Gifted Children and Gifted Education Publisher - Prufrock Press

Math Dictionary for Kids iPad App on Sale for $1.99

JMcIntosh — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:43:00 GMT

Back-to-school sale! Through the end of August, the Math Dictionary for Kids iPad app is on sale for only $1.99! With more than 100,000 copies in print, the print-edition of "Math Dictionary for Kids" is the #1 homework helper for kids. Now this best-selling book comes to the iPad with powerful tools to help any student achieve success in math!

How many sides are in a dodecagon? What's the difference between an ordinal number and a cardinal number? With the Math Dictionary for Kids iPad app, you can search through more than 400 illustrated math terms to quickly find the definitions and examples you need to solve many math challenges.

Perfect for kids in grades 4–9, this interactive app includes illustrated, concise explanations of the most common terms used in general math classes, categorized by subjects that include measurement, algebra, geometry, fractions and decimals, statistics and probability, and problem solving.

Parents and teachers will love the independence the Math Dictionary for Kids app provides students, especially in its Quick Reference Guide section, which gives step-by-step instructions for solving the types of problems commonly found on homework assignments. This section also includes handy formula lists, measurement conversion tables, and easy-to-use charts on factors, multiples, prime numbers, and square roots.

Based on the best selling #1 math homework helper, this app is must-have for kids and parents alike!

Features include:

More than 400 illustrated terms and examples
Alphabetical scroll list or search options
Favorites function
Note-taking function
Six additional Quick Reference Guides
Word of the day function
E-mail and printing capabilities

20 Under 20 Thiel Fellows—An Opportunity for Highly Gifted

CFertig — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:01:00 GMT

This past May, Peter Thiel announced the appointment of twenty-four Thiel Fellows. These are young people—all under the age of 20—who are interested in solving difficult problems and in increasing the quality of life for people everywhere. Thiel wants to help these young people become the next generation of tech visionaries. You can read about each of the Fellows here.

While the intent of the Thiel Foundation was to choose 20 fellows, there were so many excellent applicants that it was impossible to stop at the appointed number; instead, they decided to choose 24. These are individuals who are challenging the authority of the present and the familiar. More than 400 people applied to be Fellows. Applications arrived from nearly two dozen countries and from nearly two hundred high schools, junior colleges, community colleges, four-year colleges, and graduate schools. Many applicants never went to college, had stopped going to school, were already working, or had already launched their own companies. Many had long personal histories of entrepreneurship.

The Fellows are pursuing innovative scientific and technical projects, learning entrepreneurship, and beginning to build the technology companies of tomorrow. During their two-year tenures, each Fellow will receive $100,000 from the Thiel Foundation as well as mentorship from the Foundation’s network of tech entrepreneurs and innovators. The project areas for this class of fellows include biotech, career development, economics and finance, education, energy, information technology, mobility, robotics, and space.

The next application period for 20 Under 20 will be available after October 1, 2011. Criteria for application will not be released until then. If you would like to be on the mailing list for the application when it comes out, sign up under the “Contact Us” at the Thiel Foundation website.

The Museum of Mathematics—Great Resources for the Gifted

CFertig — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:01:00 GMT

Great new resources are becoming available with the pending 2012 opening of the Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York City. MoMath will be the only museum in the United States dedicated strictly to mathematics. (The small one that previously existed on Long Island closed in 2006.) To read about the founder of this new museum, how it got started, and the types of exhibits that will be included, see the article about it that recently appeared in The New York Times.

The exhibits and programs at MoMath are designed to stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity, and reveal the wonders of mathematics. I can hardly wait until it opens.

A series of videos titled Math Encounters is already available. Some of these include

The Geometry of Origami
Symmetry, Art, & Illusion
Soap Bubbles and Mathematics

Math Midway is a hands-on traveling exhibition that highlights the engaging and playful nature of mathematics. Math Midway is making appearances at science and technology centers across the country. A list of upcoming engagements is provided.

Math Mondays is a partnership between MoMath and the magazine Make: Online. The weekly column discusses fun, experiential, puzzling topics in mathematics. Some recent topics are

Knit or Crochet a Dodecahedron
Fold Your Own Hyperbolic Paraboloids
Cut and Fold Escher

There is also an online store for MoMath that sells a variety of mathematical games and books.

Encouraging Mathematical Thinking in Gifted Kids

CFertig — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:01:00 GMT

Parents, do you want to encourage your young people to think mathematically this summer and beyond? Here are some ways to accomplish that.

Preschoolers

Nurturing Mathematically Talented Preschoolers–In this blog entry, Natasha Chen shares her experience on parenting a mathematically precocious child. The author acknowledges that it can be difficult to find a program for three- to five-year-olds, so she offers some tips that she has found useful. Her suggestions include

Specific resources
Playing with LEGOs, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, K’nex, Magna-Tiles, tangrams, and blocks of all shapes and sizes. She also provides ideas for using these building sets.
Ways to use mathematical logic in everyday conversations
Ideas for working with fractions

There is no need for formal lessons. All of Chen's suggestions are applied through play activities.

Elementary School Students

10 Practically Fun Math Games and Activities for Your Preteen–While the title of this article suggests that young people be close in age to teenagers, many of these activities are appropriate for much younger children. Author JC Ryan lists eight indoor activities and two outdoor activities that parents may not automatically think of as building math skills.

Kindergarten through High School

Have You Seen These 8 High Quality, Free Math Websites?–Activities here cater to an enormous range of abilities and offer math related subjects from basic counting through calculus, current economic theory, and puzzles.

Careers in Science and Engineering for the Gifted

CFertig — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:01:00 GMT

Students who want to learn about careers in science and engineering can do so through a series of interviews (many written, some video) at Cogito. Interviews are both with professionals and with advanced students in high school and college. When you watch and read these interviews, it becomes obvious that these individuals took their interests seriously, and found appropriate ways to pursue them, from very early ages. Their work is often notable before they even graduate from high school.

NOVA also has a great series of videos and written materials titled The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers. By watching and reading the various segments, students learn about the many different roads available to scientists and engineers (some quite obscure) and also see unexpected aspects of the personal lives of these professionals. This series brings a human element to the professions. For instance, Rachel Collins is both a microbiologist and a professional wrestler. Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist and a figure skater. Emily Whiting is an architectural engineer and a rock climber. Alan Sage is both a vegetarian scientist and a rapper. The NOVA website also has a teachers guide for introducing young people to careers in science and engineering.

Both the Cogito and the NOVA websites can be used to encourage gifted kids to pursue careers in math and engineering.

Paper Folding for Gifted Visual Spatial Learners

CFertig — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:01:00 GMT

While it might jumble the brains of many bright people, the art of paper folding plays right into the strengths of gifted visual spatial learners. Once a student becomes comfortable with basic folds, she can go on to design her own models.

Here are some websites to help young people learn and improve paper folding techniques.

A Paper Folding Project—Directions for creating a paper sculpture.
Fractal Paperfolding—Instructions for making fractal cards.
Origami Diagrams for Download—Contains simple to complex directions.
Origami Gallery—At this site you can sort instructions according to simple, intermediate, and complex designs.

Some people even specialize in certain types of paper folding, such as Paper Airplanes, which includes six different designs.

