WHERE ARE THE GIFTED CHILDREN ? WHERE DO THEY ALL BELONG?
Although the Superintendent’s desire to access more “gifted” students into the schools is a noble cause, the fact is that “gifted” as defined by the state are those that can pass tests and jump the hoops better than their counterparts. Observing last week’s published graph , note that at Yancey the school population is 57% free lunch, 45% Black and 6.9% gifted while at Meriweather Lewis less than 4% free lunch, less than 1% Black and 20% gifted. Clearly, the confines of the terms used by the state bias culturally and economically disadvantaged youths and right brain thinking. The prisons are FULL of genius.
“Gifted and talented” is a predominantly left brain experience and cannot be measured by standarized testing. The Einstein’s and Hawking’s capatialize on right brain thinking which incorporates intuition, asking relevant questions, quiet, self-discipline, high self-esteem, motivation, curiosity, integral learning, sociability, self-awareness and self-knowledge; capacity for continuing to learn efficiently, enjoyably and effectively; overall awareness of various aspects of the world; and the ability to manage time and technology. Perhaps learning is best defined as a change of thinking and/or behavior as the result of experiencing the world.
All of these characteristics are inhibited by the traditional public school system with its custodial, indoctrinational, political, intellectual, training certification, and credentializing functions. Textbook companies, motivated by finance, have for too long defined the established curriculum. All creative intentions to change the structure are thwarted by the state and federal mandates which level all new ideas in education to the same playing field as public schools. The factory model of schooling combined with a widespread Prussian paradigm emphasizing obedience, subordination, and deference to the state is obsolete. Schooling has also become a “right” rather than a “priviledge”.
Holographic thinking, which includes the integration of body, mind, spirit, and emotions combining into a “whole” thinking person living in the present moment, must be incorporated. Children should not be isolated within the school day in an artifical environment, eating artifical foods, under artifical lights within artifical constraints and expect to come out prepared for life experiences. Interaction with their environment plays a critical role in learning and acquiring behavior patterns.
What we need is a high intensity, brain based, self-directed learning climate capitalizing on a child’s curiosity, creativity, strengths, capacities, interests and experiences . Learning to ask relevant questions and possessing meaningful experiences are the well spring for healthy adulthood.
Schooling, from kindergarten through graduate school, is seen by the students largely as a process of ‘getting through’ on the way to some meaningful learning on the job. And then less than one in ten adults buys a book in any given year. 84 million grownups are unaware that the earth revolves around the sun. Meanwhile, almost every child has taught themselves to speak a very complicated language at home without formal teaching whatsoever. Schools are obsolete and/or counterproductive except that they give people the feeling that they are investing in their future despite the fact that fewer and fewer good jobs are becoming available. Schools, therefore, to be useful, need to do things very differently or the genius, gifts and talents of our youths will atrophy forever.
The search in the “New Age” is the search for the soul, the spirit of our lost childhood. It is a time of the healing arts, raising consciousness, personal enlightenment, finding the mystery and meaning of life. It is a time of healing our roots, finding the god and goddess, getting close to the earth, resurrecting long standing traditional societies, living in the present, reclaiming yourself. Its about finding your own personal gifts and talents, your true genius, your own personal power. So, how are you gifted? How can we teach the generations to come to tap into that giftedness?
The fact is in school, the “gifted” as defined by the state and federal officials, are those that can pass standardized achievement tests and jump the hoops better than their counterparts. The confines of the terms of these tests bias culturally and economically disadvantaged youths and right brain thinking, and most of the general public. Prisons are FULL of genius.
“Gifted and talented” is a predominantly left brain experience and cannot be measured by standardized testing. This is the reason why so many adults now gravitate to self-help classes and literature, in search of their personal fulfillment. The Einstein’s, Chopra’s and Hawking’s capitalize on right brain thinking which incorporates intuition, dreaming, asking relevant questions, quiet, self-discipline, high self-esteem, motivation, curiosity, integral learning, sociability, self-awareness and self-knowledge; capacity for continuing to learn efficiently, enjoyably and effectively; overall awareness of various aspects of the world; and the ability to manage time and technology; courage.
