Wednesday, April 20, 2011

How to Bring School into 21st Centruy

Retrieved on April13,2011 from

References
CNN.com. (2006). How to bring schools into 21st century.
From http//www.cnn.com/2006/us/12/10/time.cover.tm/index.html.



Summary

The article was about a summary in Time Magazine about how to bring school into the 21st century. The magazine indicated to four major points. First, we should increase our children’s’ knowledge about the world such as teach them many cultures and languages. Second, we should help children think outside of square which means they have skills to create useful things. Third, we should teach them to get new and right sources of information. Lastly, the article advised to developing people skills that got high scores in intelligent tests. At the end, the article mentioned to the time. If we would like to see great results, we have to be waiting.
Reaction
I believe that if we teach our children all of these points efficiently, we will have smart children. And, we will get a great and safe future. In my opinion, making our children think outside of the box is a great thing. It is a golden key to free up their minds for invention. As an example, my country has realized what the importance of this point is and started changing its approach. However, I disagree with the article in this following point. Develop only good people skills because we can not get a correct perception about people who are smart and who are not in one test. We should give everyone chance to develop his/her skills to be fairly. In fact, this article makes me curious to read more and more about it.

Multitasking Reduces Your IQ

1-References

Admin.(2008, July21). Multitasking reduces you IQ more than smoking pot.
Retrieved on April13,2011 from
http://www.nickpagan.com/blog/117/multitasking-reduces-your-iq/

2- Summery
The article was about this argument. Is it possible to do more than one task at the same the time? First, the author mentioned to parallel working which means you can do many tasks while the main task is undergoing. The great benefit of that is saving time. Also, he indicated to a very severe and detrimental effect of multitasking, and the most important point of that is interruption. When you do some tasks together, you will start, stop, and move one from task to the other. Finally, he answers the question: we can use multitasking but in a limited way.
4- Reaction
In my opinion, I do agree with multitasking for many reasons. First, most people do many tasks at the same time in their daily lives, and that does not affect on their lives. Let's take a class room as an example. the best way ffor student to follow his teacher in the lecture is that listen carefully and writes down notes which will be helpful for him without any consequences. However, I disagree with the following point, when he said multitasking reduces our intelligence. I believe that if I can do many tasks at the same time efficiently, I am smarter than who can do only one task. Moreover, my intelligence will be increased fast because he can control many things at the same time which is considered the highest point of intelligence.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Personalisation for gifted and talented students

Aamal G. Al-Saadi

EAP1

Reading Reaction Journal # 3

Reference

Personalisation for gifted and talented students.(2008, April). Posted in Learning Teaching. Retrieved April 08, 2011, from http://www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/personalisation-for-g-t-students-3347.

Summary

This article discusses personalization for smart pupils. The author mentioned that Deborah Eyre emphasized the need for a system for outstanding children in order to assist them in possession of a unique educational journey. If we can distinguish the idea of pesonalisation, we can know that it is an ideal way to include gifted education within the overall appropriation. This concept is somewhat difficult to absorb and understand although education focuses on it. Also, the article stated that Ischinger (2006) depicted personalization and said that there is a need for an approach that meets the need of the individual and society. So this approach is able to be changed easily according to the situation. The author also referred to the pesonalisation system as going away from the classical system of learning which was described by Ruano- Borbalan (2006) as " being characterized by the four ‘ones’: ‘one teacher, one class, one lesson and one subject″. This system doesn’t rely on the limited duties that are given to the students in a school, but it stimulates them to do many things and act effectively, so the present system of learning faces a big confrontation to shift to the new one. Leadbeater (2004) pointed out the main points, that the new system of talented education is needed in order to increase how well a person does a piece of work or an activity. This includes helping the learner to get information in particular subjects by taking online lessons or knowledge or skill from the position or job someone has in an organization , as well as the teachers trying to change their classes to support the needs of the talented pupils; this is called Bespoke services. Another element is a mass customization which focuses on creating an atmosphere of challenge within and outside the school to meet the needs of a learner. In other words, it concentrates on offering a menu which contains many activities to select; some of these are designed only for gifted students. In the final element of this system which is called mass personalization, the most capable mentally should be the most able to use this possibility for advantage. They can improve their aptitudes by being provide information, an opinion, and guidance.