Ways to Share and Collaborate

It’s always helpful to find others with the same interests.

If your student would like to join a group of origami folders, you can find contact information at Origami USA. International groups are also listed at this site. In addition, information is provided on forming your own group of folders.
Mailing Lists and Social Networks—See what others are doing with the art of paper folding. Share your own work. Connect with fellow folders.

Paper Folding Artists

If you want to show your burgeoning paper folders the possibilities of this craft, direct them to professional artists who have become masters. Here are just a few:

Lost in Lexicon—Clever, Imaginative Reading for Gifted Students

CFertig — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:01:00 GMT

Are you looking gifted for curriculum for a literature unit, a literature/math unit, or an enrichment group? Here is a great idea.

Pendred Noyce is a physician, educator, and writer. She is creative person who has used her talents to come out with a book for young people that combines a good story with word games and mathematical thinking. The book would be good (in my opinion) to use with middle to upper elementary gifted students. Lost in Lexicon: Adventure in Words and Numbers was originally written for Noyce’s son Damian’s ninth birthday to challenge and entertain him.

But wait...Lost in Lexicon is both a book and a website. The website is filled with supportive teaching material, including

Character sketches from the book
Challenging games and activities
Ideas to extend concepts in the book (i.e., Greek and Latin roots, the coordinate plane, poetic meter, mathematical slope)
Word challenges
Discussion questions
Noyce’s keynote address to the Iowa Science and Mathematics Teacher Educators Summit, titled Grand Challenges and Inspiration: Lighting the Fire in the Next Generation. The address is not only inspiring, but it is also filled with some excellent resources for working with gifted kids in math and science.
From the same Iowa Summit, Noyce includes the transcript from her breakout session, Can Math and Literature Mix in the Middle School? The ideas the author presents might be used with middle school students, but could also be used with gifted students in upper elementary school. Suggestions are presented not only for Lost in Lexicon, but also for Flatland by Edwin Abbott and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.
Two teacher-created units using Lost in Lexicon: "Teaching Plot Structure and Types of Conflict," and "Teaching Characterization."

Pendred Noyce also has a blog titled View from the Windowseat. While the blog covers many different subjects, with a bit of hunting, you will find even more ideas to use with Lost in Lexicon.

Three more novels in the Lexicon series are planned, along with other books for young people.

Educating High and Low Achievers in the Same Classroom

CFertig — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:01:00 GMT

Everyone seems to agree that the American education system needs to be fixed, but the debate rages on about how it should be changed. One year research points in a direction, only to point in the opposite direction a few years later. It’s no wonder that educational programming is constantly in flux.

In his article All Together Now?, Hoover Institution fellow Michael Petrilli states that the greatest challenge facing America’s schools is the enormous variation in students' academic levels.

By the fourth grade, there may be a six-year span of reading abilities in a classroom. Addressing all of these levels is a daunting task for any teacher. Over the past four decades, schools have gone back and forth between ability grouping and tracking in reading and math to arguing that confining youngsters to lower tracks hurts their self-esteem.

Once policy incentives like No Child Left Behind (NCLB) were instituted, there was a shift to prioritize low-achieving students. As a result of this, the performance of the lowest 10 percent of students shot up, while the achievement of the top 10 percent of students stagnated, leaving parents of gifted students displeased.

The answer, according to the ed-school world, is differentiated instruction. Using this method, one teacher instructs a diverse group of students, but manages to reach each one at precisely the appropriate level. Every child receives a unique curriculum that meets that individual’s exact needs. In reality, most teachers agree that it is very difficult to accomplish this.

Michael Petrilli visited Piney Branch, an elementary school in Takoma Park, Maryland, where both high-ability and low-ability students have made remarkable gains on test scores. At this school, every homeroom has a mixed group of students that represents the diversity of the school. Then, during the 90-minute reading block, students spend much of their time in small groups that are appropriate for their individual reading levels. These groups are fluid. If a child in a slower reading group progresses, that youngster can get bumped up to a faster group.

For math, students are split into homogeneous classrooms. All the advanced math kids are in one room, middle students in another, and struggling children in a third. If capable, an advanced group of math students may work two years ahead in the curriculum.

During science, social studies, and specials, the students are back in heterogeneous classrooms. Even then, teachers work to differentiate instruction, offering more challenging, extended assignments to the higher-achieving students.

But it gets more complicated. In an effort to retain gifted students who were testing into highly gifted programs at magnet schools, Piney Branch formed cluster groups of students at each grade. Therefore, in one classroom in each grade, there are 12 or so gifted students, along with another 12 or so who are working at grade level. Teachers agree that handling these various groups requires extensive planning and training. In addition, the teacher needs to be someone who is well organized and creative.

There are many different ways to approach the education of gifted students. This is an example of the methods used by one successful school. In order to replicate this success, a school needs to have strong support from the district, the principal, the teachers, and the parents.

Online Math Program Comparison for Gifted Students

CFertig — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:01:00 GMT

If you haven’t already bookmarked the website for The Davidson Institute for Talent Development, you should do so right now. The website contains a wealth of valuable information pertaining to gifted education. Click on the Datebase link near the top of the page for various ways to search.

In my blog entry today, I want to draw your attention to a particularly useful website for those who are considering enrolling a student in an online math program. Online math programs may be beneficial whether the young person participates during school hours or after school. It may serve as enrichment or acceleration and may offer classes in areas that are not readily available. An online math program may also be a good choice for a student who is homeschooled. The Davidson Institute has put together an Online Math Program Comparison. The information provided is a one-stop shopping experience when considering an online class. This database presents a table of the ten most popular online math programs used by Davidson Young Scholars. Included are Internet links to each program’s website, prices (one is free), topics offered, enrollment periods, whether or not the program is self paced, financial assistance, levels/grades offered, and age/grade requirements.

In Tips for Parents: Parenting Math-Talented Students, author Lupkowski-Shoplik advises parents that

One of the major benefits of studying math via an online mathematics program is the opportunity to study a subject at the right level of challenge. The student can work at his or her own pace and at the right level. One of the most difficult aspects of online math programs is that the student should be highly self-motivated and an independent learner. Some students thrive in this atmosphere, others feel isolated and find that they prefer being in a classroom setting.

If you are considering an online class for your math student, be sure to look at the comparison table offered by The Davidson Institute.

Gifted Kids Blogging about Academics

CFertig — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:01:00 GMT

Recently I came across two blogs written by students who are "into" academics. These blogs are fun for others to read and may inspire young people to launch blogs to share their own passions.

Daphne’s Word Blog is written by a logophile, a person who loves words. Each entry discusses a word or words that the author finds fascinating.

Ivan’s Number Blog includes interesting information about number patterns and problems that require time and thought to solve.

Each of these bloggers encourages readers to submit their own words, problems, and solutions.

You may want to use these two blogs with students who have an interest in vocabulary and in math, and/or you may want to use the blogs as examples of what your own young people might create. Students could construct blogs in any area of interest (e.g. The Civil War, butterflies, favorite books, creative writing, fire engines, dinosaurs, kites, careers, famous composers, etc.). Entries may be added as time permits or a routine schedule for posts can be established to encourage self-discipline.

