Photo Credit: David Blackwell. via Flickr CC

Well, that was an awkward question! We don’t really talk much about intelligence anymore, do we? In most situations it’s considered rude to bring up IQ. Even when it comes to education, intelligence is often the “elephant in the room”.

In this course review of “What is Intelligence and Why Does it Matter?” you’ll hear from Joyce Juntune, Ph.D. why it is essential for the success of all students that we begin talking about intelligence in education.

Dr. Juntune is a renowned consultant, trainer, professor, and lecturer with more than 45 years of experience in the field of education. She is an instructional associate professor at Texas A&M University, and she teaches graduate-level courses in her expert areas of intelligence, child and adolescent development, educational psychology, giftedness, and creativity. Dr. Juntune has also been a classroom teacher and district project director for gifted education.

The worst metaphor ever made

Photo Credit: Saad Faruque via Flickr CC

“If you understand intelligence and understand the brain, the computer is about the worst metaphor you could ever make for the brain or intelligence,” says Dr. Juntune. A computer can only do what it has been programmed to do and recall information it has be programmed to know. Unlike a computer the brain has the capacity to think abstractly and reason.

It’s all about the g factor

So what is intelligence then? It’s NOT about memorizing, it IS about understanding; it’s the ability to catch on and make sense of things. Dr. Juntune says it’s all about the g factor, an acronym for General Intelligence, which is the ability to:

• Reason
• Plan ahead
• Think abstractly
• Comprehend complex ideas
• Solve problems
• Speed of cognitive processing

Sound like any of the G/T students you know? Measuring a person’s intelligence using g factor can actually help predict his or her future success in life.

Running against the wind

“There are certain things in life that can be closely predicted by intelligence level. That’s not good or bad, it’s just the way it is,” says Dr. Juntune. A high level of intelligence means things will come more easily. Dr. Juntune likens high intelligence to running with the wind. Having a low IQ doesn’t mean an individual can’t be a high achiever. It just means they’ll have to work harder, have to run against the wind, to achieve the same result.

• Research shows a correlation between a high IQ and:
• Higher income levels
• More job complexity
• More years of education obtained
• Increased job performance
• Better health
• Higher school grades
• Higher employment rate
• Faster learning speed
• Denser brain mass
• Higher cognitive processing speed

Abstraction is the key factor in intelligence

The higher the level of your developed intelligence the more you think, talk, and communicate in abstractions. Communication and relational issues often arise when a G/T student is paired with a non-G/T student.

“If we don’t understand intelligence
we make the assumption all children are the same,”
says Dr. Juntune.

Teachers wonder why the students can’t work together, but it’s almost as though they are speaking a separate language. The most important part of education isn’t the facts or knowledge being taught; it’s teaching students to understand abstractions.

A successful student is one who can think abstractly about how to apply a formula, rather than simply memorize facts and formulas.

About this Course

In this 1-hour course, Dr. Juntune addresses the elephant in the room by offering foundational thinking on intelligence in education and offering practical tips for teaching abstraction to both G/T and non-G/T students.

Delivering Quality Training – No Matter Where You Are

Did you know that this course is mobile ready? That means you can complete this course on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or any other mobile device!

To get this course, just click here to order, or call 915.532.9965 if you prefer to speak to someone.