The Many Faces of Power Learning
[17 February 2004 - AARP Education Watch] Research from the MacArthur Foundation Study on Successful Aging published in 1998 showed that "scientific creativity peaks earliest in the most abstract disciplines," such as math and physics. As we age, information processing slows and memory for names and facts declines. Studies have shown, however, that active lifelong learning helps cognitive functions endure. Howard Gardner advises adults to use what they know. "If you want to increase your understanding, it makes most sense to probe deeply in a limited number of subjects," he says. It is then that the individual can best employ multiple intelligences, by approaching topics in a number of ways. Interpersonal intelligence is especially important to the older person. "In retirement there is a new premium on meeting with others and dealing in a new milieu," he explains. "You must spend time observing. Interpersonal intelligence keeps developing as you get older." ... Gardner maintains that very few people do something completely new as they get older. "I think it's extremely difficult at 70 to activate parts of the brain that have been on hold for the past 50 years," he notes. "You're better off trying something new with your old way of doing things." ...