A Study of M.C. Escher for Gifted Students

CFertig — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:01:00 GMT

M.C. Escher was a Dutch graphic artist known for his mathematically inspired constructions that seem impossible. His artwork represents explorations of infinity, architecture, fractals, and tessellations. Gifted students find his work fascinating and love studying his prints, which are readily available in books and on the Internet. Young people also appreciate learning about the theories behind Escher's artwork and trying to replicate his techniques.

There are numerous websites on the Internet that provide collections of Escher’s art and explanations of how the art relates to mathematics, including

For sites that provide activities and lesson plans related to Escher, see

A Fractals Unit for Elementary and Middle School Students
Escher in the Classroom
Tessellation Tutorials
AIMS Education Foundation
ETA Cuisenaire—Type “Escher” into the search box.

Inquiry-based Learning for Gifted Kids

CFertig — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:01:00 GMT

There is an old saying: Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand. Inquiry-based learning enables students to become involved in their learning for better understanding. When using inquiry-based learning, the teacher acts as a facilitator rather that a purveyor of information. This type of learning is more engaging and exciting for students than traditional methods. Gifted kids really enjoy it because they are asked to question, to investigate, and to experiment, all while using critical thinking skills.

There are quite a few websites that explain how inquiry-based learning works and offer sample lesson plans for students K-12.

Intro to Inquiry Learning has two particularly helpful sections: Advantages of Inquiry-Based Learning and The Art of the Question. This second section explains how to ask good questions, which may be more complicated and sophisticated than many parents and teachers realize.

Workshop: Inquiry-Based Learning offers all the basics of inquiry-based learning, provides classroom demonstrations through video clips, explains how to get started, and shows how to create a facilitation plan.

Inquiry Page lets you looks at actual units using inquiry-based learning.

Center for Inquiry-Based Learning was created by Duke University to help North Carolina K-8 teachers learn inquiry-based teaching practices. Here you can explore the list of science kits that they recommend. You can then find these kits on the Internet by searching on both the title of the kit and the publisher’s name, which is in parentheses. Also, be sure to check out Teacher Resources, where you will find many Inquiry Exercises.

Consider using inquiry-based learning both at school and at home. Students will be actively engaged while improving their critical and creative thinking skills.

National Standards for the Gifted

CFertig — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:01:00 GMT

For a very long time, our country has maintained a hodgepodge of educational expectations for students, often not even coming close to the standards of other developed countries. You may have read recently about the proposed national standards for math and English, which have recently been released. They are part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI)—a panel of educators convened by the nation’s governors and state school superintendents who are working to create benchmarks to bring all areas of the country in alignment with the same expectations. As reported by The New York Times, these are not without controversy. Alaska and Texas declined to participate in the standards-writing effort, arguing that they should decide locally what their children learn. After viewing the proposed standards, some states, like Massachusetts, may oppose the proposed national standards because state educators feel that they already have higher standards in place and may want to keep those.

Although the implementation of high academic standards is probably a good thing for our country in general, we must also be careful that the standards (if accepted) do not limit the learning of gifted students. It would be impractical to set a unique set of standards for the gifted population because these students fall on a long continuum of abilities. Instead, it is best to think of any national standards as a baseline of expectations, allowing more capable students to progress much more quickly and in greater depth.

Are you aware that back in 1998, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) developed and released the Pre-K - Grade 12 Gifted Program Standards designed to assist school districts in examining the quality of their programming for gifted learners? These are standards for creating and maintaining effective gifted programming in schools. At the very least, these gifted program standards should be implemented in addition to the national educational standards. The NAGC standards include:

program design,
program administration and management,
student identification,
curriculum and instruction,
socio-emotional guidance and counseling,
professional development, and
program evaluation.

While national educational standards are probably a good idea for the general population, they should only be considered as minimal expectations. Students who are capable should not be held back by these proposals, but allowed and encouraged to move beyond them. Pairing the proposed national standards with the NAGC program standards is a good option for able students.

Maritime History for Gifted Kids

CFertig — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:45:00 GMT

The study of maritime history is a great vehicle for weaving together an understanding of the history of ships, as well as an understanding of how inventions and discoveries enabled explorers to travel farther and farther from home. It also helps students understand the motivations for explorers to travel to different parts of the world, whether it was for political, economic, or personal reasons. There is excellent information on the Internet that will enable students and teachers to study this subject. Below is just a sampling:

The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia has created an Age of Exploration On-Line Curriculum Guide. The curriculum guide, which is designed for grades 3-12, addresses maritime discovery from ancient times to Captain Cook's 1768 voyage to the South Pacific. The website includes visual images, text, and materials that can be downloaded or printed for transparencies, presentations, or reports. It also includes lesson plans, vocabulary, links to related websites, and guides to other reference materials.

The National Maritime Historical Society has created a site titled Sea History for Kids. At this site, you will find a variety of informational pages and activities, including vessel types, the commerce of historical shipping, famous mariners, underwater archaeology, professions and occupations of the sea, the historical stories of kids who went to sea, games, and puzzles.

San Francisco Maritime (National Park Service) provides insights into the role of women in maritime history.

The BBC presents A History of Navigation, charting the course of maritime navigation "from the days of rough reckoning to the ground-breaking technological advances of the late 1700s." An animated slide show is used to present the information.

Free Tutorial Videos on Math and Science

CFertig — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:01:00 GMT

Salman Khan and the Khan Academy are back in the news, having recently being featured on NPR and PBS. At the Khan Academy website, there are more than 1,100 free instructional videos, each 10-20 minutes long, that range from basic arithmetic and algebra to differential equations, physics, chemistry, biology, and finance. The videos cover concepts that, as a student, Sal felt were poorly taught through lectures and textbooks. Each video explains the concepts covered in the lesson in a comfortable, relaxed manner that reflects Sal's own easy understanding of math and doesn't compromise rigor or comprehensiveness. Sal also has included several hundred videos devoted to the SAT, GMAT, and other standardized test problems.

Since I first wrote about the Khan Academy back in December 2008, Sal decided to quit his day job and devote himself full-time to expanding his library of instructional videos. Eventually, he plans to add even more academic subjects to the website.

The videos at the Khan Academy website can be used by a wide variety of students, including:

students who need a bit more instruction to understand a concept,
those who want to learn beyond what is being taught in the classroom, and
students who are preparing for certain standardized tests such as AP, SAT, and GMAT.

The videos can also be used in a variety of venues, such as the classroom, home, and around the world. Those who live in areas where an advanced class is not available, or those who are homeschooled, would particularly benefit from viewing Sal's videos.

I highly recommend that you take a good look at the website. View some of the instructional videos yourself and take a look at some of the videos explaining more about Sal Khan and his plans for the Khan Academy. The website is a wonderful resource and it is free.

The Art, Math, and Science of Snowflakes

CFertig — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:01:00 GMT

With recent winter storms plaguing the country, now is the perfect time to introduce students to the study of snowflakes and crystals. Perhaps you thought that gazing at and trying to understand these beautiful creations was just a fun way to spend a few moments outside. However, some people dedicate their entire lives to studying these gifts from nature.

