1 November 2002
Upside-Down Brilliance
The list of characteristics of a visual-spatial learner describes me. Trying to learn things the way most people do is like trying to drive a car backwards – you can do it, you can learn to do it OK, but it’s not the real thing. If you know something about computers, a better analogy would be to say that learning the typical way is like having software emulate hardware – you can get basically the same results, it just takes ten times as long and doesn’t work as well in general.’
‘Wow!!! This is amazing!!! I am 39 years old. I am one of these Visual-Spatial Learners and I never knew this until I read your web page.’
‘Since coming upon your site yesterday I have been thinking of the impact and import of this way of thinking and its not being recognized… The fog and storms I suffered since a child have parted and I am able to see ‘myself’ for the first time.’
Do you know things without being able to explain how or why? Do you solve problems in unusual ways? Do you think in pictures rather than in words? If so, you are not alone. One-third of the population thinks in images. You may be one or you may live with one. If you teach, it is absolutely certain that some of your students probably the ones you aren t reaching are visual-spatial learners.
Dr. Linda Silverman coined the term "visual-spatial learner" in 1981 to describe the unique gifts of people who think in images. They get the big picture because they see the world through artists eyes. They remember what they see, but forget what they hear. They re disorganized, can t spell and have no sense of time, but they have an infectious sense of humor, wild imaginations and can lose themselves completely in the joy of the moment.
A visual-spatial learner created the computer and the Internet, the vivid displays at the Olympics, and the International Space Station. Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner is the blueprint for parenting, teaching and living with these delightfully different beings. It is also a manual for discovering and honoring your own hidden gifts. Learn practical ways to recognize, reach, and develop visual-spatial abilities!
The author
Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D., is a recognized American psychologist. She leads the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development and the Gifted Development Center in Denver, CO (www.gifteddevelopment.com). Over 5,400 children have been tested at this center in the past 25 years. Linda coined the term ‘visual-spatial learner’ (VSL) in 1981 and has supported many visual-spatial learners and their families for more than 20 years. As an internationally acknowledged expert in giftedness and a sought-after speaker, Linda has contributed to over 300 publications, including the well-known book Counseling the Gifted and Talented.
Title
Upside-Down Brilliance
The Visual-Spatial Learner
Author(s)
Linda Kreger Silverman
Publisher
DeLeon Publishing, Inc. | ©2002
ISBN
9781932186000
