The Origin of Intelligence in Children - Term Paper Example

The Origin of Intelligence in Children Introduction: The contemporary world is fast changing turning into a global village. The factors like man’s ambitions regarding seeking more advanced education, better job prospective, superior health facilities, easy and comfortable traveling opportunities and the immigration policies, announced by the western as well as advanced countries of the world, have given birth to acculturation and amalgamation of divergent religious, racial, ethnic and cultural groups and communities particularly in advanced states. The merger of diversified cultural groups has influenced all fields of individual and collective social life. Such modifications and changes can also be observed in teaching profession, where the old patterns of instructions have been replaced by the new ones because of latest developments being made in teaching methodologies. Almost all the educational institutions follow the outline of some theorist which they apply in teaching and methodology of instruction at their educational institutions. “Coherent patterns of instructional practices”, Rogoff, Matusov, and White (1996) view, “are based on instructional models, and instructional models are based on theoretical perspectives on learning.” Bilingualism is also one of these methodological patterns applied while coaching the students belonging to different cultures and societies. Minority students achievement gap refers to the space that keeps the students, belonging to a cultural group that is in minority, far behind in comparison with the majority group students during learning some specific discipline. While discussing the bilingual studies, it becomes evident that the students studying English as their secondary language observe achievement gap during learning English language as well as other disciplines being taught in the same language. As the minority students do not know the background of some specific maxims and idioms, it becomes really hard for them to comprehend the irony and depth of some sentences and phrases delivered, referred and cited by the teacher in the classroom. Since western societies are the most advanced ones in science, technology, art, literature, astrology, medicine, inventions, economics, banking, engineering and all other disciplines and fields, it has become an essential matter for all other cultures of the world at large to learn English language and seek knowledge in the same medium in order to grow with the flow of time. Hence, the students from all corners of the world seek education in this most dominant language of the world. But majority of the students, whose primary language is not English, is unable to combat with the students, belonging of English speaking cultures, in studies and relevant learning processes as well. It is therefore, they have to work very hard to fill the gap of achievement in order to gain dexterity and command in the English language equivalent to their English speaking classmates. They feel lots of hesitation while raising questions and entering into group discussions in the classroom. Moreover, ESL students also undergo listening and speaking deficiencies in comparison with their local classmates. Hence, there remains an unidentified gap in their learning process that can be filled by the efforts made by only a competent teacher having command over learning theories of psychology on the one hand, and knowledge of various cultural traits of the world on the other. Hence, the teacher can play the decisive role in respect of removing all the perils and deficiencies of the ESL students. The first step in developing a culturally-aware curriculum that addresses the needs of the students is to find out basic background information that will help a teacher tailor the class to their specific needs and goals. (Quoted in Spangenberg-Urbschat, Karen and Robert Pritchard, 1994: 2) Theories of learning and education provide a comprehensive analysis of personality, family background, cultural traits and socialization process of every student in order to find out in which subject and field he maintains special aptitude on the one hand, and weakness in learning some particular subject on the other. It has often been found that some students show extraordinary performance in mathematics, statistics, arithmetic and other subjects of this kind, because these are the numerical subjects, where language is not a serious problem. On the contrary, the performance of these students in subjective disciplines including language, literature, theology, philosophy and history cannot be declared even satisfactory one. The teacher must pay due heed to this precarious situation and must involve all the students in cross-questioning so that it could not only improve the language skills of ESL students, but also can restore their confidence to a great extent. Incompetence of the teachers instructing ESL students not only shake and shatter level of the students’ confidence, but also add to their poor performance in other subjects too. On the contrary, the responsible, skilled and proficient teachers pave the way towards the unflinching success of students and help them come out of their difficulties of understanding by entering into continuous interaction with them inside and outside the classroom. The same is the case with the subject of bilingualism. Thus, the first and foremost duty of the teachers coaching bilingual education is to provide an open opportunity to the students to participate in reading, writing, speaking and listening activities. “The dispositional component of reasonableness helps bridge the notorious gap between thought and action. As a result of thinking in certain ways, the reasonable person arrives at decisions and judgments upon which they are prepared to act.” (Splitter & Sharp, 1995:3) Moreover, they must get information whether the minority students have got their point while delivering of lecture or not. It can be judged by the body language, expressions, cross-questioning and group-discussions in the classroom. Learning process with the assistance of regular supervision and unremitting interaction between instructor and learners opens new avenues of knowledge to the students. The same is the case while learning cultural studies. The development and progress in the learning process of children are the outcome of the experiences of interactions with the cultural elements. Piaget views motivation as an important factor of mental growth, while Vygotsky believes in the transmission of knowledge from culture and society. An infant enters the world lacking most basic cognitive competencies and passes through a series of stages in which the child develops more and more adequate bases for representing the world and reasoning about it. (Piaget, 1969. Quoted in Anderson, 1990: 399). Learning process is both simple and complex