[SENco-forum] Gifted and Talented- choosing jobs

As ever it is horses for courses - the guy working down the sewer was not
only gainfully employed but chose the job as he said 'jumping at the chance
when a vacancy arose' as his dad was working for the same company. Just how
many people get into a career, by following a role model that is often
within the family.

 If he is working for a water board similar to my friend he is in for the
old fashioned 25 years and a gold watch, good pension, good shift patterns
( 6am -4pm weekdays 1pm at weekends  7 days on/7 days off) sick pay, vehicle
and plenty of well-paid, overtime opportunities.  Not my idea of a good job,
but it was his.

Similarly I am not inspired to be a mortuary worker, but that guy loved his
job too. It is just as well that some students do escape the mundane round
peg factory or basic office jobs that schools were originally set up to feed
into.

Sharon

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of kngbrndn at aol.com
Sent: 11 January 2008 00:59
To: rmnewbury at ntlworld.com; mary.kelly4 at ntlworld.com;
senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: RE: [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
     -----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  >

________________________________________________________________________
AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour at
http://info.aol.co.uk/homepage/ now.

--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.0/1216 - Release Date: 09/01/2008
10:16

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.0/1216 - Release Date: 09/01/2008
10:16

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.1/1219 - Release Date: 11/01/2008
10:19