Conversation

I take issue with the term "gifted" itself because it's innately elitist. Additionally, segregating advanced learners from the rest of the population can be socially disadvantageous for both groups. Empathy is developed by being exposed to people different from yourself. [...]

I was also in an advanced program, and it was the most academically beneficial path for me. I also did IB in HS (which has some similarities). I was fortunate that my program was fairly diverse, but there was a schism between my peers and the rest of the school population. [...]

10:19 PM · Apr 27, 2020Twitter Web App

But my gf (she's in education) has shown me studies that show the benefits of keeping differently-abled learners in one classroom. Lower students benefit, higher students benefit — it's an all-around win, apparently. But it requires a lot of work from the teacher to work. [...]

Replying to

and

I guess the issue I have with this is to do with bullying, and encouraging curiosity. I was not accelerated and school was torture/hell for me. But maybe that's due to other confounding factors, eg. undiagnosed ADD and all-male school + toxic masculinity

Quote Tweet

Brendan Zabarauskas

@brendanzab

· Apr 27, 2020

Replying to @brendanzab and @cattheory

Let's just say I'm really glad my school years are behind me - they were not the happiest years of my life. Curiosity was punished mercilessly by my peers, no matter how much my teachers tried to encourage me. Perhaps in a co-ed school I would have fared better.

Replying to

and

Yeah, I'm not exactly clear on all the specifics but she's pretty adamantly in favor of integrating students of all ability levels into the same classrooms. I wouldn't be surprised if toxic masculinity were the culprit here. Maybe also there are cultural differences in Oz, too?