Judging the Relevance and worth of ideas part 2.pptx
TIPical Gifted Kids
1. AIG PARENTS’ NIGHT
East Carolina University
Presented by
Richard D. Courtright, Ph.D.
Gifted Education Research Specialist
Duke University Talent Identification Program
3. Stephen Colbert
Truthiness (n.)
What you want the facts to be,
as opposed to what the facts are.
What feels like the right answer,
as opposed to what reality will
support.
4. Myths of Giftedness
The Gifted are...
more prone to emotional disturbance
have everything going their way
can succeed without help
should be valued mostly for their brain power
are more stable and mature
should assume responsibility for others
enjoy being examples to/for other children
5. Myths of Giftedness
The Gifted are...
have abilities that are always valued by their
families
excel or exceed the norms in all areas of
development
need to be disciplined more than others
will always reveal their giftedness
are high achievers with high motivation to excel in
school
6. Truths of Giftedness
The Gifted are the most
heterogeneous group to
study, because they can vary the
most on the most variables.
-- Tracy Cross
The College of William & Mary
7. Gifted children and [gifted] adults see
the world differently because of the
complexity of their thought processes
and their emotional intensity.
People often say to them, “Why do you
make everything so complicated?”
“Why do you take everything so
seriously?” “Why is everything so
important to you?”...
8. The gifted are “too” everything:
too sensitive,
too intense,
too driven,
too honest,
too idealistic,
too moral,
too perfectionistic,
too much for other people! ...
9. Even if they try their entire lives to fit
in, they still feel like misfits. The
damage we do to gifted children and
adults by ignoring this phenomenon is
far greater than the damage we do by
labeling it.
Without the label for their
differences, the gifted come up with
their own label: “I must be crazy! No
one else is [like this] but me!” Silverman,
Linda
...The Columbus Group
10. On the other hand, being academically gifted can
get you in trouble with kids who don’t like the way
you get straight A’s.
Being smart can sometimes mean a drop in
popularity with groups of ―normal‖ kids who don’t
like brains.
Once you get a reputation as a brain, its [sic] hard
to lose it. I try not to answer every question the
teacher asks, even though it might mean a better
grade.
Middle school male, 7th grade
11. Last year this boy was my very best friend.
He wasn’t very smart, but he didn’t care
that I was. Until this year.
Now, he won’t speak to me. I’m really
upset about this but maybe sometime
he’ll be nice to me again.
Middle school female, 7th grade
12. If someone is talking about a topic and I
tell them what I know about it, they seem
to think that I am bragging… and I don’t
mean for it to be that way!
I just try to share my knowledge with
them but they take it that I am bragging.
Now I’m careful of who I say things in
front of.
Gifted Kids Speak Out – Delisle, J.
14. DABROWSKI’s Theory of
Emotional Development
Three Factors:
Factor 1: Heredity / Constitutional
Factor 2: Environmental / Social
Factor 3: Self-directed / Autonomous
15. The Columbus Group
―Giftedness is asynchronous
development in which
advanced cognitive abilities
and heightened intensity
combine to create inner
experiences and awareness
that are qualitatively
different from the norm…
16. The Columbus Group
…This asynchrony increases with
higher intellectual capacity. The
uniqueness of the gifted renders
them particularly vulnerable and
requires modifications in
parenting, teaching and
counseling in order for them to
develop optimally.‖
17. Dyssynchrony implies
Vulnerability
Kate, like every highly gifted child, is an
amalgam of many developmental ages. She may
be 6 while riding a bike, 13 while playing the
piano or chess, 9 while debating rules, 8 while
choosing hobbies and books, 5 (or 3) when
asked to sit still.
How can such a child be expected to fit into a
classroom designed around norms for 6 year
olds?
Tolan, 1989
18. She walked into the high school
guidance office and told the head of
guidance that there was a
philosophical flaw in the idea of AP
courses when there was a good
college across town. She wanted
college courses, NOW. He suggested
learning to get along with peers was a
valid goal…
19. She walked into the high school
guidance office and told the head of
guidance that there was a
philosophical flaw in the idea of AP
courses when there was a good
college across town. She wanted
college courses, NOW. He suggested
learning to get along with peers was a
valid goal…
She said she already knew how to
pretend to be stupid.
20. What is Duke TIP?
A self-supporting, non-profit, educational
organization dedicated to the identification
and support of academically gifted students.
Founded in 1980, over 2 million students
have participated in the Duke TIP Talent
Searches.
Arm-in-arm with schools and families, Duke
TIP works to identify talented young people
and to provide them with a wide array of
fulfilling educational opportunities, from 4th
grade through 12th.
21. Endogenous characteristics
Originates from the characteristics of the individual
Gifted attributes as a matter of degree, not kind
Examples in gifted students:
Overexcitabilities
Asynchronous development
Perfectionism
Excessive self-criticism
Multipotentiality
22. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Acquires and retains Impatient with the
information quickly slowness of others;
dislikes routine and
drill;
may resist mastering
foundational skills;
may make concepts
unduly complex.
23. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Inquisitive Asks embarrassing
attitude, intellectual questions;
curiosity; intrinsic Strong-willed;
motivation; searching
Resists direction;
for significance
Seems excessive in
interests;
Expects same from
others.
24. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Ability to Rejects or omits
abstract, conceptualize, details;
synthesize; enjoys Resists practice or
problem-solving and drill;
intellectual activity. Questions teaching
procedures.
25. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Can see cause-effect Difficulty accepting
relationships. the illogical—such as
feelings, traditions, or
matters to be taken on
faith.
26. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Love of truth, equity Difficulty in being
and fair play. practical;
Worry about
humanitarian
concerns.
27. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Enjoys organizing Constructs
things and people into complicated rules or
structure and order; systems;
seeks to systematize. May be seen as
bossy, rude or
domineering.
28. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Large vocabulary and May use words to
facile verbal proficiency; escape or avoid
broad information in situations;
advanced areas. Becomes bored with
school and age peers;
Seen by others as a
―know-it-all.‖
29. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Thinks critically; has Critical or intolerant
high expectancies; is toward others;
self-critical and May become
evaluates others. discouraged or
depressed;
Perfectionistic.
30. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Keen observer; willing Overly intense focus;
to consider the unusual; Occasional gullibility.
open to new
experiences.
31. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Creative and inventive; May disrupt plans or
likes new ways of doing reject what is already
things. known;
Seen by others as
different and out of
step.
32. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Intense concentration; Resists interruption;
long attention span in Neglects duties or
areas of interest; goal- people during period
directed behavior; of focused interests;
persistence.
Stubbornness.
33. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Sensitivity, empathy for Sensitivity to criticism
others; desire to be or peer rejection;
accepted by others. Expects others to have
similar values;
Need for success and
recognition;
May feel different and
alienated.
34. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
High Frustration with
energy, alertness, eager inactivity;
ness; periods of intense Eagerness may disrupt
efforts. others;
Schedules;
Needs continual
stimulation;
May be seen as
hyperactive.
35. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Independent; prefers May reject parent or
individualized work; peer input;
reliant on self. Non-conformity;
May be
unconventional.
36. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Diverse interests and May appear scattered
abilities; versatility. and disorganized;
Frustrations over lack
of time;
Others may expect
continual competence.
37. Characteristics of the Gifted:
The Good News & The Shadow Side
Strong sense of humor. Sees absurdities of
situations;
Humor may not be
understood by peers;
May become ―class
clown‖ to gain
attention.
38. Potential Problems Faced by SOME
Gifted Individuals
Exogenous Problems:
Educational conformity vs. individualism
Expectancies by others
Peer relations
Family relations
Power struggles
39. Potential Problems Faced by SOME
Gifted Individuals
Exogenous Problems:
Enmeshment (or ―confluence‖)
Mistaking the abilities of the child
Sibling relations
Parental understanding (lack thereof)
Chance and location factors
40.
41. Potential Problems Faced by
SOME Gifted Individuals
Isolation
Feels the anxiety of being different
Few role models
Lack of societal respect
44. Potential Problems Faced by SOME
Gifted Individuals
Exogenous Problems:
There is evidence to show that the gifted are
influenced by their peers’, parents’ and teachers’
feelings about their abilities. If they are seen as
mental freaks, unhealthy personalities, or eccentric
simply because they are brainy or creative, many of
them will avoid the stigma through conformity.
Some would rather underachieve and be popular
than achieve honor status and receive ostracism.
Abraham Tannenbaum
45. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
Study by Tannenbaum
High school juniors ranked the
preferred characteristics
average – brilliant
studious – non-studious
athletic – non-athletic
46. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
Study by Tannenbaum
Significant difference favoring the
BRILLIANT-
NON-STUDIOUS-
ATHLETE
47. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
Study by Cramond & Martin
Student teachers ranked the
preferred characteristics
average – brilliant
studious – non-studious
athletic – non-athletic
48. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
Study by Cramond & Martin
Significant difference favoring the
BRILLIANT-
NON-STUDIOUS-
ATHLETE
49. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
Study by Cramond & Martin
Experienced teachers ranked
the preferred characteristics
average – brilliant
studious – non-studious
athletic – non-athletic
50. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
Study by Cramond & Martin
Significant difference favoring the
BRILLIANT-
NON-STUDIOUS-
ATHLETE
51. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
The Brilliant—Studious—Non Athlete was
chosen last in every study
―Athlete” occupies the top four places in all three
surveys
Non-studious occupies the top spot in all three
surveys
Preservice and experienced teachers chose
―average‖ over ―brilliant‖ as a descriptor
52. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
There are, in fact, peer groups (cliques) in
virtually all schools
Students associate ―brains‖ with ―nerds‖
High achievers resist being labeled a brain, and
consequently…
High achievers employ strategies to avoid the
―brain-nerd‖ connection
53. Social Dynamics and the
Gifted/Talented Student
To avoid the ―brain - nerd‖
connection, strategies were
employed that include:
Denial
Distraction (excellence in another domain)
Deviance (class clown)
Underachievement
54. The Power of Social Context
Our children are taught to wear masks before they
recognize their own faces. They are made to put their
tender, pliable forms into prefabricated shells –
cultural roles prescribed for their age, sex and class. All
too soon the open faces and fluid selves are disfigured
as were the bound feet of the women of Manchu China.
They are crushed to meet social expectancy. Those who
fail to escape the constraints of masks and sheaths can
only look ahead, not up or down, right or left...
Elizabeth Drews
55. RECOMMENDATIONS
Treat gifted children as children first
Establish communication among parents, teachers
and counselors
Teach gifted children social skills, ways to manage
stress, and to enjoy non-academic activities
Try to understand the social milieu of school
Learn about the individual child’s personality, social
goals and needs
Create opportunities for gifted children to interact
Model adaptive behaviors
56. RICK COURTRIGHT
Gifted Education Research Specialist
Duke University
Talent Identification Program
Phone: (919)668-9130
Email: RCourtright@tip.duke.edu