tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post8185743698393328717..comments2024-01-05T05:46:30.140-08:00Comments on Angie's Desk: What's Talent Got To Do With It?Angiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-38847532311352626192010-08-27T12:41:20.881-07:002010-08-27T12:41:20.881-07:00Suzan -- thanks, and I hope everything works out w...Suzan -- thanks, and I hope everything works out well for your son.<br /><br />When I was a kid, only weird, religious people homeschooled. I never even heard the word until I was an adult. Now I know a number of people who homeschool their kids, and it's great that it's an option, and that there's room in the educational system for homeschooled students. I'm assuming there's some accommodation for things like college applications, where they usually want to see a high school transcript and GPA, and letters of recommendation from teachers?<br /><br />I do think of it as a disability because it's something most people can do that I can't. It's something our world is set up to assume everyone can do, and do pretty easily, and for me it's horribly difficult, if I can do it at all. It makes things hard in a number of areas -- just having it assumed that of course I know my own phone number, which in actuality it takes me years to memorize, because I never use it. How often do you call yourself? :/ Having to pull out a card with my phone number written on it whenever someone asks for it is embarassing.<br /><br />I don't think it's like being left-handed; I think it's more like having a poorly-known and invisible disability. For instance, my husband is legally blind. He gets around fine most of the time, doesn't have a dog or a cane (although he's legally entitled to either one if he wanted), but every now and then he'll trip or run into something, or have to explain to someone at a counter that no, he <i>can't</i> read that sign on the wall behind them and they'll have to answer questions about what's available. This invokes sympathy and helpfulness a lot less often than one might like to think. Same with my memory issues -- when it comes up, people tend to just assume I'm stupid in the casual sense, rather than figure there might be something really wrong that I can't help. I'd give just about anything to be able to go back and live my life over again without the problem. Second choice would be living my life over again <i>knowing</i> about the problem, and what it takes to work around it. I have to work ten times as harder as your average person to do these kinds of tasks, but that's much better than constantly bashing my head against the wall with no actual results.<br /><br />M.J. -- I think a balance is good. [nod] There's certainly benefit to assuming you <i>can</i> do something, or trying to figure out the shortest path to success. So long as that's coupled with a realistic assessment of how to get there (because no, taking the short cut over this Everest-sized mountain is <i>not</i> going to save time and effort versus taking that 500-mile road around) then optimization is a good thing. So long as confidence and a realistic outlook are in balance, that blend is probably the optimal way to tackle the problem.<br /><br />AngieAngiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-25820267250258571332010-08-27T11:29:24.611-07:002010-08-27T11:29:24.611-07:00Insightful post. When I read your definition of PO...Insightful post. When I read your definition of PO, I saw much of my own attitude in there. I like to think, though, I'm striking a balance between the two.M.J. Nichollshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12972190103986599079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-1806267131455835262010-08-27T09:44:42.845-07:002010-08-27T09:44:42.845-07:00Oh, Angie, I'm so sorry.
Unfortunately, thing...Oh, Angie, I'm so sorry.<br /><br />Unfortunately, things haven't changed since you went to school. My son has issues very similar to yours. And frankly, I don't consider it a "disability." It's like forcing left-handers to use their right hands. Some kids cannot learn by memorization, and the public schools refuse to acknowledge that fact. We pulled GK out of public school, and I've been homeschooling. It's a lot of extra work, but it's worth it. He actually enjoys learning again.Suzan Hardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600258874634909988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-36960292244012863152010-08-27T07:15:17.241-07:002010-08-27T07:15:17.241-07:00Charles -- thanks, and thanks back for your post. ...Charles -- thanks, and thanks back for your post. I have to admit I've had a lot of anger in me about this. My teachers were so dazzled by my IQ test that they didn't notice a very real problem, and it went undetected long enough to have a severe negative impact on my life. And even when it was finally detected, I did it myself; none of my teachers, from elementary school up through college, ever did more than chide me over grades or comment that I was an underachiever. Wow, that's useful.<br /><br />I don't mind talking about it because I hope the info will help someone else -- that maybe someone will read this who has a "gifted child" and will recognize that that child might still have other issues. I finally worked out some techniques for handling classes that required memorization, but if I'd had those techniques as far back as third grade, my life would've been completely different.<br /><br />AngieAngiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11920578701763415331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1847902007209931042.post-71917102583557243262010-08-27T06:48:33.053-07:002010-08-27T06:48:33.053-07:00Well said. And kudos to you for being so honest a...Well said. And kudos to you for being so honest about your personal experiences. I too grew up thinking that talent was everything and work was only second best. For me, a strong element of stubborness kept me going to the point where I learned that it's more about "learning" than it is about 'gift." I'm glad the piece resonated with you. I've been using some of the guy's ideas and points in my classes.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.com