In addition to my new website, you can 

 

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.

 

• Accommodations for the Gifted Child in the Regular Classroom—characteristics of giftedness, manifestations of the gifted in the regular classroom, accommodations, and free resources and ideas for teachers.
• Davidson Institute for Talent Development - Gifted Overview—takes a look at the history of and the programs offered by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, as well as information on identifying gifted students, characteristics, underachievement, perfectionism, and peer relations. 

• Motivation and the Gifted Child—extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation, characteristics that effect motivation, and tips on how to shift motivation.
• Raising a Gifted Child—asynchrony, intensities, perfectionism, peer relations, and underachievement.

• provoke deep thought
• may not have an answer
• encourage critical thinking, not just memorization of facts
• require students to draw upon content knowledge and personal experience

• How do we form our identities?
• How does what others think about you affect how you think about yourself?
• How is identity shaped by relationships and experiences?
• What can you learn about yourself by studying the lives of others?
• When should an individual take a stand in opposition to an individual or larger group? 

• Universal Themes & Gifted Education
• Using Universal Themes with Gifted Students
• Using Universal Themes to Promote Higher Level Thinking
• Questioning Techniques for the Gifted
• Increasing Depth and Complexity in Curriculum for the Gifted

   

• Storm Chasing—Who are storm chasers? Can one make a living at the job? What does a typical chase look like? What is the best way to become a storm chaser?
• Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel—This site is presented in Hollywood fashion, sensationalizing the storms. Here you will find impressive videos, a real-time weather tracker, and information about the vehicles and equipment used by storm chasers. The production crew of StormChasers also answers questions about their jobs.
• Storm Chasers from PBS—University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Howard Bluestein turned a boyhood fascination with severe weather into a career chasing tornadoes, working to shed scientific light on one of nature's most violent and unpredictable phenomenons. He and his graduate student “chasers” are featured in an IMAX film. An interview with the director of the film can also be found at this website. Learn about the development of Bluestein’s career. Included at this site are facts about severe weather and information about obtaining an activity guide for teachers (or parents).

 

• 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

Deborah Mersino has become very active in the gifted community over the last few years. She brings a business perspective to the field and acts as a consultant, writer, and speaker to gifted and talented organizations and communities. She helps institutions and associations serving the gifted population with marketing communication strategies, including digital media tactics. She also acts as moderator of the weekly global #gtchat sessions on Twitter, where she helps connect parents, teachers, and advocates from across the world every Friday at noon and 7:00 p.m. (EST) to discuss critical issues relating to giftedness.

Recently, Mersino posted a blog entry titled CALL TO ACTION: Making Gifted Education Relevant Today. This post is worth reading. The article would make a good topic for group discussion. I urge you to take it to your gifted associations, gifted parent or teacher organizations, or college classes. She believes that "the current course for advocating on behalf of gifted learners is doomed; a radical shift in mindset is needed." Mersino has five suggestions for making gifted education relevant in today’s world. I am only listing them here. You will want to read the descriptions of each in detail

• Get rid of the word "gifted."
• Focus research on big picture education reform and simplify focus.
• Change the descriptor to the "Talent Development Movement" (no more “Gifted Education Movement”), and start tearing down protective, yet ultimately inhibiting, walls.
• Overhaul national and state nonprofit gifted associations’ missions and purpose.
• Give things away. Be generous.

In her article, Differentiated Instruction for Young Gifted Children: How Parents Can Help, Joan Smutny does an excellent job of explaining strategies that can be used in the classroom to address the needs of young gifted children, including

• Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) publishes lists of award-winning books for young people, including Newbery and Caldecott winners.
• International Reading Association provides “Choices” reading lists. These are books chosen as favorites by children, young adults, teachers, and librarians around the country.
• 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers is published by the College Board.
• Classic Novels offers one of many lists of the classics available on the Internet. This list was compiled by the Cincinnati Public Library. If your student owns an eReader (Kindle, Nook, etc.), many of the classics can be downloaded for free.

In addition to reading good books, children may enjoy creating their own books. There are a number of websites to help with this.

• Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s Making Books with Children lists resources, ideas for teachers, and ideas for families.
• ThinkQuest provides student-created ideas for constructing various types of books.

 

According to Willis, the best jobs in the future will go to applicants who have the

Parents can prepare students by

• helping children develop personal responsibility
• explicitly teaching how to focus attention, study, organize, prioritize, plan, and set goals
• teaching how to make the switch from memorization to mental manipulation by comparing and contrasting concepts and applying big ideas to solve new types of problems
• teaching how to evaluate sources of accurate information and then to use critical analysis to assess the veracity/bias and current/potential uses of new information
• finding out the topics children will study in the coming school months and then promoting interest by introducing things that relate to the topic, providing background knowledge and interest

 

• Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields—This site includes maps, apps for your smartphone, resources for teachers and students, Civil War blogs, and a list of Civil War anniversary events across the nation.
• The Civil War: 150 Years (Part of the National Park Service website)—Includes upcoming events, information on more than 70 parks in the National Park System that have resources related to the history of the Civil War, a database of those who served in the war, news stories from the time, and the history of African Americans in the war.
• North Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial—This site has adopted three themes—freedom, sacrifice, and memory— which are explored across all aspects of the war.
• Civil War 150 (from The History Channel)—Offers an interactive experience that provides interesting information about who fought in the Civil War, weapons that were used, how people died, the five deadliest battles, paying for the war, West Point warriors, and other topics too numerous to list.
• Civil War Battlefield Medicine—General medicine, surgery, and primary sources.
• Pictures of the Civil War (from the National Archives)—Photographs of civilians and civilian activities; military personnel, equipment, and activities; and the locations and aftermaths of battles. Because wet-plate collodion negatives required from 5 to 20 seconds exposure, there are no action photographs of the war.
• Civil War Photos—Over 1,200 Civil War images.
• Selected Civil War Photographs (from the Library of Congress)—1,118 photographs of military personnel, preparations for battle, and battle after-effects.

 

• Conflicts in the Definition and Identification of Giftedness
• What Does It Mean to Be Gifted?  

 

• Alternative schools
• Community college classes
• Private schools, if they can be flexible with your student
• Serving Gifted Learners Beyond the Traditional Classroom: A Guide to Alternative Programs and Services
• Online high school courses
• Striking out on one’s own through homeschooling

• Free Guidebooks to Help Exceptionally Bright Children—look especially at the sections on Investigating Gap Year Opportunities, Volunteerism and Community Service, and Mentorships.
• Online Math Program Comparison for Gifted Students
• Mentors for Gifted Students
• Self-Directed Learning for Gifted Students
• Free Tutorial Videos on Math and Science  

 

• Why Arts Education Must Be Saved
• The Arts Are Essential
• Tucson Schools Enhance Learning with the Arts
• Dallas Schools Draw on the Arts Community
• Troubled Teens Explore Their Artistic Side
• Art in Schools Inspires Tomorrow's Creative Thinkers  

 

• Finding primary sources
• Evaluating primary sources (including, among other things, understanding the purpose of the website and the credentials of the person who created the website)
• Citing websites appropriately

 

• Digital Delivery—Barseghian includes numerous websites that extend learning beyond textbooks, including Schmoop’s, the Kahn Academy, and many open education resources. Even though I consider myself quite knowledgeable about resources, many of the sites that are listed here are new to me.
• Interest Driven—Individualized learning technology creates a platform for tailoring education to the interests of children, beginning in elementary school. Links are provided that describe some schools that already incorporate this type of learning.
• Skills 2.0—The ability to teach collaboration, innovation, critical thinking, and communication are becoming easier with the technological revolution. Interactive abilities are broadening the reach of students and teachers to a global perspective. No longer is one’s learning confined to the classroom. Examples are given with links to more information. Tech companies are also looking for additional ways to develop new learning methods.

 

• Clarify issues
• Question assumptions
• Justify statements
• Understand the ideas of others
• Imagine consequences
• Relate different issues

• Imagine…
• Suppose…
• Predict…
• If…, then…
• How might…
• Can you create…
• What are some possible consequences…

Q.  What did Jack do when he got to the giant's castle?"

A.  Jack hid from the giant, found the goose that lays the golden eggs, was discovered by the giant, fled, reached the bottom of the vine, and then chopped it down. The giant, of course, tumbles down, breaks his neck, and Jack lives happily every after with his mother and his newly found wealth.

Q.  Did Jack trespass illegally? (In kindergarten terms, "Did Jack go into someone's house where he did not belong?"

A.  Yes!

Q.  Did Jack steal the goose that lays golden eggs?"

A.  Yes!

Q.  Did Jack, then, refuse to give back what did not belong to him?

A.  Yes!

Q.  Then did Jack escape down the bean vine and cause the giant to be killed?"

A.  Yes!

Q.  If Jack trespassed, stole, and murdered the giant, why is the giant the villain of this story?

 

• Roller Coasters
• Carousel
• Bumper Cars
• Free Fall Rides
• Pendulum Rides
• Ride Safety
• Related Resources 

 

• Advocating for Exceptionally Gifted Young People—What should you know about your child? What should you know about gifted education? How should you formulate a plan? How should you approach your child’s school? How can you monitor your child’s education?
• Investigating Early College Entrance: A Guidebook for Parents and a Guidebook for Students—How does one assess whether a student is ready for early college entrance? How might early entrance impact the family? What about scholarships and other financial aid?
• Investigating Gap Year Opportunities—A gap year is a “break from formal education to become more immersed in another culture, to volunteer domestically or abroad, to gain experience and maturity…” It is becoming more common in the U.S., especially for students who graduate early from high school. This guidebook discusses possible options for a gap year, the pros and cons of taking a gap year, and what colleges think of students who pursue this option.
• Volunteerism and Community Service—This guidebook provides resources, strategies, and valuable information to think about when considering the who, what, where, when, how, and why questions associated with volunteering.
• Mentorships—How does one search for a mentor? What types of mentoring relationships are available? What characteristics should a great mentor have?

