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On September 20, 2004, according to the University of Iowa's Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education, the report A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students was released. The report was endorsed by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and was featured in Time Magazine and in other media. The Center has posted a 10-minute, 20-question, online survey to assess the impact of the report on attitudes, practices, and policies about academic acceleration. Interested? Click here.
Carolyn K of Hoagies' reminds us that the second annual Gifted Teacher and Administrator of the Year Contest closes in mid-November. If you know a teacher or administrator who "gets it" when it comes to gifted education, you may nominate that person at the Hoagies' site. You may also visit the site to meet the nominees for 2007. Two teachers and one administrator will be recognized.
The Science and Arts Academy, a gifted academy in a Northwest suburb of Chicago (Des Plaines), is searching for a new headmaster due to the retirement of the current headmaster, Dr Mary Christensen. Find the position description and information about who to contact at Hoagies' site.
Next issue of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter: mid-November. (Not yet a subscriber? Go here.) Back issues of 2e Newsletter are available.
The next issue of this briefing: early December.
Feel free to pass on this briefing to others you might know with an interest in raising or teaching high-ability children with learning differences. |
Giftedness and Exceptionalities in the News
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FIRST KIDS SMARTER? A Norwegian study of more than 250,000 people indicates that older siblings tend to have slightly higher IQs. One interesting aspect of the study is that it appears that social order, not birth order, causes the difference. For example, a second-born whose older sibling dies will show the effect. The study was reported in the journal Science and summarized in Medical News Today.
SCHOOL FOR DYSLEXICS. The Washington Post wrote about the 69-pupil Friendship School, where dyslexic students are taught in ways they learn best. Two highlights: every student understands the others' barriers to learning; and students are not teased because they learn differently, as they may be at "regular" schools. Friendship's teachers also train other instructors about educating dyslexic students. Read more.
ALL-STAR TEACHERS. USA Today in October named 20 teachers to the All-USA Teacher Team. Read the profiles of these outstanding educators and discover some of their creative teaching methods here.
GIRLS NOT AS SPATIALLY SKILLED? Let them play action computer games. While there might be a gender difference in spatial skills, women (and men) can improve those skills in only a few hours through video games, according to researchers at the University of Toronto. One of the researchers commented: "One important application of this research could be in helping to attract more women to the mathematical sciences and engineering. Since spatial skills play an important role in these professions, bringing the spatial skills of young women up to the level of their male counterparts could help to change the gender balance in these fields that are so important to our economic health."
WHERE'S YOUR HOMEWORK! Teacher Magazine published an article called "Teaching Secrets: Organizing Middle Schoolers." Included are seven tips useful for students with learning challenges of various types. The tips include the use of agenda books, schoolnotes.com, grading for preparation, and more.
HOMESCHOOLING? HomeEducator.com published an except from the Free Spirit Press book High IQ Kids: Collected Insights, Information, and Personal Stories by the Experts. The excerpt consists of a chapter called "Homeschooling with Profoundly Gifted Kids," by Kathryn Finn. The author shares stories about her kids' early behavior, enrichment activities, a quick transition into and then back out of school; advice on lessons and social life, resources, keeping track of academic progress; and tips such as "Repetition kills learning for gifted kids." Read or download the excerpt.
SOUND TRAINING REWIRES DYSLEXIC KIDS' BRAINS. Some children with dyslexia struggle to read because their brains aren't properly wired to process fast-changing sounds, according to the Children's Hospital Boston. A study there found that sound training via computer exercises can literally rewire children's brains, correcting the sound processing problem and improving reading. The study's first author says the finding may someday help clinicians diagnose dyslexia even before reading begins, and suggests new ways of treating dyslexia, such as musical training. Read the Children's Hospital press release or Wired Science's version of the story.
OTHER STORIES. See http://del.icio.us/2eNewsletter for news items we've saved recently on specific topics such as AD/HD, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, etc.
Note: Some of these news items came to our attention through ScienceDaily, EdNews.org, CEC SmartBriefs, and other aggregators. |
From Other Newsletters and Digests
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Attention Research Update. In October, David Rabiner reviewed a study of social skills in children with inattentive and combined types of AD/HD. The study showed differences in hostility, participation, and memory between children with the two different types of AD/HD and also compared to children without AD/HD. Read it.
Duke Gifted Letter. The Fall issue featured the transition from 5th grade to middle school, and also noted how some states are returning to the K-8 model. Other articles included in the issue are "Listening for what Gifted Children Don't Say" and several on learning foreign languages.
EdNews. On October 8th, Michael Shaughnessy interviewed Josh Wyner of the Jack Kent Cook Foundation about the Foundation's recently-released report "Achievement Trap: How America Is Failing Millions of High-Achieving Students from Lower-Income Families." On October 30th, Shaughnessy interviewed Elizabeth Ridgway about Library of Congress resources available to teachers and scholars.
LD OnLine Monthly Report. Featured in the October edition was an article on diagnosing a learning disability in your child. Also in the edition: a pointer to an opportunity for college students with disabilities to compete for a summer internship with Congress or a federal agency.
LD Talk. October's LD Talk was "Response to Intervention Gets Promoted to Secondary Schools."
