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>"The program’s names might insinuate not every child has gifts; instead, they should be rebranded as “accelerated learning programs” or another name that avoid
by BitwiseFool 5y ago
>"The program’s names might insinuate not every child has gifts; instead, they should be rebranded as “accelerated learning programs” or another name that avoids implying that only certain children are gifted"
This is one of those statements where you can feel the kindhearted rationale behind it, and sorta agree, but it is ultimately based on a false premise. It is absolutely true that only certain children are gifted. Otherwise, all education could be at the same level since no one stands out enough - good or bad - to require different approaches.
I think you are doing a massive disservice to the children who have a knack for some kind of knowledge/skill by trying to regress everyone to the mean so that no one feels left out. You might think, "this isn't a big deal, we're just shifting around definitions", but I know the push from "equity-minded education reformers" will not stop at mere terminology shifting.
- ksdale 5y agoIt's true that some kids are naturally better than others at doing tasks that school and future employers have deemed important. There's no reason to call it "gifted." The word "gifted" carries a moral valence that is completely unnecessary. Though I completely agree that not providing a track for these kids to go as fast as they can is wrong.
- aappleby 5y ago"some kids are naturally better than others at doing tasks that school and future employers have deemed important" This characterization of "gifted" is so profoundly incorrect that I'm having trouble coming up with a concise explanation as to why. I agree that the term is not the best, but... I think you may not be familiar with the full spectrum of abilities that "giftedness" implies.
- BitwiseFool 5y agoI know "gifted" is not a monolith and I suppose finding other terms using a thesaurus might be in order. Children can be gifted across many different kinds of intelligence or ability. I know it's more than just being good at math.
- ksdale 5y agoWhen kids get put in a "gifted" program at school, what exactly is being selected for? It's not general intelligence, as plenty of smart kids do poorly in school. It's not, say, athletic ability. There are sports teams, but not programs for "gifted" athletes in public schools as far as I know. It's not emotional intelligence, or empathy, or any of a number of axes that a child could be "gifted" on. It's their ability to follow instructions, and sit quietly, and pass quizzes faster and more accurately than everyone else. It's a very specific set of skills that is necessary to succeed in school.
- nickthegreek 5y agoMy entrance to the gifted program was not based on my ability to follow instructions, sit quietly or pass quizzes fast. I failed at all 3 of those. I excelled at a series of tests on solving puzzles and pattern matching.
- icedchai 5y agoHaving been through an 80's gifted program, selection was based on standardized test results (98th percentile scores) followed by in-person, interview-style IQ test administered by a psychologist. From what I remember, the interview focused on pattern recognition. "Here's a picture: tell me what's wrong with it?" "Here's three shapes, which one of the others comes next?" Pattern recognition is considered a proxy for general intelligence, right or wrong.
- wvenable 5y ago> The word "gifted" carries a moral valence that is completely unnecessary. I'm not sure why. A "gift" isn't something you've earned, it's something that was given to you. Seems accurate to me.
- ksdale 5y agoI think that's a very astute point, but also doesn't match up with the way people think about the word, in my experience.