HUNTER HANSONJULY 19, 2010

Social Development, Moral Development, and Global

Concerns

Three Truths and a Lie

Social Acceptance

A gifted child’s social acceptance is impacted by their age, school environment, and the extent of their giftedness.

In elementary school, gifted children are usually popular until about age 13.

Students with very high intelligence who have not been accelerated through school often have trouble finding true peers.

(Rimm, 2002)

Social Acceptance

These students find themselves continuously monitoring their social behavior to meet the expectations of their classmates.

In an attempt to be accepted by peers, gifted students will withdraw from debate, computer clubs and honors classes.

Some gifted students are able to find social acceptance with ease because of their good looks or athletic ability.

(Rimm, 2002)

Social Struggles for the Gifted

Those who have high intellect may be so afraid of sounding stupid that they have difficulty initiating or sustaining conversations.

Gifted students may have trouble giving and receiving compliments. They do not want to appear arrogant or they feel unworthy of the compliments they receive.

(Peterson, 2008)

Coping Strategies

There are five social coping strategies: Denial of giftedness Emphasis on popularity Peer acceptance Social interaction Hiding giftedness

(Rimm, 2002)

Assisting Gifted Students

Maintaining a positive family environment

Supporting the talent

Keeping a long term focus

Gifted classes

(Rimm, 2002)

Moral Development

“A moral person is someone who acts in a way that is calculated to further the interests of

the other people involved, and/or to choose to take on such guiding principles to action as being honest with people, respecting them

and so on. Morality is choosing to behave in appropriate ways towards others.”

-Paul Jewell

Kollberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Pre-conventional Level Stage 1 – The Stage of Punishment and Obedience Stage 2 – The Stage of Individual Instrumental Purpose and

Exchange

Conventional Level Stage 3 – The Stage of Mutual Interpersonal Expectations,

Relationships, and Conformity Stage 4 – The Stage of Social System and Conscience

Maintenance

Post-conventional and Principled Level The Stage of Prior Rights and Social Contract or Utility The Stage of Universal Ethical Principles

(Jewell, 1999)

Moral Development

Only 10% of all individuals reach the last two stages of moral development.

Most gifted students reach these top two levels unless their environment has hindered their growth.

(Jewell, 1999)

Moral Development and Global Concerns

Gifted students have the potential to become tomorrow's world leaders with a strong grasp of the ethics and morality of issues related to global politics, economics, health, religions, and the environment.

If gifted students are provided with an appropriately challenging and respectful global curriculum, we can help them prepare to do good works with global impact.

(Gibson, 2009)

References

Jewell, Paul. "MEASURING MORAL DEVELOPMENT: FEELING, THINKING, AND DOING." The New Zealand Journal of Gifted Education 13.1 (1999). Web.

Gibson, Kay L., and Marjorie Landwehr-Brown. Morality, Ethics, and Gifted Minds. N.p.: Springer US, n.d. 1-12. Web. 19 July 2010.

Neihart, Maureen, Sally M. Reis, Nancy M. Robinson, and Sidney M. Moon. The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children. Waco, Texas: The National Association for Gifted Children, 2002. 13-18. Print.

Peterson, Jean S. The Essential Guide to Talking with Gifted Teens. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, 2008. 113-16.

Print.