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Vision 2011: Digitally Connecting the Global Gifted Community

My head has been spinning with ideas since last week’s #gtchat on Twitter! So many exciting things are beginning to take shape in the online gifted community. 2011 stands to be a pivotal year for gifted advocacy and the advancement of gifted children’s issues.

People have been researching and talking about gifted education for a very long time. I think it’s time for a change. It is time to focus on the needs of gifted children and it is time to work together. For too long, the gifted community has been divided by national boundaries, competing organizations, and parents being shunned by educators. It isn’t working out so well … not for anybody and especially not for the children. I’m not saying that progress hasn’t been made at all. Let me say that again: I’m not saying that progress hasn’t been made at all; it just needs to be kicked up a notch!

I would like to propose the concept of ‘Advocates Without Borders’… all kinds of borders; both real and imagined. I realize that governments at various levels do not and oftentimes cannot work together in this manner. However, through the magic of the Internet, it is now possible for the gifted community to work together and THRIVE via social networking. And I mean … everybody! This includes the sharing of information and resources between researchers and individuals, national organizations working with each other, and teachers working with parents. Out with the old, in with the new! Fantastic? … Not gonna happen? … Too many egos to be bruised? Well, too bad! It has to happen.

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.

Now that I have your attention; here’s what we need to do! Utilize the Internet to create a ‘digital’ community that can connect those working in the gifted community. We need to connect at every level and through all avenues of social networking. Here’s a little secret: it is already happening! If you are reading this, chances are you’ve already begun the process of looking for answers and want to do more. But this blog in some ways is ‘preaching to the choir’. We all need to investigate ways to become more interconnected and to encourage those on the Internet sidelines to get online!

Here are a few suggestions. Of course, there is #gtchat on Twitter! Last week, Deborah Mersino (chat moderator extraordinaire) began to lay out her vision for 2011 that includes the formalization of #gtchat into a baseline organization that will coordinate the aggregation of the gifted community in a digital format (formal name with appropriate acronym to be determined – see the inherent joke – how many gifted people does it take to decide on a name? … lol). Members were all abuzz and many took her words to heart by starting the process of connection across the many platforms they were already using. It has been phenomenal to see people getting to know each other who might have previously shied away from various avenues of connection. On Twitter, I would suggest that the easiest route to connecting with like-minded people is to do a search for #gtchat and start to follow the members found there. Then, check out who these people follow and those who follow them. Facebook and Facebook Groups is an obvious next step. One of the best pages to start at would be ‘Ingeniosus’, Deborah Mersino’s professional page. Overwhelmed, yet? Next head to LinkedIn if you are a professional involved with gifted issues. Check out groups that mention gifted and talented; both within your own country and internationally.

At first, it may seem like a daunting task or even a waste of time. It is neither of those things. Consider it a necessary first step to becoming the very best advocate for your child. An informed parent is the best thing that can ever happen in the life of a gifted child! Your child is a part of our future. Providing them with the best possible opportunities you can find will potentially change the course of history. The Internet can bring thousands of people who care about ‘your’ child to your doorstep. It’s time to open the door and let us in!

Looking At the Big Picture … How Gifted Kids Learn

“Determine the thing that can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.”

... Abraham Lincoln

Ever had to remind your gifted child to pay attention to the details? Well, there’s a reason for that! Gifted learners tend to see the ‘big picture’ first and fill in the details later. They conceive of the whole before understanding the parts. As you will see, this can be a challenge for gifted teachers.

If you look at the great thinkers throughout the course of human history, you will see people who postulated theories and then set about proving them. In their time, they were often referred to as ‘dreamers’ and ‘visionaries’. The universally accepted scientific method is based on this process. Conceptualizing our destiny is the driving force that moves us forward as a species.

As a parent of a gifted child, you have the enviable task of guiding your child to appreciate their ability to see the big picture and then to understand the process of how it all came together.

