GT Voice … the Perfect Start to the New Year!

Last December (2010), I wrote a post entitled, “Vision 2011: Digitally Connecting the Global Gifted Community”. In it, I expressed the hope for a worldwide effort of committed individuals who would make gifted advocacy their cause.

            “Every year the world loses the contributions of brilliant minds because we haven’t found a way to work together. Where would humanity be today if every gifted child were identified; if the needs of every gifted child were met both academically and emotionally; if the dreams of every gifted child were realized? If somewhere in your own education you learned to think critically, the answer should be quite clear. Connecting and working together is the only real choice.”

One group who came into existence in 2011 that met this criterion was GT Voice in the U.K.I am honored to be a Founder Member of this group; if only from afar … across the pond. I have followed every step of their development from the early meetings of the initial working group to the formal organization of GT Voice.

This group has painstakingly endeavored to put together a first-class organization. Many members are also associated with other gifted support groups in the country, but GT Voice does not want to be seen in either direct or indirect competition with them. As an inclusive network, it is entirely independent of other organizations and political affiliation. It receives no government funding and operates as a non-profit.

GT Voice is “a national network for the support and nurture of the gifted and talented young people, their families and educators”. Although primarily focused on gifted and talented education in the U.K., the new Board of Directors has strongly encouraged international participation by all those who have an interest in gifted children – parents, teachers, administrators, and advocates.

Speaking of the Board of Directors who was elected in September, let’s meet them! Denise Yates was elected by the Board to be the inaugural chair and has been the Chief Executive of the NAGC – UKfor over 3 years. Dr. Paula Radice is the Deputy Head of a large primary school and a Gifted & Talented Leading Teacher. Anna Comino-James has served on the NAGC’s Council of Management for many years and set up The Potential Trust Fund to ensure the organization’s financial survival. John Stevenage is the Chief Executive of British Mensa Limited as well as managing the High IQ Society and Mensa Publications Limited. Dr. Johnny Ball worked for 30 years in various projects for BBC and Central TV. In the 1990s, he was president of the NAGC for six years. Chris Leek is the Chairman of British Mensa and led the High IQ Society for 8 years. He also served as Chairman of Mensa International for 4 years. Matt Dickenson is the Achievement Director of London Gifted and Talented. He will also be the guest speaker at the Bavarian Center for Gifted and Talented Children’s Global Virtual Meeting in Second Life on January 28^th  (see my last post for details on how to participate). Aileen Hoare is the Chair of North West Gifted and Talented and creator/co-founder of Day a Week School. Tim Dracup is a NAGC Trustee and former national lead in England’s education ministry (1996 – 2009). As an independent consultant, Tim was one of the initiators of GT Voice.

For parents interested in gifted advocacy, this is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the process from a group of committed leaders in the field. GT Voice actively encourages participation on the part of parents; a rare occurrence in the gifted community. They will be publishing a free monthly e-bulletin to update, inform, involve and recruit members. Each issue will include informative and provocative articles by Board Members.

I encourage all my readers – both parents and educators – to take advantage of all this group has to offer! Their website can be found . Their charter can be found . Their constitution can be found . And a membership form can be found . In the future, GT Voice will be launching a Google Group where members can gather to discuss issues important to the group. A redesigned website is set to launch by March 2012.

Your participation in GT Voice will be part of a global initiative in support of all gifted children. Outside of the U.K., there will be no meetings to attend; but, your views and concerns will be heard and taken into consideration by the group. You can read more about future plans at Tim Dracup’s excellent blog, Gifted Phoenix, found .

So, what are you waiting for? Readers of this blog are always asking me how they can become involved but express concerns about time constraints. Well, I am offering you the perfect way to become a supporter of gifted education without straining your daily calendar or budget (there is no membership fee)! Click on the link above (oh heck, it is again) and do.it.now! See you at a Google Group soon!

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Global Virtual Meetings in Gifted Education

I often hear parents and teachers lament the fact that there aren’t enough hours in a day or going to lectures and conventions are just too expensive; and they are right! However, these experiences can make the journey for the parent of an intellectually gifted child so much easier … an elixir for the age-old complaint ~ “if I had known then what I know now”. For teachers of high-ability students, professional development can make the difference between a mediocre teacher and a highly regarded teacher who understands the nature and potential of their students.

In a world of tough economic times and shrinking school budgets, there is a bright spot in the world of gifted education. Those who are willing to give up ONE HOUR a month to attend an online conference will have the benefit of not only listening to world renown keynote speakers, but also be able to ask them questions one-on-one as well as meet new friends and colleagues in a global setting. Did I mention that it is totally FREE and you never have to leave your house (think carbon footprint, scruffy jeans, beverage of choice at hand)? Did I mention it is for only one hour a month? (Okay, I did mention that.) And the best part ~ you can sit next to ME!

How is this all possible you may ask? Roya Klingner, head and founder of the Bavarian Centerfor Gifted and Talented Children, had the incredible foresight to start building a conference center in Second Life years ago in preparation for these conferences. In Roya’s own words, “The purpose of the conference is to cultivate a global virtual meeting, sharing knowledge and experience about gifted education for students, educators, teachers and parents.” The first meeting was held in August, 2010.

Have I piqued your interest yet? Well, take a look at this video produced by Roya to see past speakers at her conferences.

So, exactly what is Second Life? From their , “Linden Labs was founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale to create a revolutionary new form of shared online experiences known as Second Life. … Second Life is the leading 3D virtual world filled with user-created content and immersive experiences.” The actual program launched in 2003 with a free client program called the Viewer which enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars. For more information, see . 

To see the full list of academic organizations currently using Second Life … including the University of Texas, University of Warwick, Tasmanian Polytechnic, Oxford University Computing Services, University of New England, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Penn State World Campus, Texas A & M, Stockholm School of Economics, and Rutgers University … click .  Because residents are free to choose their activities in Second Life including those which are non-educational, it is open only to people 18 years of age and older.

Ready to get started? The first step is to  join Second Life and create an avatar . To participate in the meeting, you will need a headset. A microphone is optional as you may communicate via keyboard if you prefer. About 10 minutes before the conference is to begin, click . This link will take you directly to the building where the meetings are held; usually on the roof. It may be helpful to go earlier in the week to acclimate yourself to Second Life and get comfortable navigating there.

The next "Global Virtual Meeting for Gifted Education in Second Life" will be held January 28th 2012 at 3PM EST/9 PM CEST (Germany). The invited speaker is Matt Dickensen (UK). He is Equalities and Achievement Director with London Gifted & Talented, leading the REALProject (Realizing Equality and Achievement for Learners) the first systematic attempt to improve the quality of G&T education for pupils from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and those learning English as an additional language (EAL). Prior to joining LGT, he taught for twelve years and was also Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning at the National Academy for Gifted & Talented Youth (NAGTY).

Now take a look at this lineup!

