Education Professor Dispels Myths About Gifted Children

Education Professor Dispels Myths About Gifted Children

Steven I. Pfeiffer is a professor from Florida State's Department of Education Psychology and Learning Systems and is a licensed who works with gifted children and their families in counseling. Pfeiffer says that there is a view sometimes expressed by people outside the gifted field who say that we don't need programs devoted to gifted students.  

" We usually hear, 'Oh, they're smart they'll do fine on their own.'And because of this anti-elitist attitude, it's often difficult to get funding for programs and services that help us develop some of our brightest, most advanced kids -- America's most valuable resources." 

Pfeiffer says "giftedness" still isn't well understood, and that children with advance academic and intellectual abilities can challenge and perplex both parents and educators.

One of the main problems working with children who are gifted is to get the right definition of this question. What does it mean to be "gifted"?

Finding ways to best identify gifted children is a key area of Pfeiffer's research. He has made a diagnostic test which complements the popularly used intelligence test that identifies children who may be gifted.This test has been used for at least 600 schools, if not more, across the nation, and has been translated for use in other countries. 

For Pfeiffer, academics isn't the only way a person can be gifted. this diagnostic test has measures the students' aptitude in six areas.

1. Intellectual Ability: measures the child's verbal and nonverbal mental skills and intellectual competence. Items on this scale rate the child's memory, reasoning ability, problem solving and mental speed.
   
2. Academic Ability: measures the child's skill in dealing with factual and/or school-related material. Items rate readiness and advanced development/proficiency in reading, math and other aspects of the early childhood curriculum.
   
3. Creativity: measures the child's ability to think, act and/or produce unique, novel or innovative thoughts or products. Items rate the child's imaginative play, original thinking and inventive approach to situations or problems.
   
4. Artistic Talent: measures the child's potential for, or evidence of ability in, drama, music, dance, drawing, painting, sculpture, singing, playing a musical instrument and/or acting.
   
5. Leadership: measures the child's ability to motivate people toward a common goal.
   
6. Motivation: refers to the child's drive, tendency to enjoy challenging tasks, and ability to work well without encouragement or reinforcement. The motivation scale is not viewed as a type of giftedness, but rather as the energy that impels a young child to achieve.
   

My opinion is that everyone has something special about them. They just have to find it themselves. You can be gifted in many different ways. For an example, I believe that I am mostly gifted with artistic talent. I play the piano and the clarinet and love to compose songs. Also, I try to choreograph dance steps to my favorite songs (when no one is looking), and love to draw eyes. 

Are you gifted? In what way? How? What is your definition of gifted?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113123714.htm

Checkin in again

Hey wasup evry1? did you get to watch the inauguration? I thought the inaugural address was very inspirational. Please comment on all my post with your opinion. What books are you reading?

Inauguration of President Obama

On Tuesday, January 20, 2009, we experienced history. History that will be written in the social studies textbooks of your children. That day was the inaugration of the first African-American President of the U.S., Barack Obama. An inauguration is ceremonial induction into office. Tens of thousands of people attendend the glorious day to witness history.
The first article I read was from The Wall Street Journal. The article describes the day of the inauguration and what went on. The inauguration drew a crowd of over one million at the National Mall. Obama became president at noon, swaring on the bible our Honest Abe used, used his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, to take the oath. A well known quote said at his inaugural address states that no matter what race, class, or religion you have/are you can still become the president if you are determined. " A man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a sacrad oath." Obama said. Unfortunatly, Mr. Pres's first day on the job "scarcely begun". The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4%. Obama had coffee with Bush, then at lunch he witnessed Sen. Edward M. Kennedy collapse. Today, the President met with the economic team and Gen. David Petraeus, to start the withdrawal of combat troops in Iraq. Also, he'd gotten well wishes from around the world such as a former South African president, the U.K. prime minister, and the French president.
The second article is also from the Wall Street Journal. This article was about the dresses the Obama girls wore on Inauguration Day. First Lady Michelle Obama wore a champagne yellow ensemble by Isabel Toledo. Isabela Toledo is "a Cuban-American, independent fashion designer who has spent her recent career on the fringes of New York’s Seventh Avenue. " Mrs. Obama is known for wearing dresses designed by lesser-known names, said to give them a chance. Ten year old Malia wore a deep-blue belted J.Crew coat. Seven year old Sasha wore a pink coat, also by J.Crew, paired with an orange scarf and gloves. I believe the dresses the Obama girls wore were very nice.
My opinion on the first article is that the President's inaugural speech was very-well writen and spoken. His speech inspires us for the future. I also hope he will be able to clean up this big mess with major issues like the economy and the war. I think he'll make a great president. My opinion on the second article is that the Obama girl's choice on what to wear was great. I'd love to have the jacket Malia had yesterday. I don't get why the press makes a huge deal on what Michelle Obama wears. They just just have to find something they can pick on about to each and every celebrity.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123247866100498973.html
http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2009/01/20/michelle-obamas-isabel-toledo-inauguration-dress/

Current Events 4

Study: Exercise Won't Cure Obesity

Exercise, the bodily or mental exertion, esp. for the sake of training or improvement of health.


You may wonder why even when you exercise often, you still have a layer of fat all around you.
Sure, exercise strengthens your bones and muscles, improves health and mood, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancner, and colon cancer, and improves kids' academic performance (probably why we have PE everyday), but it doesn't cure all for obesity.
Diet plays the key role.
For example, on an average, African-American women in Chicago weigh 184 lbs and Nigerian women weigh 127 lbs. Why have results shown up as this? Nigerian diet is high in fiber and carbs, low in fat and animal protien. Whereas, Chicago diet is 40-45% higher in processed foods.
"Decreased physical activity may not be the primary driver of the obesity epidemic," said Loyola nutritionist Amy Luke, a member of the study team. It's a burn more eat more world out there. When people burns more calories, they "compensenate" by eating more. Losing weight is more unlikely without dietry restraint.
In my opinion, choose the right decisions. Instead of having Cheez-It's, grab a banana, make something homemade at home from one of your grandparents' recipes as an alternative from eating out. Who knows what those fast foods/restuarants put in their food? A tasty but healthy drink is a blender-made strawberry-banana smoothie. I love those!
This doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise, it's important for a healthy and well-toned body.
Just because you are "chubby" doesn't mean that you are fat or obese. Who doesn't have fat on themself? It's important to have some fat and maintain that fat, and not become too skinny or too big.

Imformation was taken from http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090106/sc_livescience/studyexercisewontcureobesity;_ylt=Aqgb6mZCKxF3ghgWyKOAuezVJRIF


This is a graded assignment. If this article should offend the reader in any way, then it's purely unintentional.