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Each year, the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted celebrates Gifted Education Month during October. We celebrate with our annual fall conference with its informative and thought-provoking keynotes and workshops, with ceremonies and awards for service to our students and our field, proclamations from our Governor and Department of Public Instruction, and activities that promote camaraderie and sharing among our constituents. It is our hope that educators, parents, and caregivers will take this momentum back to their communities and share with others. Here are some ideas to get you started:
However you choose to celebrate gifted education week, know that we at WATG appreciate your efforts. The kids do, too! Jackie Drummer, Past President and Board Advisor WATG (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of the Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found in our website blogs.)
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It’s that time of year; students are going back to school. Administrators are wondering if they are sufficiently staffed for the school year. They are also wondering where they can cut corners and still fulfill their obligations to students and state requirements. Unfortunately, the first courses often cut are the arts - regular art classes, orchestra/band/choir, etc. - courses that have been proven to support emotional health in students. This is occurring during a time when parents/caregivers, teachers, and students are increasingly worried about emotional health issues.
So, my question to parents/caregivers and teachers is this: Are your children/your students getting enough of the arts? Numerous research studies have shown that students need the arts in order to maintain their emotional health. Why is this? The arts allow processing of emotional events experienced during the day. The arts allow a person to understand his/her world in a different way. The arts allow a person to give expression to what is learned and felt in a form differing from the world of facts and figures. The arts provide a creative break from often rigorous academic schedules. As the Encyclopedia Britannica so aptly states: “It (ART) can be used to communicate ideas and thoughts; it can be used as a tool for self-expression, used as a form of therapy, or even as a means to find beauty in life. Art also captures a moment in time, historical events, social ideas and concepts, and political or social commentary.” Often those of us who had “art” in school only remember the “stuff” we made in class or a brief experience: drawings, paintings, a clay pottery piece, a musical or drama experience - nothing more. But “experiencing art” provides much more than just “making something or doing something”. Again, from the Encyclopedia Britannica: “Traditional categories within the arts include literature (poetry, drama, story, and so on), the visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.), the graphic arts (painting, drawing, design, and other forms expressed on flat surfaces), the plastic arts (sculpture, modeling), the decorative arts (enamelwork, furniture design, mosaic, etc.), the performing arts (theater, dance, music), music (as composition), and architecture (often including interior design).” Clearly the arts touch all parts of life. They are important in the lives of children and adults; all people benefit from time for self-expression, for emotional release, for expressing thoughts, and for creativity, on a regular basis. Parents/caregivers, if your children don’t get enough time for the arts in school, perhaps you can provide a creative space where they can just doodle, paint or put “stuff” together, sing, dance, or create dramatic presentations. This dedicated space and dedicated time are critically important to their development and emotional health. Teachers, perhaps students can carve out some “art/creativity time” when finishing their work; better yet, infuse the arts into your curriculum whenever you can. Allow students to explore something of their own interest, even if it doesn’t result in a finished project. Perhaps it will be a piece of art, or writing/poetry, or a comic book, or a piece of music; the possibilities are endless. Again, it’s not the final product that is so important; most important is the time, space, freedom, and encouragement to create. Finally, parents/caregivers and teachers, carve out some time for your own emotional and creative release. Treat yourself to the joy of the arts! Your emotional health will benefit greatly from it. For more ideas about the arts, visit these websites: National Endowment for the Arts Home Page https://www.arts.gov/ Americans for the Arts | https://www.americansforthearts.org/ Google Arts & Culture https://artsandculture.google.com Dal Drummer, Artist WI Association for Talented and Gifted Treasurer Su Estudiante y su Salud Emocional Este es el momento del año; los estudiantes regresan a la escuela. Los administradores se preguntan si tendrán suficiente personal para el año escolar. También se preguntan de dónde pueden recortar y aún cumplir con sus obligaciones para con los estudiantes y los requerimientos del estado. Desafortunadamente, los primeros cursos que se recortan son arte – clases de arte regular, orquesta/banda/coro, etc. - cursos que se ha comprobado que apoyan la salud emocional en los estudiantes. Esto está ocurriendo en el momento en que los padres/tutores, maestros y estudiantes están preocupándose más sobre situaciones de salud emocional. Así que, mi pregunta a padres/tutores y maestros es esta: ¿Están sus niños/estudiantes teniendo suficiente arte? Numerosos estudios de investigación han demostrado que los estudiantes necesitan arte para poder mantener su salud emocional. ¿Por qué es esto? El arte permite procesar los eventos emocionales que experimentan durante el día. El arte permite a la persona entender su mundo de una manera diferente. El arte permite a la persona dar la expresión a lo que aprende y siente en una forma que difiere del mundo de hechos y figuras. El arte proporciona un descanso creativo de horarios académicos que continuamente son rigurosos. Como la Enciclopedia Británica acertadamente dice: “El (ARTE) se puede usar para comunicar ideas y pensamientos; puede ser utilizado como una herramienta de expresión, usarse como una forma de terapia o incluso como un medio para encontrar la belleza en la vida. El arte también captura un momento en el tiempo, eventos históricos, ideas y conceptos