From Thomas Holcomb’s Weblog (which I found by hitting the Random button): Reading at 8 months, and that was just the beginning.
Alia, who is 13, and will earn her undergraduate degree from the State University at Stony Brook this spring, has been stunning people for a long time, beginning with her parents, who thought it odd when she started reading words at 8 months old.
Prof. Harold Metcalf had her in physics her freshman year. “I was skeptical,” he says. “Such a little girl. Then the second or third class, she asked a question. I realized, this girl understands. I’ve occasionally seen this at 15 or 16, but not 10.”
And not just math and physics. She is an accomplished clarinetist. Ricardo Morales, principal clarinet for the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, is her teacher. He recalls two years ago, preparing her to play the Mozart Concerto for Clarinet.
“Such a monumental piece,” he says. “It requires a beautiful sound, beautiful phrasing, a solid technical foundation. You must sing through the instrument. She does! It was child’s play for her.” Literally.
You know, when I read stuff like that I’m a mix of emotions. Like, Gee, I was a smart kid but never smart like that, or, Gosh, wouldn’t it be cool to have a kid who was that brilliant and multi-talented? It’s hard—for me, at any rate—not to do the comparative thing. I have to remind myself that everybody does their own thing at their own pace.
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More charter schools coming to LA:
In a few years, the burgeoning charter school movement could siphon off more than 10 percent of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s student body, freeing educators from the bureaucracy to try new ways to improve education.
Already, more than 50 charter schools have sprung up in the Los Angeles area to serve 27,800 children in predominantly poor neighborhoods.
This year alone, the district expects to process 15 to 20 charter school applications. El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills and Pacoima Elementary School both plan to convert into charters starting this fall.
Also, the Alliance for Student Achievement — a nonprofit group led by Los Angeles’ civic elite — is working to launch a network of charter schools that will serve 50,000 students within five years. Education Week has dubbed the Alliance’s proposal the “Shadow L.A. District.”
I don’t quite understand what charter schools are, but the more choice we have around here for schools, the better.
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According to Fortune over at bread, coffee, chocolate, and yoga, chocolate is an excellent addition to any diet!
As an added bonus, coffee may reduce the risk of colon cancer in women.
Does this mean I can write off my visits to Starbucks as “health care”?
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Some days it’s hard to decide whether the Bush administration is cynical and stupid or simply outright evil.
(Boxgate via Atrios. Richard Hines info via Josh Marshall.)
It’s almost inevitable these days, but Alia the child prodigy has a decidedly cute weblog.
If it’s any consolation, there have been quite a few similar prodigies, almost none of whom have amounted to anything in the world at large — chess geniuses, etc., are a different matter. I remember reading about some guy who graduated from Harvard (I think) at 14 or so and wound up a bitter night watchman or something. It’s like being a kiddie actor. I think the rest of us are better off taking our sweet time. (No offense, Alia; I’m sure you’ll be the exception!)