Mind for the future

After completing a ground-breaking studies on the diversity of intelligences, Harvard psychologist Howard GARDER, is going to publish his latest studies on the five important minds to prepare the fast-moving world.

In 1983, he proposed that there should be a broader measurement on the type of intelligence than just the two parameters of logical mathematical and linguisitcs ability. In his theory of Multiple Intelligences, abilities shouldn't be only refined to certain areas but the following :

1. Musical Intelligence
2. Spatial Intelligence
3. Bodily-kinesthetics Intelligence
4. Interpersonal Intelligence
5. Intrapersonal Intelligence
6. Linguistic Intelligence
7. Logical-mathematical Intelligence

Delivering his lecture in the Longfellow Hall at Harvard University on 3 May, Prof Gardner talks about his latest book "Five Minds for the future" outlining the quality of minds required to face the upcoming challenges in the world. Gardner described the world is now more "dominated by science, distracted by technology, overwhelmed by information, and marked by the interaction of diverse cultures." To make one ready for the changes, the five minds are essential.

• The Disciplined Mind
• The Synthesized Mind
• The Creating Mind
• The Respectful Mind
• The Ethical Mind

I would say other than the creative and synthesized mind are what our current education reform is catering of, the others are still far from being in the awareness. With information being easily access at finger tips and the widely use of internet and great access of computer, addict to online game/chat/blogs/browsing is becoming a problem for this generation. Time management is now an issue for most of the College students. For the training of respectful and ethical minds, it is not even being thought of.

Based on the few recent incidents happened on campus, Hong Kong is going the opposite way on the training of these two minds. Even at the Policy Meeting I had on University Conference Centre yesterday, I realized we are still in the stage of struggling/fighting for 'liberty' in our unique Hong Kong style though. The more we struggled, worried and the more we are thinking we are walking towards liberty, the more distorted values we are implanted on the younger generation. Based on the core characteristics of Hong Kong People, the immediate or the forefront layer of the issue is far more appealing. Against the ideas or suggestions proposed by the "Powers" are the most straight forward way to brag our braveness. No doubt, mere crying out the slogan for liberty is far easier than reading and studying the true essence of it. This is our city and our place.

I would highly expect the arrival of Gardner's book and looking forward in reading his ideas on the Respectful and Ethical Minds. These two words are probably too new for people here, as we are still in the previous stage of fighting for whatever needs we want.


Relevant Link :

• More about Howard Gardner : http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

• Lecture at Longfellow Hall at Harvard Graduate School of Education News : Howard Gardner's 'quintet of minds' — The Harvard University Gazette

Photo source : http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm