Gifted Child Today articles from January 2004

Gifted Child Today archives from January 2004

Leadership is a "must" for children who are gifted and talented.(From the Guest Editor)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... This special issue of Gifted Child Today examines a very important topic in gifted education: leadership. Although not new to gifted education, it is a topic that often has been overlooked. Leadership was listed as a category of giftedness in...

www.eduweb.com/pintura.(On the Web)
January 1, 2004... Enjoy fine art? Enjoy a good mystery? If so, be sure to visit this site. An online adventure introduces visitors to fine art through solving the mystery of "The Case of Grandpa's Painting." Miss Fiona Feather-duster has inherited a painting...

www.brainbashers.com.(On the Web)
January 1, 2004... Which triangle has a bigger area: one with sides measuring 300, 400, and 500 or one with sides measuring 300, 400, and 700? Curious? If you are, visit this site of brain games, puzzlers, and illusions. There are literally thousands of puzzles...

www.greatestplaces.org.(On the Web)
January 1, 2004... This site highlights seven of the most geographically dynamic locations on Earth. Photos, facts, maps, and video clips are included on the Amazon, Greenland, Iguazu, Madagascar, Namib, Okavango, and Tibet. Activities, regional recipes, and...

www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/ Contents.html.(On the Web)
January 1, 2004... Why does the Earth turn? Who invented language? Got questions? Dr. Universe, the world's most curious cat, has the answers. This site, sponsored by Washington State University, offers in-depth answers to just about every Question imaginable....

Handheld computers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Norris and Soloway suggest that handheld computers can make productive learning activities easier or more interesting for students ("How Handhelds Can Change the Classroom," Harvard Education Letter, 1915], 7-8). First, handheld computers are...

Different starting points.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... In a recent Education Update (45[5], 1, 3, 6), veteran educators encourage teachers to use the first 6 weeks of school to assess the students in their classroom in order to get to know their strengths and weaknesses. These formative assessments...

Math and science instruction.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... After 10 years of debating the effectiveness of different methods for teaching math and science, researchers report that guiding students toward discovering principles or instructing students in specific facts and procedures are equally...

Revisiting nature vs. nurture.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... For a child born into extreme poverty, nurture makes a bigger difference in intelligence than nature. In reaching this conclusion, Dr. Eric Turkheimer, of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, examined 319 pairs of twins from the...

2003 SAT and ACT results.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... While 2003 ACT composite scores were similar to 2002 (e.g., 20.8), SAT math and verbal scores rose slightly. On the mathematics section, scores rose from 516 to 519; on the verbal, 504 to 507. The College Board believes that the increase in...

www.tangram.i-p.com.(On the Web)
January 1, 2004... Enjoy tangrams? This interactive site provides a number of tangram puzzles that can be solved online. There are also numerous printout pages full of puzzles, as well as directions on how to make a tangram. This site also offers a number of...

www.earthfromtheair.com.(On the Web)
January 1, 2004... This is a spectacular online presentation of large-scale photographs of amazing natural landscapes created by world famous photographer Yann Arthus-Bertran. The site also has information on the photographer, downloadable desktop wallpaper,...

Academic-content standards for each state.(Notable)
January 1, 2004... The Council of Chief State School Officers has produced a report that provides detailed information on the academic-content standards for each state. For more information, visit "State Content Standards: A 50-State Resource" at http://...

Teacher effectiveness and student achievement.(Notable)
January 1, 2004... Washington-based Economic Policy Institute has uncovered factors in teacher education and experience that are most likely to raise teacher effectiveness and student achievement. For the report, visit "Teacher Quality: Understanding the...

Bestseller among schools.(Notable)
January 1, 2004... Jim Collins' book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't (HarperCollins) is becoming a bestseller among schools who are trying to meet No Child Left Behind expectations. Characteristics of successful companies...

Information-technology field.(Notable)
January 1, 2004... A recent report from the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that students and others seeking work in the information-technology field must navigate an increasingly complex education and training landscape. To view "Education and Training for...

