Gifted forum- offensive? One upmanship?

marina

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:17 pm

In terms of criteria, I think that you should be entitled to your own forum if your child meets the entry criteria for this school:

http://www.davidsonacademy.unr.....=1_33

Writermom & Seraph- I think that every forum has criteria for joining and some people are not allowed in, as much as they think they might belong. I would love to join the lubavitch section here, but I'm not allowed in, because although I meet some qualifications, I do not meet others.
Same with gifted forum- you are going to have to establish tight criteria that people need to meet and it's not going to be based on how you self-identify.

Last edited by marina on Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:22 pm

marina wrote:

According to that, I qualify based on both of my college entrance exams. I don't believe I took the other testing.
I don't think I'm gifted, let alone profoundly so.

marina

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:27 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

marina wrote:

According to that, I qualify based on both of my college entrance exams. I don't believe I took the other testing.
I don't think I'm gifted, let alone profoundly so.

No, no, no. You have to take them when you are at that age, not college entrance. A 7th grader has to get those scores, not a 12th grader.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:29 pm

marina wrote:

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

marina wrote:

According to that, I qualify based on both of my college entrance exams. I don't believe I took the other testing.
I don't think I'm gifted, let alone profoundly so.

No, no, no. You have to take them when you are at that age, not college entrance. A 7th grader has to get those scores, not a 12th grader.

No, I mean, the scores I got in 10th grade for the 10th grade level.

marina

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:33 pm

If you got above a 1510, in 10th grade, a full grade below when most people take the SATs, and the 1510 was a combination of only two subjects, then you would have qualfied to attend. This criteria, btw, is much higher than needed for Mensa or any other gifted group.

Quote:

No, I mean, the scores I got in 10th grade for the 10th grade level.

but there is no 10th grade level, as far as I know, there is just one SAT and that's it. This is not counting the PSAT.

WriterMom

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:39 pm

marina wrote:

Writermom & Seraph- I think that every forum has criteria for joining and some people are not allowed in, as much as they think they might belong. I would love to join the lubavitch section here, but I'm not allowed in, because although I meet some qualifications, I do not meet others.
Same with gifted forum- you are going to have to establish tight criteria that people need to meet and it's not going to be based on how you self-identify.

I'm fine with self-identification. The MO forum and Sephardi forum and survivors of abuse forum and infertility forums are based on self-identification, assuming good faith and some tolerance. AFAIK people aren't told "well your parents were mean but that wasn't real abuse, so you can't join the abuse forum" or "send a signed letter from a doctor confirming that you're infertile."

amother

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:40 pm

marina wrote:

Wouldn't that leave seraph out? And how do you prove you belong? sharing the Test info online?

Seraph

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:42 pm

WriterMom wrote:

marina wrote:

Agreed. 100%.

marina

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:43 pm

WriterMom wrote:

marina wrote:

When I joined a forum similar to one of the ones you described, self-identification wasn't considered enough. I had to jump through some hoops. Maybe it's just b/c it was me, I dk.

Seraph

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:44 pm

amother wrote:

marina wrote:

Wouldn't that leave seraph out? And how do you prove you belong? sharing the Test info online?

Yea, honestly, this is total BS.

Especially if you want to include people that were gifted themselves. Especially since I doubt these tests are available in israel anyhow, and I dont see why I should pay to have my kids tested anyhow before I could join such a forum.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:44 pm

marina wrote:

Quote:

No, I mean, the scores I got in 10th grade for the 10th grade level.

but there is no 10th grade level, as far as I know, there is just one SAT and that's it. This is not counting the PSAT.

I'm not talking about the PSAT. I meant the 10th grade level of their site -- meaning what they expect a 10th grader to get on the SATs and ACTs. (Yes, I'm before the new SATs.)
I happen to do well on standardized testing; I don't think I'm gifted though.

marina

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:53 pm

Seraph- the reason you would have to develop criteria is because if you don't, you yourself will be unhappy with the make up of your own forum. Many people who do not support your ideas about gifted children could join simply because they self-identified their kids as gifted. And then you would have the same problem as you are having now, people who criticize you for your approach. For example, I would join, aidel maidel would join, any of us would join. And then what? We will still have the same arguments that we are having now. The only option for you, if you want to base membership on self-identification, is to have an open, safe-haven type of thing where people can only post if they agree with your position, but I think you mentioned previously that this is not enough for your goals. Feel free to correct me if I misunderstood.

HY:

Quote:

I happen to do well on standardized testing; I don't think I'm gifted though.

This explanation works for younger children. A four year old can happen to do well on standardized testing and not be gifted. A fourteen year old cannot. So if you got above a 1510 on the SAT at age 14-15, you cannot be of average intelligence.

Mirabelle

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:54 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

marina wrote:

Quote:

No, I mean, the scores I got in 10th grade for the 10th grade level.

but there is no 10th grade level, as far as I know, there is just one SAT and that's it. This is not counting the PSAT.

I'm pretty sure that I also took the SATs in 10th grade also, the real ones, not the PSATs.

Seraph

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 1:03 pm

marina wrote:

Quote:

I happen to do well on standardized testing; I don't think I'm gifted though.

I don't mind people like you or aidelmaidel joining the forum. I dont need everyone to think like me, contrary to what you might think.
I honestly don't mind having the same discussions I'm having now (with non anon people, btw) in the forum, so long as its with people who also identify like that, so they don't have the basic premise that "people identify as gifted because they want to one-up everyone else. Becuase if tehy did think that, they wouldn't self identify in order to join the forum.

amother

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 1:07 pm

Marina,

Why do you think that we need to use the Davidson Academy's requirements? I would think that someone who falls short of those guidelines could also benefit from the forum.

For example, when I had my IQ tested in elementary school I received a score of 137, which is below the requirements listed in the website. I took the SAT in 7th grade and got around 1160. However, I did qualify for the gifted program in my school district and had (and still have) many of the problems that are typical for gifted kids. I could never fit in socially, and still don't. I have mild Asperger's and severe ADD and really can't manage a household.

The only area that I do really well in is school work. While I did pretty badly in middle school and okay in high school, I have a 4.0 college GPA. I barely study for non-math-related subjects and still do well. However, if someone would give me the choice I would prefer to be "normal" and not have either the giftedness or the difficulties that I have in other areas.

I would love to have a forum where I can discuss these issues with other people who understand me.

cubbie

Thu, Dec 16 2010, 1:16 pm

Not at all offensive - but maybe it's because I grew up in a house with a gifted child, my brother, academic genius. Growing up I watched him suffer socially and emotionally and I was forever grateful that I was not blessed with his brain. Now he has found his niche, and is far more content, but life for him is still far more of a struggle than it needs to be.
Believe me I daven for (top end of) average children, well my eldest isn't average in any way shape or form, she isn't what I'd call gifted, and is far more mainstream than a gifted child could ever be, nonetheless she is very bright - above average and she suffers for it.
BTW Seraph, it's wierd how much you remind me of my brother - I told him about your blog and hope he and my SIL will enjoy it - it's totally their cup of tea.