Barbara Kerr: Creativity and Counseling Exploring a new field can be both exciting and daunting for students and adults continuing their education. When one can identify with an expert in a field of study, one feels a stronger connection and perhaps a newfound passion for the field. In the field of Gifted and Talented Education, some teachers may feel disconnected in the plethora of new information until they see their ideals described in the studies or their likeness among the traits of gifted students and teachers. The dedicated gifted-counseling guru Barbara Kerr shares knowledge in the findings that she presents to her graduate students and the world of gifted services.
Currently titled a Professor of Counselor Psychology at the University …show more content…
In general, gifted students have positive feelings about personal growth and achievement but negative feelings about connections to their peers (Kerr, 2014, p. 67). While they may not connect with common interests, most gifted students do not openly consider themselves better than regular students, part of the fear of the elitist controversy (Kerr, Hallowell, & Schroeder-Davis, 1991, p. 26). This controversy stems from labeling gifted students, though Kerr et. al references Thomas Jefferson’s statement that “There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people” (1991, p. 26). One can conclude that if teachers provide the necessary supports and enrichment to all students by meeting them at their level of ability, this leads to differentiated instruction among groups or individuals. Researchers in the 1980’s studied the academic impacts of homogenous grouping of gifted students and decided that ability grouping had little to no effect on lower-ability students and a positive impact on higher-ability students (Kerr et. al, 1991, p. 26-27); thus the gifted students benefitted from differentiated …show more content…
Kerr performed research on effective profiling to identify creatively gifted children while providing educational services (Kerr, 2013, p. 141). Kerr initially focused her research on adolescent girls gifted in math and science based on female leaders in scientific fields using interest, personality, and achievement (2013, p. 141). She created specialized indicators for “linguistic, mathematical/scientific, interpersonal/emotional, music and dance, and visual/spatial” giftedness (Kerr, 2013, p. 141). These creative students become scholars (creating in arts or sciences), helpers (social service), leaders (enterprising, powerful positions), and inventors (mechanics and engineers) (Kerr, 2013, p. 144). Kerr realized that creatively gifted students look forward to creative careers. In 1988, gifted students expressed little interest in teaching and journalism, preferring business careers instead (Kerr, 2014, p. 52). In general, gifted students follow the trends of the generation. Gary Davis stated that “good teachers of the gifted, above all, should be gifted themselves” (2006, p. 47). How sad that there were so few gifted students of the late 1980’s who are willing to be teachers and continue the blessings of gifted education! Luckily, research from UCLA in 2000 revealed a shift toward students
Currently titled a Professor of Counselor Psychology at the University …show more content…
In general, gifted students have positive feelings about personal growth and achievement but negative feelings about connections to their peers (Kerr, 2014, p. 67). While they may not connect with common interests, most gifted students do not openly consider themselves better than regular students, part of the fear of the elitist controversy (Kerr, Hallowell, & Schroeder-Davis, 1991, p. 26). This controversy stems from labeling gifted students, though Kerr et. al references Thomas Jefferson’s statement that “There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people” (1991, p. 26). One can conclude that if teachers provide the necessary supports and enrichment to all students by meeting them at their level of ability, this leads to differentiated instruction among groups or individuals. Researchers in the 1980’s studied the academic impacts of homogenous grouping of gifted students and decided that ability grouping had little to no effect on lower-ability students and a positive impact on higher-ability students (Kerr et. al, 1991, p. 26-27); thus the gifted students benefitted from differentiated …show more content…
Kerr performed research on effective profiling to identify creatively gifted children while providing educational services (Kerr, 2013, p. 141). Kerr initially focused her research on adolescent girls gifted in math and science based on female leaders in scientific fields using interest, personality, and achievement (2013, p. 141). She created specialized indicators for “linguistic, mathematical/scientific, interpersonal/emotional, music and dance, and visual/spatial” giftedness (Kerr, 2013, p. 141). These creative students become scholars (creating in arts or sciences), helpers (social service), leaders (enterprising, powerful positions), and inventors (mechanics and engineers) (Kerr, 2013, p. 144). Kerr realized that creatively gifted students look forward to creative careers. In 1988, gifted students expressed little interest in teaching and journalism, preferring business careers instead (Kerr, 2014, p. 52). In general, gifted students follow the trends of the generation. Gary Davis stated that “good teachers of the gifted, above all, should be gifted themselves” (2006, p. 47). How sad that there were so few gifted students of the late 1980’s who are willing to be teachers and continue the blessings of gifted education! Luckily, research from UCLA in 2000 revealed a shift toward students