Comments on: New York Is Running Out of Ways to Separate Gifted Pre-Schoolers From Well-Prepared Ones http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/02/new-york-is-running-out-of-ways-to-separate-gifted-pre-schoolers-from-well-prepared-ones/ Keeping You Current Fri, 24 May 2013 15:39:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: James Senn http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/02/new-york-is-running-out-of-ways-to-separate-gifted-pre-schoolers-from-well-prepared-ones/comment-page-1/#comment-4783 James Senn Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:58:02 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/?p=11357#comment-4783 Schools & society are ill-equipped to determine which children are gifted. How do you differentiate between children that are 'gifted' in different areas -- sports, math, computer, art, music, mechanics, engineering, design, cooking, etc. Our society needs to help children develop their gifts to the fullest extent without regard to how much money their parents have. This private school competition shows a deficiency in our system! We need all these 'gifts' in our competition for ideas and innovations with the rest of the world. Schools & society are ill-equipped to determine which children are gifted. How do you differentiate between children that are ‘gifted’ in different areas — sports, math, computer, art, music, mechanics, engineering, design, cooking, etc. Our society needs to help children develop their gifts to the fullest extent without regard to how much money their parents have. This private school competition shows a deficiency in our system! We need all these ‘gifts’ in our competition for ideas and innovations with the rest of the world.

]]> By: Sam Adams http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/02/new-york-is-running-out-of-ways-to-separate-gifted-pre-schoolers-from-well-prepared-ones/comment-page-1/#comment-4765 Sam Adams Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:02:59 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/?p=11357#comment-4765 Maybe the problem lies with the way we are trying to define what is and is not "gifted?" Both of my kids are in their school's respective "gifted programs." They're bright kids who make straight As. But are they more gifted than another kid who did not score as well as well on the "gifted test" but who also still manages to make straight As? I tell my kids all the time there is a difference between being "intelligent" and being "smart." One represents potential, the other represents potential realized. Motivation counts enormously here. Maybe the problem lies with the way we are trying to define what is and is not “gifted?”

Both of my kids are in their school’s respective “gifted programs.” They’re bright kids who make straight As. But are they more gifted than another kid who did not score as well as well on the “gifted test” but who also still manages to make straight As?

I tell my kids all the time there is a difference between being “intelligent” and being “smart.” One represents potential, the other represents potential realized. Motivation counts enormously here.

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