 

• Cogito—Extensive list that is searchable by grade level, location, residential/commuter, eligibility, and program scope.
• Hoagie’s Gifted Education Page —Programs listed by country and by state.
• Imagine Magazine—Includes Talent Search summer programs, university sponsored programs, and directories and links to other programs.
• Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA)—Searchable by content, credit offered, grade level/age, and location.
• National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)—Search by keyword and by state.

  

• Create a Line of Stem Cells—Learn what a stem cell is and help our scientists create a stem cell line!
• Design a Cell Phone—Help engineering director Elena design and manufacture a cell phone to help senior citizens get the most out of new technology!
• Deep Brain Stimulation—Help Dr. Vanessa Mei cut, probe, and drill her way to helping her patient cope with a movement disorder through brain surgery!
• Crash Scene—Help the highway patrol recreate a deadly crash by examining the evidence and calculating the forces.
• Virtual Hip Resurfacing—Take on the role of the surgeon throughout a hip resurfacing surgery.
• Virtual Hip Replacement—Take on the role of the surgeon throughout a hip replacement surgery.
• The Odd Machine—Learn how forces and simple machines can work together to create The Compound Machine.
• Virtual Knee Surgery—Take on the role of the surgeon throughout a total knee replacement surgery.
• Weather—Learn how to report and predict the weather at the underground W.H.E.D. weather caves.
• Simple Machines—Learn about simple and compound machines while you explore the House and Tool Shed.

• Virtual Frog Dissection 
• Cow’s Eye Dissection  

 

• calls for an action or opinion that it makes seem wise and reasonable.
• suggests that the action or opinion is moral and right.
• provides a pleasant feeling, such as a sense of importance or of belonging.

• What is Propaganda? —Communication that is meant to persuade or change public opinion. While the word often has a negative connotation, it is not necessarily bad. Propaganda is an attempt to change opinions by persuasively presenting new ones. It is important to recognize propaganda techniques and examine the purpose of the propaganda before making decisions.
• Propaganda Techniques—Eleven different techniques are listed and explained. The knowledge of these techniques enables students to analyze print and other media. Understanding the techniques opens the door to critical thinking and the ability to analyze information. 

• Have students collect advertisements and analyze what, if any, propaganda techniques were used.
• Apply propaganda techniques to current political discussions or to a unit in history being studied.
• Discuss how the use of technology has affected the use of propaganda.
• Have students take a stand on a topic of their choosing. Individually or in small groups, have them create an advertising campaign that uses a set of propaganda techniques.

 

• Logos is argument by logic.
• Ethos is argument by character and employs the persuader’s personality, reputation, and ability to look trustworthy. A sterling reputation is more than just good; it’s persuasive. An adult is more likely to believe a trustworthy kid and to accept her argument.
• Pathos is argument by emotion. It plays on one’s heartstrings. When a student learns to read your emotions and play them like an instrument, he is becoming a good persuader.

• Argue to teach decision-making. When you argue the various sides of an issue with your kids (“Beach or mountains this summer?”), they are learning to present different options (“Both!”) and then decide which choice to follow.
• Focus on the future. Arguments about the past (“Who made the mess with the toys?”) or the present (“Good children don’t leave messes.”) are far less productive than focusing on what to do or believe: “What’s a good way to make sure that toys get cleaned up?”
• Call “fouls.” Anything that impedes debate counts as a foul: Shouting, storming out of the room, or recalling past family atrocities should instantly make you choose the opposite side.
• Reward the right emotions. Respond to screaming and anger by not responding, except to say, “Oh, come on. You can do better than that.”
• Let kids win sometimes. When they present a good argument, there’s no better teaching method than rewarding them. My overreliance on the slow cooker, for instance, made my son beg for “dry” food. “Even the cat’s meals,” he said, “aren’t all wet.” Good point. I served hamburgers next. Very dry hamburgers.

• Listen and verbally acknowledge that you have heard what the other person has said.
• Take time to think. Don’t be afraid to say you’d like to think about a point for a while and respond later. This will give time to formulate an appropriate response.
• Acknowledge the other person’s points that you agree with.
• Stick with the main point and don’t get sidetracked.
• Don’t let feelings fester. Bring up topics sooner rather than later.
• Look for a win/win solution. 

 

• Cool Shakespeare Facts—Personal trivia, words and phrases that were created by Shakespeare, and information about the Globe Theatre.
• General Shakespeare Resources—Links to five major sites that cover a multitude of facts and opinions about the famous bard.
• Links to Every Single Shakespeare Work Online—Plays are divided into the categories of comedy, history, and tragedy. Shakespeare’s poems are also listed. Each link contains the complete work so you don’t have to go to the bookstore or library to get a play or sonnet.
• Links to Resources that Give Notes/Info/Explanations of Shakespeare Plays—Sites that will help you interpret the writings of Shakespeare.
• Shakespeare Festivals—A list of Shakespeare festivals (with Internet links) held in the United States and Canada.  

