What a great topic!
Hi all. I am new and i suspect I have a gifted son (10). I am just begining the whole process of "what do I do now?" but I have always thought that the public school systems were a failure. There's a long story but I am personnally a ghost of "gifted programs" past. Today i feel that "No student left behind" (NCLB) is really "No student forges ahead", and perhaps much of that is due to being from Massachusetts (I'll wait for the "BOO"s to die down).
I don't remember exactly when i first heard of the promises of individualized learning, maybe it was with 'The Jetsons' and seeing little Elroy with his robotic computer of a teacher. I always looked forward to the day when i could advance at my own pace instead of looking out the window or drawing pictures in class. Never happened, and i pretty much became disgusted with all schools. I see the same starting with my 10 year old.
I think bk1 is exactly on the right path with the comment that the new process should work for all students. As a matter of fact it is critical. The moment that the perception is that some students are getting special attention the game is lost. That's what NCLB was all about.
I have chatted in education forums (within Mass.) and the concensus seemed to be among educators that it would be impossible to administer to the needs of individual curriculum, that it would be a nightmare for teachers and administrator alike. I think that's due to the thinking that it would be something along the lines of what today's programs are like. Instead, i think it HAS to be radically different.
I don't have a clear idea of what it would be, as i am just starting on this search. This forum sounds like a good place to start bouncing ideas around. Hopefully this becomes an active forum!
Rob