- February 25th 2012...Josh Shaine (USA)

- March 24th 2012...Prof. Dr. Ernst Hany (Germany)

- April 21th 2012...Cindy Sheets (USA)

- May 26th 2012...Prof. Dr. Françoys Gagné (Canada)

Roya Klingner is a brilliant, international advocate and speaker in the gifted community. Her dedication to gifted children is unsurpassed. She has tirelessly worked to put together the Second Life conferences. I have seen many articles about these conferences, but rarely see the authors show up at them. Not only have I attended practically every conference, I promise to save a seat for YOU! No excuses!

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Giftedness or Talent Development?

For some, this post could well have been entitled, “Much Ado about Nothing”. For others, however, it is an issue of grave importance. This is a follow-up to my last two posts about redefining giftedness in the U.S.

A funny thing happened on my way to write this post … I learned that this discussion is nothing new – it was discussed in the 1800’s, 1930s, and virtually every decade thereafter. The difference today is that some researchers are now saying we must bid adieu to the term ‘gifted’ in favor of the more palatable term ‘talent development’ if the gifted community is to be found acceptable and worthy of public funding.

If you live outside of the U.S., you may have a puzzled look on your face about now. Talent development is an important initiative during the current Hungarian EU presidency’s term in office. April 9, 2011 was declared European Talent Day. Other countries, several of whom are among the top performers on the OECD’s PISA Assessments, are making talent development a national priority in lieu of the availability of natural resources.

Facebook discussions have revolved around two main concerns – talent development as a means of producing eminence within a specific domain and giftedness as a response to meeting the needs of the whole child including social and emotional issues.

This blog has advocated for talent development in the past. There is a great need in the world today for ‘producers’ ~ those who can answer the ‘big’ questions and find solutions to the many pressing issues in our world today. However, this needs to be done in concert with remembering the uniqueness of each child and their differential needs; separate and beyond the needs of other children. It is curious to me why some leaders in the gifted community feel the need to eliminate one approach in deference to the other.

Here’s the deal for parents of gifted children – you and your child need to decide what is most important to your child. There is no right or wrong answer. Many parents are extremely comfortable seeing their children as high-achievers; producers. Many gifted children thrive on maintaining a 4.0 average with top scores on every test they take. They have the potential to attend the top universities and attain success in whatever field they choose. Others are happy seeing their child excel in whatever area they choose regardless of which path they follow to get there. Some will experience difficulties and require additional support throughout their lives; others will not.

What nearly all parents want most for their children is that they find peace and happiness in life doing whatever it is they choose. Few will accept the judgment that their child’s giftedness is solely dependent upon whether or not they achieve eminence in any field. If this were the case, there would be little reason to support any gifted child beyond the most profoundly gifted. Should we choose to support only those who have the potential to achieve eminence in their fields? In my humble opinion … not so much.  

There are many organizations in the U.S. and around the world whose mission it is to support gifted children in various ways. Here are a few links to various groups. If interested, take a look!

WCGTC ( )

SENG - US ( )

NACG – UK ( )

GT Voice - UK( )

GHF - US ( )

NACE - UK( )

AAEGT – AUS ()

NZAGC ( )  

HKAGE – Hong Kong ()

IRADTE - EU ( )

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A Response from the NAGC

In my last post, I discussed the ongoing debate within the U.S.concerning statements made by Dr. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius both prior to and after becoming the president of the NAGC. Since that time, the NAGC and Dr. Olszewski-Kubilius have both responded with written statements  and  .

It was noted in one of the responses that statements were being conflated on certain gifted blogs. To make sure my readers are clear, I delineated three separate writings: 1) a monograph co-authored by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius and first published in January of 2011, 2) an article in Compass Points – “Taking a Bold Step”, also by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius sent to members in November 2011, and 3) an article in the Spring 2011 issue of Gifted Child Quarterly (not addressed in the responses).

The NAGC, in their response, also mentioned their position paper, Redefining Giftedness for a New Century: Shifting the Paradigm found , as the official position of the organization which this blog did not address. Readers will have to discern what they will from the statements by the NAGC. I will take them at face value at the present time that remarks made by Paula Olszewski-Kubiliusreflect her own personal opinions and not the official current position of the NAGC.

I would like to point out that I have great respect for the work Dr. Olszewski-Kubilius has done at Northwestern University and her dedication to their Center for Talent Development (take a look ). I applaud her courage for starting the conversation about talent development. I have spent the last couple weeks researching her writings and have learned much about her philosophy. Although I don't agree with all the conclusions to which she has come, there can be no doubt about her sincerity in helping children develop to their full potential. 

In my next post, I will discuss my interpretation of the differences of opinion between giftedness and talent development. For the record, I think both should play a role in the identification of and the delivery of services to gifted children rather than having one replace the other.  

Other blogs have also commented on this situation.:

The blog Gas Station Without Pumps has a good post on the Rethinking Giftedness monograph, entitled “What is Giftedness?” found  .

From Asynchronous Scholars’ Fund, “Shifting the Paradigm: Asynchrony and the High-Potential Child” found is another response to the NAGC.

From the blog Wicked Smart, there are three posts related to this discussion found , , and .

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The NAGC’s Bold Step and What it Means for Your Gifted Child

What a way to start off a new job … with a bang! Paula Olszewski-Kubilius took over the reigns of the NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children – U.S.) at their annual convention earlier this month. She's also the director of Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development and a professor in their School of Educationand Social Policy.

In her inaugural message to NAGC members, ‘’, Olszewski-Kubilius states, “I suggest that we take a bold step and consider making talent development, rather than giftedness, the major unifying concept of our field and most importantly, the basis for our practice.” Critics were quick to contend that this was a bold statement for the new president of an organization which is considered to be all about giftedness rather than talent development; even going so far as to suggest it change its  name.

Nothing less than a firestorm has erupted in online gifted communities. Perhaps it is just the company I keep, but the cons sure seemed to outnumber the pros. It also re-opened some old debates between the importance of recognizing giftedness vs. focusing on talent development … talent development based upon principles of psychology rather than education. Many negative comments seemed predicated on this conflict rather than on an in-depth review of the underlying reasons why the NAGC has committed to heading in this direction.

It just so happens that yours truly had been plodding her way through a 45+ page monograph for three weeks prior to the publishing of the latest issue of Compass Points. I say plodding because it reminded me of why I dropped out of graduate school (thus my lowly status of blogger rather than college professor). 

To be honest, the monograph, "", was not written for a lay person. The provided by the journal in which it was published, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, did not do it justice. In fact, in some social media circles it acted like high-quality kindling on a fire that was just getting started. The monograph was written, however, in my opinion to serve as the basis for a fundamental change in direction at the NAGC. It redefined giftedness as “the manifestation of performance or production”, that “achievement is the measure of giftedness”, and that “eminence is the basis on which this label [gifted] is granted”.

  

The controversy online made this topic almost too hot to handle for this blog. I say ‘almost’ because the more I read about it, the more intrigued I became about digging deeper. Talk about emotional intensity … it’s like an American attending the World Cup! You love the game – fútbol or soccer, as we like to call it – you know some of the players, you have a general idea of who you want to win, but most of the time you feel confused and wish those around you would just stop blowing those !