This also points out the critical need to increase teacher training in gifted education and professional development for all teachers who work with gifted students in their classroom. Teaching a gifted child requires a radical departure from traditional teaching strategies. Educators as facilitators must be able to identify the ‘big picture’ concepts that they wish to teach and then develop a sufficiently challenging curriculum. This is sometimes referred to as whole-to-part sequencing where students are shown a complete model and then taught the various parts that make up the whole model. Lessons learned in this manner can be spread out across the curriculum to increase the student’s knowledge base in multiple areas that they are studying.

Motivating gifted students is a recurring theme in gifted education. By understanding how a child learns, a teacher can be a catalyst in the child’s life by providing appropriate learning experiences which in turn motivate the student. How many times has your child come home from school lamenting the fact that they are bored? Teachers are trained to introduce material step-by-step which works well for a majority of their students. For the gifted child, it is monotonous and a sure-fire way to turn them ‘off’ from learning at all. These children thrive when presented with complex issues and problems and teachers must be willing to provide ‘big pictures’ as a starting point.

In my work, I am often asked if gifted teachers need to be gifted themselves. My reply, “It wouldn’t hurt!” I realize that this isn’t always the case and many teachers would argue that it isn’t necessary if they receive the appropriate training. However, I would contend that at the very least parents must advocate for qualified teachers with certification in gifted education. It has been a long time coming, but many universities are now offering certification and master-level course work in gifted education.

Finding the right teachers and school settings can be difficult at first. However, in the grand scheme of life, it is well worth the effort. Your gifted child will blossom when you find the right mix!

Independent Study for the Gifted Learner

The fact that independent study is good for gifted learners is certainly not a new idea, but it may be for parents of newly identified gifted children. Gifted learners are individuals with differing abilities. What excites one student may bore another. Different learning styles require parents to take different approaches.

Most parents of gifted children take their responsibilities very seriously. At this time of the year, they are already looking into extracurricular activities such as academic competitions, classes at nearby universities, and summer camps. Meetings with gifted coordinators and teachers revolve around advocating for enrichment in the classroom or in gifted programs. However, sometimes gifted kids just want to ‘chill’ and ‘hang’ with their friends. They might like school and learning new things, but not all the pressure of doing ‘extra’ work.

Enter the ‘independent study’. In progressive school districts, it is often recommended as an instructional strategy for creating an individualized plan within the school setting. Perhaps more than any other strategy, learning how to develop and successfully execute an independent study prepares students for higher education and for life in general. It incorporates project design, critical and higher-level thinking, presentation skills, time-task commitment, and task assessment. This method of learning can be a great motivator for gifted students who cringe at group projects in regular classrooms where they ultimately do most of the work. Independent study allows your child to delve into topics which are of interest to them, use creative and innovative research techniques, and produce quality products such as research papers, portfolios, artwork, and/or projects for presentation.

Many top researchers in the field of gifted education have developed various independent study models including the Autonomous Learner Model by Dr. George Betts, the SDC (student developed courses) Model by Dr. Del Siegle, Schoolwide Enrichment Model by Drs. Renzulli and Reis, Creative Problem Solving by Dr. Donald Treffinger. Dr. Karen Rogers discussed this approach in a recent presentation entitled, “An Update on Research in Gifted Education: 10 Things.” In it, she stated that the effect of learning independently is in “increased motivation to learn, interest in subject area, improved academic resilience (cognitive risk-taking), and self-efficacy.”

Although independent studies usually do not occur during until high school, there is no reason why younger students cannot participate in scaled-down projects as well. Finding the right mentor is critical to a successful study. Most of the work is done by the student with the mentor serving as their guide. Providing a detailed proposal with reference to state or national standards can go a long way in convincing school administrators to accept an independent study for credit. Final assessment can be done by a panel comprised of faculty members from applicable subject areas.

It may seem overwhelming at times as the parent of a gifted child when you try to provide your child with opportunities that you hope will help them fulfill their potential. However, you will find that it is also very rewarding to see your gifted child grow and mature as they become an independent learner and a problem solver. Never stop challenging them and never stop believing in them!