SchwabLearning. Material offered online at SchwabLearning in recent issues included dealing with anger, aggression, and resistance in children (October 2); an IEP and conference preparation kit (October 9); understanding and managing behavioral and social problems with a child (October 16); an article on executive function (October 24); and an article on fair and equitable grading for students who have IEPs (October 30).
Wrightslaw. The October 24th edition and the October 31st edition of Special Ed Advocate comprise a two-part series on bullying -- preventing it and responding to it. Also, the newsletter notes that Pete and Pam have been featured on several of Whitney Hoffman's LD Podcasts -- Numbers 51, 52, and 66. |
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Resources for Parents, Educators, and Kids
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Intel Corporation announced that it will bring its Intel Teach Program online to aid more than 1.5 million teachers in 15 countries in learning how to best integrate technology into their lesson plans to help students learn. The goal of the training is to assist teachers in creating active learning environments to help students develop the skills they need to succeed in the global economy. According to the company, students taught by teachers trained through the traditional Intel Teach Program have used these skills for everything from developing an AIDS awareness program to finding new sources of potable water. The value of Intel's commitment is an estimated $300 million over the next four years. Read the company's press release.
Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth sponsors a lecture series on challenges and opportunities for parents and educators of gifted children. The first lecture was on October 18th with Tamra Stambaugh, who addressed common causes of perfectionism in gifted children and strategies to deal with it. The topic for a lecture scheduled for November 5th is acceleration for gifted students. While you might not be able to make it to Nashville to hear the free lectures in person, podcasts of the first two lectures and many subsequent ones will be available on VUCast or on iTunes U.
The Council for Exceptional Children has published its position on Response to Intervention (RTI). Read CEC's press release here or see the full three-page position paper here.
The most recent edition of the NAGC periodical Teaching for High Potential includes an article by Richard Cash entitled "Motivating Adolescent Gifted Learners"; an article by 2e Newsletter columnist Bob Seney on the use of "picture books" in the high school classroom as a resource for gifted instruction; and an article by Nadia Webb titled "Turbulent Minds: Gifted, ADD, or Both," which compares and contrasts the two conditions.
Have an idea for a product for kids that would be fun but also inspire them to get up and be active? RuckusNation is sponsoring a competition for such ideas, and says that they'll support the development, testing, and distribution of products based on the best ideas. All you - or your team of up to six people - has to do is describe your idea in two pages or less. And yes, there are cash prizes for winners.
Does the gifted child in your life have issues related to sleep problems? The American Sleep Association has announced free membership for anyone who registers online, offering all services at no charge. Included is access to a sleep abstract search tool. Registration and more at the association's website.
LD Online has announced a new, affiliated site called AdLit.org. The site is a source of adolescent literary materials for parents, practitioners, and others who want to help adolescents become better readers.
By Kids For Kids (BKFK) and the Pearson Foundation have launched a nationwide digital arts competition created to recognize and reward exceptional young storytellers who make use of digital technologies. The "Digital Arts Challenge" is for teens 19 and under and involves using digital video or other digital technologies to "submit personal stories that share their experiences as teenagers coming of age in the 21st century." More information. Deadline: December 31. |
Events
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November 7-10, 19th Annual Conference on AD/HD, CrystalCity, Virginia. By CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).
More information.
November 7-11, NAGC 54th Annual Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota. For educators, other professionals, and parents. More information.
March 6-9, 2008, Annual Conference of the Council of Parent Attorneys & Advocates Conference (COPPA), Anaheim, California. For attorneys, special education advocates, and parents. More information.
April 2-5, 2008, Convention and Expo of the Council for Exceptional Children, Boston, Massachusetts. Henry Winkler, keynoter. For teachers, administrators, students, parents, paraprofessionals, and related support service providers to students with exceptionalities, disabilities, or giftedness. More information.
April 4-6, 2008, Intelligence at Risk: Transforming the Educational Paradigm, Universal City Hilton, Universal City, California. By AEGUS (Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving Students). For educators, parents, and clinicians. More information.
July 9-11, 2008, Australian Association for the Education of Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) Biennial Conference, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. More information.
July 18-20, 2008, SENG 25th Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. For parents, educators, others. More information.
September 16-20, 2008, 11th Conference of the European Council for High Ability, Prague, Czech Republic. Official language: English. For professionals, educators. More information.
Please note: Fall is the time for many state gifted associations to hold conferences. For state association conferences relating to giftedness, see Hoagies' website. For additional conferences on learning differences, see the website of the Council for Exceptional Children. |
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And Now for Something Completely Different ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Long ago we at Glen Ellyn Media thought that one could believe what one read in print. We were reminded of that belief by a recent Dilbert cartoon. Self-promotion and monetary gain do not mix well with objectivity, but much "information" flows from sources with those motives. Think about doctors who accept money from drug companies; think about news stories based on pre-written press releases from organizations with something to push. We urge all of our subscribers to be critical and watchful of what you read, especially from those who would offer advice or products for the children you raise or teach. |
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Two booklets from Glen Ellyn Media on recognizing and addressing the combination of giftedness and learning deficits or disorders in children. Each booklet includes articles, checklists, charts, and resource listings. Perfect for those new to the 2e experience.
For parents: Parenting Your Twice-Exceptional Child. For Educators: Understanding Your Twice-Exceptional Student. Prices: $12.95 for one, $22 for both. Newsletter subscribers get even lower prices. Free shipping for a limited time.
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