So why did the NAGC decide that now was the time to change course? From a review of this year’s Gifted Child Quarterly – the official journal of the NAGC … and yes, I am a member – it became clear that articles were published in anticipation of this move to an emphasis on talent development. It should also be noted that all three authors of the ‘Rethinking Giftedness’ monograph – Rena F. Subotnik, Paula Olszewdki-Kubilius, and Frank Worrell – are also members of the Editorial Review Board at Gifted Child Quarterly. (More on the authors can be found .)

In the Spring 2011 issue of Gifted Child Quarterly one such article appeared entitled, “”. The authors – Dai, Swanson & Cheng – came to the conclusion after an extensive review of gifted research articles between 1998 and 2010 that there needed to be a clearer definition of giftedness that the entire gifted community could agree upon if any forward progress was to be made in gifted education; at least in the U.S. They showed a dramatic increase in the amount of research on giftedness and gifted education, but also an increasing divergence in the direction of that research. Basically, they were calling for new standards in the field.

What were the motives behind this move on the part of the NAGC? Is it their intention to replace the term gifted with talent development? Are the social emotional issues experienced by gifted children no longer valid? What role does the NAGC’s support of The Talent Act sitting in Congress have to do with any of this? And last, but not least, for whom does the NAGC speak? I look forward to hearing from the NAGC should they decide to address these questions.

In the final analysis, this blogger must ask, “What does this mean for gifted children?” Yes, remember them – the children – the reason we teach, research, and for whom we advocate for a clearer understanding of their needs and education? This change of definition will definitely make a difference for future generations, but in reality … probably not for our children today. Which begs the question – should parents even be concerned about this whole issue?

Do I think it’s important for parents to be concerned about the direction taken by an organization who is a major player in shaping gifted education policy in the U.S.? Why, yes, yes.I.do! Just as I feel that progress will only be made when parents step up to the plate and make their voices heard in support of their children. For too long – like forever – parents have sat on the sidelines complaining about the gifted programs in their local schools, the lack of funding at the state level, and the lack of federal mandates to validate the need for gifted education at all. You need to become part of the conversation or things will NEVER change. You will become grandparents complaining from your rocking chairs and wishing you had done something years ago.

A word to my international readers … this is not solely an American issue. All parents need to become advocates for gifted education to ensure a brighter future filled with opportunity for your children. Better still … we must all come together as a forceful reminder to the larger gifted community that it is about … the children!

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It’s Elementary … Working as a Team

 “It’s elementary, my dear Watson” … an oft quoted line of Sherlock Holmes is quite appropriate when talking about gifted children and the importance of the early years spent in elementary or primary school. It is here that the foundation of their lives is built. If a parent or school waits until a child is older to consider identification and appropriate educational placement, it can be an opportunity lost forever.

Young gifted children need to be challenged during the beginning years of school. For too many of these kids, it is easier to take the path of least resistance rather than the road less travelled. Elementary school is a ‘breeze’ for many gifted children. They know the curriculum inside and out even before they open a book. In the first few years it is like a game for them. Always knowing the answers, their little hands are the first ones up when the teacher asks a question. After multiple wrong answers are given, the teacher finally calls on them. With beaming faces, they give the correct answer and receive appropriate praise from the teacher. Although parents may see this as an ego boost, in reality it is setting a bad precedent. Without proper guidance these children may become boastful and alienate classmates or become bored and mischievous. The latter often resulting in numerous trips to the principal’s office or phone calls home.

There are some ways to break this cycle, but it involves parents and teachers working together as a team. Yes, I realize that this can be a problem when one of the parties does not want to engage in the process. As a parent, however, if you want everyone invested in your child’s best interest you must be willing to attempt to build strong relationships based on mutual respect. This requires a great deal of diplomacy and work on the part of the parent. When you are working with educators you need to act professionally, keep your emotions intact, prove that you know what you’re talking about through written documentation and use of appropriate educational language, and know the law in regard to gifted education in your school’s jurisdiction. Basically, you need to know how the system works, who the decision makers are, and what you hope to achieve for your child’s education; not an easy task for a young parent.

Building a strong support system for an elementary level child should be the ultimate goal of every parent. Model the behavior you wish your child to display. Remember that education is so much more than what you learn from a book. Learning how to work well with others to achieve your goals is one of the most important lessons in life we can teach our children. In fact … it’s elementary my dear parent!

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Parenting Gifted Children … Does it Have to Be So Hard?

When I first started contemplating parenthood, I shared the idyllic dreams of many wannabe parents of what life would be like with children. Visions of … “Mommy, I love you!” … danced in my head. Never, ever, did I think it would be as difficult as it has been and this has come as quite a shock to me! No one said it would be easy, but … geez … did it have to be this hard?

Recently, I started taking a more serious look at the books written about parenting gifted children. And wow, there are quite a lot of them! Most are excellent resources, well written, and offer good advice to frazzled parents. I would recommend them to anyone. In fact, I’ll include a short list at the end of this post.

That being said, I began to look back at my experiences with my own children. They are both in college now, thankfully; so, I have much to reflect on concerning their early years. The information available to me as a young mother was not much more than what my mother had used … Dr. Spock and Dr. T. Berry Brazelton. Widespread use of the Internet was in its infancy and I had no idea that they were ‘gifted’ … amazingly bright kids who seemed to win arguments more than they should, but gifted?

Information is power and the earlier a parent has it, the better! Although it’s good to know how to be a good parent, in the case of a gifted child … it’s also good to know what you’re dealing with. It helps to prepare you for the rapid-fire advancement through various stages of development with a little asynchronous development thrown in for good measure. Make it a point to learn what your school district offers in the way of gifted programming K – 12, who is responsible for administering and providing services, and what the law is regarding gifted education in your state/country. This can be done even before your child sets one foot in school.

Now that you have that down, let’s talk about potential problem areas when parenting a gifted child. I have already mentioned one of the most difficult challenges – asynchronous development. Most people don’t even know what that means and you may not either; but, you’ve ‘seen’ what it looks like. Gifted kids can be brilliant at a very young age, but this frequently doesn’t match their social and emotional maturity. In fact, the discrepancy between brain function and maturity can make for some very unpleasant situations. Knowing that this is relatively common in gifted children and being prepared to deal with it is half the battle.

Another challenge faced by gifted parents is realizing early on that nobody cares more for your child and their education than you. The buck stops here. Not only must you be the one to advocate for your child at school; you must also take responsibility for providing supplemental learning opportunities outside of school. This can take various forms such as afterschool programs, classes at universities that offer gifted programs, summer camps, cultural experiences, and travel to historical locations to name a few. It can also be as simple as a trip to the library or a nature hike. Talk often with your child and find ways to spark their curiosity.

Did you hear the part about “talk to your child”? Since they seem to be asking questions incessantly, this shouldn’t be hard to do. Talk about many different topics … they are usually up for a debate anyway! Talk to them about those things you value most and why you hold certain beliefs. They won’t always agree with you, but one day they will thank you for it. Never be afraid to say, “I don’t know”. Consider it an opportunity to learn together. Buckle up – it’s a wild ride!

