Gifted and Talented Tidbits 9
by Lenora Barnes 10/23/15
THIS WEEK
This week during most of the classes we continued our unit on giftedness by discussing the next two success tips. The classes that did not will catch up next week. We discussed how not all children understand giftedness or how gifted children think or see the world. We discussed ways to help others understand giftedness and ways to handle situations with friends that don't understand. We also talked about how it's important not to try to force your friends to understand your point of view. The trick is to learn to get along despite these differences and understanding that multiple points of view are important. We also talked about using our gifts kindly. We talked about how sometimes kids are embarrassed about being identified as gifted or worried that it makes them different in a bad way, while others are excited about the label –too excited. We discussed how kids will sometimes boast about being the smartest in the class or the only one who knows the rules to all of the games. We talked about how the truth is EVERYONE has something to learn, even gifted kids. More importantly, being gifted is not an excuse for being rude or mean. No one’s needs are more or less important than anyone else’s. We talked about using their giftedness kindly – to help others and themselves. Finally, we discussed that being gifted is special and not something to be used to hurt or demean anyone else.
The remainder of our time this week was spent working on the cardboard projects. The projects are starting to come together. The students are really enjoying collaborating with their peers and being creative. Many of the students discovered that their initial designs had to be adapted or completely revamped once the construction began. The students have had to problem solve to overcome the challenges of turning a creative design into reality. We may have some future engineers in the making.
UPCOMING
Global Cardboard Challenge Day of Play
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
MRE- Nov. 2, 2015
LSE - Nov. 3, 2015
MES - Nov. 4, 2015
SCE - Nov. 5, 2015
DID YOU KNOW?
High achievers learn with ease.
High achievers comprehend at a high level.
Gifted learners already know.
Gifted learners comprehend in-depth, complex ideas.
Kingore, B. (2004)
MYTHBUSTERS
Myth # 10 - Teachers Challenge All The Students, So Gifted Kids Will Be Fine In The Regular Classroom
Although teachers try to challenge all students they are frequently unfamiliar with the needs of gifted children and do not know how to best serve them in the classroom. A national study conducted by the Fordham Institute found that 58% of teachers have received no professional development focused on teaching academically advanced students in the past few years and 73% of teachers agreed that “Too often, the brightest students are bored and under-challenged in school – we’re not giving them a sufficient chance to thrive". This report confirms what many families have known: not all teachers are able to recognize and support gifted learners.
-National Association For Gifted Children
Myth #11 - Gifted students don't know they're "different" unless someone tells them.
Most gifted kids don't need to be identified or labeled before they know that they're not quite like their age peers.
-Delisle, J. & Galbraith, J. (1996)