SnowCrystals.com was created by Kenneth G. Libbrecht, professor of physics and chairman of the Physics Department at Caltec. At this website, which is very well laid out and easy to follow, you will find:

incredible galleries of snowflake photos,
the classification of different types of snowflakes,
books about snowflakes,
information about the physics of snowflakes,
snowflake activities, and
tips on where to go to view the best snow crystals.

The Electron Microscopy Unit Snow Page, created by the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture) offers a series of annotated photos of snowflakes taken with a Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscope (LT-SEM). This website describes:

the special microscope that is used,
the procedure for collecting the specimens, and
an elaborate system for classifying snow crystals.

It is so easy to get caught up in the required curriculum and ignore the everyday wonders that surround us. But by introducing students to a wide variety of subjects and interests that may be outside of the regular curriculum, we may just spark an interest in kids that will carry them forward to additional paths of inquiry.

Revisiting Bloom’s Taxonomy for the Gifted

CFertig — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy was widely used (and often misused) in classrooms. It was misused when educators assumed that if they taught the highest levels on the taxonomy, then all of the needs of the gifted would be addressed. It was also misused when educators assumed that they could jump right to the highest levels, negating the importance of the lower levels. For example, an educator might ask a student to read a book and evaluate the character's actions, but not ask the student to support his or her conclusions with evidence from the book.

Bloom’s Taxonomy was eventually updated, or revised, in 2001.Whether you apply the original version or the revised version, Bloom’s Taxonomy is still a good tool when used appropriately because it encourages higher level thinking skills. Some websites that are helpful when trying to understand and use Bloom’s Taxonomy include:

Key Words, Model Questions, and Instructional Strategies—Here you will find great lists of starter words and questions for all of the levels of the Taxonomy.
The Differentiator—Here is a wonderful online tool that you can use to create objectives for differentiated instruction.
Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally—This website applies Bloom’s Taxonomy to tech learning.
Bloom's Taxonomy Mathematics Chart—This website applies Bloom’s Taxonomy to Math.

Math Circles for the Gifted

CFertig — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Are you looking for meaningful enrichment for your math student? Do you have a young person who is capable of more in-depth math reasoning than is offered in the regular school environment? Do you have a youngster who is excited about mathematics and you want to encourage that excitement? Math circles may offer the stimulation that your student needs.

The programs place precollege students and mathematical professionals together in informal settings. Some math circles focus on high school students, while others focus on students as young as 5. There are also math circles for teachers available that help classroom teachers learn to use high-level problems and questioning techniques.

All of these groups meet after school or on weekends in informal environments where they work together on interesting problems. Some math circles prepare students for high-level competitions, and some avoid competition completely. The groups introduce members to deep mathematical ideas that are not normally covered in classrooms, and they encourage students to tackle tough mathematical questions for themselves.

This concept of study originated in Hungary more than a century ago and soon spread over Eastern Europe and Asia. It is widely believed that it is the presence of these circles that has enabled the youth of countries such as Russia, Bulgaria, and Romania to outperform the United States on average at the International Mathematical Olympiad. Only recently have math circles started in the United States.

To learn more, visit the website for the National Association of Math Circles. At this site, you will find a list of existing circles in 26 states; information about summer programs; and lots of resources, including a database of sample problems. There are some excellent videos that you will want to watch that demonstrate the hows and whys of the program. If you are not able to find a math circle in your area, you can read through the detailed tutorial on how to establish one. Math circles may be initiated by teachers, parents, or universities. Ambitious students may also get a program rolling.

Math circles are just one more of the many options available for able students. Never accept the idea that you are limited to the resources available in your immediate school community.

Interactive Opportunities for Gifted Math Students

CFertig — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:01:00 GMT

If you are an advanced math student, teacher, math contest sponsor, homeschooling parent, or math mentor, you may be interested in today’s blog entry.

The Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) website was founded in 2003 to create interactive educational opportunities for avid math students. The website offers textbooks, online classes, and other online resources for the top middle and high school math students in the English-speaking world. AoPS is run by highly qualified specialists who have graduate degrees from some of the best schools in and out of country. Included among the website's many student users are winners of major national contests such as MATHCOUNTS, ARML, and the USA Mathematical Olympiad.

Bookstore

The bookstore on the AoPS website has several excellent features. For example, the bookstore offers online pre- and posttests for each of the texts in the AoPS introduction series. This feature helps students evaluate their current skill set, and choose the most appropriate text level as they move through the series. The bookstore also offers many excellent books for math contest preparation. In addition, the bookstore offers recommendations for math materials for children as young as 2 years old.

Online Classes

AoPS online classes are designed for high-performing math students in grades 6-12. In these classes, students learn from instructors who have won national mathematics competitions and who have trained others to do the same. Detailed information about each of the instructors is provided on the site. Online opportunities are also offered for math students who wish to interact with others of their own ability.

Other Online Resources

Additional resources include the following:

An online forum and individual blogs so that students can chat about math and other topics.
Free virtual classrooms called Math Jams that provide improvisational problem-solving sessions, reviews of major math contests, and informational sessions about prominent programs, college admissions, and other topics.
Alcumus, a (currently) free, customized learning experience that adjusts to student performance in order to deliver appropriate problems and lessons. Alcumus includes more than 1,100 problems with solutions, more than 60 video lessons, and detailed progress reports. As a student gets stronger, Alcumus automatically provides more challenging material. Conversely, if the student is having difficulty with a particular topic, Alcumus provides additional practice problems.
For the Win!, an online multiplayer math game, based on thousands of problems from MATHCOUNTS, AMC, and other sources.
A wiki that supports educational content that may be useful to students of mathematics, science, computer science, technology, and other problem-solving subjects.
A resource section that has additional articles, books, and excellent Internet links.

Free Online Mathematics Instruction for Gifted Students

CFertig — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:01:00 GMT

Mathematics education in the United States is often criticized as ranking behind that of other countries. For a sampling of such evidence, you can review a study conducted by the American Institutes for Research or highlights from TIMSS 2007.

Online mathematics learning offers one possible solution for advancing math abilities in highly engaged and self-motivated students. Global Education is an organization that endeavors to raise the proficiency level of capable students so that they will be prepared for the world’s elite universities. The main goal of the program is not to educate mathematicians but to help students acquire as much useful analytical ability as possible to be successful in the future. Though Global Education was established in 2003, it employs proven teaching methods developed to support math education in the 1960s.

Predicated on the premise that mathematically gifted students (from about Grade 6) should be allowed to pursue math education outside the strictures of a traditional classroom setting, Global Education presents rich content in an interactive forum that naturally facilitates individual enrichment. Four to five 50-minute sessions weekly supplant the traditional text book, challenging gifted students to acquire additional math skill by relying upon previous knowledge and their own innate abilities.

Using live video and audio, the program was developed by and is taught by many of the foremost mathematics experts in the world, including contributors from the Ivy League, Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. All of the teachers are able to instruct in English.

Here’s the part that may really catch your attention: In an effort to promote this program, no tuition will be charged through the summer of 2010. Please be aware that specific, upper-end hardware is required for participation.

If you have a very capable student, you may want to look at the Global Education Web site and contact them for more information.

