Klarinet Archive - Posting 001099.txt from 2004/03

From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] re: no one left behind
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 21:30:02 -0500

Donna, I'm in that range also but I also have ADD. I knew kids in =
school
who probably had far lower IQ scores than I did and their grades were =
just
as good and they were probably more interested in many of the things =
they
learned than I was. They probably also remember far more of what they
learned than I did. So we learned to learn independently and what's =
wrong
with that? Maybe someone else could use some extra help and we could =
work
on our own but that just means we're independent-not any better than =
anyone
else and not necessarily "smarter" simply because those numbers are =
high. I
don't know whether it will happen in my lifetime, but those labels of
"gifted", "LD," "slow", etc... need to disappear. Too many kids get put
into a category and live up to the expectations in their classification,
only because that's what they think of themselves. =20
I still think Dave is missing the point in his comment about the 2nd =
and
3rd parts and "slower" students. There are music students who excel not
because they have a lower IQ and work harder, but because they have a =
gift
in this area! The girl I mentioned who was considered very bright had
absolutely no sense of rhythm and many people had tried to help her with
this to no avail. The point is that we ALL have gifts and we should not =
set
ourselves apart from others based on numbers on a silly test.
Christy

Quoting Christy Erickson <perickso@-----.net>:

> Who says the 90 kid will be "frustrated" and the 140 one "bored?" =
My
> guess is the person with the high IQ with a big head would be likely =
to
say
> such a thing but I don't think it's true at all. My daughter, who is =
ADHD

Well, speaking as someone who tested in the "gifted" range, I can say =
that I
was
bored throughout a large part of my middle and high school years. I =
didn't
end
up hating the other kids, but it *was* frustrating, and I developed an
extreme
aversion to classroom settings. When the teacher had to spend extra =
time
with
the kids who needed it, I just worked ahead on my own, and to this day =
when
I
need to take training at work, or want to learn something new I much =
prefer
to
do it on my own. Just give me the materials and leave me alone.=20

When I was 16 I missed three months of school due to illness, and when I =
got
back to school I was actually ahead of where the teachers were in all my
subjects, because I got to work at home at my own pace.

Home schooling and things like cyber-charter schools weren't around =
then,
but I
sure wish they had been. The latter, especially, would have been ideal =
for
my
personality and learning style.=20

- Donna =20

---------------------------------------------------------------------
For help: email klarinet-owner@-----.org
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org