Gifted and Talented Gifted and Talented ChildrenChildren

Tristram Jones, Ph.D.Tristram Jones, Ph.D.Unit III Exceptional ChildrenUnit III Exceptional Children

Kaplan University Kaplan University

What the heck What the heck isis giftedness?giftedness?

Genius is Genius is three things:three things: Intellectual Intellectual capacity, zeal, and the power of capacity, zeal, and the power of working!working!

--Sir Francis Galton, 1890--Sir Francis Galton, 1890

““Genius is madness waiting to Genius is madness waiting to happen!”happen!”

The popular view of 19The popular view of 19thth Century physician Century physician Cesare Lombroso. Cesare Lombroso. Cesare also believed that criminals Cesare also believed that criminals

werewere

identifiable by physical type. They had bigidentifiable by physical type. They had big

ears, sloping foreheads, long arms, lotsears, sloping foreheads, long arms, lots

of tattoos and weird personalities. Heof tattoos and weird personalities. He

pretty nearly nailed down the symptoms ofpretty nearly nailed down the symptoms of

anti-social personality disorder, but he anti-social personality disorder, but he

wanted such people eliminated through wanted such people eliminated through

eugenics as he believed all criminality waseugenics as he believed all criminality was

inherited from parents who were less inherited from parents who were less

evolved on Darwin’s scale! Genius???evolved on Darwin’s scale! Genius???

Then Came the Termites!Then Came the Termites! This is Lewis M. Terman. This is Lewis M. Terman. If you If you

ou took ou took Intro to PsyIntro to Psy you may recall he had a lot to you may recall he had a lot to d do with the IQ test, so naturally he knew all a d do with the IQ test, so naturally he knew all a

b about the subject! He wrote a paper called b about the subject! He wrote a paper called “ “Genius and Stupidity” (couldn’t say Genius and Stupidity” (couldn’t say thatthat these these

d days!) rebutting all the myths d days!) rebutting all the myths surrounding high a IQ and insisting surrounding high a IQ and insisting that really smart people were much better adjusted than almost that really smart people were much better adjusted than almost anyone! To prove it he undertookanyone! To prove it he undertook

a longitudinal study of 1500 subjects, called “termites,” people with IQ a longitudinal study of 1500 subjects, called “termites,” people with IQ scores in excess of 140. He gave up the notion that high-IQ kids werescores in excess of 140. He gave up the notion that high-IQ kids were

“ “immune to mental health problems” and acknowledged that his immune to mental health problems” and acknowledged that his termites were also susceptible to mental health problems, declaring termites were also susceptible to mental health problems, declaring that social and family environments were powerful determinants of that social and family environments were powerful determinants of behavior among the brilliant, pretty much like everyone else!behavior among the brilliant, pretty much like everyone else!

Perhaps the Gifted are Perhaps the Gifted are EXCEPTIONALLYEXCEPTIONALLY

VULNERABLEVULNERABLE?? Leta S. Hollingworth is probablyLeta S. Hollingworth is probably

best known for refuting thebest known for refuting the

Darwinian theory of variabilityDarwinian theory of variability

as it was applied to proving women weren’t asas it was applied to proving women weren’t as

smart as men. She also did pioneer work atsmart as men. She also did pioneer work at

Columbia with “mental defectives” (sorry!) butColumbia with “mental defectives” (sorry!) but

switched to gifted kids whose vulnerabilities asswitched to gifted kids whose vulnerabilities as

sensitive personalities she fully appreciated! sensitive personalities she fully appreciated!