Knowledge and skills that students learn in schools and the knowledge and skills now required in the workplace.(Notable)
January 1, 2004... The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has recently published a report that measures the gap between the knowledge and skills that students learn in schools and the knowledge and skills now required in the workplace--and concluded that the gap...

Variations in college tuition prices.
January 1, 2004... In the future, students who receive a similar college education may be paying different prices for it (S. Hebel, "Same Classroom, Different Price," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50[4], A10-11). "Proposals being discussed in California,...

Video games helpful to college students.
January 1, 2004... Video games are a vital and positive part of college students' social lives and are not disruptive, according to survey research supported by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (http://www.pewinternet.org/reports). Among 1,100 college...

New Javits grants.(Notable)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... New Javits grants have been announced They Include the following recipients: Ann Biggers, Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Evaluation Initiative, $588,749; Ruben Carrera, Sunnyside, WA, Sunnyside Bilingual Project $786,891; E. Wayne...

Help raise awareness among teachers in preservice programs of the educational needs of gifted and talented students.(Notable)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Senator Charles Grassley (Iowa) has introduced legislation to amend the Higher Education Act to provide grant funds to help raise awareness among teachers in preservice programs of the educational needs of gifted and talented students. The bill...

Early childhood field.(Grants and Awards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Mailman (A.L.) Family Foundation supports tax-exempt organizations for projects of national or regional import in the early childhood field. Topics include early care and education, family support, and moral education and social...

Elementary through postsecondary levels in science education.(Grants and Awards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Medtronic Foundation supports students from elementary through postsecondary levels in science education. Eligible applicants are located in communities where the sponsor operates. Applications by July 15 deadline are considered for...

Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition.(Contests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition was founded in 1998 to nurture talent and create opportunities for individuals wanting to become screenwriters. The competitions focus is on good writing and storytelling. Any genre is welcome, with...

Davidson Fellows.(Contests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Davidson Fellows program, sponsored by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, highlights the accomplishments of extraordinary young people who have completed a significant piece of work in mathematics, science, technology, music,...

The National Scholastic Press Association Scholarships.(Contests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The National Scholastic Press Association, which is dedicated to helping students and teachers improve their publications, offers a wide range of competitions throughout the year. Two competitions that are taking place in the spring are the...

The Young American Patriotic Art Scholarship.(Contests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... This scholarship is sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of Veterans of Foreign Wars and is intended to encourage young artists to express patriotism in an original work of art. The first-place winner will receive $10,000, the second-place winner...

National scholastic chess championships.(Contests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Chess Federation is a group of more than 90,000 members that exists to educate and instruct the public about chess. The organization has an informative Web site that provides information on membership requirements, how to organize...

Computer programming contests.(Contests)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The American Computer Science League (ACSL) organizes computer science and computer programming contests for junior and senior high school students. In each of these competitions, students are given short theoretical and applied questions and...

Exchange of American and German young people.(Grants and Awards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange supports the exchange of American and German young people in order to sustain and strengthen German-American friendships based on common values of democracy and to convey lasting personal and institutional...

Stimulating creativity and productivity among educators and students of all ages.(Grants and Awards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Milken Family Foundation is committed to strengthening the teaching profession by recognizing and rewarding outstanding educators and by expanding their professional leadership and policy influence; attracting, retaining, and motivating the...

The Office of Postsecondary Education provides funding for problem areas or improvement approaches in postsecondary education.(Grants and Awards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Office of Postsecondary Education provides funding for problem areas or improvement approaches in postsecondary education. Ten awards averaging $30,000 will be made for a project period of up to 48 months. Deadline is April 16, 2004. For...

Meetings.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... FEBRUARY 4-5 Arizona Association of Gifted and Talented (AAGT) conference at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix. For more information, visit http:// www.azagt.org/news of coming_events.htm. 4-7 National Association for...

Did you know ...(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ... 78% of parents know very little or nothing at all about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. ... 20% of parents are very favorable and/or somewhat favorable about the NCLB Act. ... 59% of parents want the local school board to have...

