GIFTED CURRICULUM

TO NURTURE VERSATILISTS FOR THE

FUTURE-
AN INDIAN EXPERIENCE
Vishnuteerth Agnihotri

NAGC 2019 Convention, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Ethanol vs Gasoline/ Diesel.. A Technological
Innovation
Biofuels
■ USA
– Ethanol + Gasoline- mainly from corn
■ Europe
– Palm oil fats + Diesel
■ Brazil
– Ethanol + Gasoline- mainly from sugarcane
– Others like Soy/ Jatropha
Bio-Fuels..
‘surface
lens’

Cleaner
burning;
better air
quality
BioFuels..
US Lens
Bio-Fuels..
US lens
Energy Security

Ethanol Water
Subsidies Cleaner Depletion
burning;
better air
quality
Corn Small
Prices + refineries -
Growth- corn
production
View from a Global Lens

“352 kgs of corn to fill a 50-litre car tank

Food for one child for one year…….”
View from a Global Lens…

Washington Post
Bio-fuels as a response to air pollution and
climate change?
Bio-fuels as a response to air pollution and
climate change?

4 litres vs 0.05 litres!

Bio-Fuels.. Little Impact on GHGs*
Global Lens
Energy Security

Ethanol Water

Displaced Indigenous

Air quality in
Subsidies Depletion

SE Asia
Cleaner
burning;
better air
quality
Corn
People
Small
Prices + refineries -
Growth- corn
production
*US Per Capita
Consumption of
Gasoline > 80X of India Food Prices +
What was
missing in
this
picture?
Some Thoughts…

“Vision without systems thinking ends up

painting lovely pictures of the future with no
deep understanding of the forces that must be
mastered to move from here to there.” -Peter M.
Senge, The Fifth Discipline

BUT…
How do we teach when we don’t know the
answers?
“Versatilists” can connect the dots and
“see” better…

“If this generation lacks a

comprehensive view of the cosmos,
the future of life will be decided at
random”
-Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st
Century
“Versatilists” ask better questions and
synthesize a richer understanding…

………
He continues quick and dull in his clear images;
I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.

He in a new confusion of his understanding;

I in a new understanding of my confusion.
- Robert Graves, In Broken Images
Characteristics of Gifted Children
Nurturing Versatilists- Curricular Approach
Contextual Curated Multiple
Understanding Material Perspectives
Ways to Map ‘Distant’ See and
Systems Consequences Connect
Tools to Budding Experiences +
Understand Versatilist Expert
Complexity Paradigms of
Interactions
Computer Causality Deeper
Simulations Sensitivity
Better Habits of Awareness
Questions Thinking of Biases
 Urban Mobility
■ 3 sets of Readers/ Videos
– Introducing issues & data (congestion, air pollution,
safety)
Curated Material

– Range of proposed solutions (mainly tech based-

driverless vehicles; tunnel systems; buses over cars etc.)
– Systemic views of urban mobility (public transport;
land-use planning; equity)
■ Drawing maps and Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) to
visualize important factors and relationships
Curated Material
Urban Mobility…. Reader Set 1
Curated Material
Urban Mobility…. Reader Set 2

Transit Elevated Bus becomes Reality in China-

Closevoice.com
Curated Material
Urban Mobility…. Reader Set 3

Match Density to Transit Capacity (Guanzhou)

Flyover 
Stream (Seoul)
Tools for mapping relationships
Urban Mobility….
Tools for mapping relationships
Urban Mobility….
Experiences & Expert Interaction
Urban Mobility….

See- become aware -become sensitive - take action

Experiences & Expert Interaction
Urban Mobility….
 Urban Mobility.. asking better questions
• What can be the unintended consequences of building more roads?
• Who is the city for?
• What kind of city do we want?
Habits of Thinking

• Who all will be affected by the plans? Which stakeholders should we

consult when developing plans?
• What are possible future scenarios? How can we plan for different
scenarios?
• What are the needs and goals of different stakeholders? Are there reasons
that they will not adopt the plan? What needs to be addressed for plan
adoption?