Reaction

I was very interested in reading this article, which gave me extra information about personalization for gifted and talented students. I knew from this article that this system means to expect the need of students who are able to achieve a high level of achievement. This system helps the student to develop a unique way for learning, and the role of the school is to make this system a concept for the student. I figured out that many researchers claimed to need such a system to meet the needs of smart students and that there is argumentation about proving its effectiveness in education and to the public. I also I knew that this system includes the following three elements: bespoke services, mass customization, and mass personalisation. These elements are the more critical tools in developing and personalising learning for the gifted and talented. I think it is very amusing system because it helps to match the knowledge of each individual and society, gives encouragement and an excellent chance to learn, play, enjoy and achieve wherever they are; it also provides the people the opportunity to achieve their aspirations, and help them to be creative and play a full and positive part in their societies. I feel that personalization is positive because it helps to discover the unique talent of every pupil by keeping the learning away from any stress. It is not a system where everyone stays alone, but it is high quality learning focused on knowledge and detecting the needs of the students.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Aren’t all children gifted?

Hozan Hasan
EAP1/C
April 06, 2011

Reference:
Myers, D.G. & Ridl, J. (1981, February-March). Aren’t all children gifted? Today’s education published from davidmyers.org Retrieved April 08, 2011 from http://www.davidmyers.org/davidmyers/assets/Arent.Child.Gifted.pdf

Summary:
In the article, “Aren’t children all gifted?,” It explains that there is nothing named gifted for separating children into two classifications, and the writer gives to us so much evidence to prove that in the whole world and in nature all children are equal, and there is no existence for the word “gifted”, and he opposes that system of gifted education. He also explained the current educational system in some countries and especially in the USA, although he showed us that all educational systems now do not help children to grow in the best way. Both gifted and non gifted children are harmfully controlled and affected by gifted educational system.

Reaction:
According to the article, I completely agree with the writer that classifying child between gifted and not gifted classes is the wrong idea and wrong system for children; he encourages the parents not to push their children to make them obtain a high score to become gifted, He also encourages non gifted children’s parents to not neglect their kids because he is not smart. He explains that all children naturally equal in ability and equal in their innate selves, so he said that “giftedness is just a concept” and he showed to us that every country and every generation has a different definition for the word “gift”. The writer agrees with the idea of equality in schools. As I understood, putting children in classes without separating them is better than stigmatizing them; in place of stigmatizing, making all children study the same program and the same education system, and teachers encourage children equally to study without separating them to different classes. The article showed us both gifted and not gifted children suffered from that separation and it psychologically affected them. Parents of gifted children push their child to study more and teachers give them more information and more stuff to study; as a result, the gifted child feels stress and feels controlled by others. In the other hand, the not gifted child is assaulted by his parents and neglected at school by teachers, and they did not include him in anything, so the child feels angry and bad. Mr. Myers said that “children who are exceptional in reading, after all, are not always exceptional in math, and those who are exceptional today may not be so exceptional tomorrow.” It is really important for parents and teachers to realize that no one is perfect and no one is born perfect, so every individual is gifted in a particular thing. Everyone is talented without separation to gifted or remedial schools.
Finally, it is important for parents to know that their children are gifted. We must encourage our children to succeed in life and do well, until now there is no studies that define “gifted” well or completely, also there are no tests to measure the different skills. All studies and IQ tests can’t measure all kinds of intelligence; they just measure specific people and they describe them in different ways. The best education for children is not to separate them, put them with each other, teach them equally, and encourage them equally without differences.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Why Do School Stigmatize "Gifted Children"?

Osama Makki
EAP1-C
RRJ2

Reference

Bennett, P.W. 2010 Nov, 26. Why Do School Stigmatize "Gifted Children"?. Retrieved April 5, 2011 from Educhatter's Blog, http://educhatter.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/smart-kids-why-do-schools-stigmatize-gifted-children

Summary
According to the author, there are many parents who believe their children are gifted. Therefore, sometimes gifted children are a blessing or curse, because they need more attention and the disbursement of a lot of money. Also, most parents put their children in gifted children programs. There are many of America’s radical education critics who accuse public schools because "they have become agents of compulsory schooling strangely akin to sausage factories for both students and teachers which mean they didn't care about education.

Reaction
I think all students will be smart if they get strong basics in the first grade. So, If public school teaches students how to know about something, they should teach them how to do it. For example, If you want to teach your students how they can write long form, you should teach them how to write words. Also, I think they should not put gifted children in private class or school so, that students will feel they are different from other students. Anyway, parents should know how to support their children and improve them to be smart kids.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Smart Kids: Why Do Schools Stigmatize “Gifted Children”?