In the final analysis, it’s you and your child … that’s just how it is. It is a journey you take together and do the best you can. Laugh with, love, and enjoy them, because in the blink of an eye – they are on their own. If you do your job, it will be the happiest time in both your lives!

And now for a brief list of books (in no particular order) I (and a few of my closest friends) like on gifted parenting …

• Living With Intensity (Susan Daniels/Michael Piechowski)
• Emotional Intensity in Gifted Children (Christine Fonseca)
• The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids (Sally Walker)
• Guiding the Gifted Child (James T. Webb, Stephanie Tolan, et al.)
• Academic Advocacy for Gifted Children (Barbara Jackson Gilman)
• Raising a Gifted Child (Carol Fertig)
• A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Teens (Lisa Rivero)
• Making the Choice (Corin Barsily Goodwin/Mika Gustavson)
• When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers (Jim Delisle/Judy Galbraith)
• Raisin Brains (Karen Johnson Isaacson)
• 5 Levels of Gifted (Deborah Ruf)

          

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Gifted Education and the Development of Human Capital

A newly released book entitled, The Atlas of Economic Complexity  (which is available as a free download ),by César Hidalgoand Ricardo Hausmann et al. makes a case for gifted education both by its authors and its content. They were attempting to learn why the economies of some countries grow faster than others. How’s that for an impressive inquiry? 

Consider first the authors of this book. César Hidalgo is not only Assistant Professor in Media Arts and Science at the MIT Media Lab, but also a Faculty Associate at the Center for International Development at Harvard. His website can be found . A TEDx Talk on Global Economic Development at TEDx Boston in August of last year can be found .  A presentation on Economic Complexity can be found . He earned a degree in physics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Notre Dame. While working on his Ph.D., he joined the Center for Complex Network Research (CCNR). The program relocated to Northeastern University in Bostonand this placed the soon-to-be Dr. Hidalgoin proximity to MIT and Harvard. Ricardo Hausmann has an equally impressive background with a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University, followed by a position as Professor of Economics at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion in Caracas, and currently is the Director of the Center for International Development at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

What does this have to do with the return on investment from gifted education besides the fact that these two individuals are prime examples of what can be achieved when people are able to reach their full potential? Plenty. The content of their book is what caught my eye. {{I know what you’re thinking … how geeky is it that a blogger on gifted parenting is reading about economic development theory … but I digress.}}

In earlier posts, I discussed the importance of a country developing its human capital when it possesses little or no natural resources to exploit. A review of leading performers on the OECD’s PISA assessments points to countries that are doing just this. Higaldo and Hausmann believe that the definition of capital is too broadly defined with regard to economic growth. They discuss production capital, but at the same time illuminate a country’s need for strong human capital to succeed.

In a nutshell, Higaldo and Hausmann theorize that a country’s economic strength lies in the diversity of its production capacity. They give as an example all the various technologies, production methods, and the obtaining of raw materials that go into a microprocessor chip. Bringing all of these factors together depends on human capital. The authors use the term ‘economic complexity’ to describe that when a country best utilizes the combined knowledge of its people to produce unique products, its society benefits economically.

Voilà! Point A connects to point B. Collaboration + Education + Higher-Order Thinking = Finding Solutions to global issues. “Accumulating productive knowledge is difficult. For the most part, it is not available in books or on the Internet. It is embedded in brains and human networks. It is tacit and hard to transmit and acquire.” (Preface, Atlas of Economic Complexity) To this end, countries must seek out, develop, and bring together their brightest minds to make this happen.

Global intellectual collaboration is the impetus behind social and economic progress. The development of expert knowledge must begin somewhere. When parents, schools, and nations fail to recognize and develop the academic giftedness of their children, students, and citizens … we all loose. This is not rocket science, folks. It is simply the acknowledgement that society needs to do everything it can to support its high-ability learners.

When my children were very young, I tried to impress upon them the understanding that they could make a difference in this world. It is my hope that you as the parent of a gifted child or children are doing the same.  

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Instructional Strategies for Higher Order Thinking

Earlier this year, I wrote a post on Instructional Strategies for Gifted Students. To date, it has been the most read post on this blog. An interesting comment on that post came from a teacher, “How do teachers find the time to coordinate the differentiation required to meet all students' needs? Any suggestions?”  This is a very important question as well as a very ‘telling’ question with regard to the state of teaching today. And, as a matter of fact, I do have some suggestions.

Differentiating for every student in a class of 30 or more students is no easy task. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that this rarely occurs in the majority of classrooms regardless of mandates. But is there a better way to meet the needs of every child without having to write 30 different lesson plans?

Parents of gifted students need to be cognizant of these types of issues in education because invariably it will affect your child if you choose to keep them in public education … and most of you will. So, what can a parent do to ensure that their own child’s needs are being met and that they are being challenged to meet their full potential?

Enter Higher Order Thinking as an instructional strategy. And what exactly is Higher Order Thinking? I like to ‘think’ of it as thinking beyond the test … thinking beyond rote memorization or simply retelling previously learned material. One needs to understandwhat they are learning and then connect their thoughts in meaningful ways to solve problems. Sounds good to me! One caveat though … there are many educators who strongly believe that Higher Order Thinking has no place in the classroom; that it is not a function of education.

This all begs the question … who teaches your child? Is it just the regular education teacher? The gifted education teacher? What about you? You have a responsibility to teach your child as well. Therefore, you need to know about Higher Order Thinking and how it can be taught both in your child’s classroom and at home.

Alice Thomas, M.Ed., and Glenda Thorne, Ph.D., in their article, “Higher Order Thinking” , state that Higher Order Thinking skills can be learned and that skill levels can be increased. And the best strategy for both teachers and parents is modeling! This may require some knowledge acquisition on your part. Thinking about thinking, metacognition, is an intricate part of Higher Order Thinking. Understanding how you think can improve how you think. Therefore, one way to model Higher Order Thinking is to explain to your children why you think the way you do. Make sense?

In her piece for Edutopia, “Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking” , Mariko Nobori provides teachers with some excellent strategies for teaching students to think at a higher level which include embedding questions in their lessons, prompting students with provocative questions, providing tools such as “sentence starters and connectors”, modeling expectations, encouraging constructive controversy, choosing topics that interest students, employing Socratic discussions, using different methods of assessment, allowing students to evaluate each other, and letting students lead the discussion. Parents can use these techniques as well in their everyday interactions with their gifted child. 

Why is this so important? In 2008, Tony Wagner wrote the book, The Global Achievement Gap, in which he details the dangers inherent in failing to educate our children to become critical thinkers with the ability to solve ever-increasingly difficult global problems. In the 21^stcentury, employers put a premium on workers who have these skills and can effectively use them. Parents, too, need to put a premium on these skills for their children to become effective problem solvers. Innovation and creativity are both enhanced by Higher Order Thinking as an integral part of the process.

