Conversation with Justin Duplantis on Updates, Ordinary Education, Boys, Development, Reverse Classroom, and Fatherhood: Lifetime Member, Triple Nine Society (6)
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2022/06/08
Abstract
Justin Duplantis works in computational biology and will complete his MBA specializing in data analytics this month. A lifetime member of the Triple Nine Society, he served as an Executive Committee member and Editor of their journal, Vidya. He is a father of two profoundly gifted boys, whom joined him in Mensa membership at the ages of two and three. Justin has interests in high IQ communities, intelligence, and intelligence research, as measured by IQ tests. Beyond that, he is a former professional billiards player and is currently playing in Israel in the Israeli Elite Hockey League (IEHL). He discusses: the big change in life; ordinary education; boys; the development of the child who hit the ceiling at 150; learning styles; a reverse classroom; the possible deviancies; relationship with executive positions and membership within the Triple Nine Society; developments in thoughts on fatherhood; the Ph.D.; and overall intellectual giftedness, as defined by IQ.
Keywords: Bill Nye, computational biology, data analytics, Justin Duplantis, No Child Left Behind, Triple Nine Society.
Conversation with Justin Duplantis on Updates, Ordinary Education, Boys, Development, Reverse Classroom, and Fatherhood: Lifetime Member, Triple Nine Society (6)
*Please see the references, footnotes, and citations, after the interview, respectively.*
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Apparently, a lot has changed since the last interview. So, first things first, what has been the big change in life for you?
Justin Duplantis[1],[2]*: So many things… I have diverged from my PhD pursuit and will complete my MBA in Data Analytics in just a few weeks. My son was diagnosed with medulloblastoma and went through nearly a year of treatment at St Jude Childrens Research Center. I am currently in Israel playing hockey in the IEHL.
Jacobsen: We talked about giftedness and humane considerations last time. The idea of ‘human first, and gifted second,’ to paraphrase you. What is the range of intelligence best suited for ordinary education in America now?
Duplantis: One SD on either side should be considered normalized education. The key is the need for even more segmentation than one group below and one group above. At minimum, 3+ SD on either side should have specialized education beyond. Although statistically the population that would fall into these categories would make fielding a class impractical/improbable, the potential for bussing to a regional facility would be the optimal option.
Jacobsen: Boys seem to be failing in numerous areas of education. Are there particular characteristics of asynchronous development amongst gifted boys even further exaggerated within this trend in education?
Duplantis: Speaking from a personal, rather than research-based perspective, males and females are stimulated by different things. This is not meant to be all-encompassing, rather a general rule. Regardless of intellect and age, males tend to be more boisterous and silly. The eye rolling from females begins early and follows us into old age. There are exceptions to every rule, but I am not one. My spouse has become an expert eye roller and her amusement for my dad jokes waned quickly.
Jacobsen: How is the development of the child who hit the ceiling at 150 now?
Duplantis: Both of my sons are in this range. They are now five and six years of age and are homeschooled. After much debate between my wife and I, we determined that was the best option for our family. They are both completing third grade work, at the moment. This puts my eldest a year or so ahead, with my youngest three.
Jacobsen: Is different learning styles a euphemism for excusing poor cognitive performance in general? Or are differing styles of learning a legitimate phenomenon, empirically?
Duplantis: Empirically! Homeschooling our boys has been a welcomed challenge in our home. When teaching concepts, especially mathematics, the way in which a concept is grasped is not necessarily the same for both boys. They are of relatively equivalent intellect, yet their minds work in much different ways.
Jacobsen: What is the proper way to draw a thread and set bounds for the educational pathway for the young? Bill Nye spoke of a reverse classroom, not his idea, probably, where students spend time learning more in their own time rather than more with teachers. I do not know if this will work in conditions with more dependent thinkers rather than more independent students. By “independent,” I do not mean bold morons who think without acting; I mean individuals who think things through more methodically prior to making decisions for themselves or before integration of information into their knowledge networks.
Duplantis: The fact of the matter is that it is vital for parents and loved ones that surround children to enhance and cultivate the learning experience and process. A classroom is only going to teach so much. The true learning, as Bill Nye is referencing, is done outside those walls. It comes down to supporting and cultivating the interests of your children. When they latch on to an interest, provide them with the proper resources, outings, and conversations to allow them to dive deeper. In early development, it does not matter what your child is reading, as long as they are learning to love it.
Jacobsen: What are the possible deviancies, the pathways, for ‘troubled’ gifted youth? Any famous cases to exemplify some of these?
Duplantis: Idle hands…. The gifted often find themselves sitting in a class listening to a teacher repeat the same information over and over so the remedial students will grasp the concept. The passing of No Child Left Behind only exacerbated this by placing a strong emphasis on test scores. Teachers now, more than ever, need to ensure that all students are grasping the concepts prior to moving forward. The gifted are left thinking of ways to entertain themselves, which is oftentimes outside of the guidelines of the classroom rules. This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, pop culture has pointed to this for nearly 100 years. It is called evil genius after all….
Jacobsen: What is your relationship with executive positions and membership within the Triple Nine Society now?
Duplantis: Very little. In the most recent election there ended up being vacancies. I advised the Regent, Thorsten Heitzmann, that I would be willing to take up post. He opted to go with alternative volunteers.
Jacobsen: Any further developments in thoughts on fatherhood?
Duplantis: With my son having to go through cancer treatment it really put life into perspective. The most important thing is time. We will never get it back so one must cherish each moment. Hold your children, talk to them, spend time with them. They are only the age they are today, today.
Jacobsen: Have you received the Ph.D., or not? Whether yes or no, what is the status of the research answer(s) to the original question(s)?
Duplantis: As mentioned previously, I have opted to go down a different route and am only pursuing research on a personal level for the enrichment of my children.
Jacobsen: How have you defined “overall intellectual giftedness, as defined by IQ” in the research?
Duplantis: To be clear, intellectual giftedness and IQ are different items, although oftentimes utilized interchangeably. One can be intellectually gifted in a certain subject without having an overall IQ that is noteworthy. My key interest are not in the general intellectually gifted, rather those with IQs in the 3+ SD range. This is where the commonality of characteristics shine through most. I care not only about the education of these individuals, but their mental fortitude in a world that is not built for their speed.
Footnotes
[1] Lifetime Member, Triple Nine Society; Former Editor, Vidya; Former Executive Committee Member, Triple Nine Society.
[2] Individual Publication Date: June 8, 2022: http://www.in-sightpublishing.com/duplantis-6; Full Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2022: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.
*High range testing (HRT) should be taken with honest skepticism grounded in the limited empirical development of the field at present, even in spite of honest and sincere efforts. If a higher general intelligence score, then the greater the variability in, and margin of error in, the general intelligence scores because of the greater rarity in the population.
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