elizabeth's
Study of Gifted Person
Introduction A few months ago, my family watched the movie, “Gifted Hands”. Although I had never heard of the movie or the man, Dr. Ben Carson, I found his story and life inspirational. I felt drawn to know more about him. Following the movie, my daughter, Elizabeth, and I goggled Dr. Carson. Since the movie begins with Ben Carson as a poor child who is bullied and made fun of due to his poverty, poor grades in school, and lack of friends, Elizabeth could relate to his insecurities, fears, and anger. As the movie moved through the life of Ben Carson, we saw how he overcame all the obstacles in his life. Through his mother’s strong belief in God and that he and his brother were capable of being very smart; she insisted that they read in order to develop their brain. Reading books threw open the window to learning for Ben and his brother. In the fifth grade, Ben went from being at the bottom of his class to having the highest score in his class by the end of the school year. In the movie, Gifted Hands, Ben’s mother said almost daily to him, “Bennie, you can do anything you set yourself to do.” Just as Clark (2013) states in Growing up Gifted, the brain continues to grow and develop as long as the environment provides appropriate stimulation. (p. 88) I chose Ben Carson as my gifted person because his life reflects the capacity of the brain when it is used and tapped into. Also, Ben Carson’s life challenges all of us to reach for our full potential, reminding us that God has a plan and a hope and a future for all of us. As Elizabeth and I researched Dr. Ben Carson, we were taken to the website for John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where he was the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery. It was so exciting to see that this movie was a real life story about a hurting, wounded little boy who overcame his self-doubts and lack of knowledge by striving to activate his brain to its fullest potential. Just as Clark (2013)
Introduction A few months ago, my family watched the movie, “Gifted Hands”. Although I had never heard of the movie or the man, Dr. Ben Carson, I found his story and life inspirational. I felt drawn to know more about him. Following the movie, my daughter, Elizabeth, and I goggled Dr. Carson. Since the movie begins with Ben Carson as a poor child who is bullied and made fun of due to his poverty, poor grades in school, and lack of friends, Elizabeth could relate to his insecurities, fears, and anger. As the movie moved through the life of Ben Carson, we saw how he overcame all the obstacles in his life. Through his mother’s strong belief in God and that he and his brother were capable of being very smart; she insisted that they read in order to develop their brain. Reading books threw open the window to learning for Ben and his brother. In the fifth grade, Ben went from being at the bottom of his class to having the highest score in his class by the end of the school year. In the movie, Gifted Hands, Ben’s mother said almost daily to him, “Bennie, you can do anything you set yourself to do.” Just as Clark (2013) states in Growing up Gifted, the brain continues to grow and develop as long as the environment provides appropriate stimulation. (p. 88) I chose Ben Carson as my gifted person because his life reflects the capacity of the brain when it is used and tapped into. Also, Ben Carson’s life challenges all of us to reach for our full potential, reminding us that God has a plan and a hope and a future for all of us. As Elizabeth and I researched Dr. Ben Carson, we were taken to the website for John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where he was the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery. It was so exciting to see that this movie was a real life story about a hurting, wounded little boy who overcame his self-doubts and lack of knowledge by striving to activate his brain to its fullest potential. Just as Clark (2013)
References: Ben Carson. (2013) The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 07:20, Aug. 20, 2013 from http://www.biiography.com/people/ben-carson-475422 Ben Carson with Gregg Lewis. (2008) Taking The Risk. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Ben Carson. Gifted Hands. (1990) Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Gregg & Deborah Shaw Lewis. (2002) Today’s Heroes: Ben Carson. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Clark, Barbara. (2013) Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and Home. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Georgia Department of Education. (2012-2013) Georgia Resource Manual for Gifted Education Services (Available from Georgia Department of Education)