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    I don't know where sub-forum is the right place to discuss books, so I will just mention it here. I've read a few books that I liked very much recently, not on gifted education but on education in general. One that gave me a pleasant surprise is The Smartest Kids in the World. I learned a lot about the system of teacher training in the US, Finland, Korea and Poland. It is disheartening that our system seems to have no rigor at all, but it also explained a lot. I was always amazed at the general attitudes that the teachers and the district have toward gifted students, but having some ideas of what these teachers may have or have not learned, such attitudes really make a lot of sense to me now.

    The current emphasis of schools seems to be to send as many students as possible to colleges. It's somewhat counter-intuitive. It really shouldn't be about the college degree, but about what the students will have learned when they enter the workplace. Some surveys and research, and lots of anecdotes show that today's kids learn less in K-12 than older generations. So it seems that we are simply redistributing the learning task over a longer period of time so that kids enter college with a lower academic level than in the past (hence more students are "ready" for college). And of course they then spend a huge amount of money in college to learn things that they should have learned in high school for free (including all the remedial courses that students take in college). Meanwhile, K-12 schools have an even harder time to accommodate the students at the higher end of the spectrum. I, for one, am all for the recent trend toward competency-based education instead of doing-your-time-for-a-degree.

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    Originally Posted by playandlearn
    I think the problem is that the schools have a very shallow understanding of the needs of these students and what these students are capable of. Therefore, on the surface, the school offers lots of options, but in essence, these options don't really work.
    Agreed! There's differentiation, enrichment, pull-outs, etc... but in practice much of it is illusory.

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    Originally Posted by indigo
    Originally Posted by playandlearn
    I think the problem is that the schools have a very shallow understanding of the needs of these students and what these students are capable of. Therefore, on the surface, the school offers lots of options, but in essence, these options don't really work.
    Agreed! There's differentiation, enrichment, pull-outs, etc... but in practice much of it is illusory.

    Oh absolutely, where I live, they talk a good game, they know all the buzz words in GT, all of the teachers have GT certifications, however, administration understands so little of the needs of GT students, they lock the program down on so many levels and limits the flexibility of the program so much that good people have their hands tied in what they can do and are forced to be much less effective than they could be if they just let good people do what they're good at.

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    Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
    I really had tears well up in my eyes when I read the post a bit back which described this process from the perspective OF a teacher. It's very sad to see. There's something innately HUMAN about great teachers and teaching. Stripping the humanity via bureaucratic controls is part of what is deeply, deeply wrong with education now.


    Wow! I'm flattered and honored, HowlerKarma! smile


    Stacey. Former high school teacher, back in the corporate world, mom to 2 bright girls: DD12 & DD7.
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    I also loved your post Stacey. I really like the common core. The questions are much more thought provoking and it has actually been easier for is to differentiate because a lot of the homework has been "make up your own question using this concept" type of things. I do feel so bad for all of the teachers who want to make a difference for each kid because it is just soooo much work with implementing the new standards and worrying about testing and just having so much going on all at once. Hopefully in the next few years it will get easier.

    I have been very very lucky. We have been to 3 different private schools between 2 of my kids, and the public school my son is now in has been amazing for us. It took a bit of work in the beginning, but he is now grade skipped and accelerated an extra year in math with the support of the principal and all the teachers he has had so far. His current teacher just rearranged her class schedule for him without us even asking because she didn't think it was fair for him to miss social studies and have to do the work on his own later. After reading all the struggles others have had and having been there myself when my son was in preK, I just feel so proud of our school for stepping up and doing so much on their own to help my son. I love them. My daughter will start there next year hopefully with a grade skip.

    There are some good school out there and there are great teachers and great principals. It's just too bad that it's the exception and not the norm. If I could hug our school I would.

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