While we are accustomed to to grow up talents in music and sports, there is immediately debate when we talk about growing up talents in the school and in academia.
Ella M. C. Idsøe. Show more
We have a bad history when it comes to offering children and young people with special talents challenging tasks. But, it seems that it gradually starts to go up for skolemyndighetene that there is a need to adapt the teaching also to the most talented children, not just children who have different challenges with learning.
Kristin Vinje. Show more
A Norwegian research report emphasises that talented students are not sufficiently stimulated in school, struggling with both the dropout, behavioral problems, underprestering and psychological difficulties. The Norwegian school system discriminate against 10-15 per cent of the students who could have had more academic challenges.
Many may think that these children do well yourself, but it is not necessarily correct. If the Harry Potter universe, Hermione or Roald dahl’s Matilda had gone in school, they would most likely have bored the wits out of themselves, and perhaps they had felt out and stopped before they had completed high school. Just like any other child, they need talented students to establish good work habits, develop strategies to meet the increasingly demanding challenges, and have the opportunity to develop their potential.
Traditionally, there has been little attention related to students with large læringspotensial in the teacher education program. In a new teacher education, one should in our opinion also more likely to include new knowledge about how learning occurs in the brain. It has gradually evolved an entirely new science which is about connecting neuroscience and education.
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Such knowledge may be important first and foremost because it highlights that the learning individual is in constant change physically and that brain development is dependent on the experiences which their children receive. The knowledge we need to make use of. We also need the resources to research communities who can build up expertise in teacher training.
We need to develop school so that it actually provides opportunities for all children. Children are different and learn in different ways. The goal is for everyone to learn more, both those who are struggling to acquire basic skills in basisfagene, but also such students as Hermione and Matilda. There are many such students in Norwegian schools, and they deserve also the best prospects for developing their potential.
having a good teacher is not less important at university than in high school Comment
In a utdanningsperspektiv should we also facilitate personalized learning in higher education. In the white paper Culture of quality , points out the ministry that in Norway has not been special offers for the most talented and motivated students. What will we do something with!
At the University of Oslo can therefore the students from the fall 2019 choose a study programme specifically targeted at the most talented and motivated students. We will develop a culture of such efforts on an equal footing with other countries in Europe to attend to students ‘ needs and the human capital in a satisfactory manner.
It is high time to dry to concentrate more on the talents, also within the school and in academia. We must provide all students with equal opportunities to develop their potential. We must focus both in width and in the top. Just as in the sport and in the arts. It deserves the pupils and the students, and it is good for the country.