Re: "Thinking Differently". - Gifted Issues Discussion Forum

I LOVE that you had this added to his IEP - that is fantastic!

Originally Posted by eema

His IEP actually says that teachers have to accept unconventional answers, but some of the teachers are so narrow in their thinking that they think his answers are wrong, rather than different.

Eema,
I think that you are seeing a combination of things -
IF your son is 2e/HG or 2e/PG then yes, he will look quite different than the MG kids.

If your cultural background or family politics are not the norm for your area, then your DS's insights might sound more 'far out' than they actually are.

It is always possible that the 2es themselves help in thinking outside the box. I've always thought of myself as an 'outside the box' thinker - my joke about it is: of course I'm outside the box - frankly I couldn't even find the box in the first place.

-OR-
This might be your son's greatest strength. He might be the equivalent of 'Calculus in 4th grade' at asking questions and seeing things from many perspectives. Your son might be more MG in other areas.

My son often gets compliments on 'asking good questions' even when he is among groups of only PG kids. I have no idea where he gets it from. (Wink)

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Thanks EEma,
Unfortunately, I have had most of my colleagues fall into the category of being intimidated by students like this. It is usually because the teacher is teaching out of their subject area, or as Grinity suggests, have so little exposure to other ways of thinking and experiences than what is right around them that they can't cope with out of the box thinking.
I think one reason I love these sorts of kids is because I was one of them when I was in school, and then living outside of the US for 11 years opened my eyes to an incredible amount of new and different ways of thinking.

Originally Posted by Grinity

of course I'm outside the box - frankly I couldn't even find the box in the first place.

Lol grinity! Yes, where is the box? What box?

Back to your regular programming...

Originally Posted by Iucounu

Such problem-solving skills should be testable, although I don't know whether most or any current IQ tests would test for them. What you describe seems to be a particular type of skill that I'm good at, holding a large amount of problem-domain and other knowledge in one's head and making connections.

Great explanation. I think its also called constructive imagination. I like the more romantic "Lucid Dream shaping" as another term for it.

I also like Boyd's essay on creativity.

http://www.thecepblog.com/2009/02/09/destruction-and-creation-by-john-r-boyd/

Quote

To comprehend and cope with our environment we develop mental patterns or concepts of meaning. The purpose of this paper is to sketch out how we destroy and create these patterns to permit us to both shape and be shaped by a changing environment. In this sense, the discussion also literally shows why we cannot avoid this kind of activity if we intend to survive on our own terms. The activity is dialectic in nature generating both disorder and order that emerges as a changing and expanding universe of mental concepts matched to a changing and expanding universe of observed reality. - John R. Boyd.

Originally Posted by kcab

Thinking "differently" makes me think of divergent thinking

kcab, when I read this line I got a lump in my throat. This was exactly my problem as a student! It embarrassed me and I believed it bothered the teachers. I became a class mute because of this. I hope it doesn't hold back any of our children in any way.

Kerry, I'm sending you a cyber hug.

Seablue - thanks I need one today