The Old GIfted Myths
Thursday November 19, 2009
On Monday, I wrote about some new myths about gifted education. That got me thinking about the old myths. There are quite a few of them, so we sure didn't need any new ones! You can find numerous lists of such myths. Here are a few of them:
I'm sure you've heard some of them, like "all children are gifted," "gifted kids will do fine on their own, so they don't need help," and "gifted kids always stand out in a class." I'm pretty sure I heard every one of the myths when my son was in school. Have you encountered any of these myths?
I'm sure you've heard some of them, like "all children are gifted," "gifted kids will do fine on their own, so they don't need help," and "gifted kids always stand out in a class." I'm pretty sure I heard every one of the myths when my son was in school. Have you encountered any of these myths?
New Gifted Myths
Monday November 16, 2009
According to an article in Science Daily, not only have the myths about gifted education not been dispelled, but we now have even more. Nineteen of them. This is disheartening to say the least, but I guess I'm not surprised. Here are some of the the myths that the article mentioned:
- Creativity is too difficult to measure
- High ability students don't face problems and challenges
- It's "fair" to teach all children the same way
Learning About the Constitution
Wednesday November 11, 2009
The activities of our congress for the last year has caused people to question how closely it is adhering to the powers given to it by the Constitution. It's not that people have never questioned the constitutionality of the laws congress passes or programs those laws create. Questions of constitutionality have been raised for decades...and decades.
But currently, there seems to be a growing interest in just what our Constitution says and how it works. It occurred to me that our kids, who love to learn, might be interested in learning more about the Constitution. If you think your kids might be interested in learning more about the Constitution, you might want to visit the USConstitution.net Web site.
That site is a simple site, but it is packed with information. Not only does it have the text of the Constitution itself, it also has sketches of the framers of the constitution, the text of the Declaration of Independence, and much more.
Sound too dull for the kids? The site has a separate section just for kids. The first page on the kids' site looks a little complex, but it's for older kids, those in grades 4 through 8. There are other pages for younger kids as well. All the pages contain the same information, but presented in language that the different age groups can understand.
Explore these pages with your kids; you could even make it a family activity!
But currently, there seems to be a growing interest in just what our Constitution says and how it works. It occurred to me that our kids, who love to learn, might be interested in learning more about the Constitution. If you think your kids might be interested in learning more about the Constitution, you might want to visit the USConstitution.net Web site.
That site is a simple site, but it is packed with information. Not only does it have the text of the Constitution itself, it also has sketches of the framers of the constitution, the text of the Declaration of Independence, and much more.
Sound too dull for the kids? The site has a separate section just for kids. The first page on the kids' site looks a little complex, but it's for older kids, those in grades 4 through 8. There are other pages for younger kids as well. All the pages contain the same information, but presented in language that the different age groups can understand.
Explore these pages with your kids; you could even make it a family activity!
NAGC Virtual Conference
Monday November 9, 2009
Over the weekend I attended the virtual conference of the National Association for Gifted Children. It was an excellent experience and I'm looking forward to participating again next year. The first speaker of the day was Howard Gardner, who talked about his theory of multiple intelligences. I also got to hear a number of other presentations, including one on advocacy.
The upside of attending a virtual conference was that it allowed me to participate in the conference without having to spend time and money traveling back and forth to St. Louis. I could listen and watch the presenter's slides just like everyone else at the conference. And I also have access to tapes of the presentations. If you've ever been to a conference, you know what a great deal that is.
Were there any downsides? Yes, unfortunately, there were. As convenient as it was to sit at my desk at home and participate in the convention, it doesn't have the same level of the live conference. I also didn't have the opportunities to mix and mingle with people and talk about things I'd heard at the various sessions.
Still, I would definitely do it again. However, next time, I think I'd work on getting a group together -- parents, teachers, anyone interested in gifted kids and gifted education.
The upside of attending a virtual conference was that it allowed me to participate in the conference without having to spend time and money traveling back and forth to St. Louis. I could listen and watch the presenter's slides just like everyone else at the conference. And I also have access to tapes of the presentations. If you've ever been to a conference, you know what a great deal that is.
Were there any downsides? Yes, unfortunately, there were. As convenient as it was to sit at my desk at home and participate in the convention, it doesn't have the same level of the live conference. I also didn't have the opportunities to mix and mingle with people and talk about things I'd heard at the various sessions.
Still, I would definitely do it again. However, next time, I think I'd work on getting a group together -- parents, teachers, anyone interested in gifted kids and gifted education.
Childhood for Gifted Children
Thursday November 5, 2009
How many of you want to deny your child a normal childhood? I know I didn't and you probably don't either. But I also know that what was a normal childhood for my son was not necessarily what was normal for other kids. His idea of fun, even when he was a toddler, usually involved learning something. One of his favorite pretend games was school with him doing homework.