Aamal ALSaadi
EAP1
RRJ2
Reference
Bennett, Paul W. (2010, November 26). Smart Kids: Why Do Schools Stigmatize “Gifted Children”? Posted in Higher Standards, Gifted Education. Retrieved March 30, 2011, from http://educhatter.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/smart-kids-why-do-schools-stigmatize-gifted-children/
Summary
This article discusses school’s denouncing talented children. The author mentioned that( the beginning of )gifted education started in the 1950s when the intelligent kids were determined and put in isolated classes with various names after 1958. Many articles were written to explain this topic, but they did little more than promote the presenting conception about gifted system. Also, the author said that he was bothered by the “one - size - first - all" conception of public education although he studied in the same system; he discovered during working in his new book that Michael B. Katz noticed the influence of social class on Canada’s public education and identified some class facts which caused increasing new bureaucratic education. The article showed that researchers have different views about gifted children, and the parents seeking to prove the talent of their children. This is proved by the Globe Life polls which were made on Nov. 11 and Nov. 15, 2010. Despite conflicting views on this thread, 73%of the parents prefer to enroll their children in this program. Moreover, the author pointed out that children need for outlets to adapt their mental talents in some areas such as Toronto’s Forest Hill. In addition, the article stated that public education is criticized by some American critics because some of them believe that the public school is obligatory factor for the students and their teachers. Finally, the author pointed out that although some parents cannot pay for expensive gifted programs, no other options are available.
Reaction
This is the first time that I read about Gifted Children. It is very thorny and sensitive subject. I knew from this article that this topic has an old history and various views between people as well as researchers .I think the gifted child is the child who shows remarkable performance in the academic dimensions .Also, he or she excels in one or more of the following: general intellectual ability, special academic readiness, creative ability, leadership ability, and ability in the performing arts-visual. I think he or she needs the service and program which is not normally offered by the school because this student outnumbers his or her colleagues in the ordinary rate of acquiring information since outperforms their knowledge is different from ordinary. I believe the gifted or superior student needs to the permanent care, encouragement, enlightenment, and advice that helped him to develop his talent. I reviewed the comment of jtc, and I was surprised at her saying that the system of the gifted child is ridiculous. She also talked about negative feelings of the ordinary children towards the gifted child. Perhaps this is true, but this is not a convincing reason to neglect the smart kids. Talented people in the conscious communities enjoy special recognition; this reflects the bright image of those communities that transcends their intelligence, raises their status, and develops their abilities. It is important to exercise caution in the identification and classification of gifted because the wrong classification often leads to killing the talents of children who are neglected for one reason or another.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Why Do Schools Stigmatize “Gifted Children”?

Hozan Hasan
EAP1 C
RRJ #2

Bennett, P.W. (2010, November 27). Smart Kids: Why Do Schools Stigmatize “Gifted Children”?. http://educhatter.wordpress.com. Retrieved March 30, 2011 from
http://educhatter.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/smart-kids-why-do-schools-stigmatize-gifted-children/

Summary:

According to this article, we assign children to schools as gifted, and remedial are the big common issues in the USA and Canada and most controversial topics between parents to send their children to gifted school, and they work hard just to pay for their kids’ private school. It’s really unfair to separate children to gifted, remedial programs, because of creating two types of schools and dividing kids into smarter and dumber.

Reaction:

According to 109 responses of that article, most of them believe that labeling is the worst thing for kids, because parents think that if they send their kids, they just label them as a good student or kids can’t be smart and successful; furthermore, students who are labeled in remedial schools or class feel not smart, and they don’t care about studying, homework, or classes. According to some responses which I read, they don’t believe that labeling kids makes a difference and they wrote that every child, when born is different from the others naturally and skills differ between children, so parents can’t push kids to try to study hard to be able to label them in gifted classes. Also labeling affects the public schools’ remedial students psychologically; hundreds of years before gifted schools existed, everyone studied at public schools and those public schools created rich, smart, successful people; thousands of philosophers graduated from high schools. At that time there was nothing, named “gifted” or “exceptional “schools. The individual’s effort in class and student’s performance and studying hard was important for being smarter, not separating nor labeling making kids smarter or successful. Generally, poor people and middle class incomes in society do not like separating and labeling kids because they have no money or a high income to pay too much, fees of private classes or private schools for their children. For that reason they believe in equality among students without labeling them, but rich parents support the idea of labeling kids, because they have a higher income and they can pay for their kids to study at the best schools. Stigmatizing gifted children has a bad effect on kids because emotionally and socially they feel farther away from other students and society; they feel isolated and poor in communicating. It is wrong to separate your kid and send your kid to private places far from public places.