Higher Order Thinking as a teaching strategy encompasses a student’s world both in and out of the classroom. It can be used by both teachers and parents. Its effective use can overcome the brain’s natural inclination to limit incoming information and can encourage our children to become open to creative thought processes and new ideas.

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Connecting, Collaborating, Empowering Your Gifted Child

I have written about social media on several occasions – okay, on many occasions – well, maybe it’s a borderline obsession – but honestly, it’s just that important. Once your child connects and collaborates, they will be empowered to make a difference in the world. As a parent, it should be the newest tool in your toolbox.

What is at issue is teaching your child how to use social media to its fullest potential for their benefit and the benefit of others. Most gifted kids do not need to be instructed on how to use social media to connect with friends. They.get.it. It’s that ‘full potential’ aspect that is critical and too often missing.

Guy Kawasaki in his book, Enchantment, takes you on a journey to “learn how to change the hearts, minds, and actions of people” by building long-term relationships with other people in order to realize your passions and dreams. He discusses “push technology” - how to use e-mail, Twitter, and PowerPoint to spread your message to those you want to influence and “pull technology” - how to use blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn to bring people to you. This is a skill that once mastered by gifted children will benefit them their entire lives.

While other kids are updating their status on Facebook about where the next party is, your child can be connecting with kids all around the globe concerning issues about which they are passionate. Perhaps they will participate in a Socratic seminar at a virtual conference two continents away with people from 30 other countries on solving the Earth’s need for clean water. It is a learning experience as well as a potential opportunity to cultivate leadership skills. By gaining new knowledge, they can be empowered to take the next step to connect with mentors and world class educators to find a solution and implement it.

Social media is a spawning ground for collaboration. In his post, “”, author JR Johnson illustrates the benefits that come when our children reach out to those with whom they share common passions; they develop a mutual understanding of each other. In turn, positive change can happen through friendships forged in this manner; it changes the way in which they look at people different from themselves.

Building an effective Personal Learning Network (PLN) is often the first step in developing quality relationships. Andrew Marcinek in “” , reminds educators of the need to “promote critical thinking, questioning, and constrictive criticism.” He goes on to emphasize the need for students to become active members of PLNs by posting and sharing. In this way, they move “beyond simple connections that they get, and really empower their voices, abilities, and talents.” Ultimately, the PLN becomes a support group where they feel free to share new ideas.

There are many opportunities available for kids to connect. Here are some links to get you started:

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Connecting online is important in the lives of gifted children. It is a global resource for kids to build friendships with their intellectual peers. The potential of social media to empower them is priceless. The key will be parents who mentor their children in building these relationships.

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Making the Choice

Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child by Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson is a part of the Perspectives in Gifted Homeschooling Series from Gifted Homeschoolers Forum. It is an easy read, it is inexpensive, and you can buy it . The end.

Now, that was easy! Of course, that’s not ‘the end’, but this book is so good … you shouldn’t need any more persuading than that to read it. I read blog posts, articles online and books about gifted education everyday. This is one of those books that really stands out as a must read for parents of gifted children.

If you are a homeschooling parent or considering homeschooling – this book is for you. If you have a twice-exceptional child that struggles in a public school – this book is for you. If you are the parent of a profoundly gifted child who is not being challenged in their current educational placement – this book is for you. If you are the parent of a gifted child who has grown weary of fighting the system year after year – this book is for you. Have I left anyone out?

Ah … but you are not considering homeschooling. Guess what? You still need this book. It is one of the best books I’ve read that truly explains the nature of twice-exceptional kids from the perspective of a parent who has walked down this path. It also summarizes the many aspects of ‘giftedness’ in a simple to understand language.

Not convinced yet? From the introduction …  “Change is scary. We know that. Sticking with something that is not working is scary, too – in the long run – even if it seems easier now. It is our belief that, as parents, the final responsibility for raising and educating our children rests with us. If a situation is not working, it is up to us to recognize that there is a problem and proactively address it.”

My point is that Making the Choice delivers sound advice on parenting that we all can benefit from by making it a part of our personal libraries. Even though the book is intended to help those contemplating homeschooling, it also does an excellent job of walking parents through the steps of what to do before making a final decision. The authors explain such things as accommodations, modifications, and IEPs .

Another section of the book that I found especially compelling was the discussion of red flags and warning signs that may occur when your child is in an educational environment that simply is not working for them. Some are obvious and others not so much. They also explain the consequences of ignoring these signs.

Making the choice to buy and read this book should be one of the easiest decisions you make as the parent of a gifted child. 

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Grow a Generation – An Interview with Dr. Ellen Cavanaugh

Recently, I had the pleasure to sit down and talk with Dr. Ellen Cavanaugh about her new company, Grow a Generation. The following is my interview with her.

GPS: Ellen, what was your inspiration for starting Grow a Generation?

Dr. Cavanaugh: My inspiration for Grow a Generation (www.growageneration.com) stems from three sources: 1) thirty years of experience that shouts children and teens (except for the rare exceptions) only thrive with involved parents, 2) parents are getting a bad rap which makes it harder for them to get involved, and 3) parents need support navigating the massive changes that are happening in culture, education and career preparation.

GPS: What does your company offer to parents?

Dr. Cavanaugh: Grow a Generation gives tools to parents to help their kids develop 21st century skills. We offer a free weekly newsletter, skill workbooks and project workbooks that are geared for you to help your child develop the 21st century skills of innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, emotional intelligence, resilience, leadership, and vision. We also offer an opportunity for a spring Voluntour, where families travel to the Dominican Republic. We stay at a resort and have 3 days of gorgeous beaches and incredible food, and 3 days of volunteering and immersion into the lives of those building a path out of poverty through education, green engineering, and innovation. Teens and adults leave the experience inspired and motivated to bring what they learned back to their own communities. Finally, I am available to speak (in person or through Skype) to parent, grandparent, and family groups to inspire and give you tools to help the young people in your lives develop the skills they need in the 21st century.



GPS: I know there is a book to be published soon in conjunction with the launch of your company. Can you tell us about it?

Dr. Cavanaugh: The book, Grow a Generation: Parenting in the 21st Century, focuses on the seven skills needed for our children to thrive in the after-Google world of global markets and shifting sands of change. Each chapter is filled with background on why the skills are needed and lots of practical ideas on how to help your children and teens develop them. It is currently scheduled for a February 2012 release date.

GPS: Who would you consider as your main audience for Grow a Generation?

Dr. Cavanaugh: The main audience is parents and grandparents seeking to provide phenomenal experiences of growth and development for the young people in their lives.

GPS: Dr. Cavanaugh, could you share with my readers your background as a parent as well as your professional and educational background?

Dr. Cavanaugh: My background is as diverse as many professional women today who have spent their lives dividing their time between parenting, school, and work. I have two kids, my daughter 24 and graduated with her Masters in Psychology. She works with adults who suffer from trauma and mental illness. My son is 13 and mathematically gifted, thriving in a cyber school environment. My background includes mathematics and education, having taught in a technical school, 25 years of professional youth ministry, publishing, and teaching in area universities. My doctorate is in systematic theology, examining systems of thought as they evolved in history. My passion is working with youth and young adults, examining how character and integrity are formed during these crucial years, and having a blast working beside them as a FIRST robotics coach.

