And can I just say: I love that your list started with Portia. I reference her Whenever I introduce myself to men, and they follow with “like the car”? (Sorry guys, but only men do this. Never has a woman hit me with this line). When I was a kid, and no one (myself included) knew who she was, my name just drove me nuts. Now, amongst educated adult company, *her* reputation gives *me* an immediate advantage when I channel her to set the record straight.

…Geoff

Now that my children are getting older, I’m applying my new skills to my next career. My blog gives sound advice on how to be the next generation executive spouse, fulfilling traditional duties so they benefit YOU!

Interesting that you use Keynote, rather than PowerPoint (as do we, ‘cos it’s soooo much more intuitive and faster). Sad, isn’t it, that PowerPoint has become such a ubiquitous term!

One additional point - though I think this is obvious by implication from your slides - the less you have on your slides the more you’ll have to have in your head and that seems to freak people out a lot: all the more need for training! (Which is great for me and my company, of course! )

Take care….
Simon

Dave
LifeExcursion

Gladwell’s opening chapter of Outliers is relevant, too. Slight variations in ability, or even perceptions of unusual ability, may lead teachers, coaches, or parents to award a child with special praise or attention, which motivates him to try harder at the activity, which leads to more success, which may get him access to better teachers, and begins a cycle that propels him toward mastery.

I just started Outliers so I haven’t read about the 10,000 hours yet, but will be interested to see if I agree with Kaizan. Does Gladwell’s 10,000 hour theory apply mainly to a broad, complex activity, such as “playing golf” or “mastering chess?” If so, I’d think the evidence I’ve seen supports it. If you’re going to attack something simple, like the video game Pong, you could probably achieve mastery in less time.

Bakari raises interesting questions. Where does passion for a skill set come from? Are we born with a passion for something that makes us work harder to improve our skills, or are we born with natural abilities in select areas, so that our early success motivates us to keep trying? Do we inherit our parents’ passion?

I’m reminded of an article I read about hypersensitivities in gifted children. http://bit.ly/3wi2b7 I do believe there is “neurodiversity” among human beings, that our abilities fall along a spectrum and some people are at the high end of the spectrum and stand out from the crowd. I personally related to Dabrowski’s classification of “Intellectual Intensity” defined below:

“This intensity is the one most recognized in gifted children. It is characterized by activities of the mind, thought and thinking about thinking. Children who lead with this intensity seem to be thinking all the time and want answers to deep thoughts. Sometimes their need for answers will get them in trouble in school when their questioning of the teacher can look like disrespectful challenging.”

Deep curiosity
Love of knowledge and learning
Love of problem solving
Avid reading
Asking of probing questions
Theoretical thinking
Analytical thinking
Independent thinking
Concentration, ability to maintain intellectual effort”

Is Dabrowski’s theory bunk, or is this really a type of giftedness? Did I just develop these characteristics because my parents were teachers and encouraged me to love learning and thinking? I always felt different from other kids growing up, but was it a result of adults telling me I was different and the belief then leading me to work harder intellectually? I also was given access to “talented and gifted” programs and more challenging coursework, which likely pushed whatever abilities I had even further. And in the end, I certainly would not say that my special “talented and gifted” status made me any likelier to succeed than if I’d just been an ordinary kid. My achievements to date are pretty ordinary. Many high achieving adults showed no outstanding abilities as children.

So are talented and gifted programs overrated, too? Or do they serve an important purpose in our educational system that should not be ignored? I grew up in the system, so I’m inclined to be in favor of them. I wonder what others think, and what the research shows.