Gifted Child Today articles from March 2007

Gifted Child Today archives from March 2007

Reauthorizing the no child left behind act: recommendations for President Bush.(Editorial)
March 22, 2007... President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) into law in 2002, requiring schools to test students in reading and math annually in grades 3-8. The law establishes progressively more severe penalties for schools that fail to make...

Neuroscience for kids http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html.(on the web)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... For those interested in the world of neuroscience, this is a must-visit site. It offers information on more than 100 topics having to do with the brain, spinal cord, nervous and sensory systems, drug effects, and neurological and mental...

Bookplates http://www.myhomelibrary.org.(on the web)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Personalize your books or books you want to give your family or friends with a bookplate. Offering more than 200 black and white and color downloadable bookplates from which you can choose, this site provides small, medium, or large size...

Pirates http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates/maina.html.(on the web)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... This Web site gives children the opportunity to embark on pirate adventures with real historical pirates--if they're brave enough! Those visiting the site can read letters or journal entries written about firsthand experiences with notorious...

Mentoring research.(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... In their review of current scientific knowledge on the topic of youth mentoring, Rhodes and Dubois (2006) made two primary conclusions (Understanding and facilitating the youth mentoring movement. Social Policy Report, 20[3], 1-20). First,...

Math and science academies.(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... In states and school districts, state officials, as well as business and philanthropic leaders, are supporting the founding of specialized academies in math and science, aimed at serving academically talented students who need greater challenge...

Honors education at community colleges.(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Two-year community colleges are offering honors programs for students who, for financial or personal reasons, are unable to go elsewhere (Ashburn, E. [2006]. An honors education at a bargain-basement price. The Chronicle of Higher Education,...

Advanced placement courses audited.
March 22, 2007... Beginning in January 2007, the College Board will begin auditing Advanced Placement (AP) courses (Klein, A. [2006]. College Board readies plans for AP audits. Education Week, 26[13], 1, 16). All AP teachers will have to submit their course...

Dinosaurs http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/dinos/dinos.1.html.(on the web)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Those curious about the creatures that roamed the Earth long before humans can listen to a narrated tour of the Honolulu Community College dinosaur exhibit. The Web site shows pictures from the exhibit, including a triceratops skull, a...

White House for kids http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids.(on the web)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... With the media buzzing about the next presidential election, kids can find information about the White House and about our current and past presidents on this Web site. The site offers news for kids, math challenges, quizzes and games, photos,...

Online interactive tools.(notable)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Google, Inc., has unveiled a variety of online interactive tools, curricular resources, and lesson plans for teachers. Google for Educators and Google Apps for Education offer a tutorial for teachers on conducting better Web searches. Other...

Single-Sex Education.(notable)(Separate But Superior? A Review of Issues and Data Bearing on Single-Sex Education)(Report)
March 22, 2007... The Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University in Tempe recently published a report, "Separate But Superior? A Review of Issues and Data Bearing on Single-Sex Education." The report concludes that proof of the benefits of...

Language skills.(notable)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... A father's language skills may have a greater impact on a child's language development than the mother's speech does. The father's use of different words was a predictor of greater language development by age 3. Pancsofar and Vernon-Feagans'...

Graduation rates.(notable)(Demography as Destiny: How America Can Build a Better Future)(Report)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The Washington-based Alliance for Excellent Education reports that graduation rates for Hispanic and African American students are lower than those for White students. The U.S. economy stands to suffer because of a lack of qualified job...

Online teacher-learning program.(notable)(accreditation to Western Governors University)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education awarded accreditation to an online teacher training program at Western Governors University. The college uses a competency model in which a student advances by passing assessments. For...

Grading Wikipedia.
March 22, 2007... Wikipedia is one of the Internet's hottest information sources. The open-source encyclopedia offers information and trivia about a variety of words and topics. A Wikipedia article may be created by following six simple steps: 1....

Effectiveness of elementary school reform models.(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The "CSRQ Center Report on Elementary School Comprehensive School Reform Models" provides a scientifically based, consumer-friendly review of the effectiveness and quality of 22 widely adopted reform models. It is funded by the U.S. Department...

Montessori schools.(notable)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Students who attend Montessori schools perform as well or better in academic and social skills than students who attend other types of schools. In a recent study, 12-year-old Montessori students wrote more sophisticated narratives and performed...

Prescriptions for behavioral drugs.(notable)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... A national survey of 640 physicians found that 67% of them reported that parents had requested prescriptions for behavioral drugs for their children to enhance academic performance. Detailed results of the poll are available online at...

