Education Today 
Is there more than just IQ?
By James Olsen, Ph.D.

Okay, I’ll admit it up front. I’m tired of conversations about how smart one’s kid is. What’s his or her IQ? Howard Gardner at Harvard has demonstrated through his research (recounted in his book Frames of Mind) that there is not a single generalized ability we call IQ. Rather, he says, people have “multiple intelligences” (Mis). Schools may restrict us to words and numbers which we admittedly need to learn, but what about a child who draws so easily or the girl who plays several musical instruments? 

Consider this: a choreographer shows a dancer a segment of his new ballet, he takes under a minute, makes 30 different moves with different parts of his body and then indicates the dancer should do what he did. Are dancers dumb? Could I do it? (No.)

Or consider this: Humphrey Bogart, the son of a doctor from an affluent family, went to the best prep school (Andover) and college (Princeton) in the US. He graduated during the Depression and went to work for a theatrical company as a stage manager for three years. He never once acted during that time. One night the lead actor was ill and the only one who knew the lines was Bogie. It was either give the money back to the audience or perform the play. He performed. 

What is extraordinary to me is that at this late point in his life, he discovered he loved acting and was good at it! No, I guess at that time there was no schoolhouse theatre at Andover or Princeton, no school orchestra for the kid with music talent, no art classes for the little boy who can draw and certainly no dance opportunities but in a specialized ballet school.

That makes no sense to me. We call these activities “frills” and we have done away with them because we can’t afford “extracurricular programs.” Too damn expensive and probably a waste of time. And the children with these talents—the future photographers and cameramen and videographers, the poets, counselors, therapists, critics, conductors, actors, dancers, artists, production and costume and dress designers—the hell with them. They probably have low IQs anyway.

Compared to the very expensive educational wasteland to the North, parents in San Miguel have a wonderful opportunity. You live in a place where your kids (or you) for modest money can try out all of those “crazy” crafts. The opportunities to learn to draw, paint, dance, sing, do ceramics, make music and jewelry, ride horses, play tennis, do yoga appear endless. Put into practice some of your kid’s “Mis.” Turn to the classified pages in this newspaper and there are your choices. Or set something up with your school and the other parents by hiring one of the artists who want to work with kids. Parents here have the chance to construct their own extracurricular program.

To answer the question posed by this article: Yes, there is much more than IQ, an entire world more.

The Olsens have worked in the field of education for 95 collective years. They can be contacted at 154-4374 or email sml 154-4374@prodigy.net.mx.