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Gifted as a Global Experience

Global Experience*

“The emerging era is characterized by the collaboration innovation of many people working in gifted communities, just as innovation in the industrial era was characterized by individual genius.” – Irving W. Berger, chairman, IBM**

Through the advent of social media, what once was a disparate group of national and regional organizations is now coalescing into a global gifted community connected by the desires and hopes of its leaders to press forward in advocacy for all gifted learners worldwide. In the process, it was realized that giftedness has no boundaries … its existence is universal and divergent at the same time. It crosses all socio-economic and ethnic lines; geographic borders; and ideological preconceptions.

Connecting Globally*

One of the most exciting developments of the 21^st century has been our ability to communicate with others in our ‘tribe’ without respect to language barriers or time zones. This blog is read in over 100 countries thanks to a universal translator added at the suggestion of a friend in Vietnam. Thanks to the Internet it is available 24/7 with a connection via a computer or mobile device.

Opportunities to connect are not limited to online connections. Conferences afford members of the gifted community to on occasion join the conversation in real life via previous virtual interactions. It is an empowering experience to meet and interact with community members face to face after months and years of ‘knowing’ each other only online. Keynote addresses are always inspirational and session presentations provide a wealth of information on gifted children and gifted education.

Online Connections*

For those who may not have a nearby or readily available conference to attend, there are weekly chats on Twitter, virtual professional development sessions to build personal learning networks, Google Hangouts and webinars for parents, educators and academics. The idea of re-inventing the wheel and the feeling of isolation become distant memories in this new world of inter-connectedness. Networking has never been so accessible!

Want to know how to get started? Below I have included resources to provide you with a myriad of ways to connect to like-minded parents and educators around the world. Let’s take a look at some of the networks available to you.

In the U.S., there are several national and numerous state organizations which offer the benefits of membership and annual conferences. National conferences are available from:

Some of the state conferences include:

(Check your state gifted organization for a conference in your area.)

Other national and international conferences include:

Do you represent or belong to an organization who values parent participation? Add your link in the comments below. Together we can further the global collaboration of the gifted community.

* Photo courtesy:

** via Gifted Children Forum Malaysia

This post is part of SENG's .

Erupting Ice!

What happens when you mix water and baking soda and then freeze it? You get lovely ice blocks to stack and play with.

So, then what happens when you spray vinegar on them?

Cool science on a hot summer day. :)

I wonder what happens if you add salt and sprinkles?

"It looks like a rainbow swirl, mom!"

I was out of food coloring that day but rainbow erupting ice would be awesome!

Have a playful day!

is the newest book from . He recently agreed to an interview with us about the book.

GPS: For our readers who are not familiar with your work, can you tell us a little about your background in gifted education?

Dr. Delisle: I began my career in New Hampshire, as a teacher of children with intellectual and emotional disabilities way back in 1975. Special Ed. was just emerging as the force that it is today, so it was exciting to be in on what was then a new trend in education. My introduction to gifted children came in the form of one of my 5th graders who had been identified as "emotionally disturbed." Try as I might to get Matt interested in schoolwork, nothing much seemed to work. He was a bright kid--he could read, write, do math, etc.--but I was focused so much on his misbehaviors and apparent lack of interest that I never considered using his talents as a way to reach his mind and heart. Finally, in total desperation and with my bag of educational tricks empty, I decided to stop fighting Matt and to toss the instructional ball into his court. This kid loved the outdoors and was interested in maple sugar farming--a project that involved much of his free time outside of school--so that became the vehicle I used to reach this unreachable kid.

Maple Sugar Farming*

Within days of aligning Matt's out-of-school interests with my goals as his teacher, he began to progress, perform and take pride in his work. After two years of teaching Matt, and seeing his success when schoolwork aligned with his interests and intellect, I decided I needed to know more about teaching kids like him. So, I began a Ph.D. program in gifted child education, focusing on kids like Matt--gifted boys and girls who didn't do well in school because school didn't do well by them. I've been in this field of study ever since, as a teacher, professor, counselor, author and dad.

Dr. Delisle with students

GPS: The use of a ‘war’ metaphor in the title of your new book seems to indicate you have very strong feelings on the subject. What inspired you to write this book at this time?

