Re: OT: "Smart kids" tangent (was Re: [Nolug] Who usually shows up for meetings?)

Mark A. Hershberger wrote:
> Since this discussion has very little to do with Linux or New Orleans, I
> guess you won't mind if I side-track it some more ;)
>
> Petri Laihonen <pietu@weblizards.net> writes:
>
>> on the Wall Street Journal - What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?
>> http://xrl.us/o2hz6
>
> Maybe one of the problems is that Americans are obsessed with “Smart
> Kids” instead of children who perform.
>
> I grew up being told I was smart. Adults would tell me “You're so
> smart, why don't you do better in school?”
>

I was one of those "smart" kids, actually classified gifted, but I think
the problem goes beyond that. Most of the really "smart" kids aren't
encouraged to performed because they are consistently held back by the
needs of the larger group of kids. I know that when I was in school,
the gifted classes were largely more difficult in terms of the amount of
work required, but it definitely was not challenging work that would
encourage high ability students to want to perform.

I've noticed that problem elsewhere too. High ability students aren't
given the level of work required to stimulate them to want to perform.

I think the concept of magnet schools is sadly underutilized. Problem
is that the parents of kids whose kid may only be average will want the
kid to be with the other more adept kids. There's a pervasive and
documented phenomenon where a large portion of parents think that his or
her kid is above average, regardless of the kid's actual abilities.

J
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Received on 12/08/08