Unbossed and
unbought news and information you can use
Vol. 14 No. 51…Dedicated to the Dialogue on
Race…December 21, 2011
Bit of History
Howard Gardner
Born
July 11, 1943 in
In 1966,
With funding from
the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Project Zero developed into a major research
center for education. In the late 1970s, the center established the Project on
Human Potential to "assess the state of scientific knowledge concerning
human potential and its realization." This work resulted in Frames of Mind
(1983), which lays out Dr. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. In it,
Dr. Gardner essentially argues that humans possess "a unique blend of
intelligences." He identified seven provisional ones, i.e., linguistic,
logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal and
intrapersonal, and argued against the notion that there exists but a single
human intelligence that can be assessed by standard psychometric instruments.
Dr. Gardner believes
these intelligences are amoral - they can be put to constructive or destructive
use." So, the big challenge facing the deployment of human resources 'is
how to best take advantage of the uniqueness conferred on us as a species
exhibiting several intelligences'.
Dr. Gardner is the
John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the
Harvard Graduate School of Education. He also holds positions as Adjunct
Professor of Psychology at
In 2004, Dr. Gardner
was named an Honorary Professor at
He has authored more
than twenty books, which have been translated into twenty-seven languages, and
hundreds of articles. In addition to Frames of Mind (1983), his books include
The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts and Standardized Tests, The K-12 Education
that Every Child Deserves (2000), Intelligence Reframed (2000), Good Work: When
Excellence and Ethics Meet (2001), Changing Minds: The Art and Science of
Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds (2004), and Making Good: How Young
People Cope with Moral Dilemmas at Work (2004), Multiple Intelligences: New
Horizons, The Development and Education of the Mind (2006), and Howard Gardner
Under Fire.
During the past
twenty five years, Dr. Gardner and his colleagues at Project Zero have been
working on the design of performance-based assessments, education for
understanding, and the use of multiple intelligences to achieve more
personalized curriculum, instruction, and assessment. He is married to Ellen
Winner, a developmental psychologist who teaches at
Multiple
Intelligences
In Frames of Mind,
Dr. Howard Gardner introduces his theory of multiple intelligences. He views
intelligence as 'the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are
valued in one or more cultural setting'. And, while the theory of multiple
intelligences has not been readily accepted within academic psychology, his
theory has received a positive response from many educators. The theory of
multiple intelligences has been embraced by a range of educational theorists
and applied by teachers and policymakers to the problems of schooling.
According
to Mindy L. Kornhaber, a researcher involved with Project Zero, teachers and
policymakers in North America have responded positively to multiple
intelligences, because "the theory validates educators' everyday
experience: students think and learn in many different ways. It also provides
educators with a conceptual framework for organizing and reflecting on
curriculum assessment and pedagogical practices. In turn, this reflection has
led many educators to develop new approaches that might better meet the needs
of the range of learners in their classrooms."
Dr. Gardner
initially formulated a provisional list of seven intelligences. The first two
have been typically valued in schools; the next three are usually associated
with the arts; and the final two are what
Linguistic
intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability
to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain
goals. This intelligence includes the ability to effectively use language to
express oneself rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember
information. Writers, poets, lawyers and speakers are among those that Dr.
Gardner sees as having high linguistic intelligence.
Logical-mathematical
intelligence consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out
mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. In Dr.
Gardner's words, it entails the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively
and think logically. This intelligence is most often associated with scientific
and mathematical thinking.
Musical intelligence
involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical
patterns. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches,
tones, and rhythms. According to Dr. Gardner musical intelligence runs in an
almost structural parallel to linguistic intelligence.
Bodily-kinesthetic
intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the
body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate
bodily movements. Dr. Gardner sees mental and physical activity as related.
Spatial intelligence
involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more
confined areas.
Interpersonal
intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions,
motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively
with others. Educators, salespeople, religious and political leaders and
counselors all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.
Intrapersonal
intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's
feelings, fears and motivations. In Dr. Gardner's view it involves having an
effective working model of ourselves, and to be able to use such information to
regulate our lives.
