The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers-creative and holistic "right-brain" thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn't. - Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future
What a privilege to again be invited to write for 'We Are
Gifted 2' on the topic of Native American education. It was an honor and nice surprise to see
excerpts from my last blog in NAGC’s Teaching
for High Potential. I am very
grateful to Joy Davis for her dedication, encouragement, and support.
Much of what we advocate for is based on what we have
learned from Native students, families, and members of the Native
community. I referred to students as
“hidden gems” in the previous article and we wholeheartedly believe in
them. Many of the strategies and practices we have
implemented are based on our own core beliefs and inspired by the White House
Initiative on American Indian Education.
At the recent Wyoming Indian Education Conference at Central
Wyoming College, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of
the Interior Sally Jewell were on a panel together along with local education
community and tribal government representatives. This was as an historic event and an initial indication
that the two departments will be working together for the betterment of
American Indians.
The secretaries spoke of their commitment to American Indian
education and expressed their concern as to how the sequester has affected
funding. Community members expressed
their appreciation for the secretaries’ attendance but asked specific questions
as to what they can expect in the future from the collaboration between the two
departments. Many left the one hour panel
discussion with sense of hope but also with a wait and see impression based on
what they heard. The White House Initiative cites the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act which states we need to “teach and address the needs of
students with different learning styles.”
As the keynote speakers for the Wyoming Indian Education Conference, Steven
Haas and I of Indigenous Students Leap
Ahead! (ISLA), made the point that when Native students’ strengths are
understood and nurtured, they will be better prepared for the future. Established under Dr. Linda Silverman’s Gifted Development
Center and the leadership of the Institute for the Study of Advanced
Development, Indigenous Students Leap
Ahead! (ISLA) is our effort to advocate for strength-based
programming. Combined with 21st
Century technologies these students can not only achieve, they can build the
confidence and self-esteem that will prepare them to compete for high tech
positions in the future.
According to Gifted Development Center research,
approximately 65% of mainstream students have Visual-Spatial strengths. Close to 80% of Native American students have
Visual-Spatial strengths. Awareness and
insight for educators into understanding the needs of Visual-Spatial learners
is essential. Realization of the
importance of including practices and strategies designed to enhance
opportunities for Visual-Spatial students is important for mainstream students,
but especially for the future of Native students.
Education as a whole, but Native education in particular,
needs to reject deficit-model programming and offer opportunities that will
help students “leapfrog” ahead. ISLA believes these students are
uniquely suited to become leaders and innovators for the 21st
Century.
Guest blogger, Jerry Lassos is a recently retired educator, American
Indian resource specialist, member of the Tongva nation. Jerry and his colleague, Steven Haas are currently
working with Fremont District 38 and are reaching out to several schools
on the Wind River Reservation to involve their students in ISLA. Jerry
wrote a blog for WeAreGifted2 last year. I am always pleased to connect with
Jerry and I sincerely believe that the field of gifted education has much to
learn from his commitment to developing the gifts of Indigenous students across
the nation.
Recommended
Reading:
Fixico, D. (2003) The American Indian Mind in a Linear World: American Indian Education and Traditional
Knowledge http://www.amazon.com/American-Indian-Mind-Linear-World/dp/0415944570/
Pink, D. (2006) A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will
Rule the Future http://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-Mind-Right-Brainers-Future/dp/1594481717
Silverman, L. (2002) Upside
Down Brilliance: the Visual-Spatial Learner
