Gifted Child Today articles from June 2002

Gifted Child Today archives from June 2002

From the guest editor.
June 22, 2002... The contemporary emphasis on the development of literacy and mathematics has resulted in a lowered interest and lowered perceived need for the discipline of social studies. In many districts throughout the country, elementary teachers have been...

National Council for the Social Studies http://www.ncss.org. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Founded in 1921, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) engages and supports educators in strengthening and advocating social studies. NCSS serves as an umbrella organization for elementary, secondary, and college teachers of history,...

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse http://www.service learning.org. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The purpose of the clearinghouse is to collect and disseminate information and materials related to service learning for Learn and Serve America grantees and other programs involved in service learning. The clearinghouse also operates a variety...

Center for Civic Education http://www.civiced.org/. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The Center for Civic Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational corporation whose mission is to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the...

Variation among state assessment standards.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Education Week recently analyzed the variation among state standards ([2002]. "A Proficient Score Depends on Geography," 21123], 12, 14-15). They compared the percent of students who scored at the proficient or similar levels on state...

Encouraging engineering among young women.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... While women make up the majority of undergraduate students in the U.S., the proportion of women enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs continues to be about 20% (Farrell. [2002]. "Engineering a Warmer Welcome for Female Students." The...

Criticisms of the AP and IB programs.(Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... According to a National Research Council (NRC) report, "Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools," Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) science and mathematics...

Organization of American Historians http://www.oah.org. (On the Web).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Founded in 1907, the Organization of American Historians is the largest learned society devoted to the study of American history. This Web site offers information about activities, publications, and Internet links.

A new display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American history documents how mathematics have been taught in various eras of American history. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... A new display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History documents how mathematics have been taught in various eras of American history. Materials include slates; slide rules; geometric-shaped blocks; electronic toys,...

The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) recently approved the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) performance-based standards for the preparation and licensure of special educators, including the gifted. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) recently approved the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) performance-based standards for the preparation and licensure of special educators, including the gifted. The...

Designs for Excellence by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius and Lisa Limburg-Weber is a comprehensive guide to educational programs for adolescents. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Designs for Excellence by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius and Lisa Limburg-Weber is a comprehensive guide to educational programs for adolescents. Programs include the international Baccalaureate (IB) program, the Advanced Placement (AP) program, dual...

A recent report Foundation Giving Trends: Update on Funding Priorities shows a dramatic increase in grants to K-12 education from June 30, 2000 to July 1, 2001. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... A recent report Foundation Giving Trends: Update on Funding Priorities shows a dramatic increase in grants to K-12 education from June 30, 2000 to July 1, 2001. The dollars for school reform doubled from the previous year to $296 million. This...

Determining the quality of research.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Advocacy research organizations, such as the Education Policy Studies Laboratory in Arizona and the Mackinac Center in Michigan, are able to provide needed information to legislators, governors, and other leaders in a much shorter time than...

The Concord Review Emerson Prize. (Contests).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The Concord Review is a quarterly journal that publishes history papers by high school students. Since 1987, The Concord Review has published 539 student papers from 42 states and 33 other countries. The Ralph Waldo Emerson Prizes for student...

The Intel[R] Science Talent Search. (Contests).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The Intel[R] Science Talent Search, previously known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, is America's oldest precollege science contest. Eligible students include high school seniors in the U.S. and its territories, and American students...

National Arbor Day Poster Contest. (Contests).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Fifth-grade students in states represented by a National Arbor Day state coordinator are eligible to compete. Each state selects a winner. From among the state winners, one national winner is selected. The national winner, his or her parents,...

"Transforming the American High School: New Directions for State and Local Policy," identifies a number of Short-term and long-term strategies for improving high schools. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... "Transforming the American High School: New Directions for State and Local Policy," identifies a number of short-term and long-term strategies for improving high schools. The paper may be viewed at http://www. jff.org.