Dr. Delisle: The subtitle of my book is "The War on Our Nation's Brightest Young Minds (and What We Can Do to Fight Back)". To be sure, those are strong words--intentionally strong, on my part. Having worked in this field of study for 37 years, I've grown tired of the small steps and meager progress that we have made as a nation to serve our gifted children. Gifted children have educational, intellectual and emotional needs that differ from other kids their age who are developing in more typical ways--but we ignore these needs. If, as a nation, we really thought that gifted kids had special needs, then why haven't we included them in federal funding formulae as we do for kids with disabilities? In 2013, the federal budget for children with disabilities was $12.9 billion. For gifted kids?: a whopping $5 million. If you assume that 3% of our nation's K-12 children are gifted, that comes to about 2.5 million gifted kids in America--which means they get $2 of federal money each to address their needs. A Happy Meal costs more than that! The use of the term "War" in my book's title is neither hyperbole or exaggeration; it's just an honest admission that, as a nation, we choose to disregard the needs of gifted kids who need more than $2 of support each year. Indeed, it is a battle in local, state and federal educational venues to even get people to admit that gifted kids need opportunities to pursue learning at their own pace. The budget cuts nationwide to gifted programs have been so dramatic in the past decade that it constitutes educational neglect.

"The use of the term "War" in my book's title is neither hyperbole or exaggeration; it's just an honest admission that, as a nation, we choose to disregard the needs of gifted kids who need more than $2 of support each year."

GPS: The idea of ‘dumbing down’ has serious implications for society as a whole. What do you see as the consequences for America if this trend is not reversed?

Dr. Delisle: What happens if we don't stop dumbing down our educational options for gifted kids? We're seeing the results already: our nation's stature as an educational powerhouse is in shambles when compared to many of our international neighbors. But more important than international test score comparisons is the personal cost paid by gifted kids who are told, in effect, that they don't need anything special to excel; that their enhanced abilities and insights are not worth our attention; that sitting in a class with kids of lesser abilities will tamp down the egos of gifted kids and make them more sympathetic to students who struggle to learn; that giftedness is a myth because "everyone is gifted in some way." The ridiculous bias against gifted kids in our nation's schools emanates from so-called educational visionaries whose sight is hampered by the gauzy lens of professional ignorance. By paying scant attention to the needs of gifted kids, we are squandering a resource that will make our nation less competitive, less meaningful, less respectful.

"By paying scant attention to the needs of gifted kids, we are squandering a resource that will make our nation less competitive, less meaningful, less respectful."

GPS: What responsibility does the gifted community (parents, educators, organizations) bear with regard to the state of gifted education today?

Dr. Delisle: What responsibility does the gifted community have in regard to the state of gifted child education today? Part of the reason the field of gifted child education has not progressed much in 30 years is due to the infighting that occurs in this field of study. While some people contend that gifted children should be identified and served in gifted programs, others find the "gifted" label off-putting and want to eliminate it completely. Silly as it sounds, we can't even agree on a common definition of giftedness or how to identify it. Some want to equate giftedness with eminence and developed talents, while others desire a more holistic approach to giftedness that encompasses social and emotional elements, not just intellectual factors. And even if, by some miracle, we could arrive at a consensus of what giftedness is, we'd still argue as to how educational services should be delivered. The state and national organizations that promote the needs of gifted children, and the professionals who write the books and espouse their theories, would do gifted kids a big favor if they could fight less and cooperate more.

Dr. Delisle

GPS: What do you propose to change course in this war on our nation’s brightest youth?

Dr. Delisle: So what do I advocate that we do to stop the dumbing down? Here are some ideas worth considering:

First, we need to provide the same legislative protection for gifted kids that we give to students with disabilities. It should make common sense that if you are in either the top or bottom 3% of intellectual abilities compared to others your age, you will have some unique needs that demand more than the standard curriculum.
Second, we need to make a national financial commitment to gifted children that explores everything from effective measures of student identification to best practices in instruction, to longitudinal studies that show us what works and what doesn't. In my book, I elaborate extensively on how an outlay of $400 million over a five-year period could change the landscape for gifted children in America. This plan, developed by one of my personal heroes and one of our field's finest contributors, , would be a game changer for anyone concerned about addressing the needs of gifted kids.
A third suggestion I discuss is to take some of the absurd amount of money that we spend annually of high-stakes testing and use those funds for something that actually helps kids and teachers. The billions of dollars and countless classroom hours spent on assessment are robbing all children, gifted or not, of precious resources that are more vital to learning.

