multiple intelligences continued

Another “postcard” from Athens by Blair D. Fraser

A few more things from the conference, since you’re all so interested (and your comments so inspired).

1. The developmental phase that follows the Romantic Period is called the Philosophic Period (theory by Kieran Egan.) During this period, between the approximate ages of ages of 15 and 20, people stop being so interested in extreme situations and details, and instead, find themselves driven to discover the general rules by which the world works. They become interested in hierarchies and intellectual engagements that help to identify them. They lose their fears of their own undeveloped potentials and become overconfident in their abilities to analyze and understand the world and the people around them.

2. In the public sector in Greece, an overwhelming majority aspires to native speaker pronunciation of English. Of these, 54% aspire to a standard British accent, and 7% aspire to a standard American accent. Only 6% find that Greek-accented English is appropriate. The question raised was whether non-native speakers of English should be proud of their own voices, or ashamed of them.

3. “In a good learning environment, there is always more learning than teaching.” Like I said, there was more than one instructor trying to teach me something during the weekend, and more than one environment in which I could learn (it), so I took a break from the lectures and found myself a sunny spot near a fountain and across from some bus stops. I was writing some silly things in a little black book some guy I know gave me when I heard a sort of gasp or half-scream, and then a really loud, solid thump. I looked up just in time to see two women (maybe 50 years old) falling to the ground after being HIT as they were crossing the cross-walk by a car driven (as far as I could tell) by two young girls. I watched for a minute in horror, and when I didn’t see anyone else with a cell phone, I called the police myself (which is something I’ve never done, in this country or any other) and reported the accident. Then I ran down to the street to tell them that help was on the way. But the girls obviously wanted to avoid any possible trouble and said they were taking the women to the hospital right away. They left, which meant I had to call the police again and tell them not to bother sending anybody. The women had been holding their bloody heads and crawling toward the car that almost killed them the last time I saw them, but I assume they too lived to tell about it. It was one of those humbling moments that put everything in perspective and teach you that you have a whole lot more to learn.