The ABC’s of a Gifted Child

One of the first words a gifted child discovers is the word “aha”! This is when they realize that they understand things others do not; especially their peers. The next word is a no-brainer for gifted parents – the dreaded “b” word. You know … bored! Fortunately, the solution comes in the form of the “c” word – challenge.

Research in gifted education continues to reveal that gifted children need to be challenged and when they are … amazing things begin to happen! And when they aren’t – which is far too often – their world becomes dark and lonely.

As the parent, it becomes incumbent upon you to do your best to challenge your child whenever possible. Most parents work very hard at getting schools to provide challenging work, but that leaves a significant amount of time to be filled. It may seem overwhelming at first, but dealing with the consequences of having a bored child can be much more difficult in the long run.

One of the best ways to challenge a gifted child is to engage them in conversation. Make it meaningful! Find out what interests them and then do some research on the topic so that you can talk to them intelligently. Discuss current events and world issues. Don’t be afraid to talk over their level of understanding. (Schools use this technique by accelerating students, offering dual enrollment in higher grades, or ability-grouping.) They will catch up before you know it. And play devil’s advocate once in awhile. Remember, they aren’t always going to agree with you on everything. Once they make up their minds on an issue … well, you know! It actually can be very stimulating and enjoyable for both parent and child. I like to call it, “gifted bonding”.

As your child gets older, rigor needs to be introduced into the way in which they are challenged. Sometimes, parents need to seek help at his point. An excellent choice is to find a mentor for your child in the area of their interests. A mentor can introduce higher level thinking which will motivate a child to learn more and reduce the stress which comes from being bored. Introducing more and more complex critical thinking tasks can improve a student’s growth in that area considerably. It enables a student to have a more positive self-image academically.

Another excellent source for finding challenging opportunities is to enroll your child in academic summer camps in your area, gifted classes (such as, Super Saturdays) at nearby universities, and national programs that can be located on the Internet. Peer-socialization is an important bonus with these activities. Friendships made here can last a life-time and provide long-term benefits in helping your gifted child to understand that they are not alone.

It’s important to remember that all the effort that goes into parenting a gifted child can pay off with incredible dividends in their lives. It is such an awesome experience to see that smile when they fulfill their goals and come to realize that it was their parents who supported them all the way!

Social Media and Gifted Advocacy

In a recent post, blogger Jennifer Dublino (“Will Social Media Enable Humanity’s Next Evolutionary Step?”) 10/12/2010) stated, “Social media is … enabling global consciousness because it allows us to harness and coordinate the collective intelligence and talent of large groups of people.” These large groups of people have the ability to solve problems together that they would be helpless to do on their own. Dublino also sources James Suroweicki’s book, The Wisdom of Crowds, as saying that solutions to problems solved by the group are better than any individual answer.

Why not apply this same concept to gifted advocacy? For almost 100 years, researchers have studied and analyzed gifted children. Their studies have been written, peer reviewed, and rewritten. Concurrently, gifted education has been tried, reformed, and re-tried. To what end? Today, it faces elimination in many parts of the world. It is time that a solution is found to provide appropriate education for these children. It is obvious that individual attempts have not worked.

Peter Gloor of MIT’s Sloan Center for Collective Intelligence coined the term, ‘Collaborative Innovation Network’ which he described as, “a cyberteam of self-motivated people with a collective vision, enabled by the Web to collaborate in achieving a common goal by sharing ideas, information, and work.” Such an interest-focused global community already exists and has been working on this problem for almost a year now. I refer to Global #gtchat on Twitter. This group of people is committed to making a difference in gifted education through their “collective vision”. The network is admittedly in its infancy, but has made great strides and has branched out to connect in a myriad of ways to enhance the process with Facebook, blogging, email, and virtual worlds as well as Twitter. Participants have proven that cultural differences, foreign language proficiency, and proprietary resource issues can all be overcome and that global collaboration is possible.