Summer Apprenticeship Program for Gifted Students

CFertig — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:01:00 GMT

The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) offers three- and four-week summer apprenticeship programs for gifted high school students. Each year, the program places high school freshmen, sophmores and juniors in challenging, hands-on learning experiences provided by an esteemed group of participating mentors in various professions. This year's participants are located at several sites in Southern California and include the Los Angeles Superior Court, Art Center College of Design, and the Japanese American National Museum.

The programs run from July 12 through August 8. During this time, apprentices spend weekdays working with their mentors on pre-arranged projects. At the end of the program, they will present their work to fellow participants and other interested parties. Apprentices live on the Occidental College campus and IEA staff transport the students to and from apprentice locations. In addition, IEA will provide enriching evening and weekend activities, as well as other general opportunites for apprentices to socialize with their intellectual peers. Past program participants rave about their experiences and many have gone on to attend prestigious universities.

The original application deadline for this program has past, but there are still some spaces available. Call 626-403-8900 if you are interested in applying. IEA will continue to accept applications until all spots are full.

Specific information on the program, including apprenticeship sites and participating mentors can be found here. Financial aid is available.

This truly sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I urge you to explore this program.

The NRIC Project for Kids Gifted in Math

CFertig — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:01:00 GMT

Teachers, students, and parents will find the following Web site valuable. Activities found here can be used to teach grade-level topics, to accelerate, and to enrich.

NRICH is a project created by the mathematics and education departments at The University of Cambridge. The Web site contains thousands of free mathematics enrichment materials including problems, articles, and games. The information is helpful for students (ages 5 to 19), teachers, and parents. All the resources are designed to develop subject knowledge, problem-solving, and mathematical thinking skills. The Web site is updated with new material on the first day of every month.

Young people are able to practice writing about their mathematical thinking at the Web site. Being able to clearly state one’s process for solving a problem assures that the student truly understands the mathematical process. By practicing this skill, we are able to eliminate the standard response, “It’s hard for me to explain how I got the answer.” By assessing student writing, teachers are also able to identify fallacies in reasoning. Examples of past problem solutions are provided as models. Students can send in solutions to current problems that are posted, knowing that those solutions might be published on the Web site in the future.

There is also a forum that is monitored by a team of mathematicians (click on Ask NRICH at the top of the page). You can join in an existing discussion or start a new conversation of your own.

Free Math Tutorials for Gifted Kids

CFertig — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:01:00 GMT

The Khan Academy is a great, free resource for those students who need help understanding math concepts or for those who want to work beyond what is offered to them at school. The academy was founded by Salman Khan (Sal) with the hope of using technology to foster new learning models. Sal currently is an investment professional in Palo Alto, CA and has held positions in venture capital, product management, and engineering. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He also holds a master's degree in electrical engineering and computer science, a BS in electrical engineering and computer science, and a BS in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has worked with students of all ages.

Posted on his Web site are more than 600 videos covering everything from basic arithmetic and algebra to differential equations, physics, and finance. Singapore Math is included as is SAT preparation. And these videos will cost you nothing. For an overview of the video offerings, check out this YouTube video. This is a great resource for kids who love math or who need a little help or reinforcement.

More and more individuals are posting legitimate math tutorials on YouTube. I found that, when searching, it helps to add the word “tutorial” to your search. For instance, if you search for “calculus tutorial,” you will be more successful than if you just search for “calculus.”

Girls vs. Boys in Math

CFertig — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:40:00 GMT

For many years it was believed that boys were superior to girls in math, but research in the current issue of the journal Science reports that the gender gap has become a myth. Janet Hyde, a psychologist at University of Wisconsin, and her collaborators at University of Wisconsin and University of California, Berkeley culled data from federally mandated (No Child Left Behind) annual math tests administered in 2005, 2006, and 2007 to 7.2 million second- through 11th-grade students in 10 states. They found little difference between boys' and girls' average math scores. The study was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Today, girls are increasingly sticking with math classes through school, with girls and boys taking advanced math in high school in equal numbers and women receiving nearly half of all bachelor degrees given in math in the U.S.

Even though girls increasingly take the most difficult math classes, and girls and boys now perform equally well in math in school, researchers still need to better understand why females seem less likely to pursue careers in math-intensive technology and science fields. Currently, women make up only 15% of doctoral candidates in engineering programs. Furthermore, despite evidence that girls are performing as well as boys in math classes, many parents and teachers still believe girls struggle in math.

We need to get the word out to the high school teachers and counselors that girls are as good as boys at math. Hyde thinks mothers who grew up with math stereotypes need to be especially careful. "Even if you believe you can't do math, you can just keep quiet about it," she said.

The study's most disturbing finding, the authors say, is that state tests mandated by the NCLB law are doing a poor job of challenging both boys and girls, as few tough math problems being asked. Using a four-level rating scale, with level one being easiest, the authors said that they found no challenging level-three or -four questions on most state tests. The authors worry that teachers may start dropping harder math from their curriculums because "more teachers are gearing their instruction to the test."

To learn more about this study, read the current issue of the journal Science.

You can also read about the study and listen to a podcast of interviews about it at National Public Radio (NPR).

Time Magazine contains an article titled “The Myth of the Math Gender Gap.”

Simulation Curricula for Gifted Kids

CFertig — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:07:00 GMT

Interact is a publisher that offers curricula that is unique and creative. The units often are used as supplements in the regular classroom but can be used in a separate enrichment class. Many of the units involve interaction between students through simulations. I have seen Interact curricula used successfully in classrooms that consist of many different abilities. I knew one teacher who always had an Interact simulation going in his classroom. His students (including the gifted students) were so excited to go to school each day to work on the activities.

Each Interact unit includes a teacher's guide, purpose and overview, daily lesson plans, student materials, time management guidelines, and support materials.

If you do a search on “gifted” at the Interact Web site, results will show curricula particularly suited to high-ability students; however, many of the regular units also work well for students who are academically strong.

Unit subjects include language arts, social studies, math, science, and character building.

A few examples are

Character Matters

Grades 1–4

Up to 20 hours for preparation, planning, and performance

Description: Welcome to a monthly meeting of the Fairy Tale Advice Council. Led by Rapunzel, a handsome prince, and a recovering wicked witch, the council offers help in character building to folk and fairy tale creatures. In this fun and humorous musical, the Big Bad Wolf learns the Golden Rule, Cinderella gets help in managing her anger at her bullying stepsisters, and Jack and the Giant discover that their differences are cool. Will Humpty Dumpty take responsibility for his fall? Can Baby Bear forgive Goldilocks? And will the magic mirrors tell the evil queen the truth about who is "the fairest of them all?"

Game Factory

Grades 3–7

A flexible structure allows for lengthening or shortening the time required

Description: Cheatum Swindle is running the Goodwin's game factory into the ground by producing unfair games, and it's up to your students to use their arithmetic skills to save the company! Students work in pairs performing hands-on experiments with spinners, dice, coins, and cards to test the probabilities of Cheatum's games. The flip of a coin or the roll of the die determines the moves they make as they advance through the factory, examining games for fairness. As they find problems, they make modifications and record reasons for their decisions. In the final push to save the company's reputation, student pairs design their own games and present them with an explanation of their fairness.