The recruitment and retention of teachers has become a problem, particularly in hard-to-staff schools. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The recruitment and retention of teachers has become a problem, particularly in hard-to-staff schools. Recruiting Teachers for Hard-to-Staff Schools: Solutions for the Southeast and the Nation recommends that states provide scholarships to...

Better preschool programs are described in Focus on Quality: Prekindergarten Programs in Southern Regional Education Board States. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Better preschool programs are described in Focus on Quality: Prekindergarten Programs in Southern Regional Education Board States. The report suggests that reducing class sizes, improving pupil-teacher ratios, and upgrading the qualifications...

Technos Press has published a guidebook to learning in the digital age. (Notable).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Technos Press has published a guidebook to learning in the digital age. Future Courses: A Compendium of Thought About Education, Technology, and the Future offers a selection of views from experts in many fields including Howard Gardner and...

The Hasbro Children's Foundation funds development and expansion of programs serving economically disadvantaged children under age 13. (Grants and Awards).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The Hasbro Children's Foundation funds development and expansion of programs serving economically disadvantaged children under age 13. Programs must provide direct services and serve as replicable models. The Hasbro Playspaces initiative funds...

Alliant Energy Foundation makes education grants in its communities. (Grants and Awards).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Alliant Energy Foundation makes education grants in its communities. Grants support youth mentoring and minority-enrichment. October 1st is the deadline. Apply online. For information contact Alliant Energy foundation, 222 W. Washington Ave.,...

National Geographic Bee. (Contests).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The National Geographic Bee occurs in three stages, beginning at the school level. Schools that register for the Bee receive materials to hold competitions. Each school winner takes a written test with the top 100 scorers in each state and...

Music Teachers National Association Student Competition. (Contests).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Student Competitions consist of three levels: state competition, division competition, and national finals. Teachers may enter only students who are currently studying that instrument, voice, or...

Meetings.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... SEPTEMBER 23-24 Ohio Association for Gifted Children (OAGC) annual fall conference, "Unlocking Potential, All Means All," at the Hilton Hotel Easton in Columbus, OH. For more information, contact Ann Sheldon (614) 475-4416 or visit...

The National Institute of Health is funding Science Education Partnerships. (Grants and Awards).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The National Institute of Health is funding Science Education Partnerships. These grants are designed to help scientists work with educators and local organizations to boost K-12 students' understanding of science and health. Deadline is...

Lowe's Foundation Education funds small-scale projects near their stores. (Grants and Awards).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Lowe's Foundation Education funds small-scale projects near their stores. The Foundation considers any type of education project based on community needs and store managers' expertise. Funding levels vary depending on your school's proposal....

The National Endowment for the Humanities assists educators with professional development activities with content-rich technology resources in the classroom. (Grants and Awards).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The National Endowment for the Humanities assists educators with professional development activities with content-rich technology resources in the classroom. It helps teachers in elementary, middle, or high schools who study core subjects with...

The Advanced Technological Education program promotes improvement in technological education at the undergraduate and secondary-school levels by supporting curriculum development. (Grants and Awards).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The Advanced Technological Education program promotes improvement in technological education at the undergraduate and secondary-school levels by supporting curriculum development; the preparation and professional development of college faculty...

The Corning Foundation offers awards for community service, curriculum, student awards, administration, and technology. (Grants and Awards).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The Corning Foundation offers awards for community service, curriculum, student awards, administration, and technology. Projects create partnerships between educational, cultural, community, and selected national organizations with elementary...

Did you know ...(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Of the 2001 freshman class at 4-year colleges... ... 67.8% are 18 years old. ... 73.9% are White; 10.6%, African American; 6.9% Asian American; and 4.0% Mexican American. ... 44.1% had an A- or better average in high school. ...

Au Contraire, James Delisle. (Au Contraire: Point/Counterpoint).
June 22, 2002... Over the past few years, James Delisle has become more and more bold in his attacks on Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) and Joseph Renzulli's Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM). He has made numerous presentations at state...

Au Revoir, common sense. (Au Contraire: Point/Counterpoint).
June 22, 2002... The good news is that the presence of this Point/Counterpoint review of Multiple Intelligences (MI) and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) within the pages of GCT means that a debate on what constitutes giftedness has begun anew. It's...