Since the
publication of Frames of Mind (1983), there has been a great deal of discussion
as to other possible candidates for inclusion in the list of intelligences.
Candidates include naturalist intelligence, which enables human beings to
recognize, categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment,
spiritual, moral and existential intelligences. Of this list, Dr. Gardner has
added an eighth intelligence - naturalist intelligence. The verdict is out on
the others.
By John Burl Smith
Similar to a needle
sliding across a record, the sounds emanating from Florida Agricultural and
Mechanical University (FAMU) over the past few weeks are more than sour notes.
They tell a saga of unbelievable tragedy that has lovers of marching bands
shaken to the core. This nightmarish scenario became public on 
November
19, 2011 when the body of Robert Champion, a drum major with the FAMU Marching
100, was discovered dead aboard the band's bus in front of an
Speculation is that
his death was the result of hazing by some band members. Hazing is a term used
to describe initiation rituals -- which include punching, paddling, slapping
and verbal abuse -- pledges must endure to become members of secret and/or
underground societies. Students who spoke anonymously said Champion's death may
have resulted from a ritual called "crossing Bus C" in which a band
member has to walk from the front to the back of the bus while being beaten by
band mates. College hazing has resulted in hundreds of student deaths over the
years, and regardless of the number of deaths, injuries, negative news stories
and college crackdowns, it continues.
Many questions
surround the death of this talented young man, who at an early age fell in love
with music while watching holiday parades on television with his family.
Champion, who was 26 at his death, picked up his first clarinet in the fifth
grade and dreamed of becoming the youngest drum major ever at
Vowing to break what
he calls a "code of silence" surrounding hazing rituals and pledging
to cooperate fully with the investigation, FAMU president, James Ammons
suspended performances by the famed Marching 100 indefinitely. Ammons was hired
more than four years ago as part of a clean up of intractable problems at the
university, such as unverifiable financial records and questionable
contracting, as well as, an inability to account for millions of dollars in
inventory. Last week, FAMU's board of trustees publicly reprimanded Ammons
after a contentious debate over whether he should have been placed on leave for
his handling of the fallout surrounding Champion's death.
As controversy
swirls regarding hazing and whether FAMU officials did enough when past
incidents were brought to their attention, several students have come forward
to shed light on the role of hazing and underground secret organizations among
members of the Marching 100. According to victims, "the hazing tradition
has long haunted the university." A former clarinet player, Ivery Luckey,
was hospitalized after he was hit with a paddle about 300 times in 1998. Former
band member Marcus Parker says he suffered kidney damage following a hazing
paddling ritual in 2001.
Even more tragic,
Champion was observed by witnesses vomiting while telling them he was unable to
breathe after he was pounded by band members aboard the band bus, and no one
did anything to help him. Approximately two weeks earlier, another Florida A&M
student, Bria Shante Hunter, a freshman clarinet player, told police she was
severely beaten in a hazing ritual. According to Hunter's report to
Madison and Kimberly
Hunter said they knew nothing of their daughter's ordeal until a phone call in
early November. "I could tell something was wrong, but didn't know the
extent until I saw Bria that weekend. She was walking stiff-legged and when she
tried to get into the car she couldn't bend her legs. She basically told me
they had been punching her on her legs." On Nov. 7, Hunter was taken to
the hospital by ambulance and doctors told police she had a cracked femur, deep
bone bruising and blood clots in her legs. The Hunters said they contacted band
director Dr. Julian White and he said he would take action immediately.
White's future at
FAMU is currently under review by the board of trustees. White was fired, but
that decision was reversed and now he is on paid administrative leave. It is
unclear, whether White had any knowledge of the secret organizations and their
underground activities. Concomitantly, it is very difficult to believe that
White was unaware of what was taking place on his watch, since band members say
"if you didn't join one of three underground groups -- the
"Clones," "Red Dawgs" and "Gustapos" - you aren't
accepted and "will be considered lame."
