OVEREXCITABLE UNDERACHIEVERS

Presented by: Jan Marvin Elizabeth Albright

3 U N D E R L Y I N G T H E M E S I N T H E D E F I N I T I O N O F G I F T E D U N D E R AC H I E V E M E N T

 Underachievement as a discrepancy between potential achievement and actual achievement  Underachievement as a discrepancy between predicted achievement and actual achievement.  Underachievement as failure to develop or use potential.

(Schultz, 2005)

STEPHANIE TOLAN

 “Is it a Cheetah?”  Journal article comparing the gifted child with a cheetah  What does a cheetah look like in the wild?

 What does a cheetah look like in captivity  http://www.stephanietolan.com/is_it_a_cheetah.htm?

TORTOISE AND HARE

 Hare can represent the Gifted child  Hare loses focus because task is to easy  Hare does not reach potential  Hare may be mislabeled as having ADHD

OVEREXCITABILITY

  Abnormal is something outside of the “norm.” • Abnormal usually means “annoying or bad.” In Life Science, “normal” means well-functioning or healthy.

• In Education, statistically, what is “average” constitutes the “norm.”  In Life Science, optimal is defined as well-developed through training and/or by having a higher natural endowment.-Overexcitabilities could be defined as having Optimal Excitabilities  Dabrowski posed a theory in which overexcitabilities are not age or stage based, but described in levels.

 There are 5 Overexcitabilities, that are exhibited in levels ranging from 1-5

DABROWSKI-5 ALIVE

 Psychomotor-“an augmented capacity for being active and energetic.”  Sensual-Enhanced refinement and aliveness of sensual experience  Intellectual-Thirst for knowledge, discovery, questioning, love of ideas and theoretical analysis, search for truth  Imaginational-Vividness of imagery, richness of association, facility for dreams, fantasies, and inventions, endowing toys and other objects with personality, preference for the unusual or unique.

 Emotional-Great depth and intensity of emotional life, expressed in a wide range of feelings, great happiness to profound sadness or despair, compassion, responsibility, self-examination.

PSYCHOMOTOR

 Movement  Athletic activity  Fast talking  Lots of gestures  Nervous tics  Trouble turning brain off for sleep

SENSUAL

 “Cut the label out of the shirt”  Limps as if leg were broken when sock seam is crooked  Love of textures  Love of smells  Love of tastes  Strong reaction to negative sensory input

IMAGINATIONAL

 Believe in magic  Poets  Dreamers  Strong visual thinkers  Low tolerance for boredom

INTELLECTUAL

 Usual definition of “giftedness”  Logical imperative  Love of things academic  Complex reasoning

EMOTIONAL

 Happier when happy  Sadder when sad  Angrier when angry

DABROWSKI LEVELS ABBREVIATED

 Dabrowski’s theory of overexcitabilities is not age or stage based but described in levels  Level 1-no inner growth-little introspection, little inner conflict  Level 2-unilevel development-problems recycle with no upward direction of development  Level 3-multilevel development-strong tension between what is and what ought to be  Level 4 –advanced multilevel development-a sense of mission enables a person to act on his/her own ideals  Level 5-highly advanced multilevel development-a person of great inner knowing and depth of consciousness

T O P 1 0 WAY S T O M O T I VAT E G I F T E D C H I L D R E N

 Nurture the child’s interest – provide opportunities to learn and explore that interest  Expose children to new ideas and areas  Use short-term goals and “relevant” rewards  Help children learn to manage time  Praise the child’s efforts-it’s the journey, not the destination (Bainbridge, 2011)

TOP 10 CONTINUED

 Help the child take control of the situation – take credit for successes and those times that are not quite successes  Keep a positive attitude about school  Help the child make connections between schoolwork and interests  Turn homework into a creative game  Keep in mind that motivation is not always about achievement (Bainbridge, 2011)

INTERVENTIONS

 Focus on student strengths  Remember the 3 Cs: Choices, Cheers and Challenges  Place students with achieving peers.

 Encourage a concerted effort between home, school, and child  Teach students to set goals  Provide work that is meaningful and promotes learning (VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2006)

MORE CONSIDERATIONS

 Reframe negative comments and beliefs  Provide hands-on activities  Provide opportunities for interaction  Increase family involvement to gain and raise expectations  Use technology (VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2006)

REFERENCES

 Bainbridge, C. (2011). Underachieving Gifted Students. (The New York Times COmpany) Retrieved July 2011, from About.com Gifted Children: http://gifedkids.about.com/od/schoolissues/a/underachieving_2.htm

 Bainbridge, C. (2011).

Underachievement.

Retrieved June 2011, from About.com Gifted Children: http://giftedkids.about.com/od/glossary/g/underachievement.htm

 Cross, T. L. (2005). The Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Kids: Understanding and Guiding Their Development. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, Inc.

 Daniels, S., Piechowski, M. M. (2009). Living with Intensity. Scottsdale AZ: Great Potential Press, Inc.

 Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: the New Psychology of Success. New York, usa: Ballantine Books.

REFERENCES II

 Dytham, K. (2010).

20 frequently asked questions about PechaKucha 20X20

. (Klein Dytham Architechture) Retrieved July 2011, from Pecha Kucha 20X20: http://www.pecha kucha.org/what  Fiedler, E. D. (2007, April). Helping Kids Get Organized: Some Suggestions for Parents.

 Johns, C. (n.d.). Animals National Geographic Wild. Retrieved July 2011, from National Geographic http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cheetah  Neihart, M., Reis, S. M., Robinson, N. M., Moon, S. M. (2002). The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What do we know? Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, Inc.

REFERENCES III

 NLD Ontario. (2007, September 5).

Gifted but Learning Disabled: A Puzzling Paradox

. Retrieved July 2011, from NLD Ontario: http://nldontario.org/articles/PuzzlingParadox.html

 Piirto, J. (2007).

Talented Children and Adults Their Development and Education

(Third ed.). Waco, Texas: Prufrock Press Inc.

 Rimm, S. B. (2008). Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades. Great Potential Press.

 Schultz, B. H. (2005). Gifted Underachievement: Oxymoron or Educational Enigma?

Gifted Child Today , 28

(2), 46-49.

 Schunk, D. H. (2008). Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective (Fifth ed.). Columbus, Ohio, USA: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

REFERENCES

 Inc.

Strip, C. A., Hirsch, G. (2000). Helping gifted children soar. Scottsdale AZ: Great Potential Press,  Tolan, S. (2011). Is It a Cheetah? (C. Bainbridge, Editor, & T. N. Company, Producer) Retrieved July 2011, from About.com Gifted Children: http://giftedkids.about.com/od/schoolissues/a/is_it_a_cheetah_3.htm

 Unlisted. (2009). Half Zebra and Half Horse or Donkey. Retrieved July 2011, from All Horse Breeds.Info:  http://www.allhorsebreeds.info/horse-pictures/horse-oddities/117-zebra-horse.html

 VanTassel-Baska, J., & Stambaugh, T. (2006).

Comprehensive Curriculum for Gifted Learners

(third ed.). (V. Lanigan, Ed.) Boston, MA, USA: Pearson Education, Inc.