GPS: In closing, could you give some advice to parents of gifted children?

Dr. Cavanuagh: The best advice, hmmm… of course, subscribe to the Grow a Generation newsletter and buy the book! Something you can do today is to keep the lines of communication open, ask the favorite young people in your life meaningful questions and listen authentically to their replies. Something to build for the future is a 20% project. Google, among other companies, has what is called 20% time. Time in the employee’s life is set aside to work on a project of their choice, something they believe will benefit the company, the world, and contribute to the mission of Google. What is the 20% project your child wants to build? Is their time in their lives to work on it? Are you modeling for them innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, emotional intelligence, resilience, leadership and vision with your own 20% project?

GPS: Ellen, thanks for chatting with me today. I wish you much success in your new endeavor!

Dr. Cavanaugh: Thanks Lisa for taking the time to listen and share with all your readers. And thank you for all you are doing to empower the gifted students of today build a world overflowing with beauty, truth, belonging, integrity, justice, empowerment and hope.

GPS: Dr. Ellen Cavanaugh can be reached at:

Grow a Generation: Cultivating Skills for the 21st Century

200 Hoenig Road
Sewickley PA 15143
724-266-1498

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Self-paced Acceleration

Clearly, changes are needed in how we educate our children. Those who are identified as high-ability learners or gifted or profoundly gifted or ‘whatever’ other appellation appeals to your sense of political correctness … must be included within the framework of today’s education reform.

Is it time to re-invent the wheel? I don’t think so. I think it’s time to take a trip down memory lane myself. Back to the days of the one-room school house romanticized in American folklore as a simpler time when the lone ‘teacher on the prairie’ was tasked to educate children as a group composed of many different ages.

Today, the schoolhouse may have changed, but teaching children according to their ability rather than by chronological age is an idea whose time is re-emerging as a real viable option. It’s not as radical as it may seem on face and it is gaining support in education circles. Nascent steps in this direction are already being taken with the introduction of dual-enrollment of high school students in college classes, early graduation paired with early entrance to universities, and even the elimination of grade levels in several school districts; most notably a pilot program in the Kansas City (MO) school district at the elementary level.

So what does this mean for parents of gifted children? I recently read the new book from Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson, Making the Choice: When Typical School doesn’t fit your Atypical Child. Although it is a part of the Perspectives in Gifted Homeschooling Series, I highly recommend it for all parents, not just homeschoolers. It is especially informative concerning 2E kids and provides a wealth of information on many educational options.

What piqued my interest in this book was why so many parents are seeking alternatives and why homeschooling is so appealing for gifted children. Ding … ding … ding! Could it be that these children progress at their own pace? Could it be that these parents were never given this option in their traditional school districts? Could it be that these students have a track-record of success? A word of caution … I am not referring to homeschoolers who make this choice based on religious reasons. I’m talking about gifted children who are languishing in classrooms that require them to ‘stay with the program’ … ‘think inside the box’ … ‘be quiet in the hall’ … and never ever challenge the all important status quo.

About now, many of you are probably thinking … this is a nice topic for a blog … but totally unrealistic. Not so fast! Is this just the pipe dream of an eccentric blogger? Well, I’m glad you asked!

Consider this – schools are strapped for money. These days nothing is off the table when it comes to slashing education budgets. Pay to play and pay to expect anything beyond the basic curriculum is the mantra of many taxpayers.

But what if we move academically gifted students through the school system at an accelerated rate? Students no longer become bored who are able to self-pace through the curriculum, teachers are free to devote more time to students who need more attention, and school districts save money by getting these students through in a shorter amount of time.

Yes, I know … the devil is in the details. It takes time to make radical changes and the powers that be do not like to be challenged. The crux of the matter is this. Parents must be willing to advocate for change that may never be implemented in time for their own children. They must begin to advocate at the very first signs that their child’s needs are not being met by the system. Is this too much to ask? Think ~ grandchildren if you need inspiration. Or perhaps you’ll be fortunate enough to partner with parents who have already started the ball rolling. Whatever it takes … do it now!

It’s a lot to think about, but thinking is a good thing. I do it often and take great pleasure in the results. It’s especially rewarding to think with others … crowd-sourcing a solution to a problem. I look forward to your comments.

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World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

Today is being celebrated as the first International Day of the Gifted by the  as part of their being held in Prague, Czech Republic from August 8th to August 12th.

This year’s conference boasts attendees from 69 countries and keynote addresses by some of the world’s most respected speakers in gifted education including Dorothy A Sisk, speaking on Developing Leadership Capacity in Gifted Students; Maureen Neihart, speaking on Revised Profiles of the Gifted (originally proposed in 1988 with Dr. George Betts); Franz J Mőnks, speaking on Gifted Education Worldwide: Retrospective and Prospect; and Ken McCluskey, speaking on Creating Creative, Cooperative Environments; as well as notable speakers: Leslie Graves, Roya Klingner, Peter Csermely, Barbara Kerr, Julie Taplin, and Paige Morabito among others. Of special interest this year will be a presentation by Rebecca Howell who will present, “Experience, Issues and Concerns of Parents of Gifted and Talented Children”.

As a parent of a gifted child, you may not be aware of this organization as its main stakeholders are educators, scholars, and researchers. Although they do mention “supporting and enhancing parent and family education regarding the development of the potential of all children” in their , their history belies a closer association with educators.

Begun in 1975 in London, England, and inspired by Henry Collis (then Director of the National Association of Gifted Children UK), the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children held its First International Conference for Gifted and Talented Children. In 1977, a seven member executive was first headed by Iraj Broomand of Iran. In 1979, a permanent Secretariat was established at the Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. (A full history may be found .) Today the group publishes a newsletter, World Gifted, a journal, Gifted and Talented International (both available with membership; basic membership is $75US), and holds international biennial conferences. Their headquarters is located at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, USA.

Why is this of interest to gifted parents? Information disseminated by the WCGTC is widely read and used by gifted educators and scholars around the world. The organization provides an inspirational on its website. Participation is such organizations can broaden resources for parent advocacy.

In a post last year, fellow blogger Gifted Phoenix suggested that the World Council should “update its approach to communication to encompass social networking and other online tools." Sounds good to me! The 21st century has become a brave new world when it comes to advocacy. All gifted organizations need to be networking with each other through social media and parents need to be joining with them to make their voices heard. Consider who is the greatest stakeholder in the gifted advocacy movement? (Hint: have a mirror handy.) Who should be the greatest beneficiary? (Answer: your child.)

Bold action and universal cooperation between organizations and parents is imperative if significant progress is to be made in gifted education. At this point in history, we cannot afford the forces of inertia to forfeit the future for our children.

