REPLY TO 2 DISCUSSION POSTS AT LEAST 125 WORDS EACH.
Paper details:
DISCUSSION
Acceleration Debate
Aiva Lee and Kaire Bellini

Please read Hardmans Chapter 15 – Human Exceptionality: School, Community and Family (2017, 12th edition), sections on Acceleration and Learning Through Social Media (How Grade Skipping Changed Everything) before starting this discussion.

Discussion requirements: Based on research presented in the textbook, and conducted on your own, decide where you stand in the acceleration debate present your side, discuss why, and provide evidence (findings, experience) to support your discussion. Please try to refrain from using too many verbatim (word-for-word) statements from the text or Internet to “represent” your viewpoints.

Please include 1 question at the end of your main post and then, please respond to, or discuss substantively with at least two other classmates. Check the discussion forum frequently for any questions for you.

Important Note:Please be sure to cite all resources and paraphrase what you read rather than simply “cut & paste” — plagiarism is a serious matter. Please understand more about the Breach of Academic Integrity by reviewing the policy here: http://www.esc.edu/academic-integrity/breaches-academic-integrity/

In addition, the discussions posted in discussion forums (even if it was written by you) here cannot be used as part of any of your assignments for a grade again. If you did, it will be considered a breach of academic integrity, and you will earn a zero for the assignment.

Note:

Your main post should be substantive at least 200 words, not including the Discussion questions or references. Each discussion response/reply to me or others must have a minimum of 125 words, spell checked, well written and citing references in support of arguments. Active participation is required.
In your reply to others: You could include additional research info (don’t just share a website link, explain what you found, summarize the info, and then share the website link), or, provide a few suggestions based on the class reading/additional reading, or explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate. Always provide at least ONE citation from the reading to ‘support’ your discussion.

DISCUSSION POST 1
Where I stand on the acceleration debate is that I am on the side of it being beneficial for the students overall development, both emotionally and cognitively. The first reason is they have a greater chance at developing emotionally when surrounded by daily environments that stimulate their level of social functioning. As we have seen throughout this modules readings, gifted and talented individuals tend to be more advance socially therefore it would benefit them emotionally to be placed in accelerated programs. In addition, they will excel cognitively if they skip a grade, rather than staying in the same level that they already mastered.

The following findings are great resources to back up my side of the acceleration debate. The National Association of Gifted Childrens website reports multiple studies showing acceleration to positively impact students emotionally. For example, students showed improvement in socialization and self-esteem compared to slight difficulties faced by advanced students who were not accelerated, (Rogers, 2002). In addition, the website findings from longitudinal studies show how accelerating helps develop students cognitively as they went on to, publish work, and receive patents in the STEM areas, (Park, 2013).

Besides helping gifted and talented students emotionally and cognitively, do you think they benefit in any other areas from acceleration?

References

Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., & Egan, M. W. (2017) Human Exceptionality: School, Community and Family, 12th Edition. Cengage Learning: Boston, MA.

Park, G., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2013). When less is more: Effects of grade skipping on adult STEM productivity among mathematically precocious adolescents. Journal of Educational sychology, 105, 176198. Acceleration | National Association for Gifted Children (nagc.org)

Rogers, K. B. (2002). Re-forming gifted education: How parents and teachers can match the program to the child. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press. Acceleration | National Association for Gifted Children (nagc.org)

DISCUSSION POST 1
I agree with the acceleration debate. I feel that no matter if the individual has a disability, they should also be challenged. Matching the level of complexity and pace of the curriculum to the readiness and motivation of the student is essential (Hardman, Egan, & Drew, 2017, p. 416). If a child already knows how to do everything in their math class, why are they there? Parents and schools should move them to a higher class to learn more. I am on the fence about grade skipping. If the child is more educated in all the subjects, then yes, they should be moved up, but if it is only one subject, an acceleration such as a part-time grade would be a good fit. Kids get bored quickly, especially if youre teaching them things they have already learned; there is a potential loss to society by holding back these budding geniuses fewer patents, fewer discoveries, etc. (Heingartner, 2022). If children are challenged, they will be more interested in wanting to learn instead of relearning something.