Advanced Placement Short Story: Challenging Approaches for Honors, Gifted, and AP English Classes

Description: A sophisticated collection of 36 teacher plans and student handouts based on seven short stories (included) by well-known writers. The activities may be used in many ways. They may heighten awareness of how plot, theme, character, setting, point of view, and style interconnect; they may give students practice in answering the sort of multiple-choice and essay questions they will meet on the AP exams; or they may simply illuminate the art of the short story as practiced by some of its masters: E.B. White, Katherine Mansfield, Langston Hughes, Tillie Olsen, Raymond Carver, Sean O'Faolain, and Bernard Malamud. Index. Supplemental reading list.

Black Gold

Grades 5–8

Up to 15 hours of instruction

Description: Black Gold is a challenging, multi-disciplinary study of petroleum and our reliance upon this vanishing fossil fuel. The science, geography, research, mathematics, and language arts activities center around the global dynamics of petroleum production and consumption. Your students will

create a map of the world showing the magnitude of petroleum reserves and consumption, and trace major transportation routes and techniques;
use a variety of research tools, analyze information, and present and defend their conclusion;
buy and sell crude oil at a commodity market (at their desks or via e-mail); and
devise techniques to clean up a disastrous oil spill.

Online Advanced Math Enrichment Courses

JMcIntosh — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:17:00 GMT

One of our authors, Sandra Berger, recently pointed me toward a great Web site for parents of children needing extra math challenges beyond what’s offered in the classroom. Art of Problem Solving is a Web site geared to boost problem solving and other math skills through online courses, an interactive community, and textbooks for contest preparation.

The site’s newest focus is Math Jams, a series of online courses aimed at helping students in grades six and up who are planning to participate in MATHCOUNTS, a national mathematics contest. According to the site:

Math Jams are free online classes hosted by Art of Problem Solving for a variety of purposes. Some Math Jams are improvisational problem solving sessions, some are informational sessions about prominent programs, or college admissions, or other topics of interest to our students. Other Math Jams include reviews of major contests, such as the USAMTS or the AMC series of tests. Instructors employ the same Virtual Classroom for the Math Jams as used in our more structured online classes.

Upcoming courses include Introduction to Geometry (March 3–August 18, Mondays from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. CST) and Introduction to Number Theory (February 28–May 15, Thursdays 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. CST). The Introduction to Geometry class includes a full course in geometry for students in grades 7–10 who have a strong background in the basics of algebra. The Introduction to Number Theory course covers fundamental principles in number theory, such as divisors and multiples, prime numbers, composite numbers, remainders, number bases, and modular arithmetic for grades 6–9.

To enroll, or for more information on the courses (including diagnostic tests), visit the Art of Problem Solving course information page.

In order to attend a Math Jam, you must first log on the Art of Problem Solving Forum, then click the Classroom button on the left panel of the site up to 15 minutes before the Math Jam begins. The Virtual Classroom should then open automatically. One of the biggest benefits I’ve found of this site is that the Math Jams courses and membership in the community forum are free—a great resource for parents!

Creative and Critical Thinking for Gifted Students through FPSPI

CFertig — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:14:00 GMT

Teaching critical and creative thinking is vital to the future of our youth. The Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) is a program that really hones in on this subject.

We all have problems we’d like to solve. Some people aren’t very good at math. Some people have nosy neighbors. Some people go to bed hungry at night. No matter how small or how big the problems are, we’d like to solve them. It’s hard to solve a problem, though, unless we understand the problem very well. Who is involved in the problem? What is the problem? When and where does the problem occur? Why does the problem happen? How does it occur? The first step in successful problem solving is defining and describing the problem.

This is just one type of thinking fostered by FPSPI. The program (for students in grades 4–12) stimulates critical and creative thinking skills and encourages young people to develop visions for the future through both individual and team activities. It nurtures global awareness not only through choice of topics, but by knowing that the same problems are being studied by over 250,000 students annually, including those from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States.

Curricular and co-curricular competitive activities, as well as non-competitive activities are offered.

Through FPSPI, students learn to

formulate and attack complex, ambiguous problems
analyze and better understand material
improve in oral and written communication
work together in a team.

You can get an idea of the scope of current and future topics by reading their descriptions at the program’s Web site.

2007-2008 Topics

Body Enhancement

Simulations Technology

Neurotechnology

Debt in Developing Countries

Child Labor

2008-2009 Topics

Olympic Games

Cyber Conflict

Space Junk

Counterfeit Economy

Pandemic

Even if your student never participates in the formal program, the organization’s website contains good instructional materials for creative and critical thinking. Materials include both written offerings available for purchase and also links to other Web sites.

Trends in Gifted Education

CFertig — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:56:00 GMT

The NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children) Convention was held in November. Each year, I like to read through the entire catalog of presentations so that I can form general impressions about categories that were considered important.

Disclaimer: I do not have access to information about presentation proposals that were submitted nor do I have information about how the presentations were chosen. I do not look at this information to make judgments; only to observe trends.

Like everything else in society, certain topics wax and wane. Someone else may interpret this very differently than I do. But, for the record, this is what I see.

Some of the topics that were considered top priorities in the past 10-30 years that I see no longer getting the same attention include

Underachievement
Multiple Intelligences
Pullout/enrichment
Advocacy
GT resource teachers
Affective issues
Identification
Learning Styles
Differentiation
Theory of giftedness

Topic trends that I do see increasing are

The integration of technology into the curriculum rather than treatment as a separate subject
Interest of programs on an international level (in fact, at the NAGC convention this year, a strand was added titled “International”)
Special schools and programs
Less talk about specifically meeting the needs of the gifted and more emphasis on the need for an increase in general academic rigor, including the need to let students advance at a faster speed

I would love to hear the ideas of others on these trends. You can always leave a comment at this blog entry or email me if you would prefer that others do not see your comments.

Science OCW Geared to AP Courses and Beyond

CFertig — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Lately, we seem to be on a roll with more and more tools becoming available for advanced science students. (Click on the Science category in the column on the left of this Web page to see recent entries.) And now, yet another resource is available.

More and more very reputable universities are making available free video and audio clips, animations, lecture notes, and assignments online. Now MIT has taken that concept one step further and created Highlights for High Schools. This new site takes the information that MIT had already made available through what’s known as OpenCourseWare and has created a site that categorizes that information to match the Advanced Placement (AP) physics, biology, and calculus curricula.

The site also has just plain interesting, free courses appropriate for gifted high school students, including a class that teaches how to design sets for theater and one on designing toys (both under the heading of Knowledge in Action: Build Stuff).

There are also high school courses created by MIT students such as Guitar Building; a course exploring Gödel, Escher, and Bach; and Combinatorics, a fascinating branch of mathematics that applies to problems ranging from card games to quantum physics to the Internet.

You can also subscribe to an online newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on new courses and other information.

An estimated 10,000 U.S. high school teachers and 5,000 U.S. high school students already visit MIT OpenCourseWare each month, and MIT expects Highlights for High School to make MIT’s course materials even more useful to these audiences.

SAT Exam, Taken at Age 13, Can Predict Career Path of Gifted

CFertig — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:00:00 GMT

A new study from Vanderbilt University finds that the future career path and creative direction of gifted youth can be predicted well by their performance on the SAT at age 13. The study offers insights into how best to identify the nation’s most talented youth, offering opportunities for educators and policymakers to develop programs to cultivate these individuals.

