What is "Smart"?

This week I will explore the issue of whether or not some students are just "born" to do well in certain subjects. the short answer is "no"; in fact, everyone can learn and heredity plays a small role in a student's ability to learn. However, I realize that the dominant belief among society (and educators) is that some people are just “born” smart. Obviously heredity does play a role in ability, albeit a smaller role than one might think. By the end of the week I hope you have a more nuanced opinion of the interplay between genetics, environment, and expectations for students. This link will help you get underway as you think about “natural ability”. The blog discusses the IQ tests and recent research on natural “ability”.