HOLISTIC EDUCATION

Sri Pelita School strongly emphasises on developing a child’s multiple intelligences through holistic development and education. This creates individuals who possess not only high IQ but high EQ (emotional intelligence) as well as EQ is specifically taught as a subject. Our experienced teachers and counselors are always on hand to help students develop:

• Confidence & self-esteem
• Responsibility & accountability
• Decision-making
• Self-management
• Communication & interpersonal skills
• Team work & leadership

Our teachers plan and conduct classes that capture students’ interest so that learning is fun and experiential for every student as their multiple intelligences are activated.
 

 

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

“It’s not how smart you are, it’s how you are smart” (Gardner, 1993) is how Howard Gardner, Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University describes multiple intelligences, his theory which has revolutionalised the educational world over the past 28 years. Gardner strongly believes that intelligence is “a property of all human beings” i.e. “all of us possess these 8 or 9 intelligences” (Gardner, 2003)

According to Gardner (1999), intelligence is much more than IQ because a high IQ that does not result in useful action is not intelligence as “Intelligence is a biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture”. Therefore, Gardner’s definition of intelligence is much wider in scope than the traditional view of intelligence largely based on linguistics and logic which he terms ‘the intellectual strengths…of a law professor’ (Gardner, 2003). Instead, Gardner views human intelligence as having many dimensions and this is reflected in its name, ‘multiple intelligences’ and he is confident that “…the monopoly of those who believe in a single general intelligence has come to an end.” (Gardner,1999). Gardner has specifically stated that the list of intelligences is not exhaustive as he started with seven (Gardner, 1983) – linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, musical intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, visual-spatial intelligence, interpersonal intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence – later adding naturalistic intelligence as an eighth intelligence. Existential intelligence is a possible ninth intelligence, and he is considering including spiritual intelligence (Gardner, 1998) (Gardner, 2003).

In Frames of Mind (Gardner, 1983), Gardner proposed a conceptual framework of seven intelligences, later revised to eight intelligences (Gardner, 1999), that can be used to identify any individual’s specific cohort of intelligences, thereby providing teachers with a tool to determine each student’s intelligences. By understanding a student’s abilities and weaknesses teachers can modify the delivery of the curriculum to meet each student’s needs thereby providing learner centred teaching and learning which enables all students to succeed using his or own special talent.

Teachers and educators, particularly primary and secondary teachers (Gardner, 2003) have embraced Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences that validates their everyday practice as they observe that human talents go way beyond the limitations of pen and paper. Not only do they educate students excelling in the traditional highly logic and language based intelligences in the time-honoured academic disciplines of language and literature, mathematics and sciences, teachers also instruct students gifted in expressive and performing arts, music, sport as well as occupational or vocational skills.

- Indranee Liew
October 2011

References:
Gardner, H. (2003). Multiple intelligences after twenty years. Proceedings of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois, April 21, 2003, http://pzweb.harvard.edu/pis/hg_mi_after_20_years.pdf
Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1998). Are there additional intelligences? The case for naturalist, spiritual, and existential intelligences. In J. Kane (Ed.), Education, information, and transformation (pp. 111-131). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill-Prentice Hall.
Gardner, H. (1995). Reflections on multiple intelligences. Phi Delta Kappan, 77(3), 200-208.
Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.

 

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING (S.E.L.)

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a unique subject that teaches children and teens skills they need to function well at home, school and in society. SEL focuses on creating awareness of two MI, interpersonal intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence. Daniel Goldman introduced this concept to the public through his two bestsellers, Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence.

Through SEL, Sri Pelita students learn fundamental skills for living effective lives. SEL classes teach skills through interactive and experiential activities. SEL focuses on five core skills:

• self-awareness
• self-management
• social awareness
• relationship skills
• responsible decision-making

What are the benefits of SEL?

SEL reduces negative behavior and improves students’ positive behaviour:

• social-emotional skills
• attitudes about self and others
• social interactions

Research shows that SEL improves students’ academic performance and attitudes toward school.