BY Dr Gail Bryne

Late in January when many of us were bemoaning the end of our holidays and our impending return to school and work, Glen Alsop lost her fight with cancer.

Having known Glen for almost two decades I knew when the initial diagnosis was made some five years ago that she would fight it every day she had left to her – and she did. Many around her did not know she was ill, as only rarely did her health interrupt her work and professional schedule.

Glen was seen as an active, intellectual and outspoken woman who would always give of her time freely. Her passion for assessment – whether for a child struggling to access the curriculum at school or struggling at school because they were highly able – was evident. Glen’s PhD on the counselling needs of parents of Children of High Intellectual Potential (CHIP) was the first awarded in the field of ‘gifted’ in this country. She truly was a campaigner and an advocate for a group who is rarely seen as ‘disadvantaged’.

Many schools asked for Glen to complete their assessments – a true testament to the excellent assessor and sensitive report writer which she was.

Like some of you, I too, have lost a friend and talented colleague. Vale Dr Glenison Alsop.

By Adina Kolter, Psychologist, Lewis and Lewis
Steve Jobs has been described as a “genius”[1]  and a “visionary”[2] who “overturned the way the world worked”[3].  This is high praise for the co-founder of Apple who passed away in October 2011 at the age of 56.  I won’t go into Steve Jobs’ life and achievement here; that has been covered prodigiously elsewhere.  The impact of Steve Jobs and Apple products on our day to day lives is indeed remarkable. Does Steve Jobs, however, fit into our current conception of giftedness?

Gagne’s model[4], which has been highly influential in Australian education and driven schools’ policies on giftedness, is shown below.

Gagne makes the distinction between innate or natural abilities (giftedness) and the superior mastery of systematically developed abilities in at least one field of human endeavour (talents).

According to Gagne’s model, people can be ‘naturally’ gifted (within the top 10% of the population) in the following areas: intellectual (for example, reasoning, and sense of observation and judgement), creative (for example, problem solving and originality), socio-affective (for example, perceptiveness, communication including empathy and tact, and influence including leadership and persuasion), and sensorimotor (for example, strength and coordination).

Students may be gifted in one or more of these domains, and these abilities may combine in different ways to produce one or more specific talents via a number of catalysts.  The talents include business, technology, sports and academics.

The catalysts include environmental and intrapersonal characteristics, which impact upon the developmental process (i.e.- informal and formal learning and practise) necessary to transform these abilities into talents. Intrapersonal characteristics include motivation, persistence, ability to self-manage, personality factors such as temperament and self-esteem, and physical factors such as health. Environmental influences include significant others such as parents and teachers, and provisions such as programs and activities.

Lastly, chance also plays a part, by influencing the catalysts (intrapersonal and environmental) and the natural abilities (gifts).

According to Gagne’s definition of giftedness, it would appear that Steve Jobs was indeed gifted in a number of areas identified.

Intellectual giftedness is identified using a standardised IQ test (such as the Wechsler Scales). A score of 130+ indicates that someone is functioning intellectually within the top 2% of the population and may be described as intellectually ‘gifted’ (incidentally, the criteria for membership to MENSA, a society for people with high IQ’s , is an IQ of 130+).  Although Steve Jobs’ IQ is not known, his achievements would lead one to believe that his sense of observation and judgement (see Gagne’s model) would have been exceptionally well developed, whether or not his IQ would have fallen within the ‘gifted’ range. Interestingly, I did find an article discussing Steve Jobs’ IQ in which the author certainly seems to believe that his IQ would have fallen within the intellectually gifted range[5] .