Awakening and elaborating differentiation in social studies content and instruction.
June 22, 2002... There appears to be a natural alignment between the content and instruction of social studies and the concept of differentiating curricula and instruction for gifted students. Inherent in the social studies context is the opportunity to develop...

Concepts and themes: a learning Odyssey.
June 22, 2002... As you set out for (thaka hope the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. --Cavafy (1992) Learning can be much like Odysseus' journey to Ithaka as described by Cavafy in his 1992 prose, Ithaka, full of spectacular...

Straddling the fence: implementing best practices in an age of accountability.
June 22, 2002... Educators in contemporary public schools face tremendous challenges: implementing classroom practices aligned with their beliefs about effective teaching and learning while still balancing the need to prepare students for success on...

"The Bohemian life": opera and gifted education. (In the Classroom).
June 22, 2002... Opera is considered by its devotees to be the highest form of art. Grand opera, to give the art form its more venerable name, is so praised because it represents an especially vibrant intersection of words, music, and stagecraft. In theory...

Project-based learning: meeting social studies standards and the needs of gifted learners.
June 22, 2002... In many elementary school classrooms, the time devoted to learning about social studies topics is limited. When teachers do schedule time for history, geography, economics, or other social studies related concepts, the learning tends to be...

Competing with myths about the social and emotional development of gifted students. (Social/Emotional Needs).
June 22, 2002... As a person who has dedicated himself to the study of the psychological and experiential lives of gifted students, I have encountered widely held myths and associated practices that have negative effects on the social and emotional development...

Educational programs for gifted children. (New Products).(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... How can parents of gifted children work with educators to promote the development of appropriate educational programming for their gifted child? Dr. Karen Rogers uses her analysis of gifted educational research and her own 15 years of personal...

Creativity and the writing process. (New Products).(advertisement)
June 22, 2002... What are the personality attributes of creative writers? What constitutes their creative process? What is the business end of being a writer? Jane Piirto, in My Teeming Brain: Understanding Creative Writers (ISBN 1-57273-276-8), presents her...

Ballet classes in a book. (New Products).(advertisement)
June 22, 2002... Premiere and placement. Turnout and tendu. Arabesque and sissine. Focus eyes on one place, so as not to get dizzy during pique turns. Illustrated with dozens of engaging photographs, this introduction to ballet is for any young reader who wants...

Advice for beginning equestrians. (New Products).(advertisement)
June 22, 2002... Do you work with children who are interested in learning about horses and riding? Filled with fullcolor photographs and sequential illustrations, The Young Equestrian: Professional Instruction for Ambitious Riders (ISBN 1-55209-484-7), answers...

Thinking critically through number play. (New Products).(advertisement)
June 22, 2002... With challenging activities, math can be a source of great joy and satisfaction to children and adults. Through a lively text packed with illustrations and more than 80 games and activities, Number Sense and Nonsense (ISBN 1-55652-378-5) helps...

Understanding social and emotional needs. (New Products).(advertisement)
June 22, 2002... Who are gifted students? What do we know about them? Wanting to share the latest and most comprehensive research available, the National Association for Gifted Children convened a task force to address these questions and more. This book is the...

Using the web for social studies enrichment.
June 22, 2002... When I wanted to enrich the social studies curriculum, I needed additional materials to supplement the textbook. I made endless trips to the public library to find supplementary resources. When my students participated in National History...

Using performance assessment in the social studies classroom.
June 22, 2002... Balancing recommended practices in the social studies classroom with state-mandated accountability pressures is a challenge for educators. Recognizing the need for accountability but concerned with the narrowing of the curriculum that current...

Creating a living portfolio: documenting student growth with electronic portfolios. (Technology).
June 22, 2002... One popular strategy for documenting students' learning and accomplishments is the student portfolio. A portfolio of student work across time can provide an invaluable snapshot of a student's current skills, as well as provide an opportunity...