Wow. Great response guys. I know that for me a lot of my angst over DS education has to do with how I feel my education failed me.
My main concern, like Artana, is that gifted kids often learn poor study skills along with thinking that being "smart" means everything will come easily.
I went to good solid schools but there was no GT programming and no tracking or recognition of such. I remember desperately wishing that I could have the teacher all to myself so I could move forward quickly and explore questions even when they went off on a tangent. I did enjoy school for the social aspect as life at home was not happy and in school there were happy pleasant adults and kids to play with, otherwise I think I would have not enjoyed it as much.
In fourth grade my Mom was very ill and I had to move to NJ to live with my Dad for a bit. I went in October and within weeks contracted Hep A. I missed the rest of the school year except for the last few weeks when I got back home but they did not make me repeat the year even though I did no school work from home that year. I also graduated from High School a year early...a local option for those who would otherwise be taking mainly A/P classes. This was great too but by then I had terrible study habits and was more interested in moving away from home to pursue boys and parties. :-) My major for the first few years was Electrical and Computer Engineering and I managed to maintain a B average despite hardly ever going to class and being completely not into the subject. I wanted to double major in History and English but my father told me the social sciences were for stupid people (sorry...not my feelings) and I guess I was the stupid one because I listened. I ended up so turned off however, that I switched majors senior year and since I had the most electives in Pyschology that is what my degree is in. I also graduated college one semester early. This left me graduated at 20 with no practical degree, little ambition and no direction. Now, 20 years and four kids later I am three classes shy of my Master's in Education. I still would love to go back and major in History/English but no loans for extra bachelor's degree's and no money to spare.
Funny thing is my siblings are all quite gifted also but the one who I would say least so is the most successful going down to the most gifted having the least intellectually challenging job.
I think this is a scary thought in that our children now...if they don't get their needs met may not only not reach their potential but be huge underachievers.
I also agree with the parents that no matter what our "jobs" are raising our kids is a challenge to all our talents. :-)
I often wonder how my life might have been different if my education was different and does different mean better?
PS. Artana, do you recommend Odyssey of the Mind? I have been looking into it and talking to the school to see if I can help put a team together hoping this may be a good outlet for DS and other GT kids in the school district.
