Posted by Sandra Clifton on Oct 13, 2011 in
Student Success Yesterday, I wrote about a private school for the gifted that I visited on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Today, I read about a magnet school for the gifted in St. Louis—and it requires a minimum score of 125 on an IQ exam for admittance.
Here’s the article–I’m interested to know what you think. Am I the only one who is uncomfortable with an antiquated assessment that has shown a bias towards children who come from homes with socio-economic advantages?
I’d also like to offer additional reading material, an article in The Atlantic. Although it was published in 1999, this three-part exploratory piece is written by Howard Gardner, professor of human development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I’m obviously in the tribe of “multiple intelligence,” and find it astonishing that we accept one score from a single test as a measurement for the eclectic possibility and beauty of the human brain…
On this rainy morning in autumn, I attended the Speyer Legacy School Breakfast, on 15 West 86th Street, in Manhattan—right off the B/C train, near Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History. Right from the start, I was warmed by the friendly smiles of the host parents in the “makeshift gym” and encouraged by the introductory remarks provided by Richard Barter, former Head of Collegiate. Interestingly enough, when I researched this Speyer Trustee, I discovered an article about my former employer, Prep for Prep—a program for gifted minority students…and wasn’t surprised, as the theme of this day was one of interconnectedness. Speyer Legacy is currently the only independent school in New York City serving “advanced learners” and its doors opened in 2009 to rave reviews.
Mr. Barter immediately caught my attention with his reference to Thomas Friedman, who I’d heard on NPR live from Boston last week. I was very impressed with Freidman’s perspective on global education, and one of my favorite quotes from the program “On Point” was, “It’s never been harder to find a job…It’s never been easier to INVENT a career” along with, “Ninety percent of jobs are not outsourced to China—they are outsourced to the past.” This morning, Mr. Barter talked about creating a curriculum for gifted learners and piqued my interest with the fact that 50% of Speyer Legacy “scholars” receive some kind of tuition assistance. Indeed, this and other references to our country’s destiny and a sense of democracy permeated the discussion.
There are some wonderful words that surfaced from speakers today: creating, collaborating, conversing, committed, passion, and magic. One parent, Mica Vanterpool, explained that at Speyer, the school “celebrates intellect and integrity” and about that time I realized the name of the school is pronounced like (in)spire. In fact, the June 2011 newsletter, “The Legacy,” highlighted an “IN-SPEYERED EVENING,” a nice play on words.
What I learned from the initial overview from Head of School, Connie Williams-Coulianos (as documented by the U.S. Dept of Ed in 1993 in the report, National Excellence: A Case for Developing America’s Talent) is that only two pennies out of each $100 are spent on elementary and secondary education for gifted and talented children in America. As a result, intellectually gifted students can “experience underachievement, perfectionism, procrastination, and stress. Certain types of depression may be more common among gifted learners, and these children may even face a higher risk of suicide” (as reported by Daniel Brewer, Chief Advancement Officer: dbrewer@speyerlegacyschool.org). Speyer Legacy is a direct response to this gap in our attention on “advanced learners” and seeks to provide:
*specifically-trained teachers who embody lifelong scholarship
*a challenging curriculum, regardless of age, in accelerated/enriched learning
*reflective, analytical skills with social/emotional development
*a global view of interdependence and participation with a “sister school’ in Kenya, Africa
*student “voice” in curriculum decisions and directions
I was impressed to see these ideals embodied in the actual classroom activities—one teacher discussed with students how the leaves they created were made with “the same materials” but that each is actually unique and different; another instructor led a thoughtful class meeting about a recent situation of bullying. I noticed a “Class Contract” on one of the walls (a practice we taught when I was a Program Coach for Emotional Literacy with Yale University) and heard another student echo, “I’m A Work-in-Progress!” several times, almost like a mantra. I also caught a glimpse of one of my favorite books (which I taught to 6th graders at the Professional Children’s School), Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech, and was touched by the unique artistic angles of self-portraits displayed above a 4th grade chalkboard.
I have to compliment The Speyer Legacy School for the outreach, enthusiasm, and professionalism modeled today, on this grey morning in October. A prestigious school on the Upper East Side (which will not be named at this time) would not even let me in the front door to visit with an admissions person or introduce myself—an experience I will never forget. Speyer Legacy is fueled by the vision to change the world we live in through inspiring and supporting gifted learners—and these educational visionaries believe it is advanced learners who will become our future leaders. Perhaps my one concern I felt about Speyer Legacy is the definition of a “gifted” kid. At my learning center, I express that part of my mission is educating students (and others) that, because the brain is built with multiple angles of intelligence, each of us is gifted. Upon reading every word of their materials, I could not uncover more information about how “advanced learners” are identified. Ms. Williams-Coulianos, in an interview with New York Family, explained that “We view the results of standardized tests as only one source of information to be considered in conjunction with information from other sources” but those are not yet clear to me. As an educator who is fairly anti-IQ assessments and instead promotes SEDL (Social and Emotional Developmental Learning) and supports the Highly Sensitive Student, I applaud the effort of Speyer to “require thoughtful attention to…social/emotion development because of heightened sensitivity and vulnerability in settings where their usual cognitive profiles are misunderstood.” Certainly, there are perhaps no words more important on an educational document than Speyer’s acknowledgement that “The life of the mind is inextricably connected with the life of the heart.”