In my book, I review other areas we need to address--for example, defining giftedness once and for all; re-establishing elementary-grade "pull-out" programs; and admitting that the promise of differentiated instruction as the primary plan for serving gifted children is an ineffective, cheap way out for schools to pay lip service to meeting gifted children's needs. Addressing these steps will not ensure a perfect world for America's gifted kids, but it'd be a fine start. As I conclude in Dumbing Down America, saving gifted kids isn't our choice--it's our obligation.

Thank you, Dr. Delisle, for taking the time to do this interview. Dumbing Down America is available now from . Please check out the links below to Dr. Delisle's work in gifted education.

(Note: This post was cross-posted on the Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT Blog.)

Books by Dr. James R. Delisle:

(with Robert Schultz)

(with Judy Galbraith)

A full list may be found .

Videos with Dr. James R. Delisle:

Mindful Parenting: Your Language

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Intentional parenting asks us to be conscious of our own behaviors and how they affect those around us. It is common for us to speak in the same way that our parents spoke to us because we learned early on that is how to communicate. Even if we have learned to speak more kindly or gently than our parents, we can mirror the language and tone of our children if we are not mindful. That's your at work! Do these scenes sound familiar?

"Mom, I don't FEEL LIKE cleaning my room right now!"
"Well you WILL clean RIGHT NOW anyway!"

"Hey, get in the car NOW! We are running late!"
"OKAY! I'M COMING! CHILL!"

I've noticed that in my case, when I feel overwhelmed or anxious, my language gets negative. I tend to criticize rather an encourage or speak abruptly and with an irritated tone instead of speaking kindly. I also notice that my kids mirror me when I do that, and that tends to start a pretty ugly cycle which can lead to disconnection. It's important for connection that we bring into focus the language we use with our children. For those children whose primary is words of affirmation, speaking critically will be especially difficult for them. The same is true for highly sensitive children.

Areas to be mindful of:

Body Language: What is your body language saying? Do you look away when your child is speaking? Do you roll your eyes at their upsets? Do you cross your arms and legs when they talk to you? Be mindful of the body language you use and focus on the language of approval, appreciation, acceptance, listening, and gentleness.

Tone: We've all heard someone say one thing but clearly mean another just by the tone they use. You can say "that's a pretty drawing" without looking up or sounding the least bit interested. Sharp and irritated tones will be reflected back to you as you convey this is an acceptable way to communicate.

Criticism: Criticizing our children is never useful. Make it a goal to be an encourager, not a criticizer. Even when you need to correct your child, you can encourage instead of criticize. Here are 2 examples.

Critical: Why did you hit your brother? You are so naughty!
Encouraging: I know you didn't mean to hurt your brother. You would never hurt him intentionally. How can you make him feel better?

Negativity: It's generally a good idea to steer clear of "never" and "always" statements. "You never pick up your messes!" "You always leave your towel on the floor!" Ditch the negativity in favor of clear, concise instructions. "Please put your towel in the hamper." "Your room needs cleaned before we leave."

Getting control over the language you use will go a long way in creating the positive, peaceful family you want.

Ice Chalk Color Mixing

Today's activity was ice chalk mixing. To create ice chalk, I mixed equal parts corn starch and water in a muffin pan, added food coloring, and froze with a craft stick inside.

I imagined they'd be able to paint with them, but it didn't quite work that way. We dunked them in water and they started to melt a bit, but still they were useless for drawing. However, we turned it into a great color mixing activity! This was a fun way to demonstrate how yellow and blue make green, red and blue make purple, red and yellow make orange, and so on. They really enjoyed mixing the colors and seeing all the combinations they could make.

I'll need to work on the recipe to make ice chalk that actually draws, but this was a fun and educational activity for this hot summer day!

Superhero Scavenger Hunt

Ready for a fun twist on the ever-popular scavenger hunt? Do your kids love to dress up as superheroes? This is going to be a blast!

We are costume junkies, so we already had all of these costumes in our dress up box. I made the boys their scavenger hunt list and laid out the costumes.