I tried my very best to give my son a well-rounded, happy childhood, so I was sure to expose him to a wide variety of activities, not all of them academic. However, when I took him to the library and let him choose books, he more often than not chose non-fiction books. If I took him to the bookstore and allowed him to pick something out, he quite often on his own chose workbooks -- he loved workbooks -- or flashcards. One of his favorite toys was 2XL, a robot that played a tape with questions and that allowed kids to push buttons for the correct answer.
My son wanted to play with other kids, but most kids his age weren't interested in workbooks or flashcards or too much 2XL. Even though I knew the difference between pushing a kid and nurturing his interests, I'm quite sure that to outsiders, it looked like I was pushing my son to learn, preventing him from having a normal childhood.
Joyoz has raised this issue in the Gifted kids forum. While parents of gifted kids are more likely to be pulled by their kids than to push them, they can be guilty of pushing. See what you think about the situation Joyoz describes. Is it pushing or nurturing?
I tried my very best to give my son a well-rounded, happy childhood, so I was sure to expose him to a wide variety of activities, not all of them academic. However, when I took him to the library and let him choose books, he more often than not chose non-fiction books. If I took him to the bookstore and allowed him to pick something out, he quite often on his own chose workbooks -- he loved workbooks -- or flashcards. One of his favorite toys was 2XL, a robot that played a tape with questions and that allowed kids to push buttons for the correct answer.
My son wanted to play with other kids, but most kids his age weren't interested in workbooks or flashcards or too much 2XL. Even though I knew the difference between pushing a kid and nurturing his interests, I'm quite sure that to outsiders, it looked like I was pushing my son to learn, preventing him from having a normal childhood.
Joyoz has raised this issue in the Gifted kids forum. While parents of gifted kids are more likely to be pulled by their kids than to push them, they can be guilty of pushing. See what you think about the situation Joyoz describes. Is it pushing or nurturing?
NAGC Virtual Conference Reminder
Monday November 2, 2009
About a month ago, I wrote about the Virtual Convention that the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is offering for people who can't attend the "real" one in St. Louis this year. This is really a great opportunity, so I don't want anyone to forget about it and miss it! You still have a few days to register - until noon on November 6th to be exact.
The virtual conference takes place on November 7th and it's all day long. You have real-time access to selected sessions for the whole day for only $79 or $99, depending on whether or not you are a member of NAGC.
Don't miss this great opportunity! For more information and to register, visit the NAGC Virtual Conference Web site.
The virtual conference takes place on November 7th and it's all day long. You have real-time access to selected sessions for the whole day for only $79 or $99, depending on whether or not you are a member of NAGC.
Don't miss this great opportunity! For more information and to register, visit the NAGC Virtual Conference Web site.
Obsessions are not always bad
Wednesday October 28, 2009
It's pretty common for gifted kids to become obsessed with one thing or another. My own son had several obsessions - dinosaurs, space, Pokemon.... Sometimes the kids seem so obsessed that parents worry.
I'm here to tell you that obsessive behavior can have its benefits. I myself am quite obsessive about some things (obsessive people to tend to be selective about their obsessions; not everything is worthy). This past weekend, my computer displayed the "blue screen of death" (BSOD). You may have seen that nasty blue screen that informs you that a serious error has occurred. Usually, the computer boots right back up and all is well.
Unfortunately for me, that didn't happen. My computer was stuck in an endless loop of boot up - BSOD - boot up - BSOD. It was actually worse than that (yes, that is actually possible), but you get the idea.
I was determined to save my computer. And I did. After ten straight hours, I managed to resurrect my computer. You might think my behavior was more like perseverance, a more "positive" trait. But remember I said I worked ten hours straight. I couldn't do anything else until I solved that computer problem. I was obsessed with fixing it. I could have taken it in for repairs. But what fun would that be?
And there is the key. In an odd way, I enjoyed the challenge of solving my problem. It was frustrating at times, but it was also gratifying when I solved the problem. And along the way, I learned a great deal about the problem my computer had and the way to repair it. I suspect our obsessed kids get a similar kind of gratification and learn much from their various obsessions.
That's not such a bad thing.
I'm here to tell you that obsessive behavior can have its benefits. I myself am quite obsessive about some things (obsessive people to tend to be selective about their obsessions; not everything is worthy). This past weekend, my computer displayed the "blue screen of death" (BSOD). You may have seen that nasty blue screen that informs you that a serious error has occurred. Usually, the computer boots right back up and all is well.
Unfortunately for me, that didn't happen. My computer was stuck in an endless loop of boot up - BSOD - boot up - BSOD. It was actually worse than that (yes, that is actually possible), but you get the idea.
