Bertie
Kingore, Ph.D. Identification
of gifted students is clouded when concerned adults
misinterpret high achievement as giftedness. High-achieving
students are noticed for their on-time, neat,
well-developed, and correct learning products. Adults
comment on these students' consistent high grades and note
how well they acclimate to class procedures and discussions.
Some adults assume these students are gifted because their
school-appropriate behaviors and products surface above the
typical responses of grade-level students. Educators
with expertise in gifted education are frustrated trying to
help other educators and parents understand that while high
achievers are valuable participants whose high-level
modeling is welcomed in classes, they learn differently from
gifted learners. In situations in which they are respected
and encouraged, gifted students' thinking is more complex
with abstract inferences and more diverse perceptions than
is typical of high achievers. Articulating those differences
to educators and parents can be difficult. In 1989,
Janice Szabos published a comparison of the bright child and
the gifted learner. Her comparison helps to delineate
differences between the two groups and provides a useful
format for discussions. However, some of the items listed in
the comparison are questionable. For example, the gifted
learner is credited with having wild, silly ideas. In
reality, it is creative thinkers who exhibit the ideas often
called wild or silly; not all gifted learners demonstrate
that aspect of the creative process. As a second example of
concern, Szabos lists bright children as enjoying
straightforward, sequential presentations. This behavior
seems more associated with learning preferences than with
ability. Arguably, some gifted learners also enjoy
straightforward, sequential presentations, but their
questions and responses to such a presentation may
dramatically differ from the questions and responses of
bright children. As a final example, Szabos' comparison
states that gifted learners prefer adults while bright
children enjoy peers. This statement has negative
connotations leading to the stereotype that gifted learners
are so out of sync with society and have such poor social
skills that they can only communicate with adults. In
reality, gifted learners seek idea-mates rather than
age-mates. They enjoy the company of peers when the peer
group understands the shared ideas. Responding
to those concerns, a three-way comparison of a high
achiever, a gifted learner, and a creative thinker is
proposed for you to consider and ponder. No column is
intended to be mutually exclusive. For example, a high
achiever might also be a creative thinker, and a gifted
learner might also be a creative thinker; a creative thinker
might also be a high achiever, and a gifted learner might
also be a high achiever. This three-column comparison
emerged over several years while working with students
representing all three of these groups. Hundreds of teachers
and students reviewed and discussed the items as the
comparison developed. These
students and teachers found the following cartoons helpful
in understanding the comparison since high achievers, gifted
learners, and creative thinkers co-exist in many classrooms.
In the first cartoon, the teacher announces an assignment,
and the high achiever quickly tries to determine what the
teacher most wants so he can please and satisfy the
teacher's intentions: "What do you really want?" The gifted
learner ponders what to do that would most interest her as
she learns: "What I would like to do is..." Simultaneously,
the creative thinker's mind begins to race with all of the
diverse and varied possibilities that could be
explored: Later, in
the second cartoon, the teacher poses a question to the
class. The high achiever is delighted because he knows the
answer and is in control: "Oh, I know that answer!" The
gifted learner considers multiple nuances and alternative
perspectives: "The question could mean..." or "It might
suggest..." or "Another way to say that is..." or "Yah,
but..." The creative thinker is still obsessed with the
seemingly endless possibilities of the earlier assignment,
concentrating so much on his ideas that he completely misses
the teacher's question: Consider
sharing this three-way comparison with your gifted students
to elicit their perceptions. If you wish, their responses
can be shared with the author at the email listed below.
Stimulating discussion rather than fostering agreement is
the goal. The results might clarify or extend understanding
among administrators, teachers, parents, and students of the
marvelous similarities and differences among high achievers,
gifted learners, and creative thinkers. A
High Achiever... A
Creative Thinker... Remembers
the answers. Sees
exceptions. Is
interested. Wonders. Is
attentive. Daydreams;
may seem off task. Generates
advanced ideas. Overflows
with ideas, many of which will never be
developed. Works
hard to achieve. Plays with
ideas and concepts. Answer
the questions in detail. Injects
new possibilities. Performs
at the top of the group. Is in own
group. Responds
with interest and opinions. Shares
bizarre, sometimes conflicting
opinions. Learns
with ease. Questions:
What if... Needs
6 to 8 repetitions to master. Questions
the need for mastery. Comprehends
at a high level. Overflows
with ideas--many of which will never be
developed. Enjoys
the company of age peers. Prefers
the company of creative peers but often
works alone. Understands
complex, abstract humor. Relishes
wild, off-the-wall humor. Grasps
the meaning. Makes
mental leaps: Aha! Completes
assignments on time. Initiates
more projects that will ever be
completed. Is
receptive. Is
independent and unconventional. Is
accurate and complete. Is
original and continually
developing. Enjoys
school often. Enjoys
creating. Absorbs
information. Improvises. Is
a technician with expertise in a
field. Is an
inventor and idea generator. Memorizes
well. Creates
and brainstorms well. Is
highly alert and observant. Is
intuitive. Is
pleased with own learning. Is never
finished with possibilities. Gets
A's. May not be
motivated by grades. Is
able. Is
idiosyncratic. www.bertiekingore.com
Szabos, J. (1989).
Bright child, gifted learner. Challenge, 34. Good
Apple.
Understanding Our Gifted.