Chapter 4: The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2-“After protracted negotiations, it was agreed that Robert would be put on probation.”
Quote: “You can have lots of analytical intelligence and very little practical intelligence, or lots of practical intelligence and not much analytical intelligence or-as in the lucky case of someone like Robert Oppenheimer-you can have lots of both." (pg. 101) I chose this quote because in my experience, kids of high intelligence tend to lack practical intelligence that other kids who may struggle in school may have because they've been raised to be independent where they developed practical skills.
Question: If analytical intelligence is genetic and practical intelligence is learned, what is parent's do not teach it at home? Is it sufficient practice if it's only taught at school?
Connection: The trouble with geniuses chapter made me think about my students that have high abilities but very low social skills. "We know where analytical intelligence comes from, it's something at least in part that's in your genes." (pg. 101) I know these kids are gifted, they just have an awesome ability to make sense of the curriculum and concepts but often lack the practical intelligence because it hasn't been taught to them. Practical intelligence is something that is learned. Practical intelligence is having the ability to socialize, communicate, knowing what to say, how to say it and when to say it. This is a skill that needs to be taught at home which means parents have to be involved. This is one thing that's missing in our school, parent involvement. There's a high percentage of students that don't have that type of parent involvement at home, whether it's a financial reason (working multiple jobs) or lack of interest or education in that area.
Epiphany: I was very shy as a child, when I was around kids my own age or kids I really knew, I felt comfortable and was able to express myself. However, when it came to authority figures or people I did not know, I lacked the practical intelligence. It's something I learned, through books, at a later age. I read books like the Power of Positive Thinking, The Power of Now, The Bible, and the Power of Eye Contact so I can immerse myself in social platforms. I learned by removing myself from my comfort zone and became comfortable with the uncomfortable. This took a lot of work and learning through failure and it's skills I love teaching in the classroom. It's pretty awesome to teach principles I learned in my late 20's to a bunch of 7-8 year old kids even if they don't truly understand all of it. I'm at least creating an awareness. So, I agree with Gladwell, it's something that is learned and not genetic.
Chapter 5: The Three Lessons of Joe Flom-“Mary Got A Quarter.”
Quote: “But as is so often the case with outliers, buried in the setback was a golden opportunity." (pg. 124) I've always been told that setbacks are opportunities for a comeback. To persevere and never give up, I try to instill these type of skills to my 2nd graders.
Question: I love the concept of purpose, hard work and doing what we love to do, what is the best and efficient way to teach these concepts in second grade?
Connection: I love the term, outliers, because it's for the type of people that have been set apart. To have a setback but continue to persevere and log in what Gladwell calls, the 10,000 hour rule. This is what I base my teaching on, to continue to persevere through the obstacles. Receiving a student at the beginning of the year that has trouble reading, socializing, struggles with math or anything else and they leave at the end of the year mastering 1 or more of those set backs. It gives students power and the mindset that they can overcoming anything through hard work and not giving up.
Epiphany: In chapter 5, Gladwell brought up the story about a man named Joe Flom, a lawyer who had a lot of things going against him or disadvantages compared to other successful lawyers from big firms. He was fat, physically unattractive and indifferent to social niceties but his will to win was second to none. This is what I try to instill in myself and everyone around me, that you can do anything you set your mind to and it just takes a heavy dose of perseverance and hard work. First step is to find what we love to do (purpose) and then do whatever we need to do to master it (play, research, experience). Opportunities will open up as we progress through our purpose.
Chapter 6: Harlan, Kentucky: "Die Like a Man, Like Your Brother Did!"
Quote: "Cultural legacies are powerful forces. they have deep roots and long lives. They persist, generation after generation, virtually in tact, even as the economic and social and demographic condition that spawned them have vanished and they play such a role in directing attitudes and behavior that we cannot make sense of our world without them." (pg. 175)
Question: Can the traditions and attitudes we inherit from our forebears play a role in how well we do in the world?
Connection: "Cultural legacies can have a powerful forces." (pg. 175) I agree, it's very difficult to break the chain of our cultural legacy, whether it's great legacy or legacy of tribulations. Of course, we wouldn't want to break the legacy that prospered but if you come from a legacy that has negative traits then we'll inherit those as well. My family was not educated, my dad went to school in Mexico and only completed up to the sixth grade and my mom finished high school her in the United States. My ancestors were workers as well, they went into the workforce at a young age. So, initially education was something that I knew about but didn't really dream about because it wasn't normal in my family. It took many trials, experiences and self discovery to finally break the chain and further my education. I was the first in my family to graduate from college and has led to many other family members attending and graduating college as well.
Epiphany: "The "culture of honor" hypothesis says that it matters where you're from, not just in terms of where you grew up or where your parents grew up but in terms of where your great grandparents and great great grandparents grew up..." (pg. 170) I had an aha moment that our ancestry chain is long and we have been developed based on the traditions and actions of our ancestors. It's amazing to know and understand that even my second graders reflect not only their parents but their ancestry as well.