All of these characteristics are inhibited by the traditional public school system with its custodial, indoctrinational, political, intellectual, training certification, and credentializing functions. Textbook companies, motivated by finance, have for too long defined the established curriculum. All creative intentions to change the structure are thwarted by the state and federal mandates which level all new ideas in education to the same playing field as public schools. Montessori and Waldorf schools, for example, must redesign their course of study to encompass the rigid regulations of the state to which they are located. In Europe, these schools are very different.
Perhaps learning can be best defined as a change of thinking and/or behavior as the result of experiencing the world. Adults are trying to recapture the essence which public schooling has successfully tried to strip from each individual. Who am I? Why am I here? Why do I feel so empty and alone? The factory model of schooling combined with a widespread Prussian paradigm emphasizing obedience, subordination, and deference to the state is now obsolete. The existence of this model is granted to Catherine the Great who created it to train soldiers and factory workers. Overzealous politicians brought it to our shores the early part of this century. This system was incorporated at a time when a far superior form of schooling existed- the one room school house. In the one room schoolhouse, youths learned and progressed at their own rate. There were no labels or tags. The community was tight, nurturing and a source of security. Schooling was a “privilege” not a “right” and was valued and honored.
Ironically, school boards are looking to the military, retired generals, to run school districts that are unmanageable, especially in large cities, like Washington, D.C. However, little success is evident because the heart of the matter is completely overlooked. Children can only learn in a safe environment. Schools are no longer safe. Weapons, drugs, violence, corruption and deceit as well as an arbitrary grading system do not make for a safe haven for learning to take place. More and more parents are opting to home school.
Holographic thinking, which includes the integration of body, mind, spirit, and emotions combined into a “whole” thinking person living in the present moment, must be incorporated into the schools. Children should not be isolated within the school day in an artificial environment, eating artificial foods, under artificial lights within artificial constraints and expect to come out prepared for life experiences. Interaction with their environment plays a critical role in learning and acquiring behavior patterns.
What we need is a high intensity, heart/mind based, self-directed learning climate capitalizing on a child’s curiosity, creativity, strengths, capacities, interests and experiences within a feeling of safety and trust. Learning to ask relevant questions and possessing meaningful experiences are the well spring for healthy adulthood interactions. Courage comes from high self-esteem, self-reliance, self-motivation…all of which the schools do not successfully promote.
Schooling, from kindergarten through graduate school, is seen by the students largely as a process of ‘getting through’ on the way to some meaningful learning on the job. And then less than one in ten adults buys a book in any given year. 84 million grownups are unaware that the earth revolves around the sun. Meanwhile, almost every child has taught themselves to speak a very complicated language at home without formal teaching whatsoever. Schools are obsolete and/or counterproductive except that they give people the feeling that they are investing in their future despite the fact that fewer and fewer good jobs are becoming available. Schools, therefore, to be useful, need to do things very differently or the genius, gifts and talents of our youths will atrophy forever. A person accidentally losing the use of limbs will find that they shrink and cannot be retrieved after a significant amount of time has lapsed. So it is with genius, talent and personal gifts.
The fact is that EVERYONE is gifted and talented in some form or another. Schools must design themselves in a way that enables students to find and enhance their own personal genius, to finding their souls and their real purpose in life, not one designed by educators or parents. The self-help classes and literature that costs billions today need to be a part of the everyday curriculum of tomorrow. BIG changes are about to take place…the 100th Money in Education is finally here! It is time for the dawn of a new era in educating youth. The likes of which has never been seen on this planet. It encompasses the aspects of the brain that scientists have told us we fail to use. It took many generations to reach the capacity level for these functions of the brain.