• Shakespeare for Gifted Students  
• Excellent Resources for Teaching Shakespeare to Gifted Students

 

• Tolerate “wrong” answers as children explore and fantasize.
• Sign children up for programs that foster creativity, such as Destination ImagiNation, Odyssey of the Mind, and Future Problem-Solving Program International.
• Invite children to come up with possible solutions for everyday problems, and listen to their ideas with respect.
• Ask open-ended questions and show interest in answers.
• Refrain from judging kids' ideas, even if they seem crazy or naive.
• Avoid paying too much attention to the outcome of kids' creative efforts. (You want them to be creative for the pure pleasure of it, not because they will receive praise.) 

 

• A place where they can post their writing and get feedback in the form of comments and reviews.
• Writing contests.
• Advice from adults who publish young adult books.
• Recommendations of recently published books for young adults.
• A forum where students can connect on a variety of subjects related to their writing.
• A blog which, among other things, contains interviews with published authors of books for young adults.

• 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.

• 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. 

• Simon Schubert
• Giang Dinh
• Paul Jackson
• Eric Joisel
• Brian Chan

 

• Reasons for Starting a Parent Group
• Ways to Organize Your Parent Group
• Pitfalls
• Building Support
• Turning Support Into Advocacy
• Tips for New Parent Groups
• Building an Accepting Culture
• Resources (Internet Resources are presented as hot links so you can connect directly to websites) 

 

• 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."

 

• General Blogs for Gifted Homeschoolers
• College Prep
• Science
• Math
• Writing
• The Arts
• Forums 

 

• Chemistry
• Engineering
• The five senses
• Forces and energy
• Life science
• Patterns
• Sound
• Structures
• Water

• Organs
• Muscles
• Skeleton
• Senses
• Nervous system

 

• The poor economy is limiting people’s discretionary funds.
• Since taking piano lessons is no longer the norm in American households, there is not a big demand for the instruments.

• work hard
• focus
• be responsible
• pay attention to details
• be self-reliant
• be creative

• Don’t expect your kids to enjoy learning music that you do not play in your own home. It may be too foreign to their ears. Play—and hopefully enjoy—a wide variety of types of music at home, including classical, jazz, folk, contemporary, and music from other cultures.
• Take your children to concerts of many types, letting them hear many types of music.
• Present music lessons as an honor, not a duty.
• Be willing to sit with your child during practice, especially in the beginning.
• Research and interview a variety of teachers before choosing one. It is very important that your child and the instructor are able to “connect” on many levels.

 

• Definitions—Lists information about more than a dozen kinds of puppets.
• Traditions Around the World—Traditions from 13 different countries.
• Puppet Building—Books, patterns, tutorials, materials, and suppliers.
• Using Puppetry—Puppet stages, plays, and scripts.
• Schools, Workshops, Internships, Scholarships, and Awards—A great section for those who are seriously interested in puppetry.
• Organizations—Links to organizations around the world.
• Festivals—Conferences and festivals in the United States and Canada.
• Exhibits and Museums—From around the world, with many in the United States.
• Resources—Books, mailing lists, newsgroups, and other puppetry Web sites.

 

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.

 

• More than 12 million immigrants arrived at Ellis Island in New York Harbor between 1892 and 1954. Now you can hear first-person accounts of their ocean journeys, daily life in their home countries, and experiences at the federal government’s former processing station. Ancestry.com is a subscription genealogy Web site that contains an incredible amount of information. Some information is free, including more than 1,700 taped interviews with immigrants.  
• Immigration and U.S. History presents an overview of four centuries of immigration in the United States.
• Digital History gathers together a multitude of research items. You will want to spend time clicking through the various resources on the left side of the page.
• The Library of Congress: Immigration Web site links educators to primary sources from the Library of Congress' online collections.

• The Urban Institute offers much statistical information on current immigration, including where immigrants are settling and information about children of immigrants.
• Migration Policy Institute: Country and Comparative Data presents an incredible amount of data. From where are immigrants coming? To which countries are they moving? Which countries are accepting people applying for asylum, and how many do they allow each year?
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is the official Web site to check when wanting to enter the United States legally. Readers will discover the various ways that a person can enter the U.S. and how the application process works.

• Why do people immigrate to other countries?
• What factors are considered when immigrants choose a destination country?
• In what ways has immigration been a positive influence?
• In what ways has immigration been a negative influence?
• How has the view of immigration changed or stayed the same over the years?

 

• Mentors for Gifted Science Students —October 12, 2007
• Keep Gifted Students Motivated through Mentoring—April 29, 2006
• Mentoring Gifted Children—November 25, 2005

• Finding a Mentor for Your Gifted Child—Lorel Shea of the BellaOnline Web site provides reasons why even young gifted students benefit from mentorships. She also gives tips for finding mentors. The author’s advice applies to students of any age who are gifted academically or have very strong interests.
• Mentoring: An Interview with a Davidson Fellow’s Mentor – Dr. Woodbury and 2010 Davidson Fellow Laureate Kyle Loh—The type of mentorship described here is for mature, highly gifted, highly motivated students who are in middle school or high school and have academic needs that far surpass what would be found in even specialized schools for gifted students. The student described in this interview was interested in stem cell research. He entered Rutgers University at the age of 13.
• Find out how one Davidson Fellows award recipient found a mentor for his project by reading his tips on locating a helpful professional—Find out how one Davidson Fellows award recipient found a mentor for his project by reading his tips on locating a helpful professional.
• Mentorships: A Guidebook—This guidebook, published by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, helps students and adults determine if a young person is ready to pursue a mentorship and, if not, what alternatives are available. It includes parameters for setting up different types of mentorships and suggestions for finding mentors.