Steve Jobs certainly seems to fit the textbook definition of someone who is gifted within the “creative” domain.  A Google search under “Steve Jobs creative” yields more than 155 million results. His products have been described as “innovative” and “astonishing” (amongst countless other adjectives!) There are myriad examples of his creativity, from his ideas through to product design. The following quote exemplifies this:

“The fact is that for multiple businesses – computing, film, music, mobile telephony and most recently mobile computing – Jobs overturned the existing order. Again and again he refused to go along with the conventional wisdom, and introduced his own instead. He lived his life by the instruction he gave in a commencement address to Stanford graduates: “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice,” urging them to keep innocently seeking the new: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”[6]

Steve Jobs was also highly gifted within the area of socio-affective intelligence. By all accounts, he was a highly influential and brilliant leader with exceptional communication skills. He had a “notorious ability to talk people into things.”[7]

“He was often described as a tyrant able to throw a “reality distortion field” around his immediate area, to make people believe anything that he told them”.[8]

His products reflected a real understanding of people and what they wanted, as the following quotes illustrate.

“….what set him most apart from his peers was an exquisite sense of product design and the ability to intuit what people would want, and use. Combined with his leadership (and salesmanship) skills, he was the most formidable CEO of recent times.”[9]

“Jobs was a brilliant negotiator who had the rare ability to visualise exactly what other people – whether singly across a table or by the thousand in an auditorium or by the million in homes and businesses – wanted.”[10]

Steve Jobs is thus an example of someone who turned his innate abilities (or natural “giftedness”) into systematically developed skills or talents in the business and technology arena, becoming incredibly successful along the way.

REFERENCES
http://www.gigers.com/matthias/gifted/gagne_dmgt.html

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/programs/gifted/highpotential/modelgifted.htm

http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/tributes-to-steve-jobs-apple?intcmp=239

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-world-pays-tribute

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/programs/gifted/highpotential/modelgifted.htm

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-the-next-einstein/201111/was-steve-jobs-smart-heck-yes

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-obituary?intcmp=239

By Sarah Yeung, Lewis & Lewis.

My initial interest with THRASS (Teaching Handwriting Reading and Spelling Skills) started when I saw these large THRASS charts in classrooms. I began wondering about the approach we take towards teaching literacy, especially for those students who have literacy difficulties.

How do you explain that the letter ‘A’ does not always make the ‘a’ sound as in apple?

I recently went to the THRASS two-day workshop during the summer holidays. They definitely brought up some strong arguments that were backed up with research.

Traditional learning – graphophonic
Previous traditional teachings take a ‘graphophonic’ approach, which is the one letter (grapheme) makes one sound (phoneme) approach (e.g. ‘E’ = /e/ for Egg). This approach is depicted on the engaging and colourful alphabet charts.

However, when students enter primary school, we struggle to explain to students why these rules don’t apply anymore and that a sound is not always depicted by a specific letter. We often call them ‘irregular’ spelling words (which turns out to be an awful lot of words). We have even made up all these rules for irregular words (e.g. bossy magic, e (tote), which only works less than 50% of the time). Is it helpful for students to be memorising more and more rules when they cannot even spell simple words?

We often see errors in spelling choices such as ‘woz’ (was), where the letter-sound rule does not apply anymore. Many students are able to learn correct spelling through increased exposure, but for some this approach is ineffective.

THRASS learning – phonographic
THRASS on the other hand takes a ‘phonographic’ approach which says that a sound (phoneme) is represented by letters (graphemes) (e.g. /e/ sound can be represented by ‘e’ (bed), ‘ea’ (bread) etc.

The THRASS chart has a consonant and a vowel chart. It separates each phoneme (sound) into sections and has a visual representation for each sound and it’s spelling choice. For instance the ‘j’ sound as in jam can be depicted by the graphemes (spelling choice) j, g (giant), ge (cage), dge (bridge). With training and exposure to these spelling choices, students can become more independent with spelling.

THRASS is easily implemented in teaching literacy
I found that the approach THRASS takes to be effective in teaching literacy. It can be easily implemented into the school’s literacy program. It is a program that requires time and commitment. It is really important for the student’s family and school to be on board to allow continuity and success in this program.

The THRASS chart is much more complex than stated above. I have just expressed my opinion on the program and provided a brief overview of the graphophonic versus the phonographic approaches.