sociales y comentarios políticos o sociales.” Muchas veces, aquellos de nosotros que tuvimos “arte” en la escuela, únicamente recordamos “las cosas” que hicimos en clase o una breve experiencia: dibujos, pinturas, una pieza que moldeamos, una experiencia musical o de drama – solo eso. Pero “experimentar el arte” nos da mucho más que solo “crear o hacer algo”. Nuevamente, de la Enciclopedia Británica: “Las categorías tradicionales dentro del arte incluyen (poesía, drama, historia y más), el arte visual (pintura, dibujo, escultura, etc.), el arte gráfico (pintura, dibujo, diseño y otras formas expresadas en superficies planas), el arte plástico (escultura, modelar), el arte decorativo (trabajo de esmalte, diseño de muebles, mosaicos, etc.), el arte de expresión (teatro, baile, música), la música (como composición) y la arquitectura (muchas veces incluyen diseño interior).” Claramente el arte toca muchas partes de la vida. Esas son importantes en la vida de los niños y adultos; todas las personas se benefician de tener un tiempo para expresarse a sí mismos, para liberarse emocionalmente, para expresar pensamientos y por creatividad, regularmente. Padres/tutores, si sus hijos no están teniendo suficiente tiempo de arte en la escuela, quizás usted pueda proporcionar un espacio creativo donde ellos puedan jugar, pintar o pegar “cosas”, cantar, bailar o crear presentaciones dramáticas. Este espacio dedicado y tiempo dedicado son críticamente importantes para su desarrollo y salud emocional. Maestros, quizás los estudiantes puedan tallar algo de “tiempo de arte/creatividad” cuando terminen su trabajo; mejor aún, incluir arte dentro de su currículo siempre que se pueda. Permita que los estudiantes exploren algo de su propio interés, aunque no resulte en un proyecto terminado. Quizás sea una pieza de arte, o escritura/poesía, o un libro cómico, o una pieza de música; las posibilidades son infinitas. Nuevamente, no es el producto final lo que es tan importante; es más importante el tiempo, espacio, la libertad y la motivación para crear. Finalmente, padres/tutores y maestros, hagan tiempo para su propia liberación emocional y creativa. ¡Consiéntase a sí mismo para disfrutar del arte! Su salud emocional se beneficiará enormemente de eso. Para más ideas sobre arte, visite estas páginas web: National Endowment for the Arts Home Page | National ... https://www.arts.gov/ Americans for the Arts | https://www.americansforthearts.org/ Google Arts & Culture https://artsandculture.google.com Dal Drummer, Artista Tesorero, Asociación para Talentos Excepcionales de WI It never fails. In my almost 25 years of being in education, not a year has passed without me hearing (or saying) the words, “leadership potential” as in, “Megan has such leadership potential,” or “Adam has the potential to be a leader in our class.” Perhaps you have heard yourself or a colleague uttering those same words. But what comes next? How often do we move beyond those words and take steps to help students fulfill that potential? For me personally, I can honestly say that more often than not, I dropped the ball with the “what comes next” part. So a few years ago, I decided to make a conscious effort to help my students become better leaders.
Then I quickly realized that THAT would be easier said than done. I struggled to find resources that would help me truly teach my students how to be leaders. So I had to take a different approach. I spent time reflecting on students whom I had in past classes who really stood out to me as “leaders.” What I came to realize is that there were certain things that these students did naturally that others could be taught to do. And if I could help my students to do those things, well, then I could help them begin to become leaders. So as we prepare for the start of a new school year, I thought I would share the five things that I have observed student leaders do differently. I hope these will be helpful to you as you grow your students’ leadership potential in 2022-2023. Ability to facilitate compromise: All effective student leaders I have had in class find a way to bring the group together through compromise. They understand how to navigate the give and take that is necessary when group members don’t agree on a project topic or group roles. By teaching potential leaders what compromise is and allowing them opportunities to practice facilitating compromise, they will be better prepared to help resolve conflict in group situations quickly and productively. Optimism: When I really thought about my “natural leaders,” I realized that they all had a “we can do this” attitude about just about everything. They didn’t sweat the small stuff. In group situations, they served as the group cheerleader and made the team believe they could be successful. They were expert encouragers. Ability to facilitate inclusion: This is about more than making sure no one is alone. My student leaders took inclusion to the next level…they made sure everyone had a value and a voice. They made sure that each group member had a chance to share their ideas. They checked in with each group member to make sure that everyone understood the direction the team was taking. This also does not come naturally for many kids, but it can be taught and practiced. Effective listening skills: Hearing and listening are two very different skills. To help develop the skill of effective listening, my potential leaders and I practice being active listeners. We talk about body language, rephrasing, connecting, etc. They feel very silly doing this at first, but it is amazing to watch them carry it over into the classroom once they become comfortable. This skill will serve them well for the rest of their lives. Sincerity: Many parents and educators have noticed that often older elementary and middle school students speak two languages; English and sarcasm. Unfortunately, the latter doesn’t do much for developing their leadership potential! I work with my potential leaders to understand the important role that meaning what you say and saying what you mean plays in earning the respect of their team. The combination of kindness and sincerity in communication is imperative. As this school year begins, you may want to focus on these five areas with your developing leaders. If you have other great leadership tips, please share them with us at WATG. We’d love to hear from you! Nicole Meier WATG Board Member Poniendo en acción el Potencial de Liderazgo Nunca falla. En mis casi 25 años dentro de la educación, no ha pasado un año sin que escuche (o diga) las palabras: "potencial de liderazgo", como en: "Megan tiene un gran potencial de liderazgo" o "Adam tiene el potencial de ser un líder en nuestra clase". Tal vez te hayas escuchado a tí mismo o a un colega pronunciar esas palabras. Pero, ¿qué sigue? ¿Qué tan frecuente nos vamos más allá de esas palabras y damos los pasos para ayudar a los estudiantes a desarrollar ese potencial? Para mi personalmente, puedo decir honestamente que más frecuentemente que no; lo dejo caer con la parte de " que sigue". Por lo que, hace unos años decidí hacer un esfuerzo consciente de ayudar a mis estudiantes a ser mejores líderes. Es entonces que rápidamente me di cuenta que QUÉ sería más fácil decirlo que hacerlo. Se me dificultó encontrar recursos que me ayudaran a realmente enseñar a mis estudiantes a cómo ser líderes. Por lo que tuve que adoptar un enfoque diferente. Pase tiempo reflexionando sobre los estudiantes que tuve en clases anteriores que realmente destacaron para mí como "líderes". Lo que yo me pude dar cuenta es que, había ciertas cosas que estos estudiantes hicieron naturalmente que a otros podría háberseles enseñado. Y si pudiera ayudar a mis estudiantes a hacer esas cosas, bueno, entonces podría ayudarlos a comenzar a convertirse en líderes. Así que, mientras nos preparamos para el inicio de un nuevo año escolar, pensé en compartir cinco cosas que he observado que los estudiantes líderes hacen diferente. Espero que estos sean de ayuda para usted mientras aumenta el potencial de liderazgo de su estudiante en el 2022-2023. Habilidad de facilitar el compromiso: Todos los estudiantes líderes efectivos que he tenido en clase encuentran una manera de unir al grupo a través del compromiso. Ellos entienden cómo navegar el dar y tomar que es necesario cuando miembros de un grupo no están de acuerdo en el tema de un proyecto o los roles del grupo. Al enseñar a los líderes en potencia, lo que es el compromiso y al darles oportunidades para practicar el facilitar el compromiso, ellos estarán más preparados para ayudar a resolver conflictos en situaciones del grupo, de una manera rápida y productiva. Optimismo: Cuándo realmente pienso en mis "líderes naturales", me doy cuenta que todos ellos tienen una actitud de "lo podemos hacer" en casi todo. Ellos no se preocupan por las pequeñas cosas. En situaciones de grupo, ellos son el motivador del grupo y le hacen ver al grupo que pueden ser exitosos. Ellos son expertos motivadores. Habilidad de facilitar la inclusión: Esto es sobre más que asegurarse que nadie esté solo. Mis estudiantes líderes llevaron la inclusión al siguiente nivel… se aseguraron de que todos tuvieran voz y voto. Se aseguraron que cada miembro del grupo tuviera la oportunidad de compartir sus ideas. Ellos verificaron con cada miembro del grupo para asegurarse que todos entendieran la dirección que el grupo estaba tomando. Esto también no viene de una forma natural para muchos niños, pero puede enseñarse y practicarse. Habilidades Efectivas para escuchar: Oír y escuchar son dos habilidades diferentes. Para ayudar a desarrollar una habilidad efectiva para escuchar, mis líderes potenciales y yo, practicamos escuchando activamente. Hablamos sobre el lenguaje del cuerpo, parafraseo, conectarse, etc. Ellos sienten muy tonto al hacer esto al principio, pero es asombroso ver como llevan esto al salón de clase una vez que se sienten más cómodos. Esta habilidad les servirá muy bien por el resto de su vida. Sinceridad: Muchos padres y educadores han notado que los estudiantes mayores de primaria y secundaria hablan dos idiomas, inglés y sarcasmo. Desafortunadamente, el escalón no ayuda mucho para que desarrollen su potencial de liderazgo! Yo trabajo con mis líderes en potencia para entender el importante papel que haz lo que dices y di lo que es, juega en el ganarse el respeto de su equipo. La combinación de amabilidad y sinceridad en la comunicación es imperativa. Cuando este año escolar inicie, puede que usted quiera enfocarse en estas cinco áreas en el desarrollo de sus líderes. Si usted tiene más buenas sugerencias, por favor compártalas con nosotros en WATG. ¡Nos encantaría escucharlas! Nicole Meier Miembro de la Junta de Gobierno de WATG Giftedness has been associated with some extraordinary skills and capabilities which stem from nature and nurture. We already know that there isn’t guaranteed genetic inheritance from parent to offspring. Even when we know everything about a parent's genes, we don’t know what combination of their genes would occur in their offspring. From a giftedness point of view, even though parents are gifted, there is unpredictability; for example, a child could look more like Mom, Dad or a combination of both, or could inherit intelligence from one parent or from both parents. When it comes to the environment, there is even more unpredictability. For example, we cannot usually decide who our parents are, or which teachers will teach us. There are many things that we cannot determine – for example, how educated our parents are or how wealthy our family is, and many researchers have studied both of these things. Gagné is one of the leading scholars in the field of gifted education. Gagné’s theory (Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent) suggests that all talents are developed from natural abilities through learning and environmental factors. Chance is another important factor in talent development. Like Gagné, Tannenbaum’s Sea Star Model of Giftedness addresses the relationships between abilities and fulfillment of possibility. Tannenbaum did not believe that children who have abilities can necessarily become a gifted adult. They need to get exposed to broad ranges of experiences and information. Tannenbaum also believed that sometimes it was luck or chance that enabled some children with abilities to reach their full potential. There is an additional interesting theory in developmental psychology that affects giftedness: Niche-picking. Niche-picking is simply the tendency of people to choose an environment that complements their heredity. Studies have shown that a match between training (nurture) and cognitive abilities (nature) lead certain individuals to be more likely than others to take advantage of training better than others. For instance, if you possessed innate musical skills, you would have more tendencies to take musical training than others, and then musical training would be more beneficial for you than others. This combination of nature and nurture would further your talent. In summary, even though effort and motivation make a huge difference