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Recently I was talking to some students who are gifted, and they were commenting about their areas of interest, study, and plans to make some sort of change in the world around them. Some wanted to impact students who came after them by making changes in course programming so the school can try to keep current issues in the forefront. Others wanted to impact the overall opportunities students have by participating in service projects, internships, volunteer activities, and other events. I was struck by the diversity of their giftedness and the fact that each of them was very serious about helping make their world a better place. These are students who will make a difference because they think deeply about the issues, solutions and ways to generate change. This deep thought is characteristic of many students who are gifted. Their deep thought and concern to make a positive difference for those who come after them is a part of who they are. Many students who are gifted will make a difference in the lives of others and create change that will impact gifted students for years to come. We can support these students by encouraging them to research and follow-through with their ideas, and by advocating for their needs.
5 Ways to Create Change as a Student https://blog.ed.ted.com/2018/01/02/5-ways-to-create-change-as-a-student/ How to Encourage Students to Dream and Lead Change https://educationpost.org/how-to-encourage-students-to-dream-and-lead-change/ Change Minds. Change Policies. Change Practice. https://www.nagc.org/blog/change-minds-change-policies-change-practice
2 Comments
LOVED the article on "How to Encourage Students to Dream and Lead Change"--thank you for sharing! As a parent of a gifted child I found that all too often my child was gently encouraged to fill up his schedule by taking only the accelerated classes to keep him challenged and not bored. While the intention was good, not enough opportunity was given to actually offering classes to use those skills (and help polishing the social ones) in a real setting. I was fortunate to be a stay at home mom and have the time to research where they could apply their most creative work--we found it with volunteering as a Therapy Dog team visiting nursing homes and other classrooms. Not only could he share his expertise on dog perceptions (sharing facts such as how a dog could smell a drop of blood in the size of an olympic swimming pool, how the dog's nose works) but he practiced speaking in front of people, moving around people, sharing jokes with people, having his classmates come up and talk with him (he was a shy, quiet student). I often find gifted/talented programs are too often focused on accelerated learning/grades and not enough on prepping them to function comfortably in the world among their peers. I encourage parents and teachers to offer community service projects as an actual class, during school hours, to stimulate the creative side of the brain, not just the logical side. Balance is key!
Wanda
6/4/2019 07:12:13 pm
Thanks for your comment, Cindy. Your therapy dog service project sounds amazing! Your child and people in the locations you visited all benefitted from the visits. Those are the experiences that help students who are gifted learn, and share who they are. Creativity is so important no matter in what form the creativity takes. I’m glad you found the article worthwhile. Leave a Reply. |
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Dr. Wanda Routier,
Former WATG Board Member
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