phenomenon, which varies from one student to the other. Their social set up and environment play pivotal role in this regard. Social setup and background from where he has got socialization is also important to estimate his aptitude and inclination. Learning a subject containing universality in its enormous field unfolds the global perspectives of erudition before our eyes. “Global education”, Myhill submits, “aims to develop in teachers and students alike open-mindedness to new thinking about the world and a predisposition to active participation as a member of the global community.” (2005:5) It is highly admirable for the instructors to teach the students keeping in mind their cultural background and social norms, values, mores and religious cults. Interaction between the students containing divergent cultural background is highly appreciable in understanding the growth of different language and literary developments. For example, many terms of Law including sue moto, malafide, ed lib, ab initio, habeas corpus and others have been derived from Greek and Roman languages, about which English speaking students have little knowledge. Similarly, the maxims and phrases used by the great authors including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Spenser, Milton and Pope are quite new and novel for the ESL students. It is therefore, the instructor should explain the theme behind using some typical phrase, so that all the students can get acquainted with the concepts elaborated by the teacher. Gone are the days when there was a formal atmosphere at classroom where an instructor used to deliver lecture and students took notes out of the words delivered by him. Now, the students are not only taught in a friendlier environment, but also special attention is paid to everyone present in the classroom. Further, the instructors try to explore the talent as well as basic reason of the failure or low marks obtained by students in a scientific way, rather applying old age theory of reward and punishment to get better results. The past pattern of lecture and notes system has been replaced by interactive learning and the instructors teach the students with the help of continuous interaction between the teacher and students. In the same way, the teachers analyze the students’ performance and search out the reason for their inability of securing good marks in some specific subject or area by cross questioning and repeated discussions. It is beneficial for making the foundations of the minority students in English language, and helps them climb the stairs of learning process successfully. Different instructors and teachers apply different teaching methodologies while coaching the students in the classroom. Some of the subjects are comparatively more procedural and require specific technicalities and dexterity while educating the students and learners. The same is the case with teaching a subject of dual languages. While discussing three various lessons teaching techniques of weather learning, different styles, methodology and techniques used by three different teachers on the topic of weather in Spanish and English languages. Cristina takes into consideration sociopsycholinguistics view as the most apposite technique to teaching the weathers in two different languages, which is quite different from the word recognition perspective. Guillermo focuses on the word recognition view. Elena, on the other hand, does not apply some specific methodology and concentrates on what is required by the principal while teaching during her delivering of lectures to familiarize the students with changing weathers and seasons in the classroom. Goodman (1983:89) conducted a research on reading and proved the very fact that mere reading cannot help the students learn a language or more; rather, the proper methodology and conceptualization is highly supportive in respect of having comprehensive information about the words and languages. Cristina teaches the students with the help of visual arts, songs, poems, news, diagrams, images, TV shows, maps and pictures in both Spanish and English languages to improve their learning skills. Guillermo on the other hand focuses his concentration on the five basic components of language learning including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. All of his lessons concentrate on the above-mentioned five components. Elena, in the same way, imitates the patterns of other teachers so that she could take advantage of the knowledge of her experienced colleagues and co-teachers in respect of coaching. Cristina views the use of various colors to distinguish between languages in drawings and charts in the classroom for the better guidance of the students. She recommends her students reading from her vast collection of valuable supporting books and journals for learning. Guillermo, contrarily, uses only one book, which is based on phonics and helps out the students in recognizing the texture and sound of the words. In the same way, Elena relies on the available sources for teaching rather than suggesting the students some exact material relevant to the lesson. While making a distinction between diversified weather conditions, Cristina draws on medium of teaching in different languages in alternative days. She teaches the class on the subject of weather with the help of the pictures of clothes used in certain weather conditions and asks the students regarding name of weathers on it. Guillermo, in the same way, asks the students prepare a worksheet containing vocabulary from the lesson and makes them write their meanings as well as sounds of the words. Elena recommends small sentences or phrases to be cut and pasted under the relevant picture to make them get familiar with the words and pictures. Prompting is an ideal technique in a learning process, which Cristina exercises while asking the names of weathers and the equipments used to measure them. She also personifies wind, rain heat and cold to make them understand the concepts, meanings, pronunciation and spellings of the words and images related to weather with the help of stories and tales. On the contrary, Guillermo instructs for little comprehension regarding the words. In the same way, Elena asks them write about the functions a specific weather performs i.e. what a wind or rain does etc. The Cristina’s students are engaged in the prompting of questions about which reply is made regarding being asked for. Guillermo does not discuss the whole story and looks for the important parts narrated while teaching. Elena focuses on learning by changing the first and last alphabet of the words to assess whether the students have learned the phonetics or not. Cristina looks highly imaginative and creative in respect of giving lecture on the lesson. Her application of personification of simple concepts draws pictures of the words in their minds. Guillermo helps the students perceive