in developing potential abilities, chance is also a factor in giftedness. Sometimes the factors that we cannot control provide surprising results. Dr. Uzeyir Ogurlu, Board Member WI Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) La oportunidad en los talentos excepcionales Los talentos excepcionales han sido asociados con algunas habilidades y capacidades excepcionales que provienen naturalmente y se fomentan. Ya sabemos que no se garantiza la herencia genética de los padres a su descendencia. Aún cuándo sepamos todo sobre los genes de los padres, no sabemos qué combinación de genes ocurrirá en su descendencia. Desde un punto de vista de talentos excepcionales, aunque los padres tengan talentos excepcionales, no se puede predecir. Por ejemplo, un niño podría parecerse más a la mamá, el papá o una combinación de los dos; o podría heredar la inteligencia de uno de los padres o de ambos padres. Cuando se trata del entorno, se puede predecir aún menos. Por ejemplo, no podemos usualmente decidir quienes son nuestros padres o quienes serán nuestros maestros. Hay muchas cosas que no podemos determinar. Por ejemplo, qué tanta educación tienen nuestros padres o qué tanta riqueza tiene nuestra familia; y se han hecho muchas investigaciones de ambas cosas. Gagné es uno de los eruditos en el campo de la educación para talentos excepcionales. La teoría de Gagne (El modelo diferencial del talento excepcional de Gané) sugiere que todos los talentos son desarrollados de habilidades naturales a través del aprendizaje y factores de ambiente. La oportunidad es otro factor importante en el desarrollo del talento. Como Gagné, el modelo estrella de mar de talentos excepcionales de Tannenbaum’s, aborda las relaciones entre habilidades y realización de posibilidades. Tannenbaum no creía que los niños que tienen habilidades pueden necesariamente ser adultos con talentos excepcionales. Ellos necesitan ser expuestos a un amplio rango de experiencias e información. Tannenbaum también creía que algunas veces fué suerte o la oportunidad, que permitió a algunos niños con habilidades alcanzar su máximo potencial. Hay una interesante teoría adicional en el desarrollo psicólogico que afecta el talento excepcional: selección-de-nicho. Selección-de-nicho es simplemente la tendencia de las personas a escoger un ambiente que complemente su herencia. Los estudios han mostrado que juntos, el entrenamiento (crianza) y las habilidades cognitivas (naturaleza) hace que ciertos individuos sean más propensos a aprovechar mejor el entrenamiento que otros. Por decir, si usted posee una habilidad musical innata, usted tendría más tendencias a tomar entrenamiento musical que otros, y entonces el entrenamiento musical sería de mayor beneficio para usted que para otros. Esta combinación de naturaleza y el de fomentar, mejoraría su talento. En resumen, aunque el esfuerzo y motivación hagan una gran diferencia en el desarrollo de habilidades potenciales, la oportunidad es también un factor dentro del talento excepcional. Algunas veces los factores que no podemos controlar dan resultados sorprententes. Dr. Uzeyir Ogurlu, Miembro decla Junta de Gobierno WI Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG desea extender su profundo agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de Appleton Bilingual School por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes . La traducción puede encontrarse también en el blog de nuestra página web.) As an educational researcher, I am fascinated by topics related to motivation. As a teacher, motivation is always a consideration when lesson planning. As a parent, I recognize that motivation is an important “soft skill” I must foster. A word that kept presenting itself in relation to motivation in each of these settings was grit. Of course in different contexts, grit has a variety of definitions. In psychology, grit can be reduced to, “...passion and perseverance for long-term goals…” (Frontiers In Psychology, 2014). Within education, grit refers to a students' perseverance of effort and consistency of interest (Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D., 2017). At home, I want my son to have the determination and resolve to pursue his passions, even when challenges arise, so he can accomplish whatever his goals are (he is five, mind you, so that is currently being an astronaut and going to Mars). Let us unpack how to empower the gritty in our gifted learners.
In Angela Lee Duckworth’s Ted Talk Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (see attached hyperlink to watch) she makes an astonishing revelation, “So far the best idea I’ve heard about building grit in kids is something called growth mindset. This is an idea developed at Stanford University by Carol Dweck. And it is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, that it can change with your effort” (2013). Dweck’s work related to growth mindset is prevalent in American schools, usually as a part of a school’s social and emotional curriculum (oftentimes referred to as SEL). Dweck suggests we need to teach students to value hard work by focusing on their efforts (not their abilities), give feedback about that effort (not outcomes), relish a challenge (rather than praising mediocrity), and that learning is more important than grades (Hopkins, 2015). By leveraging growth mindset practices, we can explicitly teach grit to our students. My top five ways to teach grit and growth mindset are as follows: (1) promote grit and a growth mindset, (2) model grit and growth mindset, (3) foster safe environments that encourage a growth mindset, (4) read books about grit and perseverance, and (5) infuse grit and growth mindset into academic learning. Promote Grit & Growth Mindset Language matters when promoting grit and a growth mindset. When communicating with your gifted student(s) or children, focus on praising the process. For example, saying, “I can see you worked really hard on this paper” versus “You are so smart; you are such a talented writer” communicates the importance of their effort, not their intelligence or talent. Model Grit & Growth Mindset Not only do words matter, but also actions. Modeling your own gritty behavior and revealing when you are putting forth more effort to overcome a challenge can have a profound impact on your student(s) or children. Acknowledging that we all make mistakes and that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process will normalize when gifted children inevitably face challenges. Honoring your mistakes and even praising them is an easy way to show your