Review: Coyle, Daniel (2009). The Talent Code. New York: Random House (Extract from Chapter 1- The Sweet Spot)
I’ve learned that it’s better to think out of the box than always stick to the same routine. You can compete in an ever-changing marketplace if you’re always doing the exact same thing. Sometimes you have to let go of what’s not working instead of trying to fix it, as not everything and everyone are fixable. More importantly this case study affirmed that staying true to what you believe in, allowing your natural abilities to shine, and caring about the overall welfare of all parties involved are at the core of being a great
His anecdotes presented in the article are appropriate in terms of his subject and claims. The author responds back to the naysayers by saying that people only look at the test scores earned in school, but not the actual talent. He says, “Our culture- in Cartesian fashion- separates the body from the mind, so that, for example we assume that the use of tool does not involve abstraction. We reinforce this notion by defining intelligence solely on grades in school and number on IQ tests. And we employ social biases pertaining to a person’s place on the occupational ladder” (279). The author says that instead of looking at people’s talent we judge them by their grades in school or their IQ score, and we also employ them based on these numbers. People learn more each time they perform a task. He talks about blue collared individuals developing multi-tasking and creativity skills as they perform the task they are asked to
What makes champions in sport? At the end of the day, it is the moment when one stands at the top of the podium, holding up their well-deserved medals and trophies that all elite athletes strive for. Thus, experts have studied this question extensively to see which programs, or by what means, are elite athletes developed to achieve this goal. One of the many aspects to athlete development is the controversial topic of deliberate practice versus deliberate play. Deliberate practice can be defined as “any training activity (a) undertaken with the specific purpose of increasing performance, (b) requiring cognitive and/or physical effort, and (c) relevant to promoting positive skill development” (Cote et al., 2007, p. 185) On the other hand, deliberate play is defined as “a form of sporting activity that involves early developmental physical activities that are intrinsically motivating, provide immediate gratification, and are specifically designed to maximize enjoyment” (Cote et al., 2007, p. 185-186). The phrase “deliberate practice versus deliberate play” is a common misnomer, since the terms are portrayed as the only two options; however, this is a false dichotomy. Empirical evidence supports the fact that both aspects are essential for the development of athletes; therefore the phrase should be correctly cited as “deliberate practice and deliberate play”. This commentary will focus on discussing the importance of both deliberate practice and deliberate play for elite athlete development as well as pose some questions on talent identification and early specialization in sport.
The Talent is a player who is able to adapt his game to give him the best advantage against any opponent, in any weather condition, whenever needed. He can drop shot, blast, “thread the needle”, find weaknesses, and reflex volley. This player will find what works best and dismantle the game. The talent will exhaust almost any player. At the highest levels, the talent may choose to play directly into his opponent’s strength. Bill Tilden was notorious for this tactic. When asked why he attacked the other players’ strengths, his answer was, “That way, once I’ve broken him down, all he has to fall back on are his weaknesses.” The talent tends to be able to change strategies and tactics in the blink of an eye. He may, within a set, even within a point, switch from one pattern to another to keep the opponent off balance no matter the situation.
Whether giftedness is a product of nature or created through nurture is a controversial discussion. However, Winner (2000), Colangelo & Davis (2003), Mrazik & Dombrowski (2010) all agree the answer lies somewhere in the middle. The idea of giftedness is often evaluated under the premise of expertness or mastery. Do all gifted children become masters or experts of their gifted area? Can people become gifted through extensive training (which is required for expertness)? Winner states that families cannot make a child become gifted, however, certain parenting styles that combine nurturance and stimulation can help maintain and nurture the gift. Winner reviewed many studies on hard work, perseverance, and practice, none of which can explain the origins of giftedness, but are very necessary for high achievement. Colangelo and Davis propose that high intelligence alone will not provide high levels of achievement, but may be necessary for achievement.
Some people work hard their whole life to achieve success and others just seem to be born talented in a certain field that they prevail in. One of the ways an individual can attempt to become successful is by working diligently in school to obtain a proper education. Access to advanced education is key if you would want to become very intelligent and furthermore the so called “gifted programs” in these advanced education systems are supposed to make you even smarter.People have wondered if going through gifted programs would make you more successful in your adult life.There was a man named Richard Terman, who wanted to take a group of kids in these gifted programs, his “Termites”, and track how successful they were later in life. He was hoping to find that the kids that were in advanced classes would in fact become very successful adults and he was right. When his Termites were adults many of them became experts in different fields. Terman measured the success of the chosen people by looking at awards they have achieved and all of the writings that they have published and the amount of these achievements was fairly
My creative efforts at Sinking Springs extended beyond what I had done at Hayshire in the talent shows. The most notable example is Ms. Bohn’s 5th grade classroom. In her room my writing and performing skills were allowed to flourish more than any other classroom had before. Ms. Bohn allowed my friend Allison and I to write and perform our own plays as part of our education. Being allowed this freedom to grow as a writer and performer has had a huge impact on my life. As an AP English student, I have a lot to thank Ms. Bohn and Sinking Springs for. My writing education at Sinking Springs is one of the first things that inspired me to challenge myself and work above and beyond the minimum.
There is no doubt that conformity is essential to the harmony of society. It allows for individuals to work together under a uniform set of rules and norms. In childhood and adolescence, the time during which students go to school, children begin to learn these basic rules of civilization. They socialize with others, learn respect and become well-rounded individuals. This requires students to not only develop their talents but also their weaknesses. This Achilles' heel may be academic, such as math and science or more artistic, like vocal music (Source F). Although students may not be pursuing a future in these areas, learning them is part of becoming a balanced person academically. Only strengthening and focusing on a student’s specific talent could create an image...
The government in “Harrison Bergeron” discourages thoughts about talent because if one person is more talented than another competition will be brought back. “They weren’t really very good- no better than anybody else would have been, anyway” (Vonnegut 99). This statement made by the author shows that the government doesn’t allow any person to be better than another because competition divides people. Talent would be considered a threat because it tends to bring out the best or the worst in people. “They reeled, whirled, swiveled, flounced, capered, gamboled, and spun” (Vonnegut 99). When Harrison and his Empress did this they showed the Empress's true dancing talent. Doing this on a live broadcast showed others what they may be able to accomplish,