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Monthly Archives: June 2010
Class Warfare: “Stupid Class” v. Gifted Class
Gifted education is not a reward for white children and a way of punishing kids by putting them in the “stupid class.” It’s an educational intervention for children who need it. Maybe if we keep saying that often enough, the message will get through.
I agree with Laura Vanderkamp’s assertion that “In general, it’s better to have a smaller, more targeted gifted program than a huge one that ropes in students who just happen to score in the top 25%.” If 25% of a student population is “gifted”, then the program needs modified so that the percentage of gifted students reflects statistical findings.
As a parent, I’m tired of gifted program being seen as ‘elitist’ or ‘only for white kids’. If educators and administrators think this way, the kids are going to think this way. This way of thinking undermines education for all students.
Tagged Gifted, Laura Vanderkamp
Crafting the Message About Gifted Students
On Monday I found myself in the company of a close friend, discussing gifted students. It had never dawned on me that his assumptions about “them” were grounded in myth. I chose to explain myself in terms of his situation; always a good idea when trying to get your point across. He is a songwriter and recording artist and so I asked him to remember back to when he learned his first three chords, then proceeded to have him imagine that he was only allowed to play those three chords for six months. He’d have to wait until next year to learn a new chord. “That doesn’t make any sense”, He said, realizing the stagnant nature which exists in many classrooms.
via nagc.org
When I discuss gifted issues with administrators, parents, etc. I realize that just about everybody believes the ‘myths’ about gifted education. As parents, I think we haven’t done a good enough job about expressing what it means to be gifted, and what our children need to be successful. It’s like I’ve said before- you are your child’s best advocate.
Tagged Gifted
In New York, 2 + 2 = 5
When does 2 + 2 = 5?
When you’re taking the state math test.
Despite promises that the exams — which determine whether students advance to the next grade — would not be dumbed down this year, students got “partial credit” for wrong answers after failing to correctly add, subtract, multiply and divide. Some got credit for no answer at all.
via nypost.com
For this reason alone (and there are many more presented in the article), local schools need to maintain control over which students advance to the next grade level. As this “partial-credit” mentality gets more prevalent, it’s only a matter of time before our gifted students start getting credit for unacceptable work.
In the real world, you don’t get partial credit. The outcome is either right or wrong- there’s no middle ground.
Tagged New York