Why do you think that after “no child left behind” the situation is better for talented kids? IMO the situation is much much worse. Many gifted programs are being eliminated and all classes are being slowed down to accommodate the bottom 33%. Even slightly above average kids are going to feel like 2 standard deviation genius doing basic school work because compared to the curriculum they are.
> Even slightly above average kids are going to feel like 2 standard deviation genius doing basic school work because compared to the curriculum they are.
They'll be treated like geniuses too. I used to get treated like one because of my incredible ability to plug numbers into formulas and write down the answers that came out in a piece of paper. I simply did not understand how people could possibly have any problem with it. I found it so dull I ended up in a computers course where I learned to automate that kind of human computer nonsense away forever.
They treated me like a genius for working out some basic math, and the truth is I suck at math. I actually like math, but I suck at it. I used to get away with never needing to do homework as a kid. As a result I never developed the discipline necessary to hone math skills. Now I want to learn something interesting like queueing theory but I barely understand the papers and articles because I'm missing numerous prerequisites.
Your post seems contradictory in that you could plug numbers into formulas and get answers. Isn’t that a fundamental skill? Is there an implied value in understanding the formula and how to apply it via math to obtain a correct answer?
The question then is how did you develop the ability.
