Today I went to my physical therapy appointment and met a man who helped me understand a few concepts in the The Shallows. As I read my book, one of the younger doctors approached me, asking about my book. He immediately began telling me interesting explanations about our minds' incredible functions. I was on the part when Carr tells the anecdotes of the several scientists whom helped build our current understanding of the neuron's ability to be "very plastic". When I first read about the issue of the plasticity of neurons, i was confused and embarrassed of my little understanding of the subject. My doctor however, then explained to me how plasticity refers to the cell's ability to change and adapt. I then asked him how, if our brains adapt so well initially, are some humans capable of adapting to more things in a faster rate than others (like those considered smarter than others)? He then explains how neuron's plasticity is within everyone and is a "built in mental template" (also explained in The Shallows, which I read right after my doctor explained this to me. It was ironically interesting). The capability for one to adapt and learn more things, is not ever based by genes (which was my initial thought) but is on the experiences one encounters, which is input to our neuron's plasticity. Most people are born equally, unless otherwise because of certain disorders, with a brain that has an equal potential of plasticity. It it what we are surrounded by, taught, see, feel, and everything else that our scenes encounters, that makes us who we are, it's as if to say, the one with most life experiences is actually the smartest.
If we all believed that everyone is capable to be "smart", then why are there so many of us failing and disregarding education, and a few adults even encouraging it so. Is it really our experiences that make us who we are? Or does it just come down to the roots of our generic code dating back to a few of our lazy ancestors?
These questions are most often asked among the student-parent-teacher cycle in school and college. The whole "most experienced person is the smartest" refers to two separate things. First, when you are exposed constantly in an academic atmosphere, you become more prone to succeed academically. When parents constantly push scholastic strategies and ways to improve one's intelligence, they experience more ways of studying and memorization than others, ultimately giving them more experiences than other students. The other factor of this belief is when people experience more "street-smart" scenarios than do not necessarily apply to any sort of academic situation. The most common form of this is known as "common-sense" along with the banter of it not being so common among people. Education consists of two main parts: learning and reflection. When you learn something, repetition and reflection reminds your brain that the item you were taught earlier is relevant, allowing it to stick and imprint on your thoughts. This is the reason for homework. Motivation is necessary when it comes to education, so if there is not household motivation, the student is not encouraged to fulfill any academic means.
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DeleteThis question reminds me of a inquiry that Ms. Swieck would always badger us with: Nature or nurture? Is it the way we are born or the way we are raised that makes us who we are? In this particular situation, I'm leaning more towards nurture. Yes, we do all have the capability of being smart, and yes, we can also be lazy about using it. However, it's the influence of the people around us and the amount of importance placed on education that defines how much we use. That's the reason all of us AP students are grouped together. That competitive atmosphere drives us towards ambition, and let's face it, we're all in competition with each other in one way or another. How many times have we jokingly accused Ryan Farquhar of wrecking the grade curve with his unceasingly high test scores? We are set in this educationally-electrified environment so we can experience education at it's finest.
ReplyDeleteThe genetic code has a very small role in the way we use our brains. Part of that code states that teenagers are genetically lazy, causing us to procrastinate. Other than that, I doubt asians are any smarter than the rest of the world's population just because they're asian.
To sum it up and clarify, I find experience and influence to play the main role on the working and learning habits of children. Nurture over nature.