Creating the Future

Creating the Future Perspectives on Educational Change, compiled and edited by Dee Dickinson, is an e-book found on the New Horizons for Learning website. Three articles in the book deal with intelligence.

• David Perkins - Mindware and the Metacurriculum
  
  
• Howard Gardner - Intelligence in Seven Steps
  
  
• Robert J. Sternberg - Triarchic Abilities Test

To find the articles, either click on the above author's name, or go to the book's table of contents at http://www.newhorizons.org/future/Creating_the_Future/crfut_frontend.html

Even though the New Horizons for Learning has "retired", many of the articles on the site are still pertinent to educators at all levels and subjects. The homepage is located at http://www.newhorizons.org/index.html

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THSP Blog Mile Markers

We here at the Teaching High School Psychology (THSP) Blog are rapidly approaching a number of milestones in the next few weeks. Since our humble beginnings nine months ago, the blog has continued to grow and expand in a number of measurable areas.

In the coming weeks we will reach:

• our 300th blog posting,
• our 200th person receiving the THSP Blog via email using the Feedburner program,
• having 50 people listed as followers of the blog and
  
• having an average of 10,000 hits per month.
  

Thanks to all of you for making the THSP Blog such a success. Thanks for visiting, sending suggestions and spreading the word to other psychology teachers. We, the moderators, could not have done it without your help.

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The History of Military Testing

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is currently used by all of the armed services in the United States as a means to screen recruits. The official ASVAB website includes a brief history of Military Testing. That history includes a link to sample questions from the Army Alpha and Beta tests used in the early 1900's.

The History of Military Testing can be found at http://www.official-asvab.com/history_res.htm and the homepage for the ASVAB testing can be found at http://www.official-asvab.com/index.htm. You might want to look through the section devoted to researchers which includes information on the ASVAB structure, validity and norming.

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Coma or Locked-In Syndrome?

This past season, I was fascinated by the House, M.D. season five episode that featured Mos Def as a man who had "locked in syndrome," a condition where limited or no voluntary muscle movement is possible, but the person inside is totally aware and coherant of circumstances.

Today, a colleague shared with me a story of a man who experienced this for 23 years following a car accident. Doctors assumed he was in a coma, but he was actually aware. I'll let you read the two links below for details.

Yahoo article-Guardian
London Daily Mail

My question is not about his survival. My question is how he was able to survive the experience this and not go mad? This is like the ultimate in solitary confinement.

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Chapter six of Jane Halonen and Steven Davis' e-book, The Many Faces of Psychological Research in the 21st Century is entitled "Dr. Jekyll Meets Mr. Hyde: Two Faces of Research on Intelligence and Cognition" and written by Robert Sternberg. The chapter provides a great overview of the theories of and research in intelligence.

Chapter 6 can be found at http://teachpsych.org/resources/e-books/faces/script/Ch06.htm with The Many Faces of Psychological Research in the 21st Century at http://teachpsych.org/resources/e-books/faces/script/index.htm

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Interviews with Robert Sternberg

For the second time this week we are drawing from the Human Intelligence Website at the University of Indiana (http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/). Included within the biography of Robert Sternberg are a number of short video clips of him being interviewed on various aspects of intelligence and his life.

All the videos can be streamed into your classroom using Windows Media Player. The site includes a link where the player can be downloaded and a transcript for each interview.

The videos can be found in the U of Indiana Human Intelligence Website at http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/sternberg_interview.shtml

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Human Intelligence Website Biography Map

The Human Intelligence website at the University of Indiana includes an interactive map of major contributors to the field of intelligence. A detailed biography is included for each individual.

To go to the "History of Influences in the Development of Intelligence Theory" map, simply click on the graphic to the right or go to http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/map.shtml

For additional information go to the home page for the Human Intelligence site at http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/

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Sensation and Perception

When I began teaching this topic, I was scared because I had no idea what I was doing. I'd never had an S&P course in college and this seemed a little daunting. Over the years, with a lot of hard work, some research, and some wonderful internet sites, I learned and learned.

Today, I'd like to share and highlight the work of John H. Krantz of Hanover College in Southern Indiana. For years, he has been at the forefront of taking concepts online in an interactive format for students (and teachers). This site is about sensation and perception and its constituent parts. While I cannot use all the illustrations in an introductory course, there are some great specific ones I can use. Be sure to have the latest Java to help your experience.

Experiencing Sensation and Perception (includes cognition and neuroscience links)

Tutorials in Sensation and Perception

Psychophysics

The Stimulus and Anatomy of the Visual System

Gestalt Laws

There is lots more on this tremendous site. Poke around a bit and see what you can use.

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Howard Gardner's Website

Howard Gardner, theorist of multiple intelligences, has developed his own website devoted to his theory and work. The site can be found at http://www.howardgardner.com

I would suggest paying particular attention to:

• Gardner's own life story. The link (In His Own Words) is at the bottom of the biography section
  
• a number of scholarly articles on a multitude of topics in the articles section
• Dr. Gardner's FAQ Responses. Click on the link at the bottom of the FAQ page

For additional information go to Gardner's Harvard website at http://pzweb.harvard.edu/PIs/HG.htm

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History of IQ Testing

IQ Tests are primarily a product of the 20th Century . While most textbooks provide a brief history, starting with Binet, a few websites do the same.

The ACE Intelligence Website at http://www.aceintelligence.com/detailed_history_of_iq.php, gives a fairly detailed history of IQ testing following various individuals important in test development including a few prior to Binet.

The IQ Test Center at http://www.iqtest-center.com/history.php provides a brief history of testing similar to many textbooks.

Classics in the History of Psychology (http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/author.htm) have a number of the original articles on intelligence testing. They include:

Baldwin, James Mark, Cattell, James McKeen, & Jastrow, Joseph. (1898). Physical and mental tests. Psychological Review, 5, 172-179.

Binet, Alfred. (1916). New methods for the diagnosis of the intellectual level of subnormals. In E. S. Kite (Trans.), The development of intelligence in children. Vineland, NJ: Publications of the Training School at Vineland. (Originally published 1905 in L'Année Psychologique, 12, 191-244.)

Cattell, James McKeen. (1890). Mental tests and measurements. Mind, 15, 373-381.

Terman, Lewis M. (1916). The uses of intelligence tests. From The measurement of intelligence (chapter 1). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

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