How intelligent are you? (Part 1)

What is your first reaction when given this question? Spontaneously asking yourselves “How intelligent am I?” Then you might try to recall things you have done or learned so far and think about how smart you are? You might feel so proud of yourselves from the thought that, you are intelligent. Or you might feel “shrink” inside from the thought that you haven’t achieved anything big or haven’t learned as much as people or you yourselves think you should have. Then you conclude that you are not smart or not intelligent.

Or are you questioning the question back?  Let’s go over it, shall we?

In our society as well, either in Western or Eastern, people still commonly believe that intelligence does much to determine someone’s future and fate. Many schools use intelligence measurement or IQ test as a tool to decide whether or not a child could be accepted. Then they proudly admit that their school rank high as the students accepted there are those with high IQ score.

The students’ intelligence is measured through a standardized test, the “one-size-fits-all” test that offers students no options but gives limited or sometimes predetermined answers. The test never put any other conditions into consideration. The only consideration is how many numbers you have answered correctly!

This phenomenon has led teachers, students, and parents to stressful situations. They look for ways to help students to achieve a high score. They have an extra hundred hours to review lessons to anticipate the upcoming test. Their intelligence is being graded! And the grade will have a tremendous impact on a child’s academic future! Good grades mean good colleges, good colleges mean good jobs, and if you have a good job, you will have a prosperous life. This cycle goes on like this.

What are these numbers? What are these grades? What do they truly say about intelligence?

What is in a test? Numbers, words? Do they  measure the whole intelligence – (if you believe in multiple intelligences?)

What is intelligence, by the way?

To be continued in Part 2