I was determined to save my computer. And I did. After ten straight hours, I managed to resurrect my computer. You might think my behavior was more like perseverance, a more "positive" trait. But remember I said I worked ten hours straight. I couldn't do anything else until I solved that computer problem. I was obsessed with fixing it. I could have taken it in for repairs. But what fun would that be?
And there is the key. In an odd way, I enjoyed the challenge of solving my problem. It was frustrating at times, but it was also gratifying when I solved the problem. And along the way, I learned a great deal about the problem my computer had and the way to repair it. I suspect our obsessed kids get a similar kind of gratification and learn much from their various obsessions.
That's not such a bad thing.
Baby Einstein Doesn't Turn Babies into Geniuses?
Monday October 26, 2009
Have you heard that Disney is offering people the opportunity to get a refund on Baby Einstein DVDs? It seems that Disney is admitting something that parents of gifted kids already know -- you can't turn a baby into a genius by showing videos -- or really by doing anything else. This is not to say that all parents shouldn't help their children make the most of their abilities, but is it really possible to turn every child into a genius Into a gifted child?
Let's put the debate over nature versus nature aside, and look at why Disney is really offering this refund. The concern is not whether it is possible to make a child gifted if he or she isn't to begin with, but whether watching videos is good for babies, and decidedly it is not. Lisa DeLuca, in her article about the Baby Einstein refund, discusses the research that proves that it is not good for babies to watch TV, even videos.
If you bought Baby Einstein video between June 5, 2004, and September 4, 2009, and want a refund, you can go to the Baby Einstein Web site and apply for the refund.
Let's put the debate over nature versus nature aside, and look at why Disney is really offering this refund. The concern is not whether it is possible to make a child gifted if he or she isn't to begin with, but whether watching videos is good for babies, and decidedly it is not. Lisa DeLuca, in her article about the Baby Einstein refund, discusses the research that proves that it is not good for babies to watch TV, even videos.
If you bought Baby Einstein video between June 5, 2004, and September 4, 2009, and want a refund, you can go to the Baby Einstein Web site and apply for the refund.
Creative Halloween Costumes
Wednesday October 21, 2009
I love Halloween. It was my favorite holiday when I was little. I loved dressing up and going Trick or Treating. When my son was old enough, I had great fun making our costumes. One of my favorites is this one with my son as an M&M and me as a bag of M&Ms. I chose to be a bag of M&M nuts on purpose! It seemed to better describe our fun-loving attitudes.
I have to admit, though, that I wasn't terribly creative back then. I just bought a pattern, some material, and then sewed it all up. Now, though, I've discovered ways to create easy costumes that gifted kids are sure to love -- like the green with envy costume (clothing with green N's and V's pinned on). These costumes are not just clever; most are quite fast and easy to make.
Did you have any favorite Halloween costumes? What were they? Tell us what they were by clicking on the "Comments" link. Or submit your idea on the Share Your Idea for Halloween Costumes page!
Is Gifted and Talented Easy?
Monday October 19, 2009
According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, the answer is no. According to the article, Gifted, talented, but it's no easy ride, gifted kids have special needs. Does that come as a surprise to any parent of a gifted child? Most of us with gifted kids know that pretty early on and those of us who don't, are pretty suspicious.
But here's something interesting in the article. Have you ever heard that "all parents think their kids are gifted"? Dr. Miraca Gross, an expert on highly and profoundly gifted children, says that's a myth. I always knew it was a myth, but it's good to have my suspicions confirmed by an expert. Also, Dr Karen Grubb, who recently completed a thesis on An Examination of the Experiences of Gifted Preschool and Primary Age Children says that a family's understanding of their child's giftedness and interactions with schools were the keys to success.
What Grubb says is right. Parents need to under their child's giftedness. However, while I agree that interaction with the school is important, I have to say that interaction is a two-way street. That is, how do parents interact with schools that aren't willing to interact with them?
What do you think? Share your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link.
But here's something interesting in the article. Have you ever heard that "all parents think their kids are gifted"? Dr. Miraca Gross, an expert on highly and profoundly gifted children, says that's a myth. I always knew it was a myth, but it's good to have my suspicions confirmed by an expert. Also, Dr Karen Grubb, who recently completed a thesis on An Examination of the Experiences of Gifted Preschool and Primary Age Children says that a family's understanding of their child's giftedness and interactions with schools were the keys to success.
What Grubb says is right. Parents need to under their child's giftedness. However, while I agree that interaction with the school is important, I have to say that interaction is a two-way street. That is, how do parents interact with schools that aren't willing to interact with them?
What do you think? Share your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link.