 

• a generation or two ago, grade skipping was more acceptable,
• students are far more ready to adjust to age differences when skipping a grade than we think they are,
• grade-skipping is an economical and effective way to meet the needs of highly able students, and
• when a student has strong academic abilities in just one or two subjects, that student should move to a higher grade for those specific subjects and stay with his age-peer group for the rest of the day. 

 

• Hobbie shops—both store fronts and online varieties have all kinds of materials and kits.
• Knitting, sewing, and quilting stores have not only supplies, but often offer free or low cost instruction.
• Home Depot often has building classes specifically for children.
• Local summer camps, workshops, and clubs such as Tinkering School in Los Angeles. Whether or not you live in Los Angeles, check out this website. There are some great sections for everyone, such as Fifty Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do.
• Magazines such as Make where you will find an archive of fun projects for kids of all ages.

• When school isn’t the ideal place to educate kids, what should you do?
• Should schools be responsible for completely educating young people or should they be considered supplements to education provided at home?
• Are we adequately preparing kids for living and working in today’s world?
• How can we foster a natural love of learning?
• How can we allow and encourage young people to follow their passions, even though time consuming school assignments may make that difficult?
• How can parents best communicate their educational philosophy and the needs of their kids to teachers?
• How can parents play an active role in the education of their youngsters? What does “active role” mean?
• What does an educated person look like?
• How can parents and teachers help to keep the joy of learning alive?
• How will technology change the way we learn?

 

• Mars Exploration Program—Sponsored by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, this site offers youth-friendly information, photos, and video about Mars.
• Spaceflight Now—This is basically an online news reporting site, focusing on space. The news is presented in both articles and in videos.
• Space Weather—Tells about and lists calendars for space events such as sunspots, solar flares, aurora australis and aurora borealis, meteor showers, and near-Earth asteroids. It also includes some excellent links to other space weather related websites.
• Universe Today—A collection of articles and images from news sources on topics such as using radio signals to weigh planets, creating a map of magnetic field lines of the sun, and helping NASA choose wakeup music for the final shuttle missions.
• Space for Europe—The European Space Agency provides a global approach to the study of space, with a special section for kids. There are also many articles and all kinds of videos on topics such as survival training for astronauts, the Hubble telescope capturing images of bubbles and baby stars, and venture capital funds backing business opportunities from space.
• NASA—This Web site offers an incredible amount of written information, as well as images, video, audio, and interactive activities. There are special sections for educators and for students. There is an area describing careers at NASA, including internship opportunities.
• The Planetary Society—This is the world's largest space-interest group. It is dedicated to inspiring the public with the adventure and mystery of space exploration through projects and publications. There are quite a few activities for kids.
• Space—One particularly interesting section of this website is "Entertainment" (click on tab near the top of the page). Here you will find articles such as How ‘Star Wars’ Changed the World and space video game reviews.

 

• Self-Directed Learning—This website provides ideas for teaching self-directed learning and for becoming a self-directed learner. It also includes articles, archived newsletters, and links to other helpful websites.
• Self-Directed Learning—This article from ERIC includes an explanation of self-directed learning, lists its benefits, and discusses what teachers can do to help the process.
• The International Society for Self-Directed Learning—For those who really want to study the concept of self-directed learning. Here you will find back issues of this organization's journal.

 

• Hamlet
• Romeo and Juliet
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Macbeth

 

• The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher
• M.C. Escher: The Official Website
• Escher for Real

• 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.

 

• characteristics of profoundly gifted children,
• initial signs of giftedness,
• things that parents can do to advocate for their child, and
• ways to work through the possibility of various types of homeschooling

 

• The genre provides students with compelling reads.
• Biographies offer role models that often emphasize specific character traits.
• Young people are able to see how real people overcome obstacles and solve problems.
• By reading several biographies about the same person, readers grow to understand how different authors may view that same individual.

