellectualis from intellectus (understanding) from intellegere (understand). Oxford English Dictionary.
It is well known that at Wellington we do not ask “How intelligent is your child?” but rather “in what ways is your
child intelligent”? (
www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk). For all children
are intelligent and they are intelligent in many different ways. At Wellington, we believe that everyone possesses 8
intelligences or aptitudes:
- Moral
- Spiritual
- Logical
- Linguistic
- Physical
- Cultural
- Social
- Personal
By supporting education within a framework of aptitudes, we believe that the wellbeing of the whole child is promoted. This framework sits seamlessly with the Early Years Foundation Stage (
www.gov.uk) and supports the seven defined areas of learning and development which form
the basis of the Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai curriculum. Wellington’s commitment to a full, holistic and
balanced education is rooted in Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences (
www.howardgardner.com). A Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard
Graduate School of Education, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and Senior Director of Harvard
Project Zero, Gardner developed his Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. His
theory is a critique of the standard psychological view of intellect; that there is a single intelligence measured by IQ
or other short answer tests. The theory of MI claims that human beings have a number of relatively discrete intellectual
capacities. Analogising intelligences to computers, Gardner infers that belief in a single intelligence (IQ) implies
that humans possess a single general-purpose computer which can perform well (high IQ), average (normal IQ) or poorly
(low IQ). His MI theory, however implies that human beings possess several relatively independent computers; strength in
one computer does not predict strength (or weakness) with other computers. Essentially, being good at one thing doesn’t
mean you have a tendency to be good at everything; possessing a high IQ is no indication of your complete intellectual
profile. Humans, we know, are more complex than a computer!
The implications of Multiple Intelligence: Scientific
- The intelligences constitute the human intellectual toolkit and at any one moment, a human being will have a
unique profile.
- Each human being has a distinct intellectual profile.
The implications of Multiple Intelligences: Educational
- Personalisation – since all human beings have their own unique profile, we should take that into account when
teaching, mentoring and nurturing. We should teach individuals in ways that they can learn and assess them in ways
that allow them to show what they have understood.
- Pluralisation – ideas, concepts and skill should be taught in several different ways. By doing so, you reach more
students (www.multipleintelligences.org).
The essence of MI is an acknowledgement that we are all
UNIQUE
individual who learn, process and apply our understanding of the world around us differently. This
UNIQUENESS is something to be celebrated and promoted, especially
in the early years when children are at their most inquisitive. Learning opportunities need to be presented to children
in various ways, so that children find the way that works best for them. The characteristics of effective learning for
young children have been defined within the EYFS as:
- Playing and exploring (engagement)
- Active learning (motivation)
- Creating and thinking critically (thinking)
It is the intention of early years’ practitioners to set such opportunities for learning in response to the individual
and personal needs, preferences and strengths of the children within their care. To do so requires dedication and the
knowledge of each child’s character so that they feel empowered to learn, take risks and have a go, get things wrong and
enjoy achieving what they set out to do, no matter how they get there. We are not all the same and education should
reflect our uniqueness.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will
spend its whole life thinking it is stupid.”
Albert Einstein.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday 8th June – 100 Days of Friendship. A celebration of 100
days of learning, playing and building our Wellington community together.
Thursday 9th & Friday 10th June – Dragon Boat Festival holiday.
Please note we are CLOSED on these dates. We will welcome the pupils back on Monday 13th June.
