Encouraging Writers Instead Of Critics! Encouraging Different Thinking Instead Of Monopoly Thinking. Instead, Why The 1st UPLB Makiling National Writers Workshop On Art & Cultural Criticism – Not Creative Writing?

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