The current study looked at the educational and professional accomplishments of 2,409 adults who had been identified as being in the top 1% of ability 25 years earlier at age 13. Significant differences in the creative and career paths of individuals were found, with those showing more ability in math having greater accomplishments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while those showing greatest ability on the verbal portion of the test going on to excel in art, history, literature, languages, drama, and related fields.

The key was to administer the SAT at a young age. When students take the test in high school, the most able students all score near the top, and individual differences are harder to see. Using the test with gifted students at a young age creates the potential to help shape that person’s education.

Overall, the creative potential of these participants was extraordinary, with individuals earning 817 patents and publishing 93 books.

With this knowledge, the policy question becomes: How best can we support these individuals, especially during their formative years?

For more information, see:

the press release from Vanderbilt ,
SAT Exam, Taken at Age 13, Can Predict Career Path of Gifted on Bloomberg.com, and
Future Career Path of Gifted Youth Can Be Predicted by Age 13 by SAT on Science Daily.

Girls and Science: What Are the Myths?

CFertig — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:28:00 GMT

Since 1993, The National Science Foundation (NSF) has been working to broaden the participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). According to their Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program, there are five myths about girls and science.

Myth: From the time they start school, most girls are less interested in science than boys are.

Reality: In elementary school there are about the same number of girls (66%) as boys (68%) who report liking science. But, by second grade, most students portray a scientist as a white male in a lab coat. Children often draw women scientists as severe and not very happy. There is a stereotype of the relationship between gender and careers in science. By eighth grade, boys are twice as interested in STEM careers as girls.

Myth: Classroom interventions that work to increase girls' interest in STEM run the risk of turning off the boys.

Reality: Interventions that work to increase girl’s interest in STEM, such as showing images of women scientists, also increase such interest among the boys.

Myth: Science and math teachers are no longer biased toward their male students.

Reality: Teachers, without realizing it, often treat boys differently than they do girls, explaining more to boys when asked for assistance, while just simplifying experiments for the girls.

Girls Creating Games was created as an afterschool and summer program designed to support the interest of middle school girls in computers and information technology. Its goal is to increase the number of females in the IT workforce.

Myth: When girls just aren't interested in science, parents can't do much to motivate them.

Reality: Parental support has been shown to be crucial to a girl's interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. Parents can make girls aware of the range of science and engineering careers available, the relevance of these jobs in society, and the types of courses and grades necessary to put students on a path to a STEM career. A guide for parents can be found at Sally Ride Science.

Myth: At the college level, changing the STEM curriculum runs the risk of watering down important "sink or swim" coursework.

Reality: Women often perceive "Bs" as inadequate grades and drop out, while men with "Cs" will persist with the class. Effective mentoring and "bridge programs" that prepare students for challenging coursework can counteract this. To help retain both women and men in engineering schools, programs should:

have students work in pairs on programming in entry-level computer science and engineering courses, and

provide coursework in spatial visualization.

One of the most effective interventions is mentoring. MentorNet, a virtual e-mentoring network and community offers award-winning, research-based, technology-leveraged mentoring programs that pair young people with professionals working in STEM careers in industry, government, and higher education.

Additional, helpful resources funded by the National Science Foundation are available online.

Many women have made significant contributions to the advancement of science. Go to Women in Science to hear some of their stories.

Incredible New Math, Science Web Site for the Gifted

CFertig — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:43:00 GMT

Are you a precollege student who is passionate about math and science? The Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at Johns Hopkins University, along with eight partner organizations, recently launched a Web site that will feed your passion. The Web site, Cogito.org, means “I think.” Although most of the content at the site is available to the public, members have access to interactive features not available to everyone.

On Cogito.org, you can read news and features on topics ranging from global warming and biostatistics, to cold fusion and bioethics. You can explore the intersection of science and the arts, from computer animation, to science fiction. You can find great resources including book reviews, "Best of the Web" guides, and listings and reviews of summer and distance-education programs, internships, and academic competitions.

If you are a member, you can also participate in online interviews with experts in various fields and in discussion forums with other members. Membership also grants you access to the Cogito.org virtual library where you can find a wide variety of research materials and a librarian dedicated to helping you. Membership is currently offered by invitation only from Cogito Partners and Affiliates.

Cogito.org also publishes student-written work. Ideas must be submitted before sending actual drafts. Acceptable student submissions include full-length book and movie reviews, feature stories and articles, and essays. Also needed are Best of Web guides.

If you are a math and science buff, spend some time perusing the Cogito.org Web site. Just browsing the site will help you to become familiar with all that is available, but if you want to focus on a specific area, you can search using filters.

Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth After 35 Years

CFertig — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 14:45:00 GMT

What does it take to create an intellectual leader like Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking?

A report based on 35 years of research from the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth was published on December 18 and reflects data collected from more than 5,000 participants. The report, from Vanderbilt University, reveals that a complex mix of factors is necessary to create these leaders: cognitive abilities, educational opportunities, investigative interests, and old-fashioned hard work. Both personal attributes and learning environments are required that are truly beyond the norm. While mathematical gifts and a variety of aptitudes have significant impact, special educational opportunities and commitment can dramatically increase this impact.

Researchers found that differences in ability exist even among the very top of this elite group. Researchers also found that the majority of the highest performers at age 33 were willing to work more than 65 hours a week.

Differences were revealed between men and women in types of abilities and interests. Female participants were more likely to prefer careers such as the social sciences, biology, and medicine, while men were more likely to prefer engineering and the physical sciences.

It will be interesting to follow the impact of this report and see if it has any influence on educational opportunities made available to students with top cognitive abilities who are also willing to work very hard.

Changes in Teaching Math—Implications for Gifted?

CFertig — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 13:46:00 GMT

This week the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) announced a major shift in recommendations for teaching math. If its new recommendations have anywhere near the impact that the council’s 1989 report had, the teaching of math in American schools could witness a profound change. Although most states presently call for dozens of math topics to be addressed in each grade, the new NCTM report “Curriculum Focal Points” sets forth just three basic skills for each level. While the 1989 report downplayed memorization and emphasized children finding their own approaches to problems and writing about their reasoning, Dr. Chester E. Finn Jr., a Department of Education official in the Reagan administration, says the new report recommends a back-to-basics victory.

Math curricula in the United States today are often described as "a mile wide and an inch deep." We cover many topics, but we don’t study them in depth. Parents without a strong understanding of math often feel that children who understand how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide at an early age are extremely advanced in the subject and should be accelerated. This is actually what might be called “superficial math.” These children can often rattle off math facts or do problems quickly, but they do not have a deep understanding of mathematics. There is so much more to learn.

Because “Curriculum Focal Points” was just released, I have not yet seen any discussion of possible implications for students who are gifted in mathematics. We will all need to pay attention to how this will play out.

Math Competitions for Gifted Students

CFertig — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 14:47:00 GMT

One needs to plan well in advance to set up mathematics competitions. It is not too early to start planning for next year. Just choosing which competitions to participate in is a challenge. Many of the sites below list sample problems, so you can get a taste of what it’s like to participate. While most competitions are for high school students, there are a handful at the middle school/junior high level, and just a few at the elementary level. When a range of grade levels is listed, there are usually competitions set up for just one or two grades at a time (i.e., a test for each of grades 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8). Here are some competitions to consider.