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Help Wanted: Seeking Highly Qualified GT Teacher

Okay. I know what you’re thinking. What’s the point … who has the luxury of looking for the best possible teacher for gifted students? Most parents are thankful just having a gifted teacher; and for many, even that is a stretch.

All parents want their children to have quality teachers, but what should parents of gifted children look for in their child’s teacher? Consider this … the gifted education program at your child’s school is only as good as its teachers.

There are certain qualities and qualifications that distinguish the best teachers of gifted students. Here is my ‘top ten’ list of things to look for in your child’s gifted teacher:

10) Highly intelligent, patient, empathetic, out-of-the-box thinker, and gt certified

 9)  Understands the social-emotional aspects of ‘giftedness’

 8)  Lifelong learner who is passionate about what they do

 7)  Seeks out learning opportunities and advocates for their students

 6)  Embraces technology as a teaching tool and understands the value of social media

 5)  Inspires their students; engenders a love of learning through modeling

 4)  Engages their students in the learning process

 3)  Facilitates learning through a variety of strategies such as Socratic teaching

 2)  Collaborates with their students; willing to have ideas questioned by students

 1)  Sees parents as partners


So maybe this is more than ten qualities, but you get the idea. If the personnel responsible for gifted education in your district are not supportive and passionate about what they do, you will have a sense of the quality of program being offered.

Another area to look at is how the school system supports their teachers. Do they require certification in gifted education for their gt teachers? Do they provide professional development in gifted education for all teachers? Is there a gifted education program in place at both the elementary and secondary level so that teachers can see a continuum of support for their efforts? Is there a genuine teacher evaluation system in place that can give teachers beneficial feedback on performance issues beyond student testing?

It’s a lot to consider and certainly more than most parents think they have the time to do. However, it is called responsibility and it is an important aspect of parenting that can’t be handed off to someone else. Just do it!

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On Becoming a Gifted Parent

Today begins National Parenting Gifted Children Week hosted by (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted). You can follow the throughout the week and download SENG's free NPGC Week ebook, .

Twenty years ago today, I joined the gifted community with the birth of our first child. Unlike the Harry Chapin song, “Cat’s in the Cradle”, our child arrived, but not in the usual way. You see … our little bundle of joy decided to join us 7 weeks early. After a month in the NICU, we brought her home not knowing for sure what the future held. Throughout the first year, she reached few developmental milestones such as holding her head up or walking on time which was cause for concern. Those concerns were soon replaced with amazement at what she could do!

The first child can be a daunting experience for new parents. 2AM feedings are followed by 10AM logins to the Internet searching for the latest information on parenting techniques. For the parent of a gifted child … even before they are identified … you are hoping for encyclopedic results to your searches. One day your baby is cooing and the next day you swear they are ‘listening’ to your conversations! Soon, they are engaging in the conversation.

With the birth of our son two years later, we simply assumed that all children could talk by a certain age and that reading was no big deal. We later learned from talking to other parents and then pre-school teachers that our children were indeed advanced for their ages. Subsequent testing and entrance to the gifted program confirmed this.

The road to becoming a gifted parent has many entry points. It is certainly the road less traveled. It has twists and turns as well as bumps along the way. We all travel different paths; but when we connect, there is almost always a special bond. These connections ultimately help us to build bridges over rough waters and share in the joys of our children’s lives.

Although it was not available when our children were born, we now use social media platforms to connect with gifted parents locally, nationally and even internationally. These connections help us appreciate the fact that raising gifted children is a challenging responsibility; no matter where you live or in what circumstances you find yourself.

The past twenty years have taught me that the perfect parent does not exist; nor does the perfect child. The frustration that comes with trying to find the right placement in school for your child, combating the myths that surround gifted children, explaining to teachers what ‘asynchronous’ development means … it will all fade in time. The happy memories remain!

It is easy to become overwhelmed by a precocious child. Once you’ve answered all of the ‘why?’ questions that you can, you one day realize that you no longer have all the answers. It is a surreal and exciting, yet humbling, experience to watch your children grow into incredibly gifted adults.

When you’re having a particularly stressful day with your emotionally intense gifted child, consider this … your child has the potential to one day change the world. Not all parents are so privileged. Count your blessings!

 



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Some Things Never Change … But They Need To!

Take a look at some of these newspaper headlines … “Experts Pity Gifted Child”, “Gifted Children Are a Problem”, “Nation is Asked to Provide for Gifted Children”, “Educators Taking New Look at Nation’s Gifted Children”, “Mere Skipping No Answer to Gifted Child”, “Gifted Children Need Attention”, “Gifted Children Face Problems”. Would you like to venture a guess when these articles were written? I’ll give you a clue – they are all over 45 years old! In this order: 1935, 1940, 1950, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1965.

So, what’s wrong with this picture? Decades of research, advocacy, and bookshelves full of titles on gifted education … to what end? Here we are, one decade into the 21st century, and we are still having to dispel the myths that surround gifted children and how to educate them!

What needs to change? How do we shake things up? Who is going to make a difference in this seemingly unending debate? It is apparent that something or someone needs to make a radical change here. A new strategy needs to be implemented … ‘cause folks … not only are battles being lost, but the frontline is moving backwards. Budget cuts to gifted education are at the top of the list for most cash-strapped schools. The general public is suspect of funding programs for which they don’t believe will benefit them personally.

Some of the answers lie within the articles I mentioned at the beginning of this post. From the Toledo Blade dated November 5, 1993: “Many of America’s brightest youngsters are bored and unchallenged in school, the Education Department said yesterday. ‘The United States is squandering one of its most precious resources – the gifts, talents, and high interests of many of its students,” the report said. … Most classroom teachers make few provisions for these children. … Talented poor and minority students suffer the most.” Sound familiar? It went on to “urge teachers to use new criteria for deciding who is gifted, rather than relying just on test scores, and recommended that they develop new schools to teach high-level curricula”.

In an article dated June 5, 1950 from the Youngstown Vindicator (provided by the New York Herald Tribune News Services), the president of Harvard University, Sr. James B. Conant, warned that “United States leadership in a free world is threatened unless a much greater percentage of the nation’s gifted youth is induced to seek fuller educational advantages”. I’d say that’s about right.

But it isn’t just about the United States or other industrialized countries. It is about all gifted children. They all need the support of their respective teachers, schools, and governments. But who will make the difference? Who needs to have a greater voice in the discussion? There is one group that I never saw quoted in any of these articles. Parents.

Oh, wait! I was wrong. Mothers are mentioned in the 1935 report from the Toledo News-Bee (United Press) … the experts pity the gifted child because they are spoiled by their mothers and are thus handicapped by them. Okay, so they apparently had a lot to learn in 1935.

My point is that not only do parents of gifted children need to be more actively engaged in advocacy, but those players who are already at the table need to listen to them. Many major groups in the U.S. are heading in this direction … and it’s a good direction. I applaud their efforts. Hopefully, their counterparts in other countries will give equal weight to what parents have to say. Too many cultural barriers exist, but with the support of parent advocates actively engaging through social media platforms; change we can believe in will occur!

