Gifted Programs.

[pieces o'nine]

What about Sesame Street? 109 Emmys and they have taught a lot of people a lot of things...

My little brother was identified for the TAG (Talented & Gifted) program ar his kindergarten. His teacher suggested that my parents let him watch a new show: Sesame Street, "to stimulate his mind."

After a month of that, I took him aside and 'splained' that we would be watching Star Trek and Dr. Who instead. His mind seems to have turned out just fine. (But the Muppets are cool.)

[Rainswept]

We had TAG in Ohio where I grew up. It was by far the most fun of all my elementary schooling.

[PantyGnawer]

We had AG (Advanced and Gifted). I thought I was a complete lazy idiot until one day in 3rd grade when my teacher reccomended me for AG testing. They took me in a little room and gave me all these strange logic tests with shapes and such. I must have passed because they threw me in AG.

Initially it was just playing logic games like mindsweeper and chess, but it progressed through my senior year where we were placed in mentorship programs with companies around the town.

Great program.

[Rainswept]

I hope you meant Minesweeper, because Mindsweeper sounds like less fun.

I left Ohio in seventh grade, so I don't know how good the program got. From 1st to 5th grade tho, we did quite a lot. We were setup for Young Author programs, something called Olympics of the Mind (which was a blast) tons of lateral thinking exercises, field trips to science museums, and by 5th grade they helped me get my first college credits, setting up a special class at the community college.

[PantyGnawer]

I hope you meant Minesweeper, because Mindsweeper sounds like less fun.

Crap, what was that game called. There were 6 different colors of marbles. You placed 4 of them in a row. The other person has to guess the arrangement you chose. If you show them a white pin it means right color but wrong position, if you show them a black pin it means right position and right color.

It was called Mind... something. What the hell was that game called.

[Moral Minority]

What about Sesame Street? 109 Emmys and they have taught a lot of people a lot of things...

My little brother was identified for the TAG (Talented & Gifted) program ar his kindergarten. His teacher suggested that my parents let him watch a new show: Sesame Street, "to stimulate his mind."

After a month of that, I took him aside and 'splained' that we would be watching Star Trek and Dr. Who instead. His mind seems to have turned out just fine. (But the Muppets are cool.)

Where the fuck is the world going if we are forced to watch television to stimulate our minds?

Ray Bradbury was right.

[Detective TurtleHolmes]

I agree with you, MM.

It can't be good, because before the age of five, the stem cells in your brain need to be distributed. TV means that these stem cells aren't distributed. That's why lots of kids are dumb. Their parents just plonk them in front of the TV for hours on end. Their brains aren't stimulated, they end up with poor senses, and poor mental capabilities.

My parents gave me books. I was reading before I could talk. I probably wasn't interpreting anything, but I still had the stimulation.

[EarthRise]

I agree with you, MM.

It can't be good, because before the age of five, the stem cells in your brain need to be distributed. TV means that these stem cells aren't distributed. That's why lots of kids are dumb. Their parents just plonk them in front of the TV for hours on end. Their brains aren't stimulated, they end up with poor senses, and poor mental capabilities.

My parents gave me books. I was reading before I could talk. I probably wasn't interpreting anything, but I still had the stimulation.

Holy crap me too. But MM has a point; these days, Sesame Street is becoming worthless, and has abandoned "education" for "random fucking shapes with loud colors wheeee!"

In any case, I somehow got into the Creative Learning in a Unique Environment (CLUE). Not sure how they figured out I was worth it. Maybe it was my really bad behavior? Hallmark of a gifted student is not paying attention, apparently.

[Rainswept]

I hope you meant Minesweeper, because Mindsweeper sounds like less fun.

Crap, what was that game called. There were 6 different colors of marbles. You placed 4 of them in a row. The other person has to guess the arrangement you chose. If you show them a white pin it means right color but wrong position, if you show them a black pin it means right position and right color.

It was called Mind... something. What the hell was that game called.

Mastermind.

[Wawizzle]

I was pulled aside by my Speech Teacher (I had a small speech impediment) to get tested for the Gifted Program, and I got in during 2nd grade.

From then on until 5th grade, every tuesday and thursday I would be sent to another school or another room with all the other gifted children to learn extra.

Then in middle schools I spent all 3 years with the same kids in all gifted classes.

And now at my high school, they integrate everybody in the same class, so I have classes with ESE, regular, honors, and some gifted.

While I understand the benefits of compiling everybody in one class... I really miss being in gifted classes. I really feel my education is being affected by having to slow myself down for other people. It really sucks sometimes when my motivation is ruined out of politeness to others.

[PantyGnawer]

I hope you meant Minesweeper, because Mindsweeper sounds like less fun.

Crap, what was that game called. There were 6 different colors of marbles. You placed 4 of them in a row. The other person has to guess the arrangement you chose. If you show them a white pin it means right color but wrong position, if you show them a black pin it means right position and right color.

It was called Mind... something. What the hell was that game called.

Mastermind.

Thank you.

[pieces o'nine]

I could have sworn I was just responding to Rainswept, not starting a new thread...

It's like some kind of miracle!

I was tested as ready and shipped off to school at four. Kindergarten was only at Public school, so little brother was in a different system when TAG was introduced there. No TAG yet at Our Lady of Perpetual Punishment and Sorrowful Mortification* and the Dominicans were vigilant in crushing non-conformity (especially in girls, at that time). So I confined to home my math games (later learned not my invention: "Base 8" or "Base 12") and reading -- everything -- at several grade levels above my own.

At any rate, we had enough chores to do at home that no one languished in front of the TV. But when the intrepid Captain Kirk and the Landing Party were staggering around on a planet, dying of sound waves, my 8-year-old self and 5-year-old brother were staggering around the living room, dying of sound waves. We questioned why everyone in the universe spoke English. We had great fun critiquing the aliens and effects on Dr. Who, because they seemed a little...well...unexpected yes, but scary, no.

So yeah, his mind was stimulated, even without the quality that Sesame *was* striving to create at that time. Sadly, there was justification for the teacher's idea that it would "stimulate" his mind, because I never saw books in houses of any of my "main-street America" friends (aside from a Bible or maybe a Readers Digest edition or two) nor did most of them regularly go to the library. My only ineradicable prejudice is against people who don't read and are proud of it.** Ignorant and easily misled, the lot of them. And they're *still* getting all their mental "stimulation" from the tv...


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
* Not it's real name, but it would have been cool, no?

** Definitely not referring to dyslexia or the like. Just to those who are to holy or too 'smart' to read.

[Moral Minority]

While I understand the benefits of compiling everybody in one class... I really miss being in gifted classes. I really feel my education is being affected by having to slow myself down for other people. It really sucks sometimes when my motivation is ruined out of politeness to others.

The alternative is to be the best and be hated by all the others.

Tall poppy syndrome. I have suffered from it since kindergarten.

[Wawizzle]

While I understand the benefits of compiling everybody in one class... I really miss being in gifted classes. I really feel my education is being affected by having to slow myself down for other people. It really sucks sometimes when my motivation is ruined out of politeness to others.

The alternative is to be the best and be hated by all the others.

Tall poppy syndrome. I have suffered from it since kindergarten.

Oh no, don't worry. Everybody already is jealous of me. My 2nd period got a chance to see every single grade I've made, and my GPA at a presentation in the library. I have not gotten 1 C and my GPA is a 3.5-something.

[Rainswept]

I could have sworn I was just responding to Rainswept, not starting a new thread...

It's like some kind of miracle!

His noodly appendage dangles in mysterious places.