American Regions Math League

High school students and some exceptional junior high students

The Canadian Computing Competition

High school students

The Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament

High school students

High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling

High school students

Mandelbrot

High school students

Math League

Grades 4-12

Math Olympiads

Grades 4-8

The Mathematical Association of America: American Mathematics Competitions

Grades 6-12

MATHCOUNTS

Middle school

Online Math League

Grades 3-12

USA Mathematical Talent Search

Middle and high school students

Children Gifted in Math

CFertig — Sun, 17 Apr 2005 13:51:00 GMT

Mary recently made the following comment in response to one of my postings:

My son, Michael, is a sixth grader and is really smart in math. Last summer he went to a summer program for kids interested in mathematics at the local university and loved getting to do the advanced math that he was exposed to there. But, there isn't a gifted program at his school.

While he's making good grades in his math class, he finds it too easy and boring. What do you think I should do? He's got such a talent for this, and I hate to see him so bored with something he loved so much last summer.

Mary, you are asking a very big question. Of course I can’t give specific advice for your son since I don’t know him, but I can give you some general information. Also, let’s ask our fellow bloggers. If anyone reading this posting has additional advice or comments, please post a response.

Assessment

First of all, it would be helpful to get a professional assessment of your son’s math abilities. Hopefully, you have already had a conversation with Michael’s math teacher. Talking to the teacher is always the first place to start. How does the teacher see Michael in relationship to other students in the classroom?

Second, if there is a gifted/talented resource teacher at the school or in the district I would talk with that person next to see what is available. You said that Michael's school doesn't have a gifted program, but there still may be a resource person who can help.

Standardized tests that have been given by your district will also help to shed some light on his abilities. You will find some good information on this by reading the ERIC Digest article, Discovering Mathematical Talent.

Working with the School

Once you understand Michael’s mathematical abilities more clearly, you will want to educate yourself with current research on addressing the needs of high-ability, gifted, and highly motivated students in general and more specifically in math.

A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students is a recently released report that can be downloaded over the Internet. The report advances the merits of acceleration—not just grade-skipping, but the many ways available that schools can accommodate the needs of students who are more advanced. This includes advancing them within the regular classroom.

You should also read the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) reply to the report, titled Acceleration in Schools: A Call to Action.

Curriculum Compacting: A Systematic Procedure for Modifying the Curriculum for Above Average Ability Students presents research showing that many average and above average students already know curriculum that is about to be taught. Curriculum compacting offers one possible solution for addressing this problem.

Once you have an understanding of some of the background research available, you will be better prepared to advocate for Michael at school. Another book that will help you with this is Developing Math Talent: A Guide for Educating Gifted and Advanced Learners in Math. This book is for both parents and teachers. The authors provide concrete suggestions for identifying mathematically talented students, tools for instructional planning, and specific programming approaches. It also provides concrete strategies for effectively advocating for gifted children with math talent.

One word of caution: In the U.S. we are often criticized for having a math curriculum that is "a mile wide and an inch deep." Rather that just accelerating students in math, it is highly recommended that students be given the opportunity to explore topics in depth. The article, High-Ability and Highly Motivated Students provides suggestions for students to think deeply in mathematics by investigating complex problems.

After-School Activities

Does Michael’s school have before and after school clubs? Are there any math clubs or competitions in which he might participate? If there are no such activities at his school, can you find these elsewhere in your community? You mentioned that last summer he attended a class at a local university. Are there similar classes that are held during the school year?

A number of well-respected universities offer multimedia, computer-based, distance-learning courses in math. You might explore one of these. Students who are most successful with these programs are those who are able to stay motivated while working independently. Information on the courses can be found at Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University.

I wish you the best with all of this. Please let us know what works for you. Being an advocate for your student can be a lot of work, but with a positive and understanding attitude, you will be successful.

Enrichment for Gifted Children in Math

CFertig — Sun, 13 Mar 2005 13:49:00 GMT

Though a somewhat controversial theory, the teaching of mathematics in the United States is often criticized as being “a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Students who are gifted or have strengths in mathematics benefit greatly by exploring math concepts in-depth. Listed below are some of my favorite publishers of materials that offer great math enrichment. Included here are higher-level thinking opportunities that are challenging and exciting for these students. Your students will love these!

AIMS Education Foundation

This publisher produces K-10 activity resource books and a magazine/newsletter. I especially like the Historical Connections books. These are geared to grades 4-10 and come in three volumes that connect history and mathematics. Each of three volumes explores the lives of 30 mathematicians. Ready-to-use classroom activities are provided that help students “discover” the theories and work of each mathematician.

Continental Mathematics League, Inc.

This is actually a competition, but you don’t have to participate to benefit from this organization. Instead, you can buy books that contain some of the best math questions that are used in the competition. These books can be purchased for grades 2-3, 4-6, and 7-9. Each book contains individual problems that will really make your students think. It is extremely helpful for students to talk through the different strategies used in solving the problems, as there are often many different possible approaches.

Creative Publications

Once you arrive at this site, click on “Creative Publications.”

This publisher includes a wide variety of books that use manipulatives and contain critical thinking activities. Some of my favorites are Think About It!, which is a collection of daily and weekly math challenges for grades 4-8 and The Problem Solver Binders, which teaches specific strategies for solving problems in grades 1-8

The Critical Thinking Co.

You will find that the Mind Benders, designed for pre-K – 8+ is very challenging. While this logic-problem series is not strictly math, it involves many of the same skills used in math, such as determining what information is relevant in a problem and the logic of solving a problem.

ETA Cuisenaire

This K-12 math catalog is filled with all kinds of wonderful products from a variety of publishers. There are basic manipulative materials, games, books, and posters. I especially like their Mental Math books for primary, middle grades, and junior high. These books teach students strategies for doing amazing calculations in their heads. There are also many enrichment books that use common items like dominoes, dice, and playing cards. These books provide inexpensive activities that will extend the math curriculum in exciting ways. Books using tessellations and paper folding provide enrichment in geometry and the power of patterns.

Interact

Interact publishes fun-filled simulations using integrated theme units. There are math units for grades 1-12 where students take on a variety of “real-life” roles, acting out scenarios and solving problems. Every teacher I know who has used units from Interact has nothing but praise for them. Units cover all aspects of math, including basic facts, probability, geometry, algebra, problem solving, etc.

Mathematics Pentathlon Program

Pentathlon games are open-ended, higher-level thinking games that involve math and general problem-solving. The games are used in competitions, but may also be used by themselves as extensions in the classroom. Games are divided into divisions of grades K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-7. Like chess or Scrabble, the games can be played at different levels from just making basic moves to incorporating complex strategies. The games are expensive, but excellent.

Prufrock Press Inc.

When arriving at this website, click on “Activity Books and Lessons for Teaching Gifted Children,” then “Mathematics.” You will find a wide variety of books for grades K-12 that are filled with enriching extensions to the math curriculum.

Sunshine Math Superstars

Published by the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium in Florida, this K-8 program is designed as enrichment for self-directed learners in mathematics. These weekly problem-solving activities can be managed by trained parents or by classroom teachers.