Gifted Education Awareness Week: Day 4

Today, we have two more articles dedicated to GEAW 2012.

1. Gifted Education in South Korea by Tim Dracup aka Gifted Phoenix

This post reviews the development of gifted education policy and practice in South Korea.

Part One covers the development and operation of Korean gifted and talented education at national level. Part Two will take a closer look at some elements of this provision, including several dedicated gifted high schools.

Paradoxically, I’m dedicating it to Gifted Education Awareness Week in Ireland!

I can’t pretend that there is any logic or even premeditation behind this decision but, as an earnest disciple of E.M Forster’s epigraph to Howard’s End – ‘only connect’ – I have established that there are significant historical links, though perhaps no great similarity in the two countries’ respective approaches to gifted education. Continue reading…

Tim Dracup is an education and policy analyst specialising in global gifted and talented education. He was for twelve years Head of Gifted Education in England’s ministry of education, responsible for designing and delivering all national policy. He planned and built England’s national gifted and talented education programme from its earliest stages until it served one million identified gifted learners. He blogs at Gifted Phoenix’s Blog where his posts are always meticulously researched and detailed. The most incredible source of information on gifted education around the world. 

2. A Short Introduction to Gifted Children for Primary Teachers by Peter Lydon

“All children are gifted”

In response to the mention of “gifted children”, it has been a mantra for many years to say “all children have a gift”. What this means is that we believe every child can master at least one thing; that there is something they are good at. This is a different idea to giftedness. If you like, you can think of giftedness as the extent to which a child has a gift. Every child can learn to read. Not all children are reading independently before they begin Junior Infants. Continue reading…

Peter Lydon is a teacher at Wesley College, Dublin and a co-founder of Gifted and Talented network Ireland. He works tirelessly to raise awareness of the needs of gifted children in Ireland and blogs at Gifted and Talented Ireland as well as coordinating TEACH Ireland, the specialist association for Teachers of Exceptionally Able Children in Ireland.