We are at the dawn of a new era in advocating for gifted education. It does not matter where a child resides – Malawi, England, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., South Korea, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Russia – they all need our support. These children cannot wait any longer … a gifted mind is a terrible thing to waste! The world cannot wait any longer … we need bright minds to solve the ever growing number of complex issues facing humankind. This sense of urgency resonates throughout every chat in which I participate. It has allowed parents, educators, psychologists, and advocates come to the realization that we all share common experiences when it comes to gifted children. Come join us on this incredible journey we've begun to make the world a better place by appropriately educating our gifted children!

Thinking About Thinking

The thought occurred to me recently that I like to think. Furthermore, I like to think about thinking [metacognition]. My ability to do this is an integral part of my humanity. Perhaps that is why I find it so appealing. I like thinking so much that I decided to research the ‘idea’. It turns out that a lot of people … intelligent people … have been thinking about thinking for a very long time. I learned (although I think I already knew) that there are many different kinds of thinking – critical thinking, creative and innovative thinking, purposive-kinetic thinking, meditative thinking (a favorite of mine), and hyper-alert instinctive thinking. Who would have thought there were so many ways to think?

But this is a blog about gifted parenting and the children they parent. I've come to the conclusion that teaching gifted students how to think more effectively is the most important thing we can teach them. It provides fuel for their insatiable curiosity. It trumps subject matter, job training, gym class, and learning how to select color coordinated outfits for the first day of school. By encouraging gifted children to think and providing them with an environment conducive to good thinking, we help them to fulfill their potential as leaders, problem-solvers and decision-makers.

Teaching any type of thinking seems to go in and out of fashion more often than mini-skirts. But, it’s no laughing matter. It is, in fact, critical that we encourage critical thought. Parents play an important role in this facet of their child’s education. Some would argue that critical thought is second-nature to gifted children. It may be for some, but our society has de-valued the need for it in many insidious (classroom inclusion comes to mind) ways and our children will suffer the consequences.

So, where did the idea of critical thinking come from? Most people would agree that Socrates had a lot to do with it. He loved to ask questions! In fact, it was his fellow Greeks that gave us the word ‘critical’ – kritikos – being able to discern or judge. Socratic questioning can be used to develop critical thought because it seeks a depth of understanding in a systematic way while considering the plausibility and truthfulness of the answers being sought. In 1605, Sir Francis Bacon defined critical thinking as a “desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate, slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order; and hatred for every kind of imposture [fraud].” I think he summarized it quite nicely.

In her article, (Roeper Review, August 1994), Stephanie Tolan writes, “Our relentless focus on achievement rather than the unusual mental processing that constitutes giftedness makes the necessary recognition and understanding difficult if not impossible for many.” She goes on to say, “… it is in childhood that the gifted individual begins to form that critical sense of self, his initial understanding of his own mental processing, his own mind.” This speaks to the crux of the matter – gifted children have a unique capacity for critical thinking.

“… it is in childhood that the gifted individual begins to form that critical sense of self, his initial understanding of his own mental processing, his own mind.”

Why don’t many of our schools teach critical thinking? Critical thinkers have a knack for challenging the status quo. And the status quo likes things just the way they are. It can be difficult to control a thinking populace. Another consideration to keep in mind is that teachers of critical thinking really need to know what they’re talking about! It’s one thing to teach ‘out of the book’ … something administrators continually stress to their faculty as a good thing … it’s quite another thing to reach outside the box! Finally, critical thinkers are truth seekers and what constitutes ‘truth’ these days has been marred by charlatans posing as media experts and politicians as well.

Zoe Burgess, in a recent blog post, asked the question, “?” She provides excellent suggestions for how critical thinking can be taught and cultivated through modeling by the teacher, project-based learning, cross-curriculum teaching, and service learning. Assessing this type of learning requires the teacher to move out of their comfort zone. One must possess the ability to pose questions of students which will allow them to demonstrate their depth of understanding.

