What Should We Be Teaching Kids for the 21st Century?

Dr. Judy Willis is an authority on brain research. She has a unique background, having been both a neurologist and a classroom teacher. She has written several books and writes a blog for Psychology Today. One of her blog entries, Whose Children Will Get the Best Jobs in the 21st Century? http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/radical-teaching/201104/whose-children-will-get-the-best-jobs-in-the-21st-century , offers an interesting perspective on what we should be doing to prepare students for today’s world.

According to Willis, the best jobs in the future will go to applicants who have the

• skillsets to analyze information as it becomes available
• flexibility to adapt traditionally believed facts are revised
• ability to collaborate with others
• ability to articulate one's ideas

Rather than just learn a lot of information, students need opportunities to discover the connections between isolated facts, build networks of concepts, and apply what they learn in new contexts. Critical analysis, judgment, creative problem solving, and the ability to evaluate and apply data to new situations are all vital.

Parents can prepare students by

• helping children develop personal responsibility
• explicitly teaching how to focus attention, study, organize, prioritize, plan, and set goals
• teaching how to make the switch from memorization to mental manipulation by comparing and contrasting concepts and applying big ideas to solve new types of problems
• teaching how to evaluate sources of accurate information and then to use critical analysis to assess the veracity/bias and current/potential uses of new information
• finding out the topics children will study in the coming school months and then promoting interest by introducing things that relate to the topic, providing background knowledge and interest

Willis provides many concrete ideas for parents to teach these skills at home. I strongly urge you to read the article. The ideas provided would make a great beginning for discussion in a parent support group.

How to Create and Manage Discussion Groups for Gifted Kids

In addition to meeting the academic needs of gifted students, it is also important to address affective issues they may have. These bright kids benefit from being with others who are highly intelligent and with whom they can discuss social and emotional issues that may set them apart.

Terry Bradley is a gifted education advisor from Colorado who specializes in social and emotional needs of very bright students. For years, she has facilitated affective discussion groups with gifted middle school and high school students. In these groups, kids talk about issues they have in common and how life looks and feels through the lens of giftedness.

Bradley feels that there needs to be a balance between appropriate academic and emotional opportunities. Very bright kids often share similar characteristics such as intensity, sensitivity, heightened moral and ethical codes of behavior, and the ability to process feelings more thoroughly and deeply. Discussion groups provide a forum where students have the opportunity to express themselves as they truly are.

In her article, Beyond Academics: Discussion Groups ThatNurture Affective Growth in Gifted Students, Bradley explains the difference between affective education and counseling. She also offers a step-by-step guide for adults who want to start discussion groups in their own schools. Topics include getting support, the optimum group size, frequency of meetings, choosing discussion topics, and encouraging participation. She describes specific activities that she uses as well as communication techniques. Outside resources are also included.

If you do not already have a social/emotional discussion group established at your school, consider starting one. Even if you already have a group up and running, you will find the ideas in Bradley’s article to be helpful.

Teaching Tolerance

We are a nation of many skin colors, religions, types of family units, economic levels, languages, physical and mental abilities, political persuasions, ethnicities, and customs. It is important that young people learn to understand those who may not look, act, or think the same as they do. That does not mean that they always need to agree with those who are different, but it also doesn’t mean that they should belittle or bully people who are not the same. Instead, kids need to discover what they can learn from one another. By expecting tolerance at home and at school, we develop environments where young people feel safe and appreciated. We also broaden their exposure and appreciation for different cultures and ideas which, in turn, enhances general learning.

There are some excellent websites that help both parents and educators teach kids tolerance. Here are a few.

• Teaching Your Child Tolerance—Explains to parents why their own discomfort with the subject of tolerance should not get in the way, why tolerance is important, and how it can be taught at home.
• Teaching Tolerance—A wealth of information is provided to use with students of all ages. The website includes lesson plans, tips for the classroom, articles, and other resources.
• RaceBridges for Schools—This website provides numerous lesson plans, videos, theatre games, and other resources that assist adults and students to reflect, talk, and act about diversity, inclusion, and race relations.

Teachers will find many community-building activities at these websites. The activities are valuable no matter what your teaching environment may be—regular classroom, gifted classroom, or gifted pullout.

Friendship and Giftedness

There is a common misconception that gifted children experience more social and emotional troubles than average children. Research, however, shows that most gifted young people are well-adjusted and have a strong circle of friends. For a clearer understanding of the importance of the friendships of gifted children, you will want to consult the following resources:

The Davidson Institute for Talent Development

The Davidson Institute offers numerous links to articles that expand on this theme, as well as information about a wide variety of books that discuss friendship and giftedness. Articles that may interest you include:

• Tips for Parents: Gifted Children’s Friendships
• Tips for Parents: Socialization and the Profoundly Gifted Child
• The Impact of Giftedness on Psychological Well-Being
• Highly Gifted Children and Peer Relationships
• Aspects of Personality and Peer Relations of Extremely Talented Adolescents
• A Cross-Sectional Developmental Study of the Social Relations of Students Who Enter College Early
• Friendship Patterns in Highly Intelligent Children

SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted)

• "Play Partner" or "Sure Shelter": What Gifted Children Look for in Friendship 

Duke TIP: Digest of Gifted Research

• How do I know if my child is in with the right peer group? 
• Finding True Peers