A Response from the NAGC

In my last post, I discussed the ongoing debate within the U.S. concerning statements made by Dr. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius both prior to and after becoming the president of the NAGC. Since that time, the NAGC and Dr. Olszewski-Kubilius have both responded with written statements here  and here .

It was noted in one of the responses that statements were being conflated on certain gifted blogs. To make sure my readers are clear, I delineated three separate writings: 1) a monograph co-authored by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius and first published in January of 2011, 2) an article in Compass Points – “Taking a Bold Step”, also by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius sent to members in November 2011, and 3) an article in the Spring 2011 issue of Gifted Child Quarterly (not addressed in the responses).

The NAGC, in their response, also mentioned their position paper, Redefining Giftedness for a New Century: Shifting the Paradigm found here , as the official position of the organization which this blog did not address. Readers will have to discern what they will from the statements by the NAGC. I will take them at face value at the present time that remarks made by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius reflect her own personal opinions and not the official current position of the NAGC.

I would like to point out that I have great respect for the work Dr. Olszewski-Kubilius has done at Northwestern University and her dedication to their Center for Talent Development (take a look here). I applaud her courage for starting the conversation about talent development. I have spent the last couple weeks researching her writings and have learned much about her philosophy. Although I don't agree with all the conclusions to which she has come, there can be no doubt about her sincerity in helping children develop to their full potential. 

In my next post, I will discuss my interpretation of the differences of opinion between giftedness and talent development. For the record, I think both should play a role in the identification of and the delivery of services to gifted children rather than having one replace the other.  

Other blogs have also commented on this situation.:

The blog Gas Station Without Pumps has a good post on the Rethinking Giftedness monograph, entitled “What is Giftedness?” found here .

From Asynchronous Scholars’ Fund, “Shifting the Paradigm: Asynchrony and the High-Potential Child” found here is another response to the NAGC.

From the blog Wicked Smart, there are three posts related to this discussion found here , here , and here .