student(s) or children what it means to have a growth mindset. Foster Safe Environments that Encourage a Growth Mindset Perhaps most importantly, gifted students need to be in an environment where they feel safe if they are to learn and practice skills related to growth mindset. Safe and supportive learning communities are the groundwork for all learning, and without them, unfortunately, students will not be able to grow and thrive into their grittiest selves. Once this is established, you can foster an environment where a growth mindset is celebrated and encouraged through your words and actions. Read Books About Grit, Perseverance & Growth Mindset* One of the best ways to introduce or revisit an important topic (in many topics, not just grit and perseverance) is through books. Books give you context to talk about more specific ideas and can serve as a natural starting point for continued conversation. Find appropriate reading material depending on the age and developmental level of your gifted student(s). Attached are a few titles related to grit, perseverance, and growth mindset at varying levels: Infuse Grit & Growth Mindset Into Academic Learning Dual purpose lessons are lessons that combine academic content with character skills (such as grit). In other words, teaching both character skills and academics in conjunction matters, which is a founding principle in the KIPP Public Schools (Brenner, 2013). Dave Levin, co-founder of KIPP, provides an example of a dual purpose scenario: “You can take the example of a kid reading a difficult passage in a book. When they get to a part they don’t understand, it's a great moment of: ‘How do you get over your frustration? Because you can make a choice there. I can skip it and move on, or I can go back and reread it’” (Can Grit Be Taught? - CNN Video, 2015). When gifted students are appropriately challenged within their coursework, they will encounter tasks that require grit. Building students’ grit within the context of academic lessons allows students a way to practice and get feedback on their growing ability to develop character traits in real time. Gifted learners, like all students, need explicit instruction when it comes to motivation and how to be successful. Dweck admits, “Some of the very brightest students avoid challenges, dislike effort, and wilt in the face of difficulty” (Hopkins, 2015). Grit is one of the skills students will need to be successful in their future endeavors. Having a growth mindset is an important step to helping all of our students get to Mars (or wherever their gritty heart desires). Dr. Jenna Cramer WATG Board Member Works Cited Brenner, Mitch. (2013). “How to Create a History Lesson That Teaches Grit.” KIPP Blog, 20 Mar. 2013, https://blog.kipp.org/teamandfamily/how-to-create-a-history-lesson-that-teaches-grit/. Can grit be taught? - CNN Video. (2015). www.cnn.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/07/10/rshmallow-test-two-dnt-ac.cnn Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000102 Duckworth, Angela L. (2013). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en Frontiers in Psychology [Front Psychol]. (2014, February 03); Vol. 5, pp. 36. Date of Electronic Publication: 20140203 (Print Publication: 2014). Hopkins, G. (2015). Wire Side Chats: How Can Teachers Develop Students’ Motivation -- and Success? | Education World. 2015. www.educationworld.com. https://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat010.shtml *Special thanks to Colleen Clemens, Growing Book by Book, Happily Ever Elephants, Robert Ward, and Shelly Brewer for their book recommendations. (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) Grit & Growth Mindset - Motivating Gifted Learners Como investigador en el área de educación, estoy fascinado con los temas relacionados con la motivación. Como padre, reconozco que la motivación es una “habilidad ligera” importante que debo promover. Una palabra que siguió apareciendo en relación con la motivación en cada uno de estos escenarios fue determinación. Por supuesto, en diferentes contextos, la determinación tiene una variedad de definiciones. En psicología, determinación puede ser reducido a “.. pasión y perseverancia para metas a largo plazo..” (Frontiers in Psychology, 2014). Dentro de la educacion, determinación se refiere a la perseverancia del esfuerzo y consistenica en el interés de los estudiantes (Credé M., Tynan, M.C., & Harms, P.D.,2017). En casa, yo quiero que mi hijo tenga la determinación y resolución para perseguir sus pasiones, incluso cuando surgen desafíos, asi puede lograr cualquiera que sea su meta (el tiene cinco, y eso sí, ya es un astronauta y va a Marte). Vamos a desempacar como empoderar la determinación en nuestros estudiantes con talentos excepcionales. En la plática de Ted de Angela Lee Duckworth Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (encuentre el enlace adjunto para verla), ella hace una revelación sorprendente: “hasta el momento, la mejor idea que he escuchado para formar determinación en los niños es algo llamado mentalidad de crecimiento. Esta es una idea desarrollada en la Universidad de Standford por Carol Dweck. Y es la creencia de que la habilidad para aprender no es fija, que puede cambiar con tu esfuerzo” (2013). El trabajo de Dweck relacionado con la mentalidad de crecimiento, está prevalente en las escuelas americanas, usualmente como un aparte del currículo social y emocional de clases (seguidamente se le conoce como SEL). Dweck sugiere que necesitamos enseñar a los estudiantes el valor del trabajo arduo por medio del enfoque en sus esfuerzos (no sus habilidades), dar retroalimentación sobre ese esfuerzo (no los resultados), saborear el reto (en lugar de elogiar la mediocridad) y que el aprendizaje es más importante que las calificaciones (Hopkins, 2015). Al aprovechar las prácticas de mentalidad de crecimiento, podemos enseñar explícitamente determinación a nuestros estudiantes. Mis cinco maneras favoritas de enseñar determinación y mentalidad de crecimiento son las siguientes: (1) promover determinación y mentalidad de crecimiento, (2) ser ejemplo de determinación y mentalidad de crecimiento, (3) fomentar entornos seguros que motiven una mentalidad de crecimiento, (4) leer libros sobre determinación y perseverancia y (5) infundir determinación y mentalidad de crecimiento en el aprendizaje académico. Promover Determinación y Mentalidad de crecimiento El lenguaje es importante cuando se promueve la determinación y la mentalidad de crecimiento. Cuando se comunique con su(s) estudiante(s) o hijos(s), con