Empathy and Intuition in Distance Learning: Reflections on Gardner’S Multiple Intelligences

By Ginette Provost Flatow

Empathy and Intuition in Distance Learning
Professor of cognitive sciences and education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Howard Gardner is among the most influential education theorists in the world. Over the past twenty years, his theory of multiple intelligences, according to which every individual possesses various intelligences in different areas, has been broadly established in education. This theory is a revolution in attitudes on learning, especially concerning the greater customization of curricula, instruction, and evaluation, as well as the study of the nature of interdisciplinary efforts in education. This short work reflects on some intelligences that are not yet accepted by Gardner. Primarily empathy and intuition, which after many lectures, and through my personal experience, have led me to think that they should be an integral part of distance learning.
Ginette Provost Flatow

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781467026772

Ginette Provost Flatow

Involved in distance learning for six years and in education for 28 years, the author has always sought ways to make education innovative, with the goal of improving student success. Following a reading of the book Les Intelligences Multiples by Howard Gardner, she noted that empathy and intuition were important components of distance learning, as well as of education in general. This work presents her reflections on intuition, empathy, and multiple intelligences.

Book preview

Empathy and Intuition in Distance Learning

Reflections on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Ginette Provost Flatow

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© 2012 by Ginette Provost Flatow. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/28/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4670-2678-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-2679-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4670-2677-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011915829

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CONTENTS

Introduction

How Many Intelligences Are There?

Non-Local Intelligence

Quantum Physics And Heisenberg

Maslow And The Eagles Of Science

Spiritual Intelligence

Existential Intelligence And Howard Gardner’s Eight And One Half Intelligences

Does Intuitive Intelligence Exist?

Krisnamurti And Intuitive Intelligence

Synergic Intelligence

Ivan IllichAnd Synergic Intelligence

Do Distance Learning Students Have Synergic Intelligence?

Musical Intelligence Or Perhaps Intuitive Intelligence?

Plato And Musical Intelligence

Logical Mathematical Intelligence

Kinesthetic Intelligence

Plato And Kinesthetic Intelligence

Linguistic Intelligence

Illumination And Transcendence

Paul Chauchard And Intuition

Edgar Morin And Artificial Intelligence

Critique Of Education Through The Thinking Of Ivan Illich

Gandhi And The Machine

Carl Rogers

Carl Jung And Intuitive Intelligence

Characteristics Of Intuitive People Children And Intuition

Are Children Superior To Adults?

The Computer And Electribal Civilization

Collective Intelligence

What Is Collective Intelligence?

Directions For Further Research On The Question

Some Thoughts On Empathy

Statement Of Personal Position

Multisensory Teaching And Learning

Nietzsche

My Vision

The Two Hemispheres Of The Brain

Understanding The Brain

My Reflections On Empathy, Intuition And Marginal Pedagogies

Learning And The Pedagogy Of Uniqueness

Appendix 1

The Intelligences Of Ginette Provost

References

Endnotes

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This unpretentious little book was written following a series of lectures on Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences, during my university studies. My masters degree studies in distance learning helped me reach the conclusion that intuition and empathy should play a greater role in distance learning, as well as in Gardner’s intelligences.

Intuition and empathy should be a prerequisite for mentoring, for tutors as well as instructors. Emotional intelligence should also be explored, but I will address this in my future work. That said, perhaps intuition is not a given for everyone, but everyone should work on empathy.

This text is the first in a series of five books on intuitive, synergetic, and empathic intelligences and on understanding the brain in distance learning.

I would like to thank all of my teachers and tutors, especially those who took the time to read between the lines to attempt to understand that some students are sometimes grappling with difficult conditions, whether they be financial, family related, the digital divide, or even illness, and that they sometimes need empathy.

—2012—

MY INTEREST IN EMPATHY

I firmly believe in the virtues of distance learning, as well as in its utility. However, early on we have noticed that some aspects leave much to be desired! For example, tone of voice in teleconferences, which is the sole indicator that the student has; does the student have the impression that he is integrated into the discussion or is he being appealed to in a condescending way?

And when the student interacts with a tutor by email, some misunderstandings may occur that can lead to an unfortunate result: dropping out.

I believe I was awakened to empathy when I came {as a tutor} to the University of Quebec. The university created the program, directed by a professor and conducted by volunteers, to help retain new distance learning students. I immediately felt apprehension from some students who did not dare address their tutors. This pushed me to construct the blog http://pairsanciens-pairsnouveaux.blogspot.com

EMPATHY AND SYMPATHY

Sometimes we hesitate between the nouns empathy and sympathy. In fact, these two words can cause confusion as they both express an association with the state or behavior of the other.

The noun sympathy comes from the Latin sympathia, itself derived from the Greek sumpatheia, formed by sun {with, together} and pathos {what one feels}. In French, sympathie can have the meaning of {relation between persons who share affinities}, of {natural feelings of benevolence that a person may feel for another}, and by extension {a favorable disposition toward an idea or action}. Sympathie also has a meaning that is closer to that of its Greek etymon; it can express the spontaneous imprinting of compassion for the other, and more specifically the sharing of the other’s feelings of sadness, when the other experiences an unfortunate event.

As for the noun empathy, its origin is inspired from the word sympathy, it is formed of en-, which means {inside} and pathos {what one feels}. We use it in particular in psychology and philosophy with the meaning of {intuitive faculty