Today we live in an increasingly competitive world in which India and China, both countries that have cultivated cultures that value education and the ethic of hard work, are in serious competition with the United States. With vast reservoirs of people, these behemoths have a talent pool that surpasses America.
The presence of talent and innovation in these nations is no longer a hypothetical question. For example, according to the Top 500 Supercomputer Sites website, the Tianhe-1A, located “at the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin, China, it was the fastest computer in the world from October 2010 to June 2011 and is one of the few Petascale supercomputers in the world.” According to a posting on the website, made on Friday, 2011-11-11 at 11:11, “Japan’s “K Computer” maintained its position atop the newest edition of the TOP500 List of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.” Certainly, the US maintained a significant presence in the field with five entries in the November 2011, Top 10 list. How long, one could ask, will that last?
Another interesting statistic is the proliferation of Linux based operating systems, from just one in 1998, to a staggering 457 in November 2011. It is a testament to the power of the operating system created as a hobby by Linus Benedict Torvalds, and the unquestionable value of talent.
Unfortunately, the US, perhaps as a consequence of the ubiquitous No Child Left Behind law (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as ESEA), is in the throes of the noble pursuit of addressing the needs of struggling learners. No matter how noble the cause, it cannot come at the cost of dismantling the very foundation of education for our academic prodigies.
Today, in Montgomery County, Maryland, for example, honors courses for middle school students have been replaced with courses labeled “advanced.” Some, if not all these “advanced” courses are co-taught, a practice in which a general educator is assisted by a special educator to teach a very diverse group of learners, that includes students with disabilities. Evidence seems to indicate that the practical realities of such a classroom have rendered the instruction anything but advanced.
The push to demonstrate that everyone can complete Algebra 1 by grade 8, has resulted in a mathematics course that is thin on concepts. For example, Unit 7, of the course requires that the student learn to “solve a quadratic equation using a graph, factors, or the quadratic formula.” The prescribed textbook, on page 526, states that “the equation of the axis of symmetry for the graph of y=ax^2+bx+c, where a≠0, is x=-b/2a.” Little if any explanation is provided as to how this conclusion is reached. A “critical thinking” question, on page 530, asks the student to write a quadratic equation that represents a graph with an axis of symmetry with equation x=-3/8. For good measure, page 526 expressly states, in highlighted text, that the equation for the axis of symmetry of a parabola x=-b/2a.
The sad truth is that talented youngsters are being left to fend for themselves in their quest for deeper understanding. How was the quadratic formula derived? Or, as the text asks, “how can you coordinate a fireworks display with recorded music?” There are students who want to answer that question in both the written word and the language of math. However, they don’t have the opportunity to do so.
The only mention of gifted and talented education, in the new superintendent’s Transition Report, is the statement, on page 5, that “The issue of acceleration and gifted education was raised at a number of events, with many parents concerned that ability grouping would be eliminated in the future. Dr. Starr indicated that he did not oppose gifted programs, but felt it was important that teachers had the ability to challenge all students in the classroom through differentiation.” There is little, if any, in the form of rigorous studies, which have demonstrated the success of differentiated instruction, in addressing the needs of the gifted child, in classrooms as diverse as those seen in Montgomery County.
A gifted and talented student, as Maryland law expressly states, “needs different services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to develop the student's potential.” The sad reality is that the same statute does nothing more than “encourage each county board to develop and implement programs for gifted and talented students.” Maryland needs to wake up to the realities of the world we live in and require each school system to develop a clear and well defined gifted and talented program.
Though an example in mathematics was cited above, the need to develop talent in the arts, humanities, etc., are equally urgent. Conclusive science that answers the global warming debate, or the thinker who solves the healthcare debate, may forever be lost to society, if we fail to develop the talent that can outthink and outperform our competitors.
(c) 2011, Kumar Singam. If you would like to receive email notifications of columns by the DC-Gifted-Examiner please use the “subscribe” button at the top of this article to sign up.
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