talentos excepcionales, enfóquese en elogiar el proceso. Por ejemplo, decir: “Puedo ver que trabajase mucho en este papel” en lugar de “eres tan inteligente; eres un escritor muy talentoso”; comunica la importancia de su esfuerzo, no su inteligencia o talento. Ser ejemplo de Determinación y Mentalidad de crecimiento No únicamente importan las palabras, sino que también las acciones. Dar ejemplo de su propia conducta de determinación y revela cuando está poniendo el mayor esfuerzo para sobrellevar un desafío, pude tener un profundo impacto en su(s) estudiante(s) o hijos. Reconocer que todos cometemos errores y que los errores son parte natural del proceso de aprendizaje, hará normal cuando niños con talentos excepcionales enfrenten desafíos. Honrar sus errores e incluso elogiarlos es una manera fácil de mostrar a su(s) estudiante(s) o hijos, lo que significa tener una mentalidad de crecimiento. Fomentar entornos seguros que motivan una Mentalidad de crecimiento Quizás lo más importante, los estudiantes con talentos excepcionales necesitan estar en un entorno donde ellos se sientan seguros, si van a aprender y practicar habilidades relacionadas con la mentalidad de crecimiento. Las comunidades de aprendizaje seguro y de apoyo son la base para todo el aprendizaje y sin ellos, desafortunadamente, los estudiantes no podrán crecer y florecer en sus seres determinantes. Una vez que esto esté establecido, usted puede fomentar un entorno donde se celebre y se motive una mentalidad de crecimiento a través de sus palabras y acciones. Leer libros sobre Determinación, Perseverancia y Mentalidad de Crecimiento * Una de las mejores formas de introducir o revisitar un tema importante (en muchos temas, no solo en determinación y perseverancia) es a través de libros. Los libros dan el contexto para hablar sobre ideas más específicas y pueden servir como un punto natural de inicio para una conversación continua. Busque material de lectura apropiado, dependiendo de la edad y nivel desarrollado de su estudiante(s) con talentos excepcionales. Adjunto están algunos títulos relacionados con determinación, perseverancia y mentalidad de crecimiento en varios niveles: One of the best ways to introduce or revisit an important topic (in many topics, not just grit and perseverance) is through books. Books give you context to talk about more specific ideas and can serve as a natural starting point for continued conversation. Find appropriate reading material depending on the age and developmental level of your gifted student(s). Attached are a few titles related to grit, perseverance, and growth mindset at varying levels: Infundir Determinación y Mentalidad de Crecimiento en el Aprendizaje Académico Las lecciones de doble propósito, son lecciones que combinan contenido académico con habilidades de personalidad (como la determinación). En otras palabras, enseñar ambos, habilidades académicas y de personalidad en conjunto, importa; lo que es un principio fundamental en las escuelas públicas KIPP (Brenner, 2013). Dave Levin, cofundador de KIPP, proporciona un ejemplo de un escenario de doble propósito: “Usted puede tomar el ejemplo de un niño leyendo un pasaje difícil en un libro. Cuando ellos llegan a la parte que o entienden, es un gran momento de: ¿Cómo puedes sobrellevar tu frustración? Porque puedes tomar una decisión ahí. Puedo brincarlo o puedo continuar, o puedo regresarme y leerlo otra vez” (Can Grit Be Taught? - CNN Video, 2015). Cuando estudiantes con talentos excepcionales son desafiados apropiadamente dentro del curso de su trabajo, ellos encontrarán tareas que requieran determinación. Formar la determinación de los estudiantes dentro del contexto de lecciones académicas, permite a los estudiantes una manera de practicar y obtener retroalimentación en su propia habilidad de crecimiento para desarrollar rasgos de personalidad en tiempo real. Alumnos con talentos excepcionales, como todos los estudiantes, necesitan instrucción explicita cuando se trata de motivación y de cómo ser exitoso. Dwecks admite, “algunos de los estudiantes más brillantes evitan desafíos, no les gusta el esfuerzo y se marchitan ante las dificultades” (Hopkins, 2015). Determinación es una de las habilidades que los estudiantes necesitan para tener éxito en sus proyectos futuros. Tener una mentalidad de crecimiento es un paso importante para ayudar a todos nuestros estudiantes para que lleguen a Marte (o a donde quiera que su corazón determinante desee). Dr. Jenna Cramer WATG Board Member Trabajos citados Brenner, Mitch. (2013). “How to Create a History Lesson That Teaches Grit.” KIPP Blog, 20 Mar. 2013, https://blog.kipp.org/teamandfamily/how-to-create-a-history-lesson-that-teaches-grit/. Can grit be taught? - CNN Video. (2015). www.cnn.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/07/10/rshmallow-test-two-dnt-ac.cnn Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000102 Duckworth, Angela L. (2013). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en Frontiers in Psychology [Front Psychol]. (2014, February 03); Vol. 5, pp. 36. Date of Electronic Publication: 20140203 (Print Publication: 2014). Hopkins, G. (2015). Wire Side Chats: How Can Teachers Develop Students’ Motivation -- and Success? | Education World. 2015. www.educationworld.com. https://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat010.shtml *Un agradecimiento especial a Colleen Clemens, Growing Book by Book, Happily Ever Elephants, Robert Ward, and Shelly Brewer por las recomendaciones de libros. (WATG extiende su agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de la Escuela Bilingüe de Appleton por la traducción de este articulo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispano-hablantes. La traducción la puede encontrar también en los bloques de nuestra página web) In a highly theoretical and suppositional world, monkeys with typewriters (keyboards) could ostensibly create the works of Shakespeare. Theoretical probability has shown that over the vastness of time and space, nature appears to sporadically generate highly talented individuals capable of creating phenomenal works of art, though the singularity of these occurrences highlights their rarity. Statistical probability aside, one person, William Shakespeare (1585-1613), is credited with this body of distinctive work. Nonetheless, some people could still believe that monkeys with keyboarding prowess were capable of creating world-class literature. If this supposition were repeated often enough, and widely enough, others might believe it as well. Supposition trumps reality.