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Gifted Parents … Who Cares?

After 20 years in the parenting business, I often ask myself if what I do really makes a difference. If I were a betting person, I’d say the odds are pretty good that you’ve wondered about this, too.

In most professions, you can often judge your worth by how often people ask for your opinion. When was the last time you were asked about raising a gifted child? Did your child’s school ever ask for your input concerning your child’s education? How often do researchers or gifted advocacy groups ask for your opinion? Occasionally, some do (the good ones); but most of the time … not so much.

Considering the state of gifted education in most parts of the world … mediocre to non-existent … perhaps more experts should be talking to parents. We’ve already seen the first decade of the 21st century come and go, yet little has changed in the gifted community. Funny thing is … the world has changed in unimaginable ways since the close of the 20th century! So, what’s up with that?

Social and political change have become commonplace in a world where grassroots movements can come into existence and effect change in a very short time. When someone tweets, hundreds and even thousands listen. It doesn’t matter if you’re 40-something sitting in a plush D.C. office with a state of the art computer or a 14 year old kid in a remote village with a cellphone and internet connection … your voice can be heard around the globe.

Can you see where this is going? It is time for parents of gifted children to stop making excuses and start doing some advocating. There are a lot of kids – not just your own – who are counting on YOU!

The internet and the myriad of social networking sites who call it home have made the task at hand fairly simple. Gifted parents need to connect and communicate. Take your pick from among the many platforms available … Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs … whatever you feel most comfortable with. Let’s get connected!

It will be an exhilarating experience; guaranteed! Parents of gifted children face the same struggles, express concern about the same issues, and worry about their kids just like you regardless of where they live. Coming together to seek positive solutions will benefit the entire community. Who knows? Maybe even the ‘powers that be’ will notice the strength inherent in our numbers. What could be accomplished if everyone worked together?

If you would like to connect with me, follow this blog and those listed in my blog list at right or click on the link in the sidebar to follow me on Twitter! You see … I believe that parents really can make a difference!

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Center for Gifted Studies Celebrates 30 Years

Located on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, the Center for Gifted Studies provides support for parents of gifted students, educational programs and camps for gifted youth, and professional development for educators.

The Center began 30 years ago by offering gifted students travel opportunities. Since that time, trips have included China, Russia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium.

In 1982, Western Kentucky University incorporated a gifted endorsement for teachers into its graduate program. In the same year, they partnered with the Duke TIP Program – a talent search conducted at the 7th grade level. The next year, VAMPY (Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth) began as a joint-venture with Duke University. Today, it hosts over 200 participants from 21 countries and 6 continents.

In 1984, SCATS (Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students) began as a way for teachers to participate in a practicum which was required for their gifted endorsement. Today, the camp serves over 200 students and offers almost 40 classes.

Two years later, the Advanced Placement Summer Institute was established at the Center in cooperation with the College Board to train and certify teachers to become AP teachers. In 1989, the Center for Gifted Studies became an official center at WKU.

The staff for the Center includes Dr. Julia Roberts, executive director; Tracy Ford Inman, Associate Director; Carolyn Hagaman, Coordinator of Summer Programs; and David Baxter and Allison Bemiss, instructors for Project GEMS Magnet School.

Congratulations to the Center for Gifted Studies as they celebrate their 30th year of service to the gifted community July 2, 2011 on the campus of WKU. Information on the celebration can be found .

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National Parenting Gifted Children Week

National Parenting Gifted Children Week is July 17 – 23 this year. It is sponsored by the nonprofit organization, Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG). This blog will be participating in SENG’s NPGC Week 2011 Blog Tour with a post on July 17th! I will be sharing my personal story of why I advocate. This event began in 2007 in conjunction with the National Special Events Registry. It is a celebration of everything associated with gifted parenting and supporting gifted children and adults.

The 2011 Summit Conference held annually by SENG will take place July 15th - 17th in Seattle, Washington. Keynote speakers include Dr. James T. Webb, Dr. Nancy Robinson, Jeremy Lewis, and Phil Gordon. Sessions will be held for parents, educators, and mental health professionals as well as teens and children.

Unique in its perspective, SENG was created in 1981 to support the emotional needs of gifted children. Today, it has expanded its focus to include adults. SENG has a broad-based approach that encompasses the emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and physical aspects of growing up gifted. Their mission is to support the gifted community both nationally (U.S.) and around the world by helping gifted, talented, and creative individuals to reach their full potential and to lead meaningful lives.

SENG has a wide range of programs and resources available for parents. You can explore their website . Their stated Vision is, “SENG envisions a world where gifted, talented and creative individuals are supported to build gratifying, meaningful lives and contribute to the well-being of others. To this end, SENG reaches out to diverse communities that share our mission across the nation and the globe.”

You are invited to return on July 17th to read my contribution to the blog tour and then continue throughout the week to read many other highly anticipated posts by fellow bloggers! See you then.

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The Underrepresentation of Diverse Populations in Gifted Programs

It’s 2011 and we’re still discussing the fact that minority and economically disadvantaged populations continue to be underrepresented in gifted programs in our nation’s schools.

If you read current articles on the subject, you might think this is a new problem. However, a little research reveals that this topic has been around for decades … Gallagher & Kinney, 1974; Bacca & Chin, 1982; Frasier, 1987; Hunsaker, 1994; Kingore, 2001; Bridgeland & Diiulio, 2007; Feng & Van Tassel-Baska, 2008 … to name a few!

So, why hasn’t any progress been made to include these children in greater numbers? Statistics for these groups skew the numbers of the total population at every turn – twice as likely to drop out of high school; 44 % who are identified in first grade no longer qualify for services by 5th grade; the achievement gap grows twice as fast as that of their white counterparts throughout high school; poor students are less likely to attend ivy-leagues and fewer even graduate from any college.

Perhaps the most decisive reason is the way in which children are identified for gifted services. You may be surprised to learn that there are significant differences in the identification process in the U.S. and in other countries. Also, there are many influences in the process that need to be removed.

In a majority of states, IQ scores are still considered the single most important determining factor followed by a series of tests usually administered by school psychologists. Teacher and parent referrals are considered but to a lesser degree. Too often, student behavior is weighted in the process and can have a disproportionately negative impact on minority or lower income students. It has been noted that when teacher awareness of gifted traits increased, more teachers referred these students for evaluations.

In other countries, much greater importance is placed upon parent nomination. Parents are actually respected for their opinions. Community, peer and self-nomination are also acceptable.

Changing the way gifted children are identified can change the make up of programs. This year, a school district in New Haven, California decided to make such a change in their identification process. Now, the GATE population more closely reflects the overall make up of the district as a whole. The district identifies students by using 2 different criteria – academic achievement and also a checklist system to see where student strengths may exist in areas such as creativity and leadership in addition to being gifted and talented.

Bright, high-ability students exist in all socio-economic levels, cultures, and ethnic races. It is imperative that they be identified and receive gifted services if the U.S. is to continue to be an innovative and creative leader in the world.

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