Not Just Your Average Genius

I've been so busy listening to the Schoolhouseexpo.com online that I haven't had much time to blog what I'm learning.  It might be awhile before I get everything done, but I'm definitely going to try to journal my notes hear.

Not Just Your Average Genius was taught by Diana Waring.  Her website is http://www.dianawaring.com/. 

Her session was very convicting and challenging.

She started by pointing out that a child that does things "too much" or "too often" are wired that way by God.  It may be immature & unripened fruit of what God's made them to be, but it's the wiring of God.  She used the example of Mikhail Baryshnikov.  He probably got in trouble all the time as a child for not being able to sit still, but that's because God wired him for movement.  Or Barbara Walters probably got in trouble for talking all the time, but that's how she was wired.  Now, both use their wiring in a mature way.

It was convicting to be reminded that the things I find often find frustrating and hard to control in my dd are things that God wired into her.  How dare I think that those things need to be changed!  Helped to mature and grow, yes.  Changed, no.

She mentioned the different learning modality which is how do I best take in new stuff.  They are visual (see it), auditory (hear it) and tactile/kinestetic (touch or move).

She then went into personality/learning styles.  She used the Myers-Briggs terms. 

• Thinker--organized, schedule, black & white
• Feeler--drawn to and need people, needs to be with people
• Sensor--so it, concrete, hands on, need sense of accomplishment
• Intuition--idea person

I've known my dd is a "feeler" or sanguine for quite awhile!  It didn't click with me, however, that means that even as I try to encourage her to work independently, I'm still going to need to be around.  I may not have to do each activity with her, but at least be a "person" to be around. That's good to know as I plan her further learning.

She then talked about the 8 intelligences or "How God made you smart!"

We all have the 8 intelligences but some are stronger and some are weaker.  My comments below are in now way the extent of what she shared, but only the key points that struck me.

• Intra-personal--self-smart, often need space or to be alone
• Naturalize--nature-smart
• Musical
• Math-logical
• Bodily-kenestetic--body-smart, not just athletes or dancers but also jewelers and brain-surgeons
• Interpersonal--people-smart, do with another
• Linguistic-- word-smart
• Spatial-- picture-smart, artists, architect, packing

One of the last things she mentioned is that we need to give lots of grace.  We need to keep in mind that these styles of learning are immature and being developed, and we need to remember they are still kiddos!

I think her book Beyond Survival would be an excellent source.  She also wrote the history curriculum being sold by Answers in Genesis.