1. Navigating the Educational Journey : The Student at School is the Child at Home December 4, 2010

2. NAGC’s Teacher Resource Specialist Jeff Danielian [email_address]

4. “ A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.” - Grace Hopper “ It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.” -George William Curtis “ A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” - Henrik Ibsen “ I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” -Louisa May Alcott

5. … Wait until KINDERGARTEN … THIS WEEK WE TOOK A TEST TO SEE IF WE’RE READY FOR THE TEST THAT TESTS OUR TEST SKILLS… In which direction are we moving in American Education?

7. Gifted and Talented Education Something That Connects Us All

8. “ Our Nation’s schools continue to cut crucial programs, budgets, and staff. They are underfunded, neglected, and forced to “work with what they have.” While there are a few governmental programs supporting school improvement and innovation, the advocacy, support, and overall exposure and funding of these programs is overshadowed by the immediate need to improve the economy.” From the pages of:

14. “ Sometimes all that is needed to open a line of communication is a simple step back, allowing the situation to come into focus.” From the pages of:

18. “ The monotony of daily classes is lost when students are allowed to discover who they are as individuals.” From the pages of:

25. “ Students should never think of themselves as failures, but should look for skills to improve.” “ Education, much like life, is an ever changing process. Failure, as a variable, always comes into play.” From the pages of:

29. “ Educators can only guide students in the right direction, offering suggestions and ideas along the way. The rest is up to them.” From the pages of:

32. “ Dreams begin at home or in the classroom.” From the pages of:

36. “ Simply asking “How’s it going” can open up the line of communication between teacher and student.” From the pages of:

39. Edited by Maureen Neihart, Sally M. Reis, Nancy M. Robinson, & Sydney M. Moon Section I: Issues Deriving From Student Advancement Compared With Age Peers Section II: Common Areas of Psychological Response Section III: Gifted Children and Youth With Special Needs Section IV: Promising Practices and Interventions and Recommendations for Future Action Social and Emotional Issues: What Have We Learned and What Should We Do Now? Contributors

41. “ If it is skills you are evaluating, give them choice of content. If it is content, give them choice of product” From the pages of:

42. Abilities, Interests, & Learning Styles

43. Three Ring Conception Over Houndstooth Pattern

47. “ The journey is difficult, immense. We will travel as far as we can, but we cannot in one lifetime see all that we would like to see or to learn all that we hunger to know.” - Loren Eiseley

49. “ The ability to identify potential, offer differentiated curriculum (process and product), and assess with individuality are three tools I continue to refine year after year.” From the pages of:

50. Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad Model

52. The Multiple Menu Model: A Practical Guide for Developing Differentiated Curriculum Creative Learning Press Bookstore

54. The Art of Creative Thinking Fluency – the production of a great number of ideas Flexibility – producing a variety of categories of ideas. Originality – production of ideas that are unique or unusual. Elaboration – production of ideas that display detail or enrichment..

55. Morphological Matrix Students list the attribute of two or more related topics in order to create a new product, story, etc.

57. Attribute Listing Let the students examine the diagram and describe each part of the contraption. After observing the parts, ask the students to predict what each will do for the entire contraption. Tell about the attributes of each part. Then, have them decide how the parts can be altered to produce better results. THINK CREATIVELY!!!

58. “ SCAMPER” In 1977, Bob Eberle rearranged some common divergent thinking questions into the acronym “SCAMPER” to help students create new ideas by systematically modifying something already existing. Letter Representing Sample Questions S Substitute What similarities exist? What could be substituted for ________? C Combine Might something be combined or brought together to solve the new challenge? A Adapt What changes or adjustment can be made to help us now? M Modify/Magnify/Minify What could happen if you could change the situation to match these conditions? P Put to other uses In what other ways might parts be used? E Eliminate/Elaborate What could be removed or enhanced? R Reverse/Rearrange What effects would come from changing the sequence?

63. “ Every generation has a chance to change the world. Pity the nation that won’t listen to its boys and girls. The sweetest melody is the one we haven’t heard.” - I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight from: No Line on The Horizon U2 2009

64. “ We, educators and parents, are key to debunking the myths. The time has come to reverse the unrealistic conceptions of not only what the field has to offer, but also what it truly means to be a gifted and talented student in today’s society.” From the pages of:

66. While we may sail different ships…….. …… ..We are on the same sea.

67. “ The ways in which we communicate throughout the school day are as varied as the students we teach. During engagement with students, we read aloud and lecture, offer encouragement through written and oral assessment, and engage in one-on-one discussions. Contact with parents takes the form of short notes, longer letters, e-mails, phone calls, and at times through parent/teacher conferences.” From the pages of:

71. “ Just as the handyman seeks a home improvement blog for answers about a leaky pipe, or the gardener seeks out advice on planting lettuce, the educator, faced with students of high ability on a daily basis, and the parent, caring and raising a child, should seek out resources for information, insight, and advice.” From the pages of:

77. Issue #1: “We don’t have a gifted program, so what can I do?” Issue #2: “School’s Opening. How do we start off on the right foot?” Issue #3: “What do we need to know about children who have already mastered pre-school or kindergarten skills prior to entering the classroom?” Issue #4: “ But she (or he) doesn’t seem gifted to me…” Signs of giftedness can be unrecognized or misunderstood. Issue #5: “Giftedness? What does the label mean…?” Issue #6: “We know this child is gifted. Now that there’s no question about the high potential, what is my role? What are some practical ways I can support and encourage? Issue #7: “Are there ways to help the gifted child who procrastinates, has anxiety, and/or never seems to think things are good enough?” Available Issues of NAGC’s Connecting for High Potential

78. Issue #8: “How can I find appropriate, challenging resources for a child who is reading far above grade-level?” Issue #9: “This child is a classic ‘absent-minded professor.’ How can she or he ever learn organizational skills?” Issue #10: “What should we know about gifted children and stress?” Issue #11: Rights? Gifted Students? The Law? What should I know? Issue #12: Does Being Gifted Mean Gifted All the Time? Gifted at Home, but not at School (or vice versa)? Can “Gifted” be Gifted in Only Some Subjects? Issue #13: “ Homework? Making it worthwhile.” Issue #14: “ A friend is a friend is a friend, indeed: Gifted children and peers” Issue #15 : “Bored, apathetic, lost interest in school? Behavior problems? Don’t despair. Try applying Cooperative Action Research! Available Issues of NAGC’s Connecting for High Potential

90. Thanks