Salman Khan has appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine and was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people. He is founder of The Khan Academy and author of The One World Schoolhouse. I interviewed Sal to get his thoughts on the future of education. Here are five wisdom filled lessons from the world famous educator. Theory may not be as important as before. “You have all this education theory and people try to make larger statements than maybe what their data would back … [Read more...] about 5 Lessons from Salman Khan on the Future of Education
creativity
Enhance Your Child’s Creativity
"The thing that makes a creative person is to be creative and that is all there is to it." —Edward Albee Because of their traditional intellectual abilities, gifted children start off with an edge. Parents can help them maintain it by encouraging them to develop a creative attitude toward life. For gifted children, being creative is largely a decision. Here are five things you can do right away: Encourage your child to question rather than merely accept assumptions. Why should children go to … [Read more...] about Enhance Your Child’s Creativity
What Is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is a skill that focuses on using logic and analysis—and not just memorized facts—to answer questions and solve problems. Essentially, critical thinking relies on practicing how to think, not what to think. For example, asking, What makes biology a science? requires far more thought and reflection than asking, What is the definition of biology? Many scholars argue that teaching critical thinking is essential for the effective education of children, especially gifted children, … [Read more...] about What Is Critical Thinking?
What Does It Mean to Be Gifted?
Successful intelligence is being able to take advantage of one’s strengths, compensate for one’s weaknesses. Successfully intelligent people can adapt, shape, and select their environment to best suit their needs and goals. This perspective may be a useful reference when considering what can be done for gifted kids beyond their school curriculum. … [Read more...] about What Does It Mean to Be Gifted?
Giftedness: A Motivational Perspective
True or false? Some people are born gifted, and others are not. You can tell who will be gifted from early on. Gifted children should be labeled and praised for their brains and talent. All of these statements are accepted by many as true. However, as evidence has accumulated over the past decade, another view has been gaining credence that portrays giftedness as a more dynamic quality that can grow or stagnate. … [Read more...] about Giftedness: A Motivational Perspective
Imagination
The study of gifted children's imagination was part of a larger investigation into their inner world as I described in "Mellow Out," They Say. If I Only Could: Intensities and Sensitivities of the Young and Bright. Gifted children were asked: What are your special kinds of daydreams and fantasies? How precisely can you visualize events, real or imaginary? With what sense or senses do you feel the most pleasure? … [Read more...] about Imagination
Brain Rules
More than just a superficial tease for a book, the Web site www.brainrules.net is part of a multi-media package. The book Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina, Pear Press, 2008, and accompanying DVD present the author’s 12 rules for a healthy, productive brain based on scientific research. Completing the suite, The Web site uses audio, text, graphics, and video to provide an experience-rich summary of the principles presented in the … [Read more...] about Brain Rules
Defining and Encouraging Creativity
Though creativity has been a buzzword in education for over 50 years, we still struggle to define and identify it. DGL recently asked Jane Piirto and Alane J. Starko, two experts widely known for their research in the area, to help clarify this complex concept. Their responses follow. … [Read more...] about Defining and Encouraging Creativity
Creative Talent: Recognizing and Nurturing It
Creativity, like any other ability, must be noticed and nurtured to bloom. Parents play a large role in recognizing and providing opportunities for creative talent to be expressed. Ways of thinking, personality factors, and physical attributes all influence the development of creative talent. The characteristics of creative individuals include openness to ideas, curiosity, persistence, intellectual risk taking, metaphorical thinking, originality, and thrill seeking. Physical attributes that … [Read more...] about Creative Talent: Recognizing and Nurturing It
Fostering Creativity
Your child doesn’t have to be an aspiring artist to reap the benefits of a creative life. Creativity enhances all facets of existence because it opens us up to boundless possibilities: professionally, educationally, socially, and personally. Whether playing the violin, shooting a basketball, or doing a complex math problem, we use creative thinking, which takes practice and requires that we replace old thinking habits with new, playful approaches. It’s never too late to foster creativity, though … [Read more...] about Fostering Creativity