 

• Amateur Entomologists' Society—This site from the U.K. tells how to collect and care for bugs, provides activities to learn about insects along with lots of interesting information, and talks about how to become an entomologist.
• BugGuide—Sponsored by the Department of Entomology at Iowa State University, this site helps you identify and classify all types of bugs. It has an incredible number of wonderful photographs.
• Cogito Conversation: Ainsley Seago, Insect Biologist & Illustrator—This interview with Dr. Ainsley Seago is a great resource for learning more about careers in entomology.
• The Lost Ladybug Project—This site provides all kinds of activities and lesson plans about ladybugs. Scientists also ask students to help find various types of ladybugs in different areas of the country and share that information. Instructions for collecting and sharing this information are listed.
• YouTube—YouTube continues to be an excellent resource for parents, teachers, and students. (Adults should always first screen content at this site for young children.) In the search box, type in words such as entomology, arachnids, and insects, or type in specific names of bugs. You will find videos from many reputable sources.
• National Geographic—Search using general or specific words having to do with bugs, and you will find a variety of educational videos, pictures, and articles.
• Nova—Search using general or specific words having to do with bugs, and you will find colorful slide shows, thoughtful articles, videos, and more.
• Google Images—Find photos of bugs that you are interested in by doing a search using relevant words.

 

• The Birth of a GT School: Making it Happen/How?
• Everyday Social Life of Gifted Kids: Proactive Support
• Going Crazy? Why Parenting the Gifted Can Be Tough
• IQ Testing: Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How
• Exploring the Power of Mentorships for Gifted Students

• RTI Action Network
• National Center on Response to Intervention

You can now download a complimentary copy of a special issue of Gifted Child Today on the topic of Response to Intervention (RtI) and gifted education.

RtI is a key component of educational reform in the United States. For gifted education, RtI represents many important opportunities and challenges. To help education professionals take a proactive look at the ways gifted education and the needs of gifted students fit within the RtI initiative, Gifted Child Today’s editor, Susan Johnsen, Ph.D., and the journal’s editorial board invited two prominent professors (Mary Ruth Coleman, Ph.D. and Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D.) to guest edit a special issue of GCT on the important topic of RtI and gifted child education.

After that special RtI issue of GCT was published in the summer of 2009, it quickly became one of the most widely read issues in the peer-reviewed journal’s history. In fact, Prufrock Press, the journal’s publisher, had so many requests for additional copies of that issue, extra copies from the original press run were quickly sold out. It seems that many individuals, universities, and gifted education programs around the country were using the special issue for professional development purposes.

To encourage the widest possible exposure of this important topic to gifted education professionals, Prufrock Press has made the decision to offer this issue of GCT free of charge as a downloadable PDF.

Click here to download a complimentary copy of the Summer 2009 issue of GCT.
Please note: The PDF is large (7.5MB) and, depending on your Internet connection, may take several minutes to download.

Prufrock Press hopes this free downloadable copy of GCT will be helpful to you as you explore the topic of RtI and gifted education. Please feel free to pass this information along to others who might be interested in this topic.

• Teaching Your Child Tolerance—Explains to parents why their own discomfort with the subject of tolerance should not get in the way, why tolerance is important, and how it can be taught at home.
• Teaching Tolerance—A wealth of information is provided to use with students of all ages. The current featured activity is Discrimination on the Menu. Discrimination on the Menu provides lesson plans for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Discussion questions are challenging and thought provoking for even your brightest students. In other sections of the website, you will find articles from past issues of Teaching Tolerance magazine, classroom activities, teaching kits, and recommended resources.
• RaceBridges for Schools—This website provides videos, theatre games, lesson plans, and resources that build relationships and promote understanding of many different ethnicities. Be sure and scroll to the bottom of the first page of the website and click on “Other RaceBridges Projects” for even more ideas.

 

• If possible, choose sessions ahead of time and have alternatives ready in case a session is full. If a session does not meet your needs, leave immediately and go to one of your alternative choices.
• Write down the questions that you’d like to ask or goals that you’d like to accomplish. During sessions, ask general questions that will benefit everyone. Save questions that are specific to you for a time when you can speak to someone one-on-one.
• Print personal “business” cards. You may find that you want to exchange contact information with others that you meet.
• Wear a nametag so that people can more easily approach you. Look at other people’s nametags and start conversations with them. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to speakers and vendors, as well as attendees. You never know who you’ll meet and how they might be helpful to you. Here are a few opening lines:
  • Is this your first conference?
  • Did you learn anything new today?
  • Where are you from?
• Be sure to visit the vendors. You may learn about new programs, curricula, and ideas. There also may be prize drawings or freebies.
• Once you get home, follow through on contacting people you said you would contact, and check out those interesting products, services, and websites that you learned about. Share the information you learned with other parents or teachers.

 

• Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY),
• Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP),
• Northwestern University Center for Talent Development (CTD),
• Center for Bright Kids (CBK), and
• Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).

• individualized education planning and counseling;
• advanced and college-level courses focusing on analytical, quantitative, writing, and reasoning skills;
• summer school programs on a participating college campus;
• a peer network of talented students to foster a culture of achievement; and
• career and leadership development programs to "encourage aspirations."

           

• tenacity,
• networking with others of like minds,
• creativity,
• stress reduction,
• pride in one’s accomplishments, and
• setting and working toward goals.

