An Analysis Of Malcolm Gladwell KIPP School Success Theory

Gladwell KIPP School Success Theory

In chapter nine “Marita’s Bargain” Malcolm Gladwell recapitulates his theories from the other chapters of how one grows into becoming successful. Gladwell is convinced that just like Bill Joy spent many hours possible working with computers, the KIPP operates the school all year round to get many learning hours possible. KIPP students have the strict rules of “SSLANT”which stands for helping with social skills. In relative to chapter four “The Trouble With Geniuses” part two Gladwell tells a story about two intelligent men Robert Oppenheimer and Chris Langan, and how improved communication skills helped their success. Knowledge Is Power connotation of KIPP has five pillars in which one is “High Expectations” meaning no matter what other problems one has outside of the school they have to forget about them when in school, and just worry about their education. Comparable to chapter eight with the pilots, they had to learn to speak English while flying planes and not worry about their own language.

Chapter two tells a story about a successful man named Bill Joy. Joy would never let one opportunity to use a computer slip out of his hands. “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” (Gladwell 42) He would sacrifice his sleep, and in the middle of the night to use the computers when they were available. Joy could have just waited for a computer, but instead went out to look for one even if it was in the middle of the night, or if there was a long line to use one. Without the long hours that Joy spent on the computers he would have lacked the hours to figure out about the vir...

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...n. Just like in chapter two the pilots only had to worry about one language to communicate.