Reflection 3: June 6, 2012

This class was so interesting.  I loved going through the different myths and truths about gifted individuals, and i learned a lot from it. 

the ones that stood out to me the most are:

• gifted children are easy to raise and a welcome addition to any classroom
• gifted studetns are a homogeneous group, all high achievers
• gifted students often think abstractly and with such complexity that they may need help with concrete study- and test-taking skills.

Going back to the first one, I keep thinking about a particular student in my classroom during my practicum last fall.  This student was sleeping through class, not turning in assignments, and doodling during class (I believe there were other family issues as well).  When it came to actually answering questions or taking a test/quiz, he knew all the answers.  this child was obviously very bright, but so bored in this classroom (a 7th grade life science class).  How do we help someone like this when the teacher does not know how to address these issues.  I did not understand that this might be the case at the time, but this teacher should have recognized what the problem was.  He needed to be challenged, and his doodling was sometimes actual note-taking.  The other students in the class never took notes because either they did not know how to, or because they knew the information and it was all very repetitive.
I particularly enjoyed the video of the sand artist.  I liked it so much I showed it to my mother.  She enjoyed it, as well, and then began to watch interviews to learn more about the artist.   


for my philosphy of giftedness, I believe Renzulli encapsulates my beliefs.  I agree with his three ring model in that gifted people should possess these three qualities: above average ability, task commitment, and creativity.   I also believe to a certain degree that there are different areas of giftedness and different areas of giftedness as Gardner describes.  I do not think that they are so specifically defined into 7 intelligences, but those are a rough guide for what may be true.  Gifted individuals are not necessarily gifted in all areas.  Students should be placed based on interviews and work samples (and also a small fraction of testing).  The education plan should be individualized to fit the needs of each students, similar to the requirements of IDEA.