[senco-forum] Gifted and Talented-PLASC

I watched that 2 Snow's prog.Ruth -- admittedly switching between that and some footie on Sky. The working conditions picking celery and down the?drainage sewers?were terrifyingly shocking in terms of gainful employment?in Britain in this day and age. How could the prospect of such (or similar)?employment inspire any young person starting out from disadvantaged?circumstances.in our country today? As you say, meritocratic rise is more difficult today than at any post-war period. It was a shockingly revealing and depressing picture our future young citizens. Cheers Brendan King??

-----Original Message-----

From: Ruth Newbury 

To: 'Mary Kelly' ; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk

Sent: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:45

Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Gifted and Talented-PLASC

I suspect that teachers can identify those who find academic, traditional  learning and the application/s of that learning - synthesis, analysis and  all those other higher order skills.    However - those really successful people out there you mention are gifted  and talented beyond the way we measure our students - and we don't ever -or  are able to measure their drive - ingenuity - the ability to seize the  moment - the ability to blow their own trumpets - to be able to go out on a  limb - in fact to be different - and sometimes "lucky" too.    Which is why we should be far more concerned about educating - rather than  testing children - to be able to provide a breadth of experience - to be  able to "try" as many things as possible so that they can find out "what  lights their fire".    And as to successful schools being measured as to how many children get 5  "good" GCSE's - just what if our government doing - all a "sop to Cerberus"  sort of stuff!    And after watch the two Snows lat night and finding that today - your  earning potential is very likely to be the same as your parents - and that  we no longer have such a "mobile" society - all pretty depressing.    So next time the "awkward" squad are making your life hell - try thanking  God for the fact that we still have children who kick against all those nice  round holes we have waiting for them!    Regards    Ruth    -----Original Message-----  From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk  [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Mary Kelly  Sent: 10 January 2008 21:58  To: 'Jean Dowding'; 'Mary Dowson'  Cc: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk  Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Gifted and Talented-PLASC    Am I alone in having a real problem with the whole idea that teachers can  identify the gifted and talented?  Michael Flatley was always told off by his teachers for daydreaming ...  about starting a dance troupe.  Einstein's teachers believed he was educationally subnormal.  Billy Connolly's teachers thought he was a behaviour problem.  Stephen Fry was a kleptomaniac and got himself the wrong side of the law  whilst still at school.  Jamie Oliver felt he was a real numbskull at school because he had to go to  a special unit.  Eric Clapton was thrown out of Art School.  I think we may be able to identify the bookish kids, even perhaps the ones  whose special interest/talent surfaces early and is lucky enough to find an  outlet .... but then I have a real problem with labelling in all its forms,  "good" labels as well as "bad".  Isn't our job to ensure that ALL children are fully stretched and stimulated  and given opportunities?    What does everyone else think?    Mary K (because I see we have a few Marys now)        -----Original Message-----  From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk  [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Jean Dowding  Sent: 10 January 2008 14:17  To: Mary Dowson  Cc: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk  Subject: Re: [senco-forum] Gifted and Talented-PLASC    A couple of years ago there was something about identifying Gifted and  Talented on the DfES - as it then was - website.  I don't know whether  there is still something useful under the new acronym; it might be worth a  try!    Regards    Jean         Have been told that children identified as Gifted and Talented are now to  > be recorded on the PLASC data.  >  > How are others identifying children in Key Stage 1? It all seems to be a  > bit random and inconsistent....  >  > Mary  >  > ______________________________________________  > This email has been scanned by Netintelligence  > http://www.netintelligence.com/email  >                

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