The 21st-Century Gifted and Talented Postsecondary Learner Socioemotional Characteristics: Issues and Strategies for Parents The 21st-Century Gifted and Talented Postsecondary Learner Morgan P. Appel Director, Education Department

Moving Toward the Conceptual Age in the 21st Century To survive in the Conceptual Age/Knowledge Economy requires creativity; empathy; happiness; meaning; critical thinking; problem solving; effective communication; metacognitive abilities (sound habits of mind) and collaboration – all driven by smart use of technologies. The college experience is more than coursework grades—it is about learning to work with others in cooperative, holistic and reciprocal ways. It is about taking risks and cultivating networks of support. Big fish do fine in small ponds but can easily become lost in the vast expanse of the open ocean.

Giftedness is for Life! Although we tend to lump together high achievers, creatives and traditional gifted into one definitive category, each has distinct cognitive and socioemotional characteristics that become magnified exponentially in the postsecondary setting. We will talk about the most relevant here, but do remember that giftedness does not begin at the end of second grade and end at high school graduation. Thus, it is important to attend to these matters in an ongoing and progressively more sophisticated manner.

In Service of High Achievers Remembers answers and needs about 6-8 repetitions to master Alert and observant; attentive and interested Pleased with own learning and gets high marks Works hard to achieve, learns with ease Is a technician with expertise in his/her field, responds with interest and opinions Perf0rms at the top of the group and absorbs information Is accurate and complete, memorizes well Understands complex humor Enjoys company of age peers Completes assignments on time, answers questions in detail Source: B. Kingore, 2003. High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Learner. Understanding Our Gifted

In Service of Gifted Poses unforeseen questions and is curious Knows without working hard and is beyond the group Needs 1-3 repetitions for mastery Prefers company of intellectual peers Ponders with depth and multiple perspectives Is intellectual and anticipates/relates observations Infers and connects concepts Creates complex/abstract humor and is intense Initiates projects and extensions of assignments Enjoys self-directed learning and is original/continually developing Is an expert who abstracts beyond the field; guesses and infers well Is self critical and may not be motivated by grades Source: B. Kingore, 2003. High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Learner. Understanding Our Gifted

In Service of Creatives Sees exceptions and wonders Plays with ideas and concepts Relishes wild, off-the-wall humor Comprehends in-depth and complex ideas Enjoys improvisation and creating Is his/her own group Questions the need for mastery Brainstorms Intuitive Inventor Enjoys working alone, but the company of creative peers Shares bizarre and often conflicting opinions Source: B. Kingore, 2003. High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Learner. Understanding Our Gifted

The Can-Do Curse: Multipotentiality Leonardo da Vinci, for example Multiple interests and abilities across domains Capable of success in many professions May cause stress and anxiety; confusion and over scheduling for fear of ‘missing something’ Social alienation; purposelessness; apathy and depression Many university students compelled to choose a specialization (major) before being allowed to sample disciplines Lack of interdisciplinary majors* Multipotentiality or lack of decision-making skills?

Perfectionism/Unrealistic Expectations Perfectionists= own worst enemies Exaggerated expectations of self and others Cannot forgive themselves or others/mismatched efforts Anxiety, fear of failure and underachievement Risk burnout and indecision (professional student/college dropout/changing majors) Must pursue personal fulfillment (versus expectations of others) Emphasis on particular colleges or careers (Harvard or NOTHING!)

Early Cognitive Maturation Certainty in career choices ahead of other students May actually limit pupils by forestalling exploration of interests and careers Asked to choose careers and postsecondary institutions without sufficient information Asynchrony: choices made with cognitive maturation, but perhaps not affective or social-emotional maturity

How Parents can Help Collaborate with professionals in helping academic and career choices focus on more well-rounded lives Be aware of expectations and pressures Help realize that college and career aspirations change over time Need for greater individualized counseling that is differentiated (aptitude, ability and interest) Guidance counselors not solely responsible for career and college counseling , but rather part of a collaborative team of professionals that includes parents

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Contact Information Morgan Appel, Director Education Department UC San Diego Extension 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0170-N La Jolla, California 92093-0170 mappel@ucsd.edu 858-534-9273 extension.ucsd.edu/education