Gifted and Talented............
As we continue to redefine our responses to learning differences across groups of students, one stark realization is that the old ways of permanently tracking students is completely irrelevant. The old paradigm which was built on a recognition that only certain students were gifted and talented was severely flawed and as a result, thousands of students were poorly served. We have since discovered that many of our youth are gifted in ways that do not necessarily fit traditional modes of learning and are not always apparent when looking through a singularly-focused lens. Effectively identifying and responding to the varied learning styles and paces requires greater creativity and flexibility on the part of educators. The reality is that some students display their gifts by performing well on standardized tests, while others excel through formats that are less constraining and allow them to be more expressive. By expanding our understanding of how young people learn and refining the frameworks by which we evaluate their gifts and talents, we can all do a better job of nurturing their aptitudes and abilities. If we create learning environments that are at once academically stimulating and flexible enough to allow individual development suitable to each child's learning style and pace, then we should find ourselves better prepared to offer every learner the time and space needed to realize her or his God-given potential.
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