As the parent of a gifted student, where do you start? Provide your child with a place to think; an area with resources to aid in thinking. Encourage them to get rest and provide a healthy diet. Value their independent thinking through discussion and listening to your child. Prompt their thinking through Socratic questioning. In their book, , Drs. Richard Paul and Linda Elder list 9 strategies that students can use themselves to develop critical thinking. The full list can be found . They include using wasted time, keeping an intellectual journal, and by redefining the way one thinks about oneself. Good advice for students and parents alike!

Emotional Intensity – A Preview

As parents of gifted children, we have all experienced emotional intensity – theirs and ours. It can be a positive experience, but far too often it becomes a frustrating one. These are the times that try parents’ souls.

“They don’t come with an instruction manual!” How many times have you heard that phrase? Today, parenting guides are a dime-a-dozen. However, they offer little help or hope to frazzled parents of gifted children.

Enter Christine Fonseca’s new book, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings. Wow! How I wish I had known and understood the concept of emotional intensity and its implications for gifted students and their parents when my kids were younger. Would I have reacted differently to their outbursts (and mine)? You betcha! Do I have regrets? Some. Will reading this book cause an ‘attitude adjustment’ on my part? Most likely.

To be honest, I have only read the first chapter of this book as it was just released yesterday. You can read it at . The First Stop on the Blog Tour for Emotional Intensity can be found at author Michelle McLean’s Blog (Chance to win a free copy of the book with blog comment through October 8th!) Another interview with Christine can be found at . The book can be ordered from the publisher, Prufrock Press, (currently out of stock at Amazon).

You can be sure that I’ll have more to say once I finish reading the book! Stay tuned …

Things TED Taught Me … About Gifted Advocacy!

I’m a recent convert to TED talks. And a recent talk ‘caught my eye’. Chris Anderson, one of the suits at TED, presented a talk about global innovation and it exponential growth as the result of video becoming more widely viewed due to the expansion of bandwidth accessibility around the world.

I watched it once. Then I printed out (I know, old school) the transcript. Then I watched it again; and again; and again. My mind seemed to be racing! I felt like that old episode of Outer Limits where the scientists’ heads begin to look like cone-heads and they grow a sixth finger. The premise of ever-accelerating human innovation was certainly appealing, but that wasn’t what I was thinking about …

I was thinking about all the ramifications this talk had for gifted education and our gifted children. Certainly the world stands to benefit from this technology, but for the gifted … it’s like empowerment³!

“Crowd-accelerated innovation” depends on a crowd, a light shown on that crowd to illuminate the most capable people in the crowd, and desire. In the past, it took years for innovators to be recognized and then to have their creations supported and distributed. Enter the Internet. Someone, perhaps your gifted child, has an idea and decides to make a video for You Tube. People view it … rate it, comment on it, link to it, tweet it, share it on Facebook. You get the idea. Chris Anderson called it ‘global recognition’. Suddenly, a crowd forms … on online community … and collaboration begins. As the crowd grows, the idea is shared, revised, and innovation occurs. The world is a better place.

The same could be said for gifted advocacy. One parent (@DeborahMersino) had an idea. She had seen the growth of a community of educators on Twitter. She decided to try moderating her own chat on Twitter for gifted education. Within weeks and then months, that one idea had grown into a global community! Parents, educators, advocates, consultants, and school psychologists were collaborating online around the world and around the clock on how to best advocate for our gifted children. And a funny thing happened on the way to the chat … they were discovering that what had once been thought of as isolated incidents surrounding various groups of gifted children were really a global phenomenon. Familiarity was breeding friendships and new approaches! Groups began to form on Facebook; encompassing the Global #gtchat group. And this was just the beginning, folks.

What about educating gifted kids? Story after story was related through various social media outlets by frustrated parents who seemed to be always headed to the next battle with school districts pleading for help for their gifted child. More often than not, the response was always the same … not enough resources, no interest in professional development for teachers, myth-filled excuses as to why gifted children could make it on their own. Yada, yada, yada.

