Fort Bend ISD parents/teachers - I am about to post some info that may not be very well-received, but I feel it is necessary. And - of course - it is lengthy ;-) First - let me say - Academy parents/students: I am hopeful for you all that grandfathering works out in your favor. Having said that - there has long been a HUGE misconception in our district about what GT means. Listening to all the many comments at last nights board meeting (by a Board member in fact) and on this forum, I keep hearing how important it is to keep GT kids together b/c it helps them challenge each other and force the students to work to their full potential. That may be true of Academy students, but that does not fit in with the TRUE definition/characteristics of a GT child. GT kids tend to be only intrinsically motivated. what does that mean? it means they dont care what their grade/GPA/rank is - - they just want to learn and be the best individual learner they can. In fact - true GT kids are very much like special needs kids - - but not b/c they need increased rigor in their courses; instead Gifted Children can have hidden learning disabilities that go undiscovered because they can easily compensate for them in the early years. As time goes on though, it becomes harder and harder for them to excel. Which can lead to behavior problems and depression. and Experts in the field of gifted education are beginning to address the higher incidences of ADHD and Spelling/Handwriting disabilities in the gifted population verses those in the much larger normal population. I think the test our district gives to identify GT kids is misleading, as it really tests for academic advancement - not GT. In fact, Im sitting here with my inventory for my 3rd kid (my 2 older have already been identified - btw, of those 2: 1 is truly GT, while the other is an extremely bright high-achiever who exhibits none of the tell tale GT characteristics) - anyway - the inventory does not want me to answer any questions of/pertaining to leadership/creativity/general intellectual ability. Only answer those questions regarding academic areas of language, science, social studies and math. hmmm. I leave you with this: Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school. When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything. F.W.Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was 21. But his employers would not let him wait on a customer because he Didnt have enough sense. A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had No good ideas Carusos music teacher told him You cant sing, you have no voice at all. Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college. Verner Von Braun flunked 9th grade algebra. Admiral Richard E. Byrd had been retired from the navy, as, Unfit for service Until he flew over both poles. Louis Pasteur was rated as mediocre in chemistry when he attended the Royal College Abraham Lincoln entered The Black Hawk War as a captain and came out a private Fred Waring was once rejected from high school chorus. Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. these are true GT folks - - not the high-achievers who are competing for the top 10% and motivating each other to bring their A game. we need to do a better job of identifying and properly serving true GT kids, and maintain some opportunity for those kids who thrive on competition, but are not necessarily GT.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 18:03:06 +0000
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