Gifted and Talented

On the request of my friend, I am supposed to write a blog about the Gifted and Talented Center. And now I've given away where I live too, I think. Yippee... =__=

Said friend informed me that another friend, and a third friend, all agreed too write a blog about this topic.

Alright lets go...

People, such as teachers and mature-like students repeatedly tell us, those in the GTC, are not better than those in "base." Other people, who are more blunt in what they say, such as egotistical students and blunt teachers reveal that actually, we are better.  How does the GTC work, exactly though? Apparently, all 2nd graders take an IQ test, and those w/ IQ's over a bar get put in the center. Or, as one of my friends did, a parent can request their child's placement in the center.

After this, in 3rd grade, the teacher reminds us that we are not better than those who aren't. We just "learn faster." They push us through two years of math, so that we are learning almost a year ahead. And then in 6th grade, we have an opportunity to skip another year of math, so that we're learning Algebra I in 7th grade. Base, however, has this opportunity as well, although more people in the GTC apply.  Hey, what is this? It's all math!

How about language arts, science, and social studies?  Honestly, science and  social studies are taught nearly the exact same way. The only difference? In 6th grade, for the science fair, our expectations were a lot higher, and our EDD had to be filled out a certain way, where Base just answered questions. And Language Arts? That was taught a whole lot stricter than base. Where my brother got away with ending his essays with, "Well, that's all I have to say, so bye!", I would have been marked off for that.

Moving on to middle school, 7th grade (and I just narrowed down what counties I could be living in). Now, the teachers reveal that actually, because we're in the GTC, we're expected to behave better. If a substitute comes in and finds that we're talking, she informs us that we're a shame to the GTC. So much for equality.

In 8th grade, the curriculum between GT and Honors balances out a little, and besides going in a teeny bit deeper, the biggest difference is the books we have to read for English.

So, what really is the difference between GT and Base? We're taught more things (barely), and we're left to learn more things on our own.

Now lets rewind all the way back to 1st and 2nd grade. I remember being in the pull out GT for Math and Language Arts (what do you know...) and the way they taught me was so much different than how the actual GTC is. Pull out fostered creativity, branching into different topics of the same level. They actually let you ask questions and help you figure it out yourself. It's out of the box. It was fun to learn. Maybe it was because we already mastered the curriculum, and they weren't in any hurry to teach us 3rd grade things, so they let us explore 2nd grade things instead.

GTC, on the other had, goes by the book. A checklist, almost. "3rd grade math, check! 4th grade math, check!" For science and social studies, questions are not tolerated if not relevant. GTC has to move forward, pass the tests, be a grade ahead. It's in a little box. You don't need to be able to think for yourself. If you just learn what the teachers teach you, you'll be okay.

I blame it on the SOLs. If we didn't have regulated tests, maybe teachers would relax about sticking so close to the curriculum. Maybe instead of moving to the next chapter if we're ahead, we could explore the current chapter.

Now fast forward to 9th grade, High School. If you live in the United States, you may know that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is the best high school in the country. It's a magnet school, I think it's called, where students have to test to get into the school. TJHSST is the high school version of the GTC, except soley based on science, math, and technology. And from what I know, it's a lot more like the 1st and 2nd grade version of GTC. It's more based on what the student thinks, what the student can figure out for themself. They actually have to know how to think for themself.

And so, with that rant over with, I will need to go practice piano.

SMILE!