2 Paradigms of Learning -- In Which Paradgim is Your Training?

The findings of contemporary brain-mind research have given us a shocking new picture of our potentials and capacities as human beings. Part of this area of research is the research into human intelligence: Just what it intelligence? How do we learn? What makes us smart?

At some point in our lives, often in the early years of our schooling, most of us were given what was basically a paper-and-pencil test, where were asked to perform a variety of activities (most of which we would rarely encounter again the rest of our lives!).

Based on how we performed those activities we were assigned a number which was supposedly an indicator or our intellectual capabilities as a human being, from that point on. In school, children were tracked based on those numbers. In the workplace often one's job and/or possibility of advancement was based on scores on these so-called "intelligence" or "ability" or "aptitude" tests.

When people "bought their score", so to speak, the score became a "self-fulling prophesy" limiting their vision of what was possible for themselves

Of course you know exactly what I'm talking about here. It's the famous "IQ" or "Intelligence Quotient".

Well, the findings of those who have been investigating human intelligence have called into question almost everything we used to think intelligence was. In fact what has been revealed are two very different paradigms of intelligence.

Below is a comparison of the two paradigms. I'm calling them the "IQ Paradigm" and the "MI Paradigm":

• The IQ Paradigm: Intelligence is fixed and static at birth
  
• The MI Paradigm: Intelligence changes, grows, and expands throughout our entire life.

• The IQ Paradigm: Intelligence can be measured on paper-and-pencil tests.
• The MI Paradigm: Intelligence can only be measured accurately by its performance in life.
  

• The IQ Paradigm: Intelligence is genetically determined.
• The MI Paradigm: Intelligence is nurtured and shaped by a wide range of experiences.

• The IQ Paradigm: Intelligence = high ability in language, math, and some spatial tasks.
• The MI Paradigm: Intelligence = the range of our innate capacities for knowing, learning, and acquiring information.

• The IQ Paradigm: Your IQ score defines your intellectual capabilities in life.
• The MI Paradigm: We are a blend of eight intelligences with some more developed than others; they all can grow.

• The IQ Paradigm: Intelligence is primarily a mental function.
  
• The MI Paradigm: Intelligence occurs throughout our brain-mind-body and beyond in our social environment.

• The IQ Paradigm: Cultural differences and environment have little effect on one’s intelligence.
  
• The MI Paradigm: Different cultures emphasize the importance of certain intelligences over others.

• The IQ Paradigm: You’re stuck with the intelligence given you by nature.
• The MI Paradigm: Intelligence capacities are developmental and move from the level of novice to mastery.

• The IQ Paradigm: The key is to find out how smart people are.
• The MI Paradigm: The key is to find out HOW people are smart.

• The IQ Paradigm: Standardized intelligence assessment instruments reveal one’s intelligence capacity.
• The MI Paradigm: There is no such thing as a standardized person–we are all unique; standardized tests are invalid.

I invite you to visit a page on my website to learn about multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences (a.k.a. The 8 Kinds of Smart).

You might also find it interesting to get a profile of your own multiple intelligences and take multiple intelligence test!