I then explained the rules. Look for superhero symbols I've hidden around our house. When you find a symbol, you run back to the corresponding superhero's costume and dress up as that superhero before moving on to find your next symbol. When you do find the next symbol, you come back and dress up as that superhero, and so forth. Of course, there was quite a bit of villain fighting in between the symbols searches which made for a great time!

Giftedness explored: An update

Gifted children and adults are different. They know it. Friends and family know it. Society knows it. But differences can sometimes foster confusion, suspicion and uncertainty, resulting in misunderstanding and wasted opportunities.

Gifted children's needs and challenges are often minimized, sometimes envied, and not infrequently mocked and belittled. Regarded as serious, driven and socially awkward, they are nevertheless expected to be ideal students, requiring little assistance from educators. Parents who advocate for an education commensurate with their child's abilities are treated as demanding and ungrateful, and chastised for requesting resources routinely allocated for average or lower ability students with "greater" needs.

Gifted individuals have IQs of 130 or above, which is two standard deviations above the norm. In other words, they are outliers. Their minds work differently. They think with greater complexity and depth, acquire knowledge at a faster pace, and grasp new concepts more quickly. Whether considered a blessing or a curse, their "gift" is something they are born with and they have to grapple with a learning style that does not easily conform to the world around them. This does not make them overachievers or hard workers; many are notorious underachievers and fail to reach their potential. They have different social and emotional needs than others, partly due to their innate intensity and overexcitabilities, but also in response to a world that often ignores and isolates them due to their differences.

This blog started in January, 2013 as an attempt to share ideas, insights, information and updates about gifted children and adults. As a clinical psychologist, I have worked with many gifted individuals, and have witnessed how intellectual strengths, learning style, and social/emotional needs influence initiative, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships. I have seen how parents struggle to nurture and support their gifted children. I have witnessed the problems many gifted adults face as they struggle to find their place in the world, or maintain a marriage where there is little room for their intensity.

Since starting this blog , I have been contacted numerous times by parents with questions about their child's giftedness, school placement, social dilemmas, and the "normalcy" of their child's behaviors. As a result, I have recently started a new service: More about this can be seen on the link above. My intention is to offer consultation in-person or by phone or skype to individuals or families who need some additional support, coaching or advice regarding the effects of giftedness in their lives. I also offer programs in schools.

I plan to keep blogging, advocating and working with gifted individuals in my clinical psychology practice. Thanks again for reading, commenting and being a part of this blog. Any feedback is always welcome.

Swamp Bath!

We love to make bath time super fun in our home. When I saw this amazingly fun sensory bath at Growing a Jeweled Rose, I knew I had to try this out! Definitely check our her blog for more amazing ideas!

I started by cooking some spaghetti noodles, then coloring them with plain food coloring.

Next, I added a few drops of green food coloring to their bath water. Note: This does not stain the kids or the tub. Then I added what few creatures I could find.

Then I dumped in the noodles.

Next: Add children!

My boys loved this wild and wacky bath! They ended up stringing the noodles all over themselves to become swamp monsters!

Afterwards, I just scooped the noodles out of the tub (yep, that took some time) and the did a quick tub wipe down. Totally worth it.

Have a playful day!

Enriching Your Gifted Child’s Life by Building Memories

Much of the discussion surrounding gifted parenting often revolves around education but even for the gifted child there is a world of opportunity beyond the classroom walls. Building memories through shared experiences can be the most enriching and rewarding part of your child’s life and an undeniable boost to meeting their social and emotional needs.

Summertime and holidays are the perfect time to build memories with your child … exploring their passions, experiencing nature, spending quality time discovering each other beyond the day-to-day routines of school days and enjoying life together.

Dr. Dan Peters

In a recent , , co-author of , reminds us:

Remember, summer break is an opportunity for so many different experiences -- from creating and building, doing art, going on hikes, reading, exploring new places, taking classes, day and overnight camp, family adventures and more. While it is our job as parents to plan for your child's summer, it is also important to include them in the process. After all it is their summer. You might be surprised to learn what they have in mind.

One of the beauties of making memories is that it doesn't have to cost a lot of money and mostly requires only time. Yes, time is a precious commodity these days but you will never regret spending it with your child. Memories come in all shapes and sizes. They may involve an epic adventure to a faraway land or a simple backyard picnic. The important part is planning it together!