The field of education, like other fields, can fall prey to theory and supposition cloaked as fact; this can happen when theoretical pedagogy is divorced from real world experience. For example, in the field of gifted and talented education, there is currently a recurring supposition/theme - that limiting access to talent development will somehow provide educational equity. Though educators often listen politely to illogical arguments such as this (because fads come and go), and continue to engage in proven best practice, some theories cannot be left unchecked. Serious discourse is necessary because some people will believe the false supposition. Recognizing that gifted individuals exist in all demographic groups is a tenet of best practice in gifted educational pedagogy. Challenges and shortcomings notwithstanding, public education provides opportunities and serves the greater good (Mitra, 2011). The traditional model, however, often leaves students on either end of the academic spectrum feeling alienated and frustrated. Strategies to promote quality education for all students begin with resources. Refusing to address the inherent inequities of public school funding (Matheson, 2020) leads to a disconnect between good pedagogy versus easy solutions. School funding aside, however, there are certain strategies that promote talent development for all students:
Knowledge building requires a comprehensive humanities-based curriculum. Though some students have multiple external opportunities to develop their talents, ALL students can benefit from in-school services; this will level the playing field. Eliminating these opportunities only causes more inequity. For too long, whether because of misguided suppositions coupled with inadequate funding, this is what has happened–gifted programming has been under attack. Only when we collect and analyze data, use best practice strategies, target instruction to meet the needs of all learners, and provide opportunities to fail and develop growth mind strategies in our students will gifted education succeed. The problem isn’t Advanced Learning/Gifted and Talented; elimination is not the solution. Ultimately, if we want to promote opportunities for ALL learners we must strive to empower teachers and systems with resources and encouragement. Teaching is hard work; when done right, it makes all the difference. References cited:
Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Ed.D WI Association for Talented & Gifted Over the years, the personalities of gifted individuals have been examined to see if there are differences between gifted individuals and their counterparts. Personality includes patterns of thoughts, emotions, and actions. Scholars have developed a variety of personality models to explain the differences in those patterns, and one of them is The Big Five. The Big Five personality model has been a widely accepted taxonomy in terms of explaining how individuals adjust to and interact with the world. The model has five dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience.
Recently, Dr. Ogurlu of the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and his colleague Adnan Özbey analyzed the personality differences of gifted students using the Big Five personality model. They used a meta-analysis method to study a sample of 8,000 people, including 3,244 gifted individuals, to compare the Big Five personality traits. They found that gifted individuals scored higher in the dimension of openness to experience. Openness to experience is connected with traits such as curiosity, originality, and creativity. So, openness to experience is a significant predictor of creativity and intelligence. This result shows that gifted students are more open to new learning, discovery, exploration and curiosity. With other study results, this analysis also pointed out that gifted individuals would have some personality differences in comparison to their peers. The article has been published nationally by the journal, High Ability Studies, and cited in Psychology Today and various online outlets. If you want to read more about the study, here is the link to the High Ability Studies article. Dr. Uzeyir Orgurlu Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted Board Member (WATG would like to extend its deep appreciation to Esther Vazquez Guendulain of Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found below.) Individuos con talentos excepcionales están más abiertos a nuevas experiencias A través de los años, las personalidades de los individuos con talentos excepcionales han sido examinadas para ver si hay diferencias entre individuos con talentos excepcionales y sus contrapartes. La personalidad incluye patrones de pensamientos, emociones y acciones. Los estudiosos han desarrollado una variedad de modelos de personalidad para explicar las diferencias en esos patrones y uno de ellos es Los Gran Cinco. El modelo de personalidad Los Gran Cinco, ha sido una taxonomía aceptada ampliamente en términos de explicación de cómo los individuos se ajustan e interactúan con el mundo. El modelo tiene cinco dimensiones: extraversión, amabilidad, escrupulosidad, neuroticismo y apertura a la experiencia. Recientemente, el Dr. Ogurlu de la Universidad de Wisconsin – Steven Point y su colega Adnan Ozbey, analizaron las diferencias de personalidad de estudiantes con talentos excepcionales, utilizando el modelo de Los Gran cinco. Utilizaron un método de análisis meta para estudiar una muestra de 8,000 personas, incluyendo 3,244 individuos con talentos excepcionales, para comparar los Cinco Grandes rasgos de personalidad. La apertura a experiencias está conectada con rasgos como curiosidad, originalidad y creatividad. Por lo que, la apertura a la experiencia es un gran vaticinio de creatividad e inteligencia. Este resultado muestra que los estudiantes con talentos excepcionales están más abiertos al nuevo aprendizaje, descubrimiento, exploración y curiosidad. Con otros resultados de estudios, este análisis también indicó que los individuos con talentos excepcionales tendrían algunas diferencias de personalidad en comparación con sus compañeros. Este artículo ha sido publicado nacionalmente por la revista, High Ability Studies y citado en Psychology Today y varios informativos en-línea. Si desea leer más sobre el estudio, este es el enlace al artículo de High Ability Studies. Dr. Uzeyir Orgurlu Miembro del Consejo Administrativo de WATG (WATG extiende su agradecimiento a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de la Escuela Bilingüe de Appleton por la traducción de este articulo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispano-hablantes. La traducción la puede encontrar también en los bloques de nuestra página web.) One of our biggest challenges in gifted education is to find and nurture giftedness among students who are traditionally underrepresented in advanced programming, and to do so meaningfully and early. Wisconsin, like many states, mandates that identification and services for gifted students begin in kindergarten, partly as a way of preventing later achievement gaps. Even so, we know that children from impoverished backgrounds often enter school on day one already substantially behind their more advantaged peers in a variety of skills. How can recent research on neuroscience and the young brain help us expand the size and diversity of the pool of kindergarten children who might be considered for advanced programming and services?
