Parallel Session Proceedings »
3.7.1 You Don't Sound Like Sheldon: A College Course in Gifted Popular Culture
This presentation will share the creation and implementation of a college undergraduate course titled, The Gifted in Popular Culture: Separating Myth from Reality. This course is the first elective open to the entire student population dedicated to an overview of the characteristics, strengths, and needs of the gifted.
The course in divided into five modules: a.)definitions and identification , b.) underrepresented populations, c.) educational needs, d.) social needs, and e.) the gifted adult. Each module begins with multiple reliable informational sources such as journal articles, textbook chapters, video lectures, and websites of relevant professional organizations. The content provide a broad overview of the essentials associated with that particular module.
Next, using the lens of popular culture, Students interact with various films, television shows, short stories, and popular songs featuring gifted characters, with an emphasis on the themes of the module.
Finally, students are split into groups and discuss a series of structured questions requiring them to analyze the authenticity of gifted characters, traits, and experiences using the module’s resources as a yardstick.
As an example, students are required to read A Nation Deceived, which makes the case for increased use of accelerated education for gifted students. Later, students view the movie, Little Man Tate, about Fred Tate, a fictional 7 year old genius who goes to college.
One of the relevant discussion question strands would be, “What were some of the pros and cons of acceleration as they pertain to Fred? Do you feel that the movie portrays acceleration as a good educational option or a bad one? Why? Does it align with what you know about acceleration from "A Nation Deceived"? How so?”
Each discussion has a group leader who is responsible for both recording group member responses and tying the discussion to best practices learned in class. This serves as one of the course’s assessments, and demonstrates both knowledge and application of course concepts.
In addition to the discussions, students are also required to interview a gifted adult from an underrepresented population. The authenticity of the assignment further extends the mission of the course to separate gifted myth from reality. By talking with and learning from a gifted individual, students come away with a deeper understanding and better appreciation for this population than they would otherwise get from either a movie or a textbook.