Hi all...
I've been asked to provide and intro, so I am basically going to lie on the couch and do a mini-psycho session here.
I am not even sure this is site the right place to be except that I see many comments that align with my own perceptions of what school "should be", so if no one objects I�ll continue to post here even though no one in my family may qualify in the profoundly gifted range.
My own history is that I was considered a gifted child, though I was never told. I now know that I lie in the range of what I like to refer to as a moronic genius. Let me say that I believe that IQ is only a small part of the equation, that there are far more important factors that determine what use one makes out of that ability. Things like family support, school support, self-esteem, determination/ dedication to name a few. While I have been blessed with many talents I have failed to largely take any of them to their full potential. I have seen that as a common thread here as well. In some sense, I owe my decent living to my lack of detailed focus as I believe it has enhanced by ability to gain a broader view of issues which often leads me to provide solutions to problems when something "Out of the box" is needed. The phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none" fits me to a T.
Part of the reason I am here is that I often wonder if I had been more aggressively challenged, would I have accomplished more?
I have 4 children, all who I consider very bright.
Child #1 was very smart and very aggressive towards learning and did well in school. There were some issues with the school holding her back, but I knew she was strong enough to succeed, so we didn't worry too much. She finished HS early, graduated college with a degree in two disciplines and a certificate in a third. Today she is a project manager for a start up business in designing online games that does work for companies like Disney.
The second child was actually tested as she had some issues in college with depression. She was identified as bright (122), very talented artistically, suffers from ADD and a perfectionist. She was accepted to the top design school in the world and then fell apart the first year.
Child #3 is also bright but never tested. She absolutely detests school and graduated from HS this year. A straight �A� student when she wants to be, she is not going on to college and instead is pursuing Olympic dreams. She had been competing at the national level since early HS so she does have potential. It's her time to find out what it takes to reach for one's dreams, so more power to her.
Child #4 is a son age 10. He is also bright. It is tough to decide if he's the most gifted intellectually or not. He was reading the earliest (age 2 1/2) and he's also a straight A student with minimal effort. My concern is that he has suddenly mentioned he is bored at school. I think the reason that I an more concerned with him is that he is more focused on intellectual pursuits than the first three (Acting, Art and Athletics) so I need to step things up for him to ensure he doesn't lose interest in school.
I think the first three, and my own experience, has taught me that schools are not capable of identifying and supporting gifted students as part of their business plan if you will. I should mention that we live in Massachusetts which has no formal gifted program. The school systems here are focused on the bottom portion. In my mind, "no child left behind" is another way of saying "No child forges ahead".
I have made a preliminary contact with the school guidance office and they immediately espoused on how great the schools are and how we should look to include enrichment opportunities. My issue with that is if I need enrichment outside the school, then does the time spent in class become nothing more than a holding pen?
So I have decided to have him tested, at least initially for cognitive abilities. I may have to pay out of pocket since there is not a "Learning disability" however since ADD runs in our family I may be able to play up that trump card. I contacted a learning center that does testing and we are negotiating a price. The initial price they quoted was in the $400 range which I think is high. I am not looking for official recommendations and or a educational "plan". If he tests high enough then we'll consider ACT type tests and look for options here and via other organizations.
FYI - we have not been total slouches. We do participate in many activities as coaches and leaders and plan to refocus on more problem solving oriented groups. I am looking at FIRST! (Robotics competition) And MathCounts.
What I would also like to find is any online K-12 program that covers at least math where a student can learn at his/her own pace. Has anyone had any success with finding something like that? I imagine there should be something for homeschoolers?
Frankly I am amazed that I am having so much difficulty locating software along those lines. I think it's one of the huge failures of this country to not have developed something like that.
Thanks for listening and I look forward to your thoughts.
Rob
