Exam Professor has chosen the caricature drawing of Albert Einstein as our logo. One of the most recognized and well-known scientists of the century, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on photoelectric effect titled: "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light", though he is best known for the theory of relativity. In 1999 Einstein was named Time magazine's "Person of the Century", and in popular culture the name "Einstein" has become synonymous with genius.

The story of Albert Einstein is unique to educators world-wide not only for his success, but his success despite being developmentally delayed as a child. Born in a German city called Ulm, his mother believed Einstein's head seemed to be too big for his body. Her worry had some basis because Einstein actually suffered from a medical condition called "Benign Macrocephaly", a disorder that could lead to mental retardation.

Einstein also exhibited many traits of high functioning autism, where much has been discussed about how he fit on the spectrum. It was well known that Albert Einstein did not talk until the age of three. Even when he finally did, he uttered sentences and words repetitively. When he started school, he still had speech difficulty until the age of nine and was considered a loner. Later in life he had difficulty with "small talk" and became a notoriously confusing lecturer, and displayed other traits specific to autism.

Throughout history, many of the most startling and formative insights to science, nature and humanity have been contributed by people who were "different." Einstein. Edison. Leonardo de Vinci. Beethoven. Mozart. Isaac Newton. Pythagoras. Stephen Hawkings. Steve Jobs. Out-of-the-box thinking is something you cannot learn from books.

It can be argued that if Einstein had been born in the latter part of the century his abilities may have gone unnoticed because of high stakes one-size-fits-all standardized tests. For example, how could one exam accurately assess the learning of students talented in specific areas but lacking in general skills - like language arts or math? Educators and educational institutions should not attempt to normalize nor filter people through these practices, but celebrate and offer avenues for these differences.

Heed the wise words of Einstein, "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."

At Team Exam Professor we recognize the importance of student assessments. We are pleased to offer one method for creating on-line assessments, and would like to remind our users that there are many more ways to assess multiple intelligences.

Be aware of the Einsteins in your midst.