• Museums: When you’re traveling, take time to visit railroad museums. For a list of railroad museums across the nation and throughout the world, visit RailMuseums.com.
• Train Stations: Click here for a list of train stations around the world. Some have historic architectural significance and some are very modern.
• Build a Model Railroad: Building one’s own model railroad is a fantastic way to enhance creativity, work on fine motor skills, manage money, learn to read and understand detailed instructions, and plan. Such hobbies often begin in childhood and continue long into adulthood. For learning all about building a model railroad, check out Building Your Model Railroad.
• Books: Want to learn about the history of trains and railroads and the people who were most influential in creating them? This information will help a student to understand the development of transportation and help put general history in perspective. One also can learn about today’s high-speed trains and commuter systems, the future direction of rail travel, and how that might influence societal trends. For a list of railroad books, go to sites such as RailroadBookstore or GoldenWestBooks.
• Train Clubs and Organizations: Clubs and organizations are a great place to not only learn about your hobby, but also to meet other people with the same interest. Adult members may act as mentors to young people, providing encouragement and expertise. For a list of model railroad clubs, go to RailsUSA and search by your state.
• Take a Ride: Consider a vacation by rail or just a ride downtown on a commuter train. See listings at TrainTraveling. Search local transportation systems such as light rail, subways, and elevated trains at local public transportation sites. 

 

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

• 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.

• Working Memory: A Better Predictor of Academic Success Than IQ? This article addresses several important questions such as: How important is working memory for long-term academic success? Which is more important, IQ or working memory? Can working memory be assessed?  
• Learning about Learning: An Interview with Joshua Waitzkin. In this article, the chess prodigy featured in the film Searching for Bobby Fischer is interviewed.
• Arts and Smarts: Test Scores and Cognitive Development. This article highlights the connection between the arts, academic performance, and improved cognition. 

 

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

 

• Aerial Physics: Aerial Skiing
• Competition Suits
• Banking on Speed: Bobsled 

• Tips for Parents: Gifted Children’s Friendships
• Tips for Parents: Socialization and the Profoundly Gifted Child
• The Impact of Giftedness on Psychological Well-Being
• Highly Gifted Children and Peer Relationships
• Aspects of Personality and Peer Relations of Extremely Talented Adolescents
• A Cross-Sectional Developmental Study of the Social Relations of Students Who Enter College Early
• Friendship Patterns in Highly Intelligent Children

 

• Increasing students' vocabulary encourages them to use more descriptive words when writing or speaking and enables them to communicate their thoughts more clearly.
• Understanding the meaning of a wide range of words allows students to comprehend their reading more easily, thus increasing their retention.
• Having a larger vocabulary helps students' verbal communication flow and helps them to avoid making unnecessary noises such as "umm" and "uhh" when they speak. 
• Using richer and more colorful words helps students project a more intelligent image.
• Having the right vocabulary for planning and solving problems helps students maximize their thinking skills.

• Students can increase their vocabularly significantly by reading widely and actively, noticing and looking up new words as they read. Students should also seek out classics and other books that require them to pay close attention and think deeply about language and ideas.
• Students looking for a fun and relaxing way to learn new words should try playing crossword puzzles and word games. These activities help students to not only learn new words, but also learn alternative meanings for words.
• Students wishing to deepen their vocabulary further should study the meanings of root words, as well as prefixes and suffixes. These devices help students guess the meaning of words that they do not already know. They also help students gain a broad understanding of language.
• Students who wish to experiment with the words that they use on paper should try using a thesaurus when they write. They will not only learn new words this way, but they will also gain a richer appreciation for choosing the right word in a sentence.

• FunBrain: Rooting Out Words has good exercises for students in elementary and middle school.
• English Games features a variety of vocabulary games for all ages, ranging from simple games for elementary school students to advanced games and quizzes for high school students who are studying for the SAT and ACT.
• Number2.com offers free online test preparation, including a vocabulary builder. This website includes practice sessions that adapt to a student's ability level. The website requires students to set up a free account.
• SuperKids: PSAT and SAT Vocabulary Flashcards and Matching Games allows students to study and learn more than 1,000 words that are frequently found on the PSAT and SAT exams.
• Word Games From Merriam-Webster has more than a dozen different online word games that students may enjoy.

 

• spend valuable time with others who are at a similar intellectual level,
• concentrate on a specific area of interest or ability,
• enhance their academic study with additional enrichment opportunities,
• burnish their credentials so that they have a better chance of gaining entrance to an elite college,
• "try out” an academic area of interest, or
• earn early college credit.

• How to Choose a Summer Program
• Questions to Ask When Researching a Summer Camp
• Summer Camps: An Opportunity for Exploration, Focus, and/or Fun?

Remember that many of these programs have strict deadlines for admission. Whatever your reason for enrolling your student in a summer program, be sure to start the process now before it is too late.

 

• YouTube—Search for “Paper Art,” or “Origami,” or “Paper Folding,” to name just a few, and you will find all kinds of videos showing how to create paper art.
• Magazine Mosaic—Create an original mosaic using a paper plate and cut up magazine pieces.

• 100 Extraordinary Examples of Paper Art—I promise that you will love this website. Here, 13 artists showcase their amazing pieces of paper art. Some of the artists featured here use simple materials, while others resort to the unexpected to create stunning work.
• WebUrbanist—Here, more artists showcase their paper art. There are some repeats from the preceding website, but this website is still worth viewing.
• Jen Stark's Paper Art—Here is a video showing how one artist uses very inexpensive materials to create wonderful examples of paper art.

