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
STEM
Prodigies and Time Management
Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes a decade of intense practice – roughly 10,000 hours – to achieve mastery in any field. So, how does this apply to gifted students? Do gifted students from different countries actually invest their time differently in accruing those 10,000 hours needed to become masters of their field? And, in comparison, how do students in the US fare? As researchers of how academically gifted students develop talent, we recently surveyed academically … [Read more...] about Prodigies and Time Management
Spatial Ability: A Neglected Talent Domain
What is spatial ability? Spatial ability can be best defined as the ability to “generate, retain, retrieve, and transform well-structured visual images.” Some examples of great inventors who have used their high levels of spatial ability to innovate include James Watt, who is known for improving the steam engine and James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. Nikola Tesla, who provided the basis for alternating current (AC) power systems, is said (or fabled) to have been able to … [Read more...] about Spatial Ability: A Neglected Talent Domain
Excellence versus Equity: Political Forces in the Education of Gifted Students
Egalitarianism versus Elitism Do gifted students warrant special attention in the public schools in the United States? Rhetoric and heated political discourse surround the question of identification and education of gifted students with the philosophical positions of egalitarianism and elitism at odds. Critics of appropriately differentiated academic experiences for highly able children contend that these services are somehow unfair to other children. While, diverse special interest groups … [Read more...] about Excellence versus Equity: Political Forces in the Education of Gifted Students
Kentucky Opens Academy of Mathematics and Science
In August, 120 of Kentucky’s brightest students will begin the school year at the state-supported Kentucky Academy of Mathematics and Science. As its name implies, the school will focus on a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum and is similar to residential science and math schools in fourteen U.S. states (nine in the Southeast). … [Read more...] about Kentucky Opens Academy of Mathematics and Science