wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Chris from Brooklyn August 24, 2007 - 12:23PM

  Absolutely not! As an elementary school teacher in the NYC public schools, I've seen so many students who read two years behind grade level and couldn't explain a math word problem; however, these same students could achieve a passing score on the city/state tests because of the intensity of their test preparation. Sad, sad, sad.

  Dr. Gardner's work on multiple intelligences should have closed the book on this standardized testing nonsense...unfortunately politicians would rather listen to the College Board and ETS than such a respected scholar.

  
  
• [2] Joseph Miller from Fairfax, VA August 24, 2007 - 12:25PM

  If these tests adequately measured intelligence, we would not have the achievement gaps, between class, race, and gender, that we have in our schools. It seems that these tests exist more to preserve a plutocracy, while creating an illusion of merit. If educational institutions, such as the ivy leagues, existed to educate and not to preserve a plutocracy, wouldn't they accept more students who score lower on these tests? They seem to be the people who most need education.

  If we cannot say definitively that these tests measure intelligence, then why do we use them?

  
  
• [3] tucker from CA August 24, 2007 - 12:40PM

  I recently found a copy of my Stanford-Binet test from when I was 12. I am 27 now. It said on the Comprehension section I scored a 19 and said I was "gifted" in this area. I've tried to find more information about what this means, but seem unable to. Also, my IQ was tested at that age, but hasn't been since then. How does it increase with age?

  
  
• [4] Margaret from New Jersey August 24, 2007 - 01:30PM

  Dr. Gardner made some inaccurate statements about Mensa.

  It is incorrect that one needs a "150 IQ" to join. As he should know, any IQ score other than 100 means something different on different tests. Mensa's criterion is an IQ in the top 2% of any of several recognized tests.

  Second, it is inaccurate that people in Mensa join in order to talk to each other about how smart they are. As a 20-year plus member, I have observed that this is the one topic that nobody in Mensa talks about. We have far more interesting things to discuss.

  Finally, he said that it would be better if Mensa used its energy to foster improvements. He should research the many actions that the organization and its affiliate, the Mensa Education and Research Foundation do undertake, including many scholarships.

  However, it would be difficult to somehow use Mensa's resources for specific changes to society. It's been said that if you have two Mensans in a room you're guaranteed to hear at least three opinions. Leading Mensans is like herding cats.

  
  
• [5] Gary Goldberg from Maryland August 25, 2007 - 07:00AM

  Margaret is correct - talking about your intelligence is about the only verboten subject in Mensa. So what if you're smart, we all are.

  Mensa exists in part because of a curious attitude toward high intelligence: you can't be too rich or too good-looking: people will admire you and want to be your friend.

  But you can be "too smart". That threatens a lot of people and produces a lot of negative feedback.

  And you wonder why a lot of smart people aren't "normal"!