Reference
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. 1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008.
Quote: “You can have lots of analytical intelligence and very little practical intelligence, or lots of practical intelligence and not much analytical intelligence or-as in the lucky case of someone like Robert Oppenheimer-you can have lots of both." (pg. 101) I chose this quote because in my experience, kids of high intelligence tend to lack practical intelligence that other kids who may struggle in school may have because they've been raised to be independent where they developed practical skills.
Question: If analytical intelligence is genetic and practical intelligence is learned, what is parent's do not teach it at home? Is it sufficient practice if it's only taught at school?
Connection: The trouble with geniuses chapter made me think about my students that have high abilities but very low social skills. "We know where analytical intelligence comes from, it's something at least in part that's in your genes." (pg. 101) I know these kids are gifted, they just have an awesome ability to make sense of the curriculum and concepts but often lack the practical intelligence because it hasn't been taught to them. Practical intelligence is something that is learned. Practical intelligence is having the ability to socialize, communicate, knowing what to say, how to say it and when to say it. This is a skill that needs to be taught at home which means parents have to be involved. This is one thing that's missing in our school, parent involvement. There's a high percentage of students that don't have that type of parent involvement at home, whether it's a financial reason (working multiple jobs) or lack of interest or education in that area.
Epiphany: I was very shy as a child, when I was around kids my own age or kids I really knew, I felt comfortable and was able to express myself. However, when it came to authority figures or people I did not know, I lacked the practical intelligence. It's something I learned, through books, at a later age. I read books like the Power of Positive Thinking, The Power of Now, The Bible, and the Power of Eye Contact so I can immerse myself in social platforms. I learned by removing myself from my comfort zone and became comfortable with the uncomfortable. This took a lot of work and learning through failure and it's skills I love teaching in the classroom. It's pretty awesome to teach principles I learned in my late 20's to a bunch of 7-8 year old kids even if they don't truly understand all of it. I'm at least creating an awareness. So, I agree with Gladwell, it's something that is learned and not genetic.
Chapter 5: The Three Lessons of Joe Flom-“Mary Got A Quarter.”
Quote: “But as is so often the case with outliers, buried in the setback was a golden opportunity." (pg. 124) I've always been told that setbacks are opportunities for a comeback. To persevere and never give up, I try to instill these type of skills to my 2nd graders.
Question: I love the concept of purpose, hard work and doing what we love to do, what is the best and efficient way to teach these concepts in second grade?
Connection: I love the term, outliers, because it's for the type of people that have been set apart. To have a setback but continue to persevere and log in what Gladwell calls, the 10,000 hour rule. This is what I base my teaching on, to continue to persevere through the obstacles. Receiving a student at the beginning of the year that has trouble reading, socializing, struggles with math or anything else and they leave at the end of the year mastering 1 or more of those set backs. It gives students power and the mindset that they can overcoming anything through hard work and not giving up.
Epiphany: In chapter 5, Gladwell brought up the story about a man named Joe Flom, a lawyer who had a lot of things going against him or disadvantages compared to other successful lawyers from big firms. He was fat, physically unattractive and indifferent to social niceties but his will to win was second to none. This is what I try to instill in myself and everyone around me, that you can do anything you set your mind to and it just takes a heavy dose of perseverance and hard work. First step is to find what we love to do (purpose) and then do whatever we need to do to master it (play, research, experience). Opportunities will open up as we progress through our purpose.
Chapter 6: Harlan, Kentucky: "Die Like a Man, Like Your Brother Did!"
Quote: "Cultural legacies are powerful forces. they have deep roots and long lives. They persist, generation after generation, virtually in tact, even as the economic and social and demographic condition that spawned them have vanished and they play such a role in directing attitudes and behavior that we cannot make sense of our world without them." (pg. 175)
Question: Can the traditions and attitudes we inherit from our forebears play a role in how well we do in the world?
Connection: "Cultural legacies can have a powerful forces." (pg. 175) I agree, it's very difficult to break the chain of our cultural legacy, whether it's great legacy or legacy of tribulations. Of course, we wouldn't want to break the legacy that prospered but if you come from a legacy that has negative traits then we'll inherit those as well. My family was not educated, my dad went to school in Mexico and only completed up to the sixth grade and my mom finished high school her in the United States. My ancestors were workers as well, they went into the workforce at a young age. So, initially education was something that I knew about but didn't really dream about because it wasn't normal in my family. It took many trials, experiences and self discovery to finally break the chain and further my education. I was the first in my family to graduate from college and has led to many other family members attending and graduating college as well.
Epiphany: "The "culture of honor" hypothesis says that it matters where you're from, not just in terms of where you grew up or where your parents grew up but in terms of where your great grandparents and great great grandparents grew up..." (pg. 170) I had an aha moment that our ancestry chain is long and we have been developed based on the traditions and actions of our ancestors. It's amazing to know and understand that even my second graders reflect not only their parents but their ancestry as well.
Reference
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. 1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008.