Bringing us up to Bringing us up to today…today…

NOBODY CAN AGREE ON NOBODY CAN AGREE ON INTELLIGENCEINTELLIGENCE

at least, not exactly! at least, not exactly! According to good old According to good old Terman, gifted means an IQ of 140+, whereas Terman, gifted means an IQ of 140+, whereas PAUL WITTY (that’s his real name) insisted that PAUL WITTY (that’s his real name) insisted that gifted is anyone “whose performance is gifted is anyone “whose performance is consistently remarkable in any potentially valuable consistently remarkable in any potentially valuable area! So area! So Here are two gifted people:Here are two gifted people:

Joseph Joseph

Renzulli Renzulli believes that believes that

giftedness is giftedness is only only

to be gauged to be gauged by product! by product!

Nancy Ewald Jackson agrees, defining Nancy Ewald Jackson agrees, defining giftedness “simply as exceptional giftedness “simply as exceptional performance or…rapid learning” performance or…rapid learning”

So, that would meanSo, that would mean that chess championthat chess champion Bobby Fischer and Bobby Fischer and hotdog eating championhotdog eating champion Takeru Koboyashi are Takeru Koboyashi are pretty much peers,pretty much peers, wouldn’t it! wouldn’t it! And then of And then of coursecourse there is Howard Gardner! there is Howard Gardner!

Meet Howard Gardner!Meet Howard Gardner!

Howie is the Harvard guy who thought up multiple intelligences, if you don’t count Carl Jung, that is! So let’s review them, shall we….?

THIEF!

The many IQs of Howie The many IQs of Howie GardnerGardner::

LINGUISTIC LINGUISTIC written oral poetry etcwritten oral poetry etc

LOGICAL/MATH LOGICAL/MATH reasoning/numbersreasoning/numbers

MUSICAL MUSICAL pitch/harmony/compositionpitch/harmony/composition

SPATIAL SPATIAL design/color/perspectivedesign/color/perspective

KINESTHETIC KINESTHETIC coordination/athletics/balancecoordination/athletics/balance

INTERPERSONAL INTERPERSONAL Instruct/lead/inspire/empathizeInstruct/lead/inspire/empathize

NATURALIST NATURALIST good at identifying/classifying objectsgood at identifying/classifying objects

in nature. in nature.

And then there’s…..And then there’s….. INTRAPERSONAL INTRAPERSONAL self actualizedself actualized

EXISTENTIAL EXISTENTIAL contemplates place in the contemplates place in the cosmos cosmos

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And then we haveAnd then we have Sternberg’s Triarchic Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory:Theory: THIEF!

Later Sternberg discovered WISDOM as Later Sternberg discovered WISDOM as

a form ofa form of intelligence, but who, intelligence, but who, exactly is wise?exactly is wise?

Identifying Gifted KidsIdentifying Gifted Kids

How does an educator spot the gifted How does an educator spot the gifted child?child?

Learns rapidly, easily, and efficientlyLearns rapidly, easily, and efficiently Has a vocabulary in advance of his or her classmatesHas a vocabulary in advance of his or her classmates Displays curiosity and imaginationDisplays curiosity and imagination Goes beyond minimum required in assignmentsGoes beyond minimum required in assignments Follows through on tasksFollows through on tasks Is original in written and oral expressionIs original in written and oral expression

But scholastic success is no proof of genius!But scholastic success is no proof of genius! According to researcher Doug Lennox, half of Americans According to researcher Doug Lennox, half of Americans

with an IQ over 140 never graduate from High School.with an IQ over 140 never graduate from High School. Sir Isaac Newton never did well in schoolSir Isaac Newton never did well in school Charles Darwin’s teachers considered him “rather below the Charles Darwin’s teachers considered him “rather below the

common standard of intellect.”common standard of intellect.” Thomas Edison was considered hopelessly slow by his Thomas Edison was considered hopelessly slow by his

teachers.teachers. Albert Einstein did not read until age 7 and was expelled at Albert Einstein did not read until age 7 and was expelled at

least once.least once. Sir Winston Churchill flunked the 6Sir Winston Churchill flunked the 6thth grade and barely passed grade and barely passed

other grades.other grades. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard.Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard.

And there are hundreds of other examples!And there are hundreds of other examples!