In full-circle serendipity, I felt a jolt when returning to Brooklyn on the C-train while reading an article in the Education section of The New York Times called “School for the Gifted, and Only the Gifted.” In it, I discovered that one of the “high-powered mothers” who helped to launch this very school (along with educational philanthropist, Dr. Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber—) is Malena Belafonte, daughter-in-law of the singer Harry Belafonte…As I got ready for this breakfast this morning, I listened to an interview on NPR about this star, who—instead of attending class—was a janitor, mopping floors like Charlie Chaplin. Like 20% of gifted students across the nation, this young man was a Harlem high school dropout who found his way to the stage through a free ticket—and was moved by the special silence he heard in the audience. Ironically, I’m just not sure that this Civil Rights activist or vocal artist would be identified as an “advanced learner” by an organization like Prep for Prep or a school like Speyer Legacy. We can only hope that the vision that I glimpsed today is just the beginning of a whole new way of educating—and learning…for all.
Posted by Sandra Clifton on Oct 10, 2011 in
Academic Coaching,
Student Success This news just in for future college freshmen: not only are admission boards reading your application essays—they are also perusing your Facebook profile. According to Ryan Lytle’s article, “College Admissions Officials Turn to Facebook to Research Students” in today’s US News, there’s a significant increase in online research of high school seniors. In 2008, just 10% of admissions checked social media for “inside information” about applicants; now that percentage is 24%.
The results can be both positive and negative. If a student posts lewd language and profane pictures, those decisions can obviously be both hurtful and harmful. However, colleges can also get a view of uplifting angles of your life too: some students include scrapbooks of their mission trips and other altruistic endeavors, and Facebook is a wonderful way to share an additional “portfolio” of your involvement in a larger community of interests. Martha Allman, Dean of Admissions at Wake Forest University, comments, “We have seen real talent [on Facebook]. You should put out the good things and show off a bit. It can be really positive.”
With this report, I’m reminded a bit of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg”s eyes in The Great Gatsby that see everything and know all as they loom over the landscape: “But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic—their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose…But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.”
Certainly a picture can “say a thousand words,” and I just hope each of my students keeps this truth in mind as they create the profile they want the world to see of their life, their loves, and the development of their unique personalities….
Posted by Sandra Clifton on Oct 3, 2011 in
Academic Coaching,
Student Success My mom often sends me important articles that pertain to education, and the one I read this past weekend was fascinating: “To Choose is To Lose,” by John Tierney, published in the August 21, 2011 edition of The New York Times Magazine. I’d like to share with you some highlights and tidbits:
* We become mentally exhausted from making too many decisions each day—so much so, that we often choose one of two responses by late afternoon: a) to look for shortcuts -or- b) to do nothing. Obviously, both options have a cost.
* This mental exhaustion, nicknamed “decision fatigue” in the article, is actually scientifically documented by Roy F. Baumeister and has also been called “ego depletion,” in the vein of Freudian analysis.
* Apparently, according to studies, the more decisions you have to make in a day affects willpower—and people who are taxed mentally then give in to more physical temptations (like food) or give up more readily on cognitive obstacles, like solving challenging math problems.
* Psychologists have named this process of mental taxation as “The Rubicon Model of Action,” after a river that divided Italy in Ancient Rome. They identify two stages of decision making: the “pre-decision phase,” when all the consequences and benefits are weighed and the “post-decisional phase,” when we accept that “the die is cast.” However, studies indicate that it’s crossing the Rubicon “river of decisions” that is harder than being on either “shore.”
* Humans are afraid to give up options that come with making final decisions, and Tierney reminds the reader that both words “decide” and “homicide” come from the Latin root of “caedere,” which translates as “to cut down” or “to kill.” (Maybe this is why some individuals have a difficult time moving from the dating phase to a commitment!)
* The poor are especially affected by decision fatigue, because balancing a budget in the midst of making multiple choices is especially draining, both mentally and physically. In fact, scientists accidentally discovered that glucose is needed to re-establish willpower—and without it, we are much less capable to physiologically control our impulses. When sugar is given to the body, the brain is able to regain self-control….which is why people who diet are in a special predicament! To summarize: when low on glucose, the brain “responds more strongly to immediate rewards and pays less attention to long-term prospects” (37).
* Experiments done in over 10,000 case studies at the University of Wurzburg indicate that humans spend an average of three to four hours a day resisting various forms of desire—from urges to eat, sleep, check Facebook, spend money, have sex, or watch TV. That’s why, by the end of the day, we’re more likely to make poor decisions: we’re low on glucose and we’re “high” on decision fatigue.
* Individuals who are more successful with willpower tend to be the ones who structure their lives with already-created support systems built on pre-planned decisions, so that they can then rely on willpower for unforeseen emergencies: “Even the wisest people won’t make good choices when they’re not rested and their glucose is low,” reports Baumeister.
My recommendations when it comes to kids? Understand that an after-school snack may be one of the most important tools you can provide when it comes to making the decisions required to complete homework. In addition, don’t ask children to offer their best ideas at the end of the day….like you, they’ve navigated through a myriad of decisions and need time to recharge. Finally, only ask your family to have a meeting involving important choices when you have narrowed the options to three main decisions and have provided your crew with a nutritious breakfast!
