"I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing." - Socrates
Tonight we are going to discuss Intelligence Tests.
I was dyslexic, I had no understanding of schoolwork whatsoever. I certainly would have failed IQ tests. And it was one of the reasons I left school when I was 15 years old. And if I - if I'm not interested in something, I don't grasp it.
These are those pesky little tests that show a day in the time of a student and are probably not completely accurate for the lifetime of said person.
Although I doubt that Mensa would agree with me; a number of the university textbooks the boy has have basically said that an intelligence test is noway an accurate measure of what a student is capable of.
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.
The cuter half and I were discussing this actual thing while in the car....the boy had showed a quote to the cute one and the boy was quite, um, well, lets say "disconcerted" about how it appears that most gen ed teachers are thinking that special ed kids are essentially stupid (the boy said, "morons"). The boy has even seen things that indicate that most incoming/new teachers do not want that kind of kid in their classrooms.
There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
Naturally he is disturbed by this and the next big question he has had, "How many of my teachers really felt this way?" His normal reaction is to think all of them; more so since he had transitioned from a therapeutic day school to a gen school. He is feeling this way even more so now that he is in university. He keeps talking about the teachers in special ed who assume most special ed students are morons.....one even indicated that by using spelling words; cat, and, tv.
Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the guidance of another.
The boy is beyond anxious now. He is worried that most people believe that people like him are generally stupid. The fact is that he was damn lucky to have the core teachers he had at the therapeutic day school and he tried and still does try damn hard.
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
It makes me wonder how often these kids are left in the lurch because most educators do not wish to bother, take the time or even try to understand where these kids are coming from.
We know that a goodly number of educators firmly believe that the parents of special ed students (the parents with expectations) are beyond psycho....or at least extreme nut job weirdo freaks (we are all of that - at least that is what we have been told). My usual reaction to educators like that is: until you live it, don't tell us what we are doing wrong. Come here and try it out for a week....you wouldn't last 24 hours. (Wimps - they all refuse)
The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people.
Thinking of that, I remember an early IEP where the teacher kept telling me what to do, and I finally asked her if she had a disabled kid at home. She told me she did not. My response was, "Well, until you have one of your own, you really do not know what living with one is like. Maybe you should have a disabled child then come back and we can talk about what I need to do." I know I have mentioned this before but the thinking of it.....sometimes these things come back to us when we least expect it.
Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.
The students my son is in classes with want to believe he is stupid (this is what he has told us). He is so frustrated with the impression; because once someone gets past the "dopey" part you can get a person who is really intelligent and has a lot of thoughts and ideas. It is kind of like pulling caramel out of a pan....it takes some effort and to do it right takes a lot of time.....but in the end it is worth it.
Which, what it all comes down to is prejudice. Many people have a distinct prejudice against the disabled students. Our son sees it regularly and often mostly now with professors.... one even told him that he would NEVER pass her class and he needed to change his major. SERIOUSLY?! He was devastated....his reaction was classic and he will be tutoring in that subject (we are still trying to rake the $$ together- its expensive).
An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.
And yes it goes back to people talking and not really knowing anything about what they are talking about. Live it; do it; make your kid MORE than what some stuffed shirt doctor tells you they can be and PUSH - then come back and tell me how hard it is. Otherwise it is all just talking and most people who don't really know the drill are the ones out there doing all the talking....
Genius ain't anything more than elegant common sense.
Basement goals is NOT where it is at any more. Basements are cliche..... go for the maximum your kid can do and don't hold back. Another thing - Living off social security is not an entitlement. It is there for people who really need it - not those who can work more, do better and try harder.
Genius might be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way.
*** you have to click on the link to see who said the quote***
I was dyslexic, I had no understanding of schoolwork whatsoever. I certainly would have failed IQ tests. And it was one of the reasons I left school when I was 15 years old. And if I - if I'm not interested in something, I don't grasp it.
These are those pesky little tests that show a day in the time of a student and are probably not completely accurate for the lifetime of said person.
Although I doubt that Mensa would agree with me; a number of the university textbooks the boy has have basically said that an intelligence test is noway an accurate measure of what a student is capable of.
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.
The cuter half and I were discussing this actual thing while in the car....the boy had showed a quote to the cute one and the boy was quite, um, well, lets say "disconcerted" about how it appears that most gen ed teachers are thinking that special ed kids are essentially stupid (the boy said, "morons"). The boy has even seen things that indicate that most incoming/new teachers do not want that kind of kid in their classrooms.
There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
Naturally he is disturbed by this and the next big question he has had, "How many of my teachers really felt this way?" His normal reaction is to think all of them; more so since he had transitioned from a therapeutic day school to a gen school. He is feeling this way even more so now that he is in university. He keeps talking about the teachers in special ed who assume most special ed students are morons.....one even indicated that by using spelling words; cat, and, tv.
Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the guidance of another.
The boy is beyond anxious now. He is worried that most people believe that people like him are generally stupid. The fact is that he was damn lucky to have the core teachers he had at the therapeutic day school and he tried and still does try damn hard.
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
It makes me wonder how often these kids are left in the lurch because most educators do not wish to bother, take the time or even try to understand where these kids are coming from.
We know that a goodly number of educators firmly believe that the parents of special ed students (the parents with expectations) are beyond psycho....or at least extreme nut job weirdo freaks (we are all of that - at least that is what we have been told). My usual reaction to educators like that is: until you live it, don't tell us what we are doing wrong. Come here and try it out for a week....you wouldn't last 24 hours. (Wimps - they all refuse)
The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people.
Thinking of that, I remember an early IEP where the teacher kept telling me what to do, and I finally asked her if she had a disabled kid at home. She told me she did not. My response was, "Well, until you have one of your own, you really do not know what living with one is like. Maybe you should have a disabled child then come back and we can talk about what I need to do." I know I have mentioned this before but the thinking of it.....sometimes these things come back to us when we least expect it.
Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.
The students my son is in classes with want to believe he is stupid (this is what he has told us). He is so frustrated with the impression; because once someone gets past the "dopey" part you can get a person who is really intelligent and has a lot of thoughts and ideas. It is kind of like pulling caramel out of a pan....it takes some effort and to do it right takes a lot of time.....but in the end it is worth it.
Which, what it all comes down to is prejudice. Many people have a distinct prejudice against the disabled students. Our son sees it regularly and often mostly now with professors.... one even told him that he would NEVER pass her class and he needed to change his major. SERIOUSLY?! He was devastated....his reaction was classic and he will be tutoring in that subject (we are still trying to rake the $$ together- its expensive).
An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.
And yes it goes back to people talking and not really knowing anything about what they are talking about. Live it; do it; make your kid MORE than what some stuffed shirt doctor tells you they can be and PUSH - then come back and tell me how hard it is. Otherwise it is all just talking and most people who don't really know the drill are the ones out there doing all the talking....
Genius ain't anything more than elegant common sense.
Basement goals is NOT where it is at any more. Basements are cliche..... go for the maximum your kid can do and don't hold back. Another thing - Living off social security is not an entitlement. It is there for people who really need it - not those who can work more, do better and try harder.
Genius might be the ability to say a profound thing in a simple way.
*** you have to click on the link to see who said the quote***
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