Precious little snowflakes?
November 4, 2010
After reading the article by Dai and Renzulli on environmental factors and how they affect learning I would agree that their idea is composed of many good points. Simply looking at our society proves their theories. In the slums and poverty-stricken areas it is clear that opportunities to excel are rare, but more importantly a steady home life and adults who care are usually conspicuously absent. Education is not always a top priority so the ignorance and lack of learning propagate themselves. However, this is generally not the case in higher income areas. After all, one rarely hears about individuals of a more successful social class moving down the ladder, so to speak.
I still disagree with their premise that we can disregard any kind of biological factors when it comes to determining giftedness. It seems a ridiculous argument that has been created to warm the hearts of parents whose children, precious little snowflakes that they are, and convince them they are all even when they pop out of the womb and that their DNA plays absolutely no role.
As learning designers we have to realize that when it comes to design we have to create modules that can accommodate all types of learning styles and intellectual levels. No social program can possibly put us all on an even intellectual playing field so we’ll have to do our best to make sure everyone learns to their best potential.