[Ohiogift] Labelling the gifted

Thu Apr 17 06:09:38 EDT 2014

It is very sad that a designation is required for appropriate services. Some still have the notion that gifted provides ‘fluff’ services because the kids are having a ball while learning and exploring, in addition to pullout services being non-graded (depending on the district and services rendered). All kids could ‘have a ball’, if they enjoyed what they were doing. We are lucky in that some student choice can be integrated with their WEPs. The notion that “gifted kids will be just fine in the regular classroom” is a farce. I have rarely seen appropriate differentiation for these kids, and I mean rarely. Intellectually, they are fine. Socially and emotionally, well, this is where having a dedicated resource room helps them become comfortable with all of their quirks and, at times, oddities. You would be surprised—perhaps not—how many former students shoot an eMail out of the blue to say how much gifted helped them become the confident young adults they are today. Just yesterday two college freshmen, who were part of gifted since grade 4, stopped by for a few hours after school just to catch up. What an honor! 

Chip

So we'd rather have the preferred term or right definition than better opportunities  for children at school?  Anything else upsets our delicate sensibilities? 

I'm sorry. That sounds sort of wimpy and just sad.

Edward A. Hawks, III, M.Ed.

  _____  

Gifted Intervention Specialist | Exceptional Student Education

Kent City School District

  _____  

What he seemed, he was—a wholly human gentleman, the 

essential elements of whose positive character were two and 

only two, simplicity and spirituality. 

(Douglas Southall Freeman on Robert E. Lee)

From: ohiogift-bounces+eah3rd=windstream.net at lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:ohiogift-bounces+eah3rd=windstream.net at lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of Ms118rbts at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 11:28 PM
To: cdg.gradyllc at gmail.com; Robert.Schultz at utoledo.edu
Cc: OATAG at yahoogroups.com; Ohiogift at lists.service.ohio-state.edu; XL-PDX at yahoogroups.com; margaretdelacy at comcast.net; Tagfam at listserv.icors.org
Subject: Re: [Ohiogift] Labelling the gifted

The reality is that without the term, in many districts absolutely nothing positive would happen for these kids. Indeed, is some places, nothing happens now even with the label. The tragedy is that some people think that is perfectly OK, and actively work to dismantle any standards of/for services for gifted students. 

In a message dated 4/16/2014 10:00:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cdg.gradyllc at gmail.com <mailto:cdg.gradyllc at gmail.com>  writes:

So we'd rather have the preferred term or right definition than better opportunities  for children at school?  Anything else upsets our delicate sensibilities? 

I'm sorry. That sounds sort of wimpy and just sad.

On Apr 16, 2014 9:50 PM, "Schultz, Robert" <Robert.Schultz at utoledo.edu <mailto:Robert.Schultz at utoledo.edu> > wrote:

A quick “chime in” from Northwest Ohio….. 

It is pretty hysterical (and sad, infuriating and the like) that a position such as that proposed by the authors is even being considered. With the redefinition of gifted and emphasis on talent development, the field (well, some people in it, that is) are attempting to mainstream on academics and performance. This aligns well with measurement and accountability, but completely misses the mark for the vast majority of gifted kids. Making kids fit the parameters of school has never worked for the gifted population. It needs to be the schools who must meet the needs of the kids.

There are many of us who know and firmly provide the social/emotional needs emphasis that is the grounding to our field, and the children (and families) that comprise our charge. Keep advocating and supporting the kids in (and out of) the classroom. Keep working to point out where “the emperor has no clothes”; and, the fallacies in the statements made by people who have no experience working with the gifted.

And, remember, gifted is who you are—you cannot change it or hide it. Talented is what you can do—and you can decide to show it or not. 

Relying on performance as the indicator of giftedness (or a rationale for developing talent) is as myopic as expecting accountability testing to fix education….

Keep up the good work!! For kids….

Bob

Robert A. Schultz, Ph.D.

Gifted Education & Curriculum Studies

Professor

The University of Toledo

2801 W. Bancroft St.

2000 Z Gillham Hall

Mailstop 924

Toledo, OH  43606

(419) 530-2469 <tel:%28419%29%20530-2469> 

(419) 530-2466 <tel:%28419%29%20530-2466>  FAX

robert.schultz at utoledo.edu <mailto:robert.schultz at utoledo.edu> 

See my homepage at:

homepages.utoledo.edu/rschult/home.html <http://homepages.utoledo.edu/rschult/home.html> 

and visit www.giftedkidspeak.com <http://www.giftedkidspeak.com/> 

What I look forward to is continued immaturity, followed by death.

                                                *Dave Barry

On Apr 16, 2014, at 9:22 PM, Colleen Grady <cdg.gradyllc at gmail.com <mailto:cdg.gradyllc at gmail.com> > wrote:

I don't mean to be indelicate, but my concern here is not for adults or institutions so I don't care what label is used or even if a label is used.  

No disrespect to NAGC, but the idea of potentially changing an organization's name as problematic is laughable. 