There seems to be
more than enough blame and liability to go around when one considers band
director White, School President Ammons and the Board of Trustee's timid action
or lack of decisive action in past hazing incidents. Their indifference or lack
of due diligence in regards to student safety has ended in 
tragedy
for Robert Champion, ruined the lives of several students and left indelible
scars on so many others. Three students -- Sean Hobson, 23, and Aaron Golson,
19, have been charged with hazing and battery, and James Harris, 22, is charged
with hazing. The three are out on bond.
Ms Hunter finished
her exams and decided to return to
Finally, sour notes
of regret reverberate through the empty halls of FAMU's band rooms, while a
dark cloud of suspension hangs over marching bands at all levels in many
states. Moreover, as a result, many young people and their parents are
rethinking whether or not to become involved with the wonderful activity of
music. Although, it is the kind of incident that should give one pause, everyone
should be careful not to stereotype the activity as bad because of the alleged
actions at one school and relatively few individuals regardless of their
agenda. Contrarily, this incident should cause everyone to resolve to root out
any vestige of this brutal, barbaric and inhumane ritual wherever it rears its
hideous head. (Sources: www.latimes.com, http://abcnews.go.com, www.upi.com,
http://blogs.ajc.com, and http://blogs.ajc.com)
Throwing Baby Out with the Bath Water
By John Burl Smith
On Thursday night
(12/15/11) bewildered parents and band booster club members of Southwest DeKalb
High School (SWDHS) in 
least
30 days. Metaphorically, her action "threw the baby out with the bath
water." Walter Woods, spokesman for the
Woods only said,
"There were two separate and unrelated incidents at two schools over the
summer that came to the central office and internal affairs started looking
into the incidences. Students involved were not injured enough to be treated at
a hospital. Our interest is in protecting students, and the safety of the
students. Internal affairs and senior staff started interviewing band
directors, principals, students in bands, parents and the community. The
system's investigation unearthed some troubling finds. We have notified schools
to be vigilant of our existing policy, which is zero tolerance for harassment
of any kind. After doing an overall assessment (which still isn't complete) a
report went to the superintendent who then decided to suspend band
activities."
Woods refused to
identify the schools involved and gave no details about the alleged acts or
explain how the events at FAMU had a direct link to SWDHS. Woods left it to the
public's imagination to make a connection between his vague associations
regarding Robert Champion, who died and Bria Hunter, who was injured, both
former Southwest DeKalb High School students and victims of alleged hazing at
FAMU, with current band members and school personnel at SWDHS, when he said
"the decision comes as a partial response to the recent hazing scandal at
Florida A&M University.
Rather than acting
on the information the school system had gathered over the last four months
from the investigation of the two schools where problems occurred, Superintendent
Atkinson unilaterally issued a blanket suspension that unjustly tainted 19
other marching band programs. Such an arbitrary decision gives cover to those
schools actually guilty of "inappropriate activities."
Thus far,
Superintendent Atkinson has not faced the public to answer questions or provide
written justification for her action. Mrs. Atkinson, who has only been on the
job a few months (8/14/11), seems to be hiding behind Woods and the media to
cover her backside, when her precipitous action blows up in her face. For
instance Mr. Woods said in a subsequent statement, "Thursday morning, the
district began the arduous task of interviewing every director, assistant
director, student, teacher, parent and principal associated with any of DeKalb's
21 bands. We've documented at least one incident that happened over the summer,
at one school, and it just came to light. That incident was 'inappropriate
behavior,' not hazing. We don't know if any inappropriate behavior happened
here [at any other schools], but we need to ensure that our students are
safe." Now, rather than "throw the baby out," Mrs. Atkinson has
decided to simply drown the baby in confusion about hazing instead.
Even if some type of
"inappropriate activities" is identified at two or three schools, the
damage to other spotless programs and students will have already been done.