Ah… but the newly developed video resources that were found on the Internet became game changers in the world of education. Forget lousy online classes that were simply a redo of correspondence courses from years past. Now, gifted students can sit in a classroom with a gifted facilitator or at home on their own computer and be taught by a world class educator face to face in real time. Location is no longer a concern. Ability grouping is automatic. Age is no longer a factor as students progress at their own pace. The cost of a college education can become affordable again (although someone will find a way to limit this, no doubt). Crowds begin to form. Light shines on the crowd. The desire to learn and innovate grows. The role of student and teacher blend into the beginning of a new type of learning from each other. History is changed forever.

This may sound like a pipe dream to some or the beginning of just another utopian novel, but the fact of the matter is that this is already happening and gifted children are standing on the precipice of a new day in their own education.

I will include a link to the TED talk for your viewing pleasure. I hope that it excites you as much as it did me. Perhaps you will gain insights that I have missed. I look forward to your comments!

Link -

To Group or Not to Group … That Is No Longer the Question!

Educational theories come and go. It’s a fact of life. We always hope that things are improving, but that is not the case when it comes to grouping students by ability. The dreaded ‘tracking’ misnomer is always drug out by opponents to this policy. But like it or not, ability grouping must be reconsidered. The sooner, the better. It doesn’t have to upset the entire system; just apply it to gifted students and case closed.

Why am I being so flippant about this? Because ability grouping already exists in our schools and society today for lots of other groups and I hear no complaints about them. We ability group athletes. The best players are on the starting line-up and everyone else sits on the bench. Start mediocre players and the fans would go wild! The coach would be gone before the end of the season. We ability group musicians in high school bands and orchestras. Students perform rigorous tests to gain the coveted ‘first chair’.

So, exactly what is ability grouping in relation to gifted education and why should you care? Simply stated it is the grouping and regrouping of students according to their present level of performance. It can reach across the curriculum or be applied to just one subject. It works, gifted students are happier and perform better, and regular ed teachers are free to spend more time with their other students. Win, win, win! Contrary to the popular belief that it fosters elitism, the opposite is actually true. The regular classroom is free of those students who always raise their hands first, always get the A’s, and always seem to be the ‘teacher’s pet’.

And consider this … how many regular ed parents would tolerate their children being placed in special education classes just so ‘those’ kids didn’t feel left out? That is exactly how a gifted student often feels in the regular classroom. And what does this say for ‘appropriate education’? Year after year of being forced to sit in classes covering material they already know. Year after year of being told not to work ahead, pay attention or worse … being told they are wrong when in fact they actually know the material better than the teacher. These students need to work in peer groups, engage in competitive learning situations, and be allowed to work independently.

The outcry of education reformers to stop the emphasis on standardized testing and placing so much value on test scores grows louder every day. This message holds special meaning for the gifted community. Most gifted students ‘top out’ on these tests and they don’t need to prove they’re smart. Why not tap their abilities by developing higher level thinking skills, contemplating solutions for complex problems, and encouraging them to work on global issues?

Do not be fooled by the rhetoric that everyone can achieve at the same level. It doesn’t happen, and it will prove to be more harmful to our society if we continue to turn a blind eye to the needs of our gifted students. These students must be allowed to soar as high as their abilities permit. They are humanity’s best hope for a better tomorrow.

Personal Note

Every once in a while, the consultant needs to seek advice (as well as solace). Although I am currently working on a new post, life has thrown some unexpected challenges my way as a gifted parent and my writing has been severely curtailed.

I have mentioned this before, but I've been very fortunate to find someone who coaches parents of gifted children. Her website can be found at . Some of the services include: developing parenting strategies that work for your children and honor who you are; support for the educational issues you face, including the identification process for your gifted children and making school choices; and overcoming the “Imposter Syndrome” and owning your giftedness.

When those times come that you just don't feel you can handle alone, please consider contacting DeepWatersCoach. It can make all the difference in the world!