The field of "educational neuroscience" (aka mind, brain, and education, or MBE) has boomed over the last decade. Neuropsychologists have come out of their laboratories and entered the world of schools and children’s thinking. Their work shows clear evidence of the malleability of young children’s thinking skills: malleability, or plasticity, refers to the ability of the brain to adapt and improve. We all have malleable brains and we can all get “smarter,” but young children's brains are particularly malleable. There is research evidence that we could teach and nurture young students in ways that might raise the skills and performance of many more of them to “gifted” levels. When neuroscientists talk about trying to improve thinking skills in young children, which specific skills are they addressing and measuring, and why those skills? Most of the research in this area has been conducted on “executive functions.” These include such skills as "selective attention" (focusing on appropriate input), "cognitive flexibility" (adapting to change), "inhibitory control" (resisting habits as needed), and "working memory" (remembering the current rule or task). They are important for school success because they allow young children to pay attention to appropriate and relevant stimuli, ignore distractors, and process appropriately complex tasks. From both laboratory and school-based research, we know in general that young children’s executive functions (EFs) can be improved with training. We also have evidence that such training, when appropriately challenging for the individual students, can transfer to a variety of other academic and social-emotional outcomes that are important for school success. The importance of appropriate challenges cannot be overestimated: there is an abundance of research that shows that new neural connections are best made when the brain has to put forth effort. Repeating already-learned skills is not optimal for brain development. Those of us who advocate for policy and legislation that supports gifted education are making sure that policymakers hear about the importance of appropriate challenges! How can the gifted coordinator or teacher use this research? The evidence for malleability argues for a talent development model: for instance, offering in kindergarten (or even earlier, in cooperation with 4K, Head Start, and private preschools) high-level, open-ended thinking skill programming and activities in order to see what developmental levels all children can reach, rather than just trying to identify children who already have skills that are advanced for their age. It is not necessary to start from scratch with new programs and services; the busy coordinator can work within existing structures such as differentiated instruction, RtI (Response to Intervention) and Equitable MLSS (Multi-Level Systems of Support), and the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards to make sure that young children’s thinking skills are appropriately challenged, and that underrepresented children are given the opportunity to better develop their executive functions for critical school success. *This article was adapted from Dr. Clinkenbeard’s chapter in the book “Malleable Minds: Translating Insights from Psychology and Neuroscience to Gifted Education,” published by the National Association for Gifted Children. An earlier version of this article appeared in the newsletter WATG Insights, September 2011. Pamela R. Clinkenbeard, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, UW-Whitewater WI Association for Talented and Gifted Board Member Our continued focus on equitable learning opportunities challenges us all to re-evaluate our past practices and ideas. In his article, Where Does Gifted Education Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Dr. Scott Peters reflected on this topic and its layered meanings. As Peters noted, disproportionate representation must be addressed. Rather than debating when and how the problem began, practitioners should dedicate time to address the issue. Ultimately, moving from a deficit to a strengths model provides a foundation for a culturally responsive and challenging curriculum to become the norm.
Student engagement, however, also plays a critical role in the success of any theory or pedagogical reform. Arguably, all students want to believe that the work being asked of them is meaningful. Grouping students by birthday rarely provides homogeneous cohorts. One suggestion highlighted in Peters’ article focused on competency-based instruction, with opportunities for students to ebb and flow into appropriate learning environments throughout the day. This strategy has a long track record in many settings, especially in the area of mathematics. Along with receiving appropriate instruction, this ebb and flow allows students to form wider socio-emotional groups. Academic acceleration, however, assumes that systems exist to support students and staff. As noted by Peters, wealth-based inequality creates significant challenges for students and their communities. In New Kid ( 2019, Harper Collins Childrens), Jerry Craft narrates the story of a middle school student who transitions from his Washington Heights neighborhood to a prestigious middle school where he is one of the few African American students. This transition is not easy. As educators and advocates, we must ask ourselves, is this the best we can do? Are we comfortable with school systems unable to provide services for all of their students? Further, while this child’s family figured out how to make this opportunity happen, what about all the other children being left behind? Fortunately, some promising methods are being explored. Frontloading, or providing enriched learning opportunities for students during their early academic careers offers one way to reshape the systemic mess facing us. Frontloading must not be confused with deficit thinking. Filling in a pothole is fixing a problem (and often the patch keeps reappearing); ensuring that the pavement is built to withstand wear and tear provides a strong foundation early on. Enriched learning opportunities keep students in school. Engaged students inspire families to build stronger partnerships with said schools. This is a win-win for all involved. Ultimately, as Peters pointed out, rather than pointing fingers at past practices, we must move together to ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to knock our socks off! Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Ed.D. WATG Secretary, Membership Chair, and Justice For All Task Force Lead Happy New Year!
It’s that time of year again when we lay down our resolutions for the new year ahead. I have gone back to my resolutions from the last several years and I noticed a pattern. Each and every year for the last several years I have made a resolution to “surprise myself”. I have to say that this has become my favorite resolution, because I intentionally make myself do something new and uncomfortable… and I truly am surprised by the outcome. I’d like to challenge you to try it! Two years ago I sent out a list of possible resolutions for WATG newsletter followers and I decided that it would be alright to resurrect them. One of them just might be your “surprise myself” resolution! Imagine the impact we would have on gifted education in Wisconsin (or across the nation) if we each took on one of these resolutions! My menu of possible resolutions that follow are for you to choose one, two, or…? All? These are an opportunity for us to focus on the needs of gifted children in our state. They are just a few ways in which you can make a difference in the life of your child, your students, or the lives of Wisconsin’s gifted children.
Wishing you and yours a peace-filled and gratifying new year. May ALL your resolutions become reality with your faithful perseverance.And may you “surprise yourself” while helping our gifted kids! Cathy Schmit, Past President and Board Advisor |
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