Backyard Picnic Table*

Research has shown that as we age, we remember less and less of childhood memories; especially those of our earliest years. From we learn:

“Young children tend to forget events more rapidly than adults because they lack the strong neural processes required to bring together all the pieces of information that go into a complex autobiographical memory.”

One way of ensuring that memories are not forgotten is to take the time to record your experiences. For younger children, this can involve creating a story. This can be accomplished through the use of diaries, journals, blogging, photos and videos.

Jon Hamilton in an article for NPR, suggests:

Another powerful determinant of whether an early memory sticks is whether a child fashions it into a good story, with a time and place and a coherent sequence of events, Peterson says." Those are the kinds of memories that are going to last," she says.

Hamilton goes on to write:

And it turns out parents play a big role in what a child remembers, Peterson says. shows that when a parent helps a child give shape and structure and context to a memory, it's less likely to fade away.

An effective way I found to create long-lasting memories with my children was in the kitchen learning to cook favorite family recipes. Not only did we enjoy our time together but they learned to make dishes that could be recreated throughout their lives.

Children in the Kitchen**

Memories become a remembrance of us when we are gone. I can’t think of a better legacy than to have built memories with my children that they will carry with them when I am no longer around. So do something special with your child and start building those memories today!

Special thanks to Gifted Homeschoolers Forum for including this post in their July Bloghop. To view more blogs in this month's tour, please click on the logo below!

* Photos courtesy of (Public Domain)

** Photo courtesy of morgueFile (Public Domain)

Create My World is a fanciful collection of 16 full-color illustrations paired with a corresponding affirmation. This whimsical book highlights the importance of our thoughts to shape our lives as demonstrated by the law of attraction. Some of the affirmations included in the book are I hold the keys that create my world,; I focus on what I love,; ;I am right on track,; and many more. Encouraging children to use their imagination to interpret each illustration is one of the highlights of this book. Each painting contains its own joyful characters comprising a mini-story in itself.
Empowering children with self-affirmation at a young age can be a stepping stone to a purposeful life of creativity, lasting fulfillment and joy.

I Create My World is a wonderful introduction to affirmations for children. It's never too soon to begin teaching the power of positive thinking to our children, and I Create My World introduces young children to this powerful tool.

The illustrations are imaginative and engaging. My sons caught on quickly to the fact that the little picture on the left page was hidden somewhere on the right page, so they had a fun time finding the picture. They really enjoyed the whimsical and fun illustrations and the short but powerful affirmations. There are questions at the end of book asking children questions like "Did you find the upside down city" which had my kids searching back through each page, intently looking for the answers to the questions.

This is a beautiful book that children of all ages (and adults too!) will love.

Connie Bowen has written and illustrated a fantastic children's book with a positive message while making it engaging and really fun to look at! My children really enjoyed this book, and I think yours will, too!

You can find .

Biography

Connie Bowen was born in Los Angeles, California and lived in a busy West L.A. suburb by the beach until age 13. It was pure culture shock when she was uprooted from junior high school to move with her mother to the wheat fields and cattle ranching area of the Pacific Northwest known as the Tri-Cities, Washington.

She majored in art at Washington State University and then attended a private business college in Portland, Oregon to study court reporting. After managing her own court reporting firm for 23 years, Connie retired to follow her dream of pursing her art career full-time.

It was the birth of her son that inspired Connie to create her first children's book of affirmations, "I Believe In Me," published by Unity Books, which won the national Athena Award for 'book as mentor' in the category of spirituality. As of 2012, it has sold over 55,000 copies, including the Spanish edition, "Yo Creo En Mi."

Her second book, "I Turn to the Light," composed of affirmations for healing, soon followed, as did "The Sunbeam and the Wave," written by Harriet Hamilton which Connie illustrated.

Connie's love of animals led her to form a lasting bond with author Susan Chernak, author of "Animals As Teachers and Healers." It was through this connection that Connie went on to illustrate two of Susan's books, "Heart in the Wild," and "All My Relations" for Random House and New World Library.

Connie combines her three passions of metaphysics, art and her love of animals in her animal portraiture and illustrations. Her several hundred animal portraits hang in private collections throughout the United States.

After a powerful personal shift in spiritual awareness, Connie began an intense quest for all things metaphysical and has continued her study for over two decades. Her deep and abiding interest in bringing concepts of self-esteem and self-love to children continues to inspire her whimsical artistic style.