UP Los Baños starting the writers early? Yes, but on literary criticism, not creativity!
This is surprising to me, an 85-year old writer of my
own free will, an alumnus of UPLB (BSA major in Ag Edu, 1965; Civil Service
Professional, 1964) – and self-taught writer, editor, desktop publisher, and
blogger.
I wonder: “Isn’t
UP Los Baños asking too much from the young would-be writers?” Or, do they want
the younger generation to find fault with the current generation, especially in
government?
The news says on
Facebook:
The Department of Humanities of the College of Arts
and Sciences, UP Los Baños, in partnership with the Office for Initiatives in
Culture and the Arts (UPLB OICA), is inviting young scholars to apply for
fellowship to the first MAKILING NATIONAL WRITERS WORKSHOP ON ART AND CULTURAL
CRITICISM.
No, not “National
Writers Workshop On The Art Of Writing.” UPLB is more interested in your
criticism, less on your talent for writing!
The first national workshop from Laguna province, the
Makiling Workshop is open to young writers, at least 21 years of age,
interested in the practice of art and cultural criticism.
Very dangerous! I must say.
Instead of
exploring the minds of students for social criticism, UPLB should be exploring
the multiple intelligences (MI) of their students even as they themselves
explore theirs!
From the mind of
Harvard psychology professor Howard Gardner, these 10 MI:
1. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”),
2. Creative Intelligence (“Thinking Smart”), added by FAH,
3. Existential Intelligence (“Life Smart”),
4. Interpersonal Intelligence (“People Smart”),
5. Intrapersonal Intelligence (“Self Smart”),
6. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence (“Number/Reasoning Smart”),
7. Musical Intelligence (“Music Smart”),
8. Naturalist Intelligence (“Nature Smart”),
9. Spatial Intelligence (“Image Smart”), and
10. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence (“Word Smart”).
Why did I add
“Creative Intelligence” to Gardner’s list? Because that’s where I’m smart!
“Where am I
smart?” could/should be the first area of discovery of any student anywhere. If
teachers are looking to encourage their students, they should help them look
for their innate intelligences.
And you know what?
That day is coming up! National Today
writes about “National Encourage A Young Writer Day” – that day is April 10,
Thursday, 1 week from now.
Allow the
students, would-be writers and not, to explore their own innate individual intelligence
and write about it first. Who would
not be excited to do that?!
The Naturalist-leaning
student would be trying to understand living things.
The
Bodily-Kinesthetic student would be trying to improve her/his body moves as if
in preparation for an athletic meet.
The Linguistic
student would discover how s/he is good in expressing her/himself.
The
Logical-Mathematical student would re-discover her/his love for quantifying
things and arguing about them.
The Intrapersonal
student would go on and discover her/his talent by oneself.
The Interpersonal
student would go on and discover that s/he is good at talking to people and
working with them.
Etcetera.
UPLB College of
Arts and Sciences, what is there to lose? Your innocence!@517