I care about what happens for these children. If ditching the term "gifted" (or screaming like a chicken on Capitol Square at high noon) improved opportunities for gifted children I would do it in a heartbeat. It's just not that important. Really, it's not.

And having lived through the trials, tribulations and fun of having one of those highly gifted children (and living to tell the tale) I I know all too well the social and emotional challenges for these kids and their families. Knowing all that I know I would give my eye teeth to just having these children respected as individuals and have their academic and instructional needs of these students recognized and met. That's plenty and so much more than what we have now. Expecting the school to be everything for everyone is unrealistic and quite frankly weakens advocacy efforts. 

On Wed, Apr 16, 2014 at 8:54 PM, <Ms118rbts at aol.com <mailto:Ms118rbts at aol.com> > wrote:

Susan,

Your question, "If we throw away the word, then what is the National Association for Gifted Children, in which all of these authors are major players, all about?" is right on.  

We wonder why we still keep fighting the same old battles with so little forward progress.  With third grade guarantee and other hoops to jump through, students who have exceptional ability are often neglected,  especially when district finances are really tight. In many cases,  having the " gifted" label is the only thing that gets students anything approaching rigorous - let alone beyond grade level instruction and endless practice at things the student already understands.

It is hard to make progress when some in the field seem to be giving those who do not believe in gifted education ammunition like this article!

Margaret, I love your analogy!

Sally

In a message dated 4/16/2014 8:18:11 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, susanrakow at earthlink.net <mailto:susanrakow at earthlink.net>  writes:

I don't agree either because it presumes that giftedness is only about academic intervention and school instruction and disregards, particularly among the most highly gifted, the social and emotional aspects of experiencing the world through a gifted mind and heart. Lots of words have multiple connotations and sometimes the word "gifted" has baggage...but so does autistic or Asperger's or diabetic or artist and many others. And the fact is, that some children DO have abilities that others don't, just as some children DO have disabilities that others don't. 

If we throw away the word, then what is the National Association for Gifted Children, in which all of these authors are major players, all about?
Susan

-----Original Message-----
>From: Margaret DeLacy <margaretdelacy at comcast.net <mailto:margaretdelacy at comcast.net> >
>Sent: Apr 16, 2014 8:07 PM
>To: OATAG at yahoogroups.com <mailto:OATAG at yahoogroups.com> , "XL-PDX at yahoogroups.com <mailto:XL-PDX at yahoogroups.com> " <XL-PDX at yahoogroups.com <mailto:XL-PDX at yahoogroups.com> >, Tagfam at listserv.icors.org <mailto:Tagfam at listserv.icors.org> , Ohiogift at lists.service.ohio-state.edu <mailto:Ohiogift at lists.service.ohio-state.edu> 
>Subject: [Ohiogift] Labelling the gifted
>
>http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/04/16/28peters_ep.h33.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1
>
>Commentary
>Gifted Ed. Is Crucial, But the Label Isn't
>By Scott J. Peters, Scott Barry Kaufman, Michael S. Matthews, Matthew T. McBee, D. Betsy McCoach 
>
>"But how does the label of "gifted" help teachers and administrators determine the appropriate programming for students? In our view, the term is not only unhelpful, but actually harmful to the interests of bright students. "Gifted" is an educationally nondescript concept, yet it also connotes an endowment that some students receive while others do not. Moreover, the term seems to suggest that high academic performance is a permanent quality, both due to chance and applicable in all domains.
>
>The truth is that "giftedness" is irrelevant to K-12 educational decisions. What is relevant is whether the instruction a child receives is sufficiently rigorous to challenge that child. When that is not the case, there are many potential causes." 
>
>Margaret comments:
>
>I disagree with this.  I think the authors are insensitive to the realities of a school environment where time and energy are at a premium.  These constraints make it exceedingly unlikely that a child will have access to "rigorous" instruction without a formal procedure for identifying the students who are likely to need significant interventions. 
>
>Suppose I went to a nursery and said "one of my plants is failing to thrive.  What should I do?"
>
>The nursery worker says, "what plant is it?"
>
>I say, "I don't know.  I don't believe in labelling my plants." 
>
>The nursery isn't going to send someone out to my home to see what plant it is.  I don't have the time to try to figure it out.  So the plant doesn't get what it needs.
>
>Labels are never perfect.  They are always probabilistic.  Labels can be switched or wrong.  But a good label would tell a knowledgeable person what kind of plant I probably have, how it fits in a taxonomy of plants, and what sorts of issues it might have.  For example, there are tens of thousands of species of rhododendrons.  But even if all we know is that the plant is a rhododendron at least that would also mean it probably needs acid soil. At least we would know to check for that issue. 
>
>Margaret
>
>
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Susan R. Rakow, Ph.D. 
Clinical Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Program in Gifted Education
Department of Curriculum and Foundations 
Cleveland State University
2485 Euclid Ave., EB374
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214
216-523-7296 <tel:216-523-7296> 
s.rakow at csuohio.edu <mailto:s.rakow at csuohio.edu> 

“Modern cynics and skeptics see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.” -John F. Kennedy

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