The quality of questions we ask determines the quality of answers we

get..
Habits of Thinking

….
Urban
Mobility
Habits of Thinking
Urban Mobility….
Projects- Transfer of ‘Meta-Learning’
Nurturing Versatilists- Curricular Approach
Contextual Curated Multiple
Understanding Material Perspectives
Ways to Map ‘Distant’ See and
Systems Consequences Connect
Tools to Budding Experiences +
Understand Versatilist Expert
Complexity Paradigms of
Interactions
Computer Causality Deeper
Simulations Sensitivity
Better Habits of Awareness
Questions Thinking of Biases
Taking Things Forward
■ 2 day to 2-week modules that can be used by any teacher
(partnerships with relevant people and organizations to build
such material)
– Curated material
– Questions & Prompts
■ Supporting teachers to build and deliver lessons
■ Supporting teachers in the use of mapping tools and other
simulation tools
■ Experiential programs for teachers
Be in Touch

vishnu@genwise.in https://GenWise.in

+91 9342247734 https://twitter.com/GenWise_

+1 929-391-4182 (till Sun)

https://www.facebook.com/GenWise.in/
APPENDIX
Elon Musk & Public Transportation-
Twitter
Elon Musk & Public Transportation-
Twitter….
 Science & The Planetary Web- Mathematical &
Scientific Nature, Society and Computational
Enquiry the Individual Thinking
Access/ Equity/
Experiments to Distance between
Environment
evaluate cars for optimal
Curated Material

alternatives Develop flow

multiple cities
Insights into in a region
Group Behaviour

Simulating
Communication-
Complex Systems
Work Virtually Traffic Congestion
Technology,
Bullet Train using Perception of
Design and renewable energy Public Tools for Thinking and
Making Transport Communication
 Moral Concerns of the Gifted Child
“Antoine (age 6) is a worrier. He bites his nails, he loses sleep and if he
is really worried about something he finds it hard to eat or sleep. These
worries can be the ozone, endangered animals, NASA funding. I think
this sensitivity comes from an in-depth understanding of what the actual
consequences of his concerns can be. He knows that if we do not protect
a species that it will no longer be in existence so his children and their
children will never know what they were like. That’s what makes him
worry…. He is my righter of wrongs; truth, justice and fairness are his
requirements.”
- Mother of a Gifted Child (source- Linda Silverman)

Majority of 1800 gifted children tested at GDC displayed high moral

sensitivity- Linda Silverman
Abilities of the Gifted Child are suited to
tackling Complexity…
 Has a unique learning style (often
visual-spatial)
Gifted Characteristics from Linda Silverman
Learns rapidly
Is developmentally advanced
Is very curious; asks complex
questions
Gives complicated, detailed
explanations
Is quick to grasp relationships
Organizes information in new ways
Often has varied interests
Has more abstract thought processes
Sees ambiguity in "factual"
information
Usually has a good memory
Often enjoys working independently
Often grapples with complex moral
issues
Has a large vocabulary; loves words
Is often a perfectionist
Has a highly developed sense of humor
Often sees many solutions to a
problem
Has a long attention span
Tends to be intense
Highly sensitive
May be very energetic
May have a strong fear of failure
Often prefers older companions
Is asynchronous (develops unevenly)
Is committed to areas of interest
Traditional Thinking Vs Systems Thinking
Traditional Thinking
Understanding • Linear Causality (More roads
Workings -> Less traffic)
• Single Perspective (Build roads
for vehicles)
Developing • Top-down (Administration's
Responses view of issues)
• Simplistic, deterministic tools
(Road network planning tools) • Tools capturing emergence and
• Focus on Technology (Better
engines & fuel- lower
emissions)
Systems Thinking
• Interconnectedness (More roads ->
Induced demand -> Urban sprawl ->
same traffic)
• Multiple Perspectives (Access is the
goal; not roads)
• Top-down and Bottom Up (City
Planning based on stakeholder
consultation; Low cost housing)
unintended consequences (Scenario
Planning; Feedback Loops)
• Technology and other elements (Public
transport provision with last mile
connectivity)
• Changing the Story/ Paradigm
(Cycling is Cool)
US pushes for Bio-Ethanol
 Complexity- multiple factors, interests,
different paradigms……interconnected!
Corn Farmers Technologists Public
Food Transport
Oil Imports Trade Agreements
Prices
Politicians Developing Countries Per Capita
Fuel
Cars Biofuel Subsidy Consumption

Oil Refiners Technology Greenhouse

Gases
Cleaner Emissions (per
gallon)
 View from a Global Lens 352 kgs of corn to fill a 50-litre car tank
Food for one child for one year…….

• Speculation on food market

• Bio-fuels
• ‘Dumping’ by developed countries at lower
prices
Nurturing Versatilists….
Elements of our curriculum

■ Curated Material
– Contextual understanding
– Different perspectives (disciplines; stakeholders)
– Unintended consequences
■ Tools to understand complexity
– Pen-paper & computer simulations
■ Experiences & Expert Interaction
– See- become aware -become sensitive - take action
■ Habits of Thinking
– Asking better questions
– Cognitive Biases; Mental Models
– Paradigms of causality & change
Some Thoughts

“Technopoly is a state of culture. It is also a state

of mind. It consists in the deification of
technology, which means that the culture seeks its
authorization in technology, finds its satisfactions
in technology, and takes its orders from
technology.”
- Neil Postman, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to
Technology