• 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.

• The Label of Gifted--Is There a Better Way? April 16, 2005
• The Label of Gifted Education, September 21, 2007
• Concomitant Characteristics of the Gifted, November 2, 2007
• Profoundly Gifted, December 26, 2008
• The Evolving Definition of Giftedness, February 20, 2009
• David Shenk's Giftedness Controversy, July 31, 2009 

• Why do some parents choose to homeschool their gifted students?
• How does one know where to begin the process of homeschooling?
• Where can one find mentors?
• Where can one find good distance learning programs?
• What problems might one encounter when homeschooling gifted students?
• How can the social needs of a homeschooled gifted child be met?
• Where can high-quality resources such as books, forums, and e-mail lists be found?  

I'm so proud to announce that three outstanding books published by Prufrock Press have been named winners of the prestigious 2009 Legacy Book Awards, which recognize outstanding books published in the United States that have long-term potential for positively influencing the lives of gifted children. The Legacy Book Awards are sponsored each year by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT), the largest state advocacy group of its kind.

This year, the Legacy Book Awards recognized three outstanding books for educators, parents, and students. Strategies for Differentiating Instruction: Best Practices for the Classroom (2nd ed.), by Julia L. Roberts, Ed.D., and Tracy F. Inman; Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Book, by Carol Fertig; and Social-Emotional Curriculum With Gifted and Talented Students, edited by Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D., Tracy L. Cross, Ph.D., and F. Richard Olenchak, Ph.D., are the winners of the 2009 Legacy Book Awards.

For more information, visit our 2009 Legacy Book Award announcement page.

• 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.

In 2008, Dr. Sally M. Reis (University of Connecticut) prepared a National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) position paper listing facts that we know to be true about gifted education.

She limited this list to include only conclusive statements that can be supported by many years of research findings about gifted education. Certainly, she could have included others; however, the idea behind this list was to collect those statements that had so much solid support, they could be considered established facts.

As I read over Dr. Reis' list, I found it frustrating that what we do in schools diverges so radically from what we know is best for gifted kids. How many gifted children attend schools where most, if not all, of the facts listed below are ignored? How many parents have heard a school administrator reject acceleration as an option for gifted kids? How many untrained general education teachers "differentiate" for gifted students by just giving them more work? How many schools ignore high-ability learners in order to myopically focus exclusively on teaching minimum skills to struggling learners?

The NAGC position paper is helpful for gifted child advocates because it explicitly establishes what we know to be true about gifted education. Let me share the information included in Dr. Reis' report:

1. The needs of gifted students are generally not met in American classrooms where the focus is most often on struggling learners and where most classroom teachers have not had the training necessary to meet the needs of gifted students.
2. Grouping gifted students together for instruction increases achievement for gifted students, and in some cases, also increases achievement for students who are achieving at average and below average levels.
3. The use of acceleration results in higher achievement for gifted and talented learners.
4. The use of enrichment and curriculum enhancement results in higher achievement for gifted and talented learners, as well as other students.
5. Classroom teachers can learn to differentiate curriculum and instruction in their regular classroom situations and to extend gifted education strategies and pedagogy to all content areas.
6. Gifted education programs and strategies are effective at serving gifted and high-ability students in a variety of educational settings and from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic populations. Gifted education pedagogy can also reverse underachievement in these students.
7. The curriculum and pedagogy of gifted programs can be extended to a variety of content areas resulting in higher achievement for both gifted and average students. Some enrichment pedagogy can benefit struggling and special needs students when implemented in a wide variety of settings.
8. Some gifted students with learning disabilities who are not identified experience emotional difficulties and seek counseling. High percentages of gifted students do underachieve, but this underachievement can be reversed. Some gifted students do drop out of high school.
9. Gifted education programs and strategies benefit gifted and talented students longitudinally, helping students increase aspirations for college and careers, determine postsecondary and career plans, develop creativity and motivation that they can apply to later work, and obtain more advanced degrees.

Read the entire NAGC position paper, "Research That Supports the Need for and Benefits of Gifted Education." The position paper includes references to the research studies that support each of the conclusions listed above.

 

• The Prufrock Press website. Here, under the "Parenting Gifted Children" section of the website, you will find a comprehensive list of events compiled from the “Meetings” listing that appears in each issue of Gifted Child Today.
• Hoagies' Gifted Education Page. On this website, you will find an extensive list of upcoming conferences stretching out several years. 

• First Impression
• Types of Literature
• Literary Techniques
• Themes
• Evaluation and Review 

  

• About Gifted Children Forum 
• BellaOnline Gifted Education Website Forum
• Davidson Gifted Issues Discussion Forum
• Gifted Education 2.0 
• Gifted Homeschoolers Forum
• Gifted—OGTOC
• MyGiftedLife Forum 
• Purdue Gifted Education Resource Institute Social Network
• Teachers Net: GATE Teachers Chatboard