the next situation and make out results of the story. He always reiterates on phonetics and correct delivery of words. Cristina makes the students record temperature of various cities on daily basis in alternative languages to get them familiar with so many new words on the one hand and memorize the already studies ones on the other. Guillermo guides the students to learn decoding skills while speaking a word or a sentence. Elena also lays stress on decoding of the words and sounds to her students. Cristina always encourages and admires the efforts of her students when they make correct concept of a word. On the other hand, Guillermo insists on teaching how to read the words with specific accent rather clarifying the concept and idea about it. She requires from the students get complete acquaintance with the concepts of words used while reading about weather in two different languages. Hence, she aims at getting them construct the meanings rather getting them recognize the words at large. Guillermo asks the students to cut and paste the pictures of the events described in the lesson in a sequence. Elena also considers worksheet imperative for learning the words. Looking into the three lessons critically, it becomes evident that though all the three teachers have adopted maintain worthwhile place in respect of learning process, yet the methods applied by Cristina contain best of the methodology. Lilia, a renowned teacher of linguistics, also considers making of meaning rather making of reading and Cristina has applied the same. She always concentrates on clarifying the concepts of the words. She seems to be having command of psychology of education and teaching ethics and gives equal chances to every student to participate in classroom activities. Educators and teachers, after obtaining degree of bilingual studies, develop some specific methodology while teaching English to the students having other languages as their primary ones. English for the speakers of other languages (ESOL) surely creates some problems and hurdles in respect of comprehending the exact meaning of the speaker. Since the American society has become the amalgamation of many cultures, the situation has given way to the application of different words and languages as well, which carries their distinguished characteristics in them; attributed to African Americans, Ebonics is also one of these prominent languages. Ebonics contains the words which are used by the Black community of America in their daily use as well as in their literature. It is as different from American language, as the local English of Wales is different from British English. The teachers instructing bilingualism encourage their students have a deep insight into their environment and observe different languages spoken in their environment. It is therefore, bilingualism improves observation, imagination and perception of the learners and they attain grasp over knowing each and everything in their atmosphere. The instructors teach the students regarding the practices that are popular in one society and culture, but are strictly prohibited like taboo to some other. This differentiation causes both co-operation and conflict in a society. Ethnic groups unite against the other(s) for common benefit and mutual interest creating fuss in society. The dual relationship between students and teacher must be on the grounds of highest standards of honor and veracity to make learning process a success. The teacher must always be beyond all biased attitude towards each and every student. He should be impartial while giving reward on doing well and announcing punishment. He must listen to the problems of the students carefully and must try to resolve these troubles sympathetically. A proficient teacher renders services for the uplift of the students by keeping in close contact with them. Delivering the lecture and directing the students in and outside the classroom can observe the kindness of the teacher. A noble teacher looks always busy in providing the students with emotional support and guidance if they consult him in library, staff room and even in playground. The African students proceeded to the USA bring Arabic and Ebonics with them in the culture and people immigrated from the south Asian part of the sub-continent introduced their own languages including Urdu, Persian, Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Bengali, Marathi and others. The languages they used gave birth to new and novel words and phrases in the US language and also followed the patterns of US culture and civilization. Different instructors and teachers apply different teaching methodologies while coaching the students in the classroom. Some of the subjects are comparatively more procedural and require specific technicalities and dexterity while educating the students and learners. The same is the case with teaching a subject of dual languages. Being the central figure in the classroom, it is the responsibility of a teacher to have a close look into all the activities of the minority student, and help them understand the topics delivered to them in English, the language that does not belong to their own culture. REFERENCES Brown, A. L., Campione, J. C., Reeve, R. A., Ferrara, R. A., & Palincsar, A. S. (1991). Interactive learning and individual understanding: The case of reading and mathematics. In Landsmann, L. T. (Ed.), Culture, schooling, and psychological development (pp. 136-170). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Co. Spangenberg-Urbschat, Karen and Robert Pritchard, 1994. Kids Come in All Languages: Reading Instruction for ESL Students. Newark: International Reading Association. Gluck, Russell & Draisma Kim. (1997). 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Allyn, and Bacon, (2006) Educational Psychology, Theory and Practice, Volume I, Chapter 2 Piaget, J (1952) The Origin of Intelligence in Children, International University Press, NY. Silverthorn, Pam (1999) Jean Piaget’s Theory of Development Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wells, G. (1999). Dialogic inquiry: Towards a sociocultural practice and theory of Education. New York: Cambridge Press. http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer82/marsh82.htm http://mathforum.org/~sarah/Discussion.Sessions/Brown.html www.Funderstanding.com Marsh, Colin. 1998 Teaching Studies of Society and Environment Prentice Hall Australia Private Limited Myhill, Marion 2005 Global Perspectives. Global Education Project Curriculum Corporation Australia The Australia 2007 An Educated Change: Scrapping SOSE is a start to Overhauling School Studies. (Edition: 24th July 2007) Splitter, Lawrence J. & Sharp, Ann M. (1995) Teaching for Better Thinking: The Classroom Community of Inquiry. The Australian Council for Educational Research Camberwell Wadham, Ben. Pudsey, Jason and Boyd, Ross 2004 Culture and Education Prentice Hall Read More