More specifically, several students that attend Stephenson High School loss the
opportunity to compete for 5 scholarships that were awarded by Alabama 
A&M
at marching band competition held last weekend (12/17/11), because DeKalb
County school have been banned from participating. Obviously, Superintendent
Atkinson made this decision without considering that December begins prime
recruiting season for college and university band directors and placing such an
onerous stigma on
Discussing the
situation Thursday night SWDHS parents and boosters felt that since not one
iota of evidence connecting hazing at FAMU with SWDHS has been presented and
without presenting any factual statement from a student presently enrolled at
any DeKalb County school, taking such a harsh action which damns the hopes of
many needy students, who without a band scholarship have little or no chance of
attending college, was not only callous but rash. Given the history of the
school board's past budget cuts for music, the new superintendent may be using
hazing at FAMU as a pretext to please budget cutting hawks, who feel music is
only entertainment. Moreover, parents indicated they believe to take such an
action before coming to the community that one works for and elicit input on
such a far reaching decision shows not only arrogance but contempt for those
one is supposed to be serving.
Although tremendous
damage has been done by the superintendent's rush to judgment, unanimously,
those in attendance demanded an immediate rescission of her suspension as the
only way to begin to heal the deep wounds her ill-considered action caused.
(Sources: www.cbsatlanta.com, www.newsday.com, http://online.wsj.com and http://blogs.ajc.com)
Music: More than Entertainment
By John Burl Smith
A report by
researchers at
While advocating for
the introduction of music or increasing music classes in school curriculum,
these researchers said the studies reviewed suggests that "the effect of
music training is akin to the effect of physical exercise and its impact on
body fitness. Music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory
fitness." Further research has led investigators to believe that
"this sensory-motor response allows the fetus to begin learning language
in utero. This information suggests that prenatal exposure to music can be used
to enhance a baby's development, and perhaps alleviate or minimize some
developmental delays.
Although many more
studies are needed, this preliminary work has far reaching implications for
music and its role in the learning process. Dr. Alfred Tomatis, whose research
discovered "anecdotal evidence of people remembering melodies that had
been played while in utero, believes we need to implement this knowledge in
early childhood by providing activities that encourage active listening skills.
Such activities can include rhythm stick activities, imitating vocal sounds,
and marching."
Moreover, Howard
Gardner has posited that there are at least eight different types of
intelligence. He cites music as the first of the multiple intelligences to become
functional in a person. "The single most important thing in education is
for each person to find at least one thing that he/she connects to, gets
excited by, feels motivated to spend more time doing." For many children,
music is that thing.
Studies by Phyllis
Weikert reveal the importance of the ability to keep a steady beat -- an
ability that should be in place by age two to three, and its linked to adequate
linguistic development. In her study only 10 percent of kindergarten students
could keep a steady beat. The prime time to help students develop this ability
is before age seven. Older students and adults without this ability in place
are predisposed to deficiencies in other skills that they will not be able to
overcome. Being able to keep a steady beat helps a person to feel the cadence
(rhythm) of language and involves the vestibular system (part of the ear
related to balance and movement).
Research is showing
that infants whose mothers talk to them a lot have 131 more words at twenty
months than other toddlers and 295 more at twenty-four months. Movement and
rhythm stimulate the frontal lobes and enrich language and motor development.
Chris Brewer and Don Campbell in Rhythms of Learning state that emphasis on
early acquisition of reading, writing, math and other symbol systems may
actually cause children to develop awkward and inappropriate methods of
understanding these symbols. If this information is given to a child before
they are neurologically ready, it may result in meaningless memorization. These
children may have impulse control problems because they need to move to think
and may act before thinking it all the way through.
A natural partner to
music is movement. Movement is a nonverbal response for children who do not yet
have language ability. The vestibular system must be activated for learning to
take place. It comes from the inner ear mechanism, the semicircular canals and
cochlea. The eighth cranial nerve pair carries auditory information from the
ear to the brain. These connect through the vestibular system to all the
muscles of the body. All learning in the first fifteen months of life is
centered on the vestibular system development. Disturbance to the vestibular
system can cause learning difficulties. This highlights the importance of
movement in the beginning years to strengthen the vestibular system and ready
the brain for learning.
Don Campbell, author
of The Mozart Effect, states, "Movement is an absolute necessity for a
toddler, and music stimulates the best kinds of movement." The brain works
by electrical current thereby needing oxygen and water to function well.
