[Ohiogift] Serving Gifted Students at the 7-11 may be a GOOD idea.

[Bohland, Mark]

First let me say this is not meant to be ironic, twisted, metaphorical, or anything else other than a literal statement/opinion. (even if it is not well thought out)


Whoever suggested serving gifted students at the 7-11, may have been making (knowingly or not) the case for appropriate services specifically designed and implemented for those students, by qualified teachers.

I would LOVE to facilitate a group of gifted learners (for whom it would be appropriate) at the 7-11 store, as they discover what the standards say they should know and be able to do (and beyond) in a real-world situation.


I envision a rich, Problem Based Learning, Cross-curricular unit combining math, reading, writing, social studies, and science, health & physical education, art, and music. I envision a scenario in which students will confirm their suspicion that math, reading, science, and social studies are integrated in real life, and not to be thought of as separate subjects tested on separate days. I envision students being able to USE what they learn - integrated with what they already know - to solve a real-world problem.


I envision students immersing and applying themselves in the higher-level-thinking, overarching concepts that are not “part of the standards,” but which we find in the introductions to each of the standards documents - all at the 7-11, or at another location equally pregnant with the opportunity for growth learning.


This then would be an “INPUT” appropriate for the students, which would enable them to show output growth, IF an appropriate instrument was available to show that growth and report it on district report cards...... OR maybe just to achieve growth that cannot be measured by the flawed instruments currently trying to do so for academically gifted students.


In either case aught we not be tasked with providing the INPUT opportunity for rich real-world growth, whether or not it is measurable on a Tuesday morning multiple-choice, short-answer, extended-response-but-do-not-use-integrated-thinking-or-prior-knowledge test?


Mark Bohland




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