The gifted garage sale.(Au Contraire)
January 1, 2004... According to our government, the latest recession is finally over. Still, it seems to me that lots of states are wrangling with diminished budgets for schools in general and gifted programs in particular. So, if we are to maintain our own...

Incorporating service learning into leadership education: Duke TIP's Leadership Institute.
January 1, 2004... Lindsey returned from her summer break with a renewed enthusiasm for learning and plans for a service project to launch in her high school. Over the summer, she had designed an "alternative spring break" to Nicaragua, a service project in which...

"Each one, reach one.".(In the Classroom)
January 1, 2004... "Mender of Old Baskets" was his nickname when he worked in the Congo. The tribesmen gave him this nickname because of his ability to teach the "old dogs" of the tribe new tricks. Just as an old, leaky basket can be mended to carry grain, old...

Developing leadership skills in young gifted students.
January 1, 2004... As society grows into a more cooperative society, the importance of finding emerging leaders has become crucial. Not only should these potential leaders be identified, but also their talents need the opportunity to develop. As a result,...

The ongoing riddle of which nurture is best for what nature: parents promoting gifted potential.(Parenting the Gifted)
January 1, 2004... Matt Ridley, an Oxford-trained zoologist and science writer whose latest book is Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human (2003a), wrote such an impressively clear and fascinating piece on "What Makes You Who You Are" that...

Authentic assessment of leadership in problem-solving groups.
January 1, 2004... Issues concerning the identification and training of leaders have roots in the earliest forms of modern Western education. Plato's Republic outlines a plan allowing only those persons possessing the highest intellectual ability to receive...

Look at gifted education from the inside out.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Once Upon a Mind: The Stories and Scholars of Gifted Child Education (ISBN 0-15-503192-9) presents a unique introduction to the field of gifted child education. History and curricula are intermingled with interviews, examples, and stories...

Let the race for visual and verbal matching begin.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... The Kanji Game (ISBN 1-892069-54-7), by Mindware, sets the stage for young and old to learn the elements of a foreign language while building skills in mathematics, memory, concentration and visual relationships. Kanji symbols are an ancient...

Needs and characteristics of special populations.(New Products )
January 1, 2004... In Special Populations in Gifted Education: Working With Diverse Gifted Learners, (ISBN 0-205-35958-2), Jaime A. Castellano provides an impressive update that identifies special populations in gifted education. In addition, the author...

Practical strategies for serving gifted students.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Created for educators and other school-based professionals who work with gifted students in grades K-12, Practical Ideas That Really Work for Students Who Are Gifted (ISBN 0-89079-958-X) provides an assessment system, as well as intervention...

Differentiated instruction for gifted students.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Curriculum and Instructional Planning and Design (ISBN 0-89108-292-1), written by Joyce VanTassel-Baska, establishes an exciting curriculum design model that caters to the unique needs of the gifted learner. The text covers crucial issues such...

Make the most of math talent.(New Products)
January 1, 2004... Teachers and parents of mathematically talented youth in elementary and middle school are sure to find Developing Mathematical Talent: A Guide for Challenging and Educating Gifted Students (ISBN 1-882664-92-2) a treasure. This book addresses...

Instruments for measuring leadership in children and youth.
January 1, 2004... In 1972, the federal definition of gifted and talented expanded to include leadership ability (Marland, 1972). This addition, however, has minimally affected the instruction of gifted and talented students, as few schools address this dimension...

The spill-over effect: an advocacy strategy.(Advocacy)
January 1, 2004... The effectiveness of advocacy efforts is often dependent on the concepts of positioning and timing. Advocates recognize that where and when ideas are promoted maximizes their abilities to influence. As educational programs vie for fiscal and...

Leadership education: resources and Web sites for teachers of gifted students.
January 1, 2004... Leadership has been included in the federal definition of gifted and talented since 1972. However, it remains an area that many teachers and schools do not nurture (Karnes & Riley, 1996). Many students are offered the opportunity to participate...