Movement helps to provide one of these two elements, oxygen. Another wonderful
thing happens with movement. The brain produces a neuro-chemical called endorphins.
This chemical causes a feeling of energy and makes the brain more conducive to
learning. Movement and rhythm stimulate the frontal lobes, important in
language development. This portion of the brain grows between the ages of two
and six. It has another growth spurt at around the age of twenty-two.
The real magic of
music is that it not only uses both hemispheres, but each quadrant of the brain
processes a different component of music. Human beings learn 10 percent of what
they read, 20 percent of what they hear, 30 percent of what they see, 50
percent of what they see and hear, 70 percent of what is discussed, 80 percent
of what is experienced and 95% of what is actively taught. Early childhood
experiences that get the child involved in the total process will yield the
greatest results.
Ellen Winner and
Lois Hetland of Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero found
demonstrable links between experiences with music and drama and increases in
certain cognitive skills. They reviewed of 50 years of arts education research,
analyzing 188 relevant studies. Based on 45 reports, they found evidence that
spatial-temporal reasoning improves when children learn to make music.
Research is showing
that music has a positive impact on learning, and that action such as banning
marching band and budgetary cuts in art and music put children further behind
in subjects like reading, math and language arts. Such actions are "penny
wise and pound foolish." (Sources: www.hindustantimes.com,
www.earlychildhoodnews.com, http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu, and www.educationoasis.com)
Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls
Email www.alternet.org...Fraternity Suspended for
Asking Members Who They'd Like to Rape...By Lauren Kelley...I went to a large,
private football school that was 
at
least 80% "Greek," and I lived right next to the frat houses. So
believe me, I get that fraternities and the women's studies set do not much
overlap. But even by fraternities' generally low standards for lady-respect,
this is vile: The University of Vermont temporarily suspended a fraternity
after a questionable questionnaire. Administrators call the social survey
"highly-offensive" because of a question about rape....The SigEp
survey starts with typical questions: name, major, favorite memories. But, the
final question drew the eye of the UVM administration. It reads: "If I
could rape someone, who would it be?" Apparently this particular frat was already
on probation for alcohol violations, and now women's rights groups on the
campus are calling for the fraternity to be shut down for good. As of Tuesday,
a petition to that effect had received over 1,000 signatures, and a rally is
scheduled at the school today. After the chapter's survey went public, school
administrators got the national fraternity involved. "Any behavior that
demeans women is not tolerated by the fraternity," the group said in a
statement.
Email http://blog.masslive.com...U.S. House
rejects Senate plan to extend unemployment and payroll tax cut; 
members
begin vacation...By Robert Rizzuto...Following the rejection of the bipartisan
Senate measure for a two-month extension to the payroll tax cut and
unemployment benefits, most members of the U.S. House of Representatives were
planning to leave the nation's capital for holiday vacation. The Republican-led
House vowed to reject the measure earlier this week, citing their displeasure
with the compromised bill. On Tuesday afternoon, they voted 229 to 193 to
re-open negotiations with the Senate, which effectively kills the bill without
allowing supporters to vote for its approval. House Speaker John Boehner,
R-Ohio, said that a two-month extension was unacceptable as House Republicans
favored a one-year extension to the benefits. Senators from both parties said
the two-month extension was a stop-gap measure that would alleviate the
financial fears of 160 million Americans over the holiday season while allowing
enough time for lawmakers to negotiate about how to pay for a further
extension. Without further action, the payroll tax rate will revert to 6.2
percent on Jan. 1. Long-term unemployed citizens will see their benefits
disappear on Jan. 1 and there will be a 27 percent decrease in doctors'
Medicare reimbursements.
Email www.sciencedaily.com...Why do we stick
up for a system or institution we live in--a government, company, or
marriage--even when anyone else can see it is failing miserably? Why do we
resist change even when the system is 
corrupt
or unjust? A new article in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a
journal published by the Association for Psychological Science, illuminates the
conditions under which we're motivated to defend the status quo--a process
called "system justification." System justification isn't the same as
acquiescence, explains Aaron C. Kay, a psychologist at