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I have a special bee in my bonnet about stuff like this. Way back around the dawn of man, when I was in grade school, there was a track system. Someone had decided to put me in a certain track which was not the upper one. I remember having to sit in study hall which shared a classroom with the track one English students who discussed very interesting things, and read literature, while my English class diagrammed sentences all year.
My point is, we don't always know what will light a spark in any child, so we should throw everything we have at all of them to see what sticks before we write someone off as average.
I agree.
The thread isn't actually about whether or not g/t education is warranted. It's about whether or not it's reasonable to take 60% of a student body on a week-long vacation from the traditional classroom based on IQ. I find it outrageous that nearly one out of two students would be excluded from a trip of dubious educational value. My father worked for Epcot a few years ago. I'm familiar with their educational outreach program, and I firmly believe that all students would enjoy the trip and deserve to participate if so able.
Last edited by formercalifornian; 10-03-2011 at 03:22 PM..
Gifted, that's funny. Yea I knew alot of supposedly gifted students in graduate school and boy did fail miserably. Gifted is a relative term.
Truly. My most recent run-in with a "gifted" student involved an eight-year-old telling several of his peers that he shouldn't have to do his school work because he was smarter than them. I hope I'm around to witness his "Come to Jesus moment" because it's going to be a doozie!
Truly. My most recent run-in with a "gifted" student involved an eight-year-old telling several of his peers that he shouldn't have to do his school work because he was smarter than them. I hope I'm around to witness his "Come to Jesus moment" because it's going to be a doozie!
What the Sam Hill does Disney have to do with gifted education? Trips to theme parks have no place in education, period. Shame on the parents who came up with this plan.
Complete and total agreement. This stood out the most to me: Disney and GT? Seriously? If you were that gifted, you should be exposed to completely different media and environments, not Disney.
There was an op-ed piece in the Atlanta newspaper today (unfortunately I can't find it online to link to it). A mom wrote about the Atlanta Public Schools' Challenge Program for the Gifted and Talented. They will be taking a field trip to Disney World for several days. One of her kids in the program; the other is not. The son who is not in the gifted program has supposedly been traumatized by his lack of inclusion in this. He now hates school, is afraid to do his homework because he may make a mistake, and cries constantly. This paragraph blew me away:
So---is she saying that 60+% percent of kids in her son's class are in the gifted and talented program? Can there be a majority who are gifted/talented? By definition, wouldn't they be in the minority? She later goes on to talk about a Duke University research project where every child was treated as gifted and the result was 20% of the kids eventually designated as being gifted as opposed to the control group of 10%.
And would a child really be so traumatized by his brother getting a special treat? Isn't it good for kids to learn that rewards/resources aren't infinite and that not everyone gets everything s/he wants? If kids aren't "sorted," then should every/any kid get a scholarship even if they have poor grades/scores, etc.?
I will agree with the author that the trip to Disney World is an unnecessary use of taxpayers' money (the kids have to pay for the trip, but the teachers will be getting their salaries) and that the "cast members" of the theme park shouldn't be more capable of teaching rigorous content than the teachers.
What do y'all think?
In life there are winners and there are losers best kids learn these lessons early on before they head into adulthood with unrealistic expectations.
The thread isn't actually about whether or not g/t education is warranted. It's about whether or not it's reasonable to take 60% of a student body on a week-long vacation from the traditional classroom based on IQ. I find it outrageous that nearly one out of two students would be excluded from a trip of dubious educational value. My father worked for Epcot a few years ago. I'm familiar with their educational outreach program, and I firmly believe that all students would enjoy the trip and deserve to participate if so able.
Are you equally appalled that more athletic students get certain benefits based on their athletic ability whilst children with little athletic ability don't?
Folks seems to have a reflexive dislike against smart people but never apply the same standards against athletes and others with special talents.
I don't see anything wrong with rewarding smart kids with a trip to Disney World to the exclusion of the dumber kids.
The actual G/T percentage in schools is 5% or lower. Why can't schools go back to emphasizing on the entire student body and not just the few who they feel are entitled? The way I look at it, EVERY CHILD, EVERY SINGLE CHILD is gifted in one way or another. Those who say the "truly" gifted students deserve anything more than any other child are fooling themselves. Aside from the fact that those people are the one's who segregate children into groups, they are the one's making the 95% of those not gifted feel like they have no reason to achieve higher goals. As parents, educators and community members, it is our duty to ensure that EVERY child be made to feel that they are important and that they make a difference. If we all did that, there would be less kids feeling like they don't even need to try.
A bunch of hogwash. That's why our country is staring at the abyss, folks want to do away with our competitiveness so we all can be "equal". Whatever that means.
I don't see how this is any different than a kid that can run faster than other kids or plays a musical instrument any better.
It is horrifying to me that our nation seems to bought whole-hog into the idea that only gifted children benefit from enrichment. And if this trip is not about enrichment but rather a reward for having won the genetic lottery, then it is an absolute travesty.
It is horrifying to me that our nation seems to bought whole-hog into the idea that only gifted children benefit from enrichment. And if this trip is not about enrichment but rather a reward for having won the genetic lottery, then it is an absolute travesty.
Edward, that is a complete load of ****.
Michael Vick makes millions a year winning the genetic lottery what would you have us do? Ban competitive sports so everyone feels like a winner?
Some kids are smarter than others it's a fact of life. Deal with it.
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