What does it mean to be Gifted and Talented?
"The first thing you notice when you look at the fMRIs of gifted groups is that it looks like a 'brain on fire'. Bright red blazes of high metabolic activity burst out all over the scan. Each red patch represents millions of microcombustion events in which glucose is metabolized to provide fuel for the working brain...The orchestration of activity is planned and complex, and it may require the coordination of diverse visual, spatial, verbal, and sensory areas of the brain...they are great conductors and organizers of diverse and multimodal information...gifted brains are essentially hyper-sensitive" Read more... |
The excerpt above provides an insight into some of the neurological aspects of giftedness and talent. These findings are based on a study looking at the brain functioning of individuals identified as gifted by their exceptional achievements, notable abilities and qualities.
Not all gifted and talented learners are so easily identified, with many flying under the radar and going unnoticed, failing to demonstrating their true abilities and qualities. How brain activity of these learners might appear is unknown, however, Eide and Eide (n.d.) certainly do provide food for thought around how it might be that gifted and talented learners perceive, experience and respond to the world in a way that is vastly different and more intense than most.
In the slideshow 'Shedding some light on giftedness and talent', some of the ideas and terms associated with gifted and talented education in the New Zealand educational context are introduced. The hyperlinks in the slideshow are live and can be clicked on to access the materials in reference. Further to the information provided within the slideshow, additional resources to support early childhood centers and schools can be accessed here.
Not all gifted and talented learners are so easily identified, with many flying under the radar and going unnoticed, failing to demonstrating their true abilities and qualities. How brain activity of these learners might appear is unknown, however, Eide and Eide (n.d.) certainly do provide food for thought around how it might be that gifted and talented learners perceive, experience and respond to the world in a way that is vastly different and more intense than most.
In the slideshow 'Shedding some light on giftedness and talent', some of the ideas and terms associated with gifted and talented education in the New Zealand educational context are introduced. The hyperlinks in the slideshow are live and can be clicked on to access the materials in reference. Further to the information provided within the slideshow, additional resources to support early childhood centers and schools can be accessed here.