My advice is that if you are interested in adapting THRASS to your child’s/student’s literacy program, training can be provided through the THRASS organisation.

Other interventions to assist students with literacy difficulties include MultiLit (Making up lost time in literacy) and MiniLit (early literacy intervention program) developed at Macquarie University in Sydney can also be discussed with Lewis & Lewis.

Further information and training details are available on the THRASS website.

If you have any other queries regarding teaching literacy, feel free to contact Lewis and Lewis.

When I co-authored ‘Change Your Career’ (CAE, 1997) with Kevin O’Neill over a decade ago it was considered to be an excellent, practical guide in career counselling for those considering career change.

Looking at it now, most of the areas covered in the book remain relevant, although it’s due for an overhaul and a chapter or two could be added.

In my view, most of the important changes in the way we work in recent times, have been driven by two things:

• The rise in the availability and use of technology; and
• The desire for more flexibility in work, both from an employer and an employee

It’s easy to see that these two things complement and drive each other.

It seems an eternity ago that John Brack’s famous 1955 painting ‘Collins St., 5 pm.’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collins_St.,_5_pm) was an accurate depiction of what the workforce looked like. That era has gone the way of workers who formed the Candle, Soap and Starch workers’ union and the Bedsted and Fender Makers’ association.

So many industries that employed workers have not stood the test of time and simply don’t exist any more. Visit the beautiful Trades Hall building in Melbourne to see for your self a list of occupations in the main hall that no longer exist.

Become the architect of your own future. – I Ching

How can career counselling can help?
Sometimes career change is forced upon us and sometimes we choose to make a change. It’s not always a huge and sudden change but is more often the result of a number of small decisions leading to moves eventually resulting in substantial change.

Often people need some career counselling to help them on their way. A new formal qualification is often a good idea these days in order to gain entry to an associated or desired occupational field.

A recent article in one of the weekend newspapers about Google and the work practices there indicated that they are so far removed from John Brack’s 1955 painting as to bear little or no resemblance.

As long as you get the job done that you’ve set yourself to do Google doesn’t care about how you go about it. They intend to move from an information gathering organisation to an organisation providing knowledge, providing a précis of the huge amount of information available on a particular subject or request and tailoring it to suit.

Then I think it will be only a matter of time before a chip will be available to implant into the brain.

Here at Lewis & Lewis, I think we’re more at the Google end of the spectrum, but there are some activities that certainly require a degree of preparation and structure.

I’m thinking of updating ‘Change Your Career’.

If you have any thoughts about the future of work – or career change which would benefit from some career counselling, please let me know.

mailto:marklewis@lewisandlewis.com.au

Why personal counselling?
At different stages of life and even at different times of the year; in response to expected or unexpected events; or as a result of conflict with family or friends, we can all feel a need to talk to others and often benefit from this.

If you choose the ‘right’ person to talk to it can really begin to help take a weight off your shoulders and they can support you to come to grips with or even overcome what is, for you, a difficult time in your life.

Most people will confirm that they have found a need to do this at some point in their life, so it’s not unusual at all.

Professionals such as psychologists with experience in personal counselling can be a good and sensible choice because they are objective and have completed training in order to help people – whether they be children, adolescents or adults – experiencing some difficulties.

I recently had lunch with a long-standing friend of mine who is quite worried about his middle son’s apparent lack of progress, underlined by what seems to be a lack of initiative or possibly a need for some direction.

He is in his early twenties and his older brother and younger sister are both high achievers. So are his parents. It seems to me that this young man would most likely benefit from some personal counselling with an experienced professional, whether it be a one-off extended session with later follow-up, or ongoing meetings over a period of time.

As we all know, families and family relationships can be difficult at times. The following brief video is one I often think of, although the actual situation depicted isn’t one I’ve really experienced personally. It just makes you think…

If you feel a need to talk to someone, or you’ve been holding off seeing a professional for some personal counselling, contact us at Lewis & Lewis to see if we’re able to help you.