Elementary and Secondary Education Act.(notable)
March 22, 2007... A recent issue of The School Administrator (February, 2007) focused on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and gifted students who have been left out of the conversation and the debates surrounding NCLB. In one of...

Museum's award-winning education department.(grants and awards)
March 22, 2007... The Smithsonian Institution is offering a 10-month fellowship to a graduate student in the United States to work in the museum's award-winning education department. Candidates with experience or training in arts administration, art history,...

Ready to Learn, Ready to Work, Ready to Live.(grants and awards)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The Prudential Foundation provides support for innovative programs in three areas: Ready to Learn, Ready to Work, Ready to Live. Ready to Learn initiatives are those that strengthen public education through systemic school reform; professional...

Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition.(CONTESTS)
March 22, 2007... The Nob Yoshigahara Puzzle Design Competition seeks to recognize innovative new designs of mechanical puzzles. Anyone may submit his or her own mechanical puzzle design for the seventh annual competition, as long as the person is independent of...

Nature photography competition.(CONTESTS)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... MyParkPhotos.com is an online community for those who appreciate the beauty of public parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and trails, and for those who enjoy sharing their photography. The community's mission is to promote public land visitation...

The Mandelbrot Competition.(CONTESTS)(mathematics)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The goals of the Mandelbrot Competition are to provide a challenging and engaging mathematical experience for students to broaden their understanding of math and develop scientific writing skills. In the Mandelbrot competition, students compete...

The Concord Review.(CONTESTS)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The Concord Review was founded in March 1987 by Will Fitzhugh to find and acknowledge exemplary history research papers by high school students and disseminate them in a quarterly journal to inspire other students. This is the first and only...

The Art-in-Education Residency.(grants and awards)
March 22, 2007... The Art-in-Education Residency program is sponsored by the Women's Studio Workshop and awards two 8-week residencies to emerging artists in the book arts. Each residency supports the creation of an artist's book and includes a $3,200 stipend....

The Worldstudio Foundation provides scholarships to minority and economically disadvantaged students who are studying the design/arts disciplines.(grants and awards)
March 22, 2007... The Worldstudio Foundation provides scholarships to minority and economically disadvantaged students who are studying the design/ arts disciplines. Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in the fine or commercial arts,...

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.(grants and awards)(Directorate for Education and Human Resources/National Science Foundation)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The Directorate for Education and Human Resources/National Science Foundation provides support for projects that develop and implement informal learning experiences offered through museums, theaters, community centers, outdoor...

Improving teaching and learning.(grants and awards)
March 22, 2007... The National Science Foundation Support is available for the implement-at ion of comprehensive approaches to improving teaching and learning in ways that improve access to, retention within, and graduation from science, technology, engineering,...

Meetings.(Calendar)
March 22, 2007... APRIL 9-13 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Convention and Exhibition in Chicago, IL. For more information, please visit http:// www.aera.net/annualmeeting/?id=282. The National Council on Measurement in...

Did you know ...(National Survey of Student Engagement)(Survey)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... ... 70% of distance education students in colleges were caring for dependents. ... 50% of distance education students worked at jobs more than 30 hours per week. ... 50% of distance education students were enrolled part-time compared...

My heroes.(au contraire)(gifted children)(Viewpoint essay)
March 22, 2007... It seems we have more heroes than ever these days. In past generations, the word hero was reserved for a soldier who sacrificed life or limb in defending our nation, or the firefighter who ran back into a burning building to save a child too...

We can identify and serve ESOL GATE students: a case study.(English Speakers of Other Languages)(gifted and talented education)(Personal account)
March 22, 2007... "Where are they? Where are our ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) GATE students?" I wanted to cry as each gifted and talented education (GATE) class walked through my door. I had been thrilled to be offered the position as the GATE...

Action research step-by-step: a tool for educators to change their worlds.
March 22, 2007... Mr. Hartman is an honors-level and Advanced Placement (AP) science teacher in a diverse, urban high school where he has been teaching for the last 20 years. In recent years, Mr. Hartman has become increasingly more concerned with the lack of...

Encourage young entrepreneurs.(In How to Become an Entrepreneurial Kid )(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Bright youngsters often have creative ideas accompanied by the energy to turn those ideas into meaningful and profitable experiences. In How to Become an Entrepreneurial Kid (ISBN 097048768-1), Dianne Linderman provides the framework for...

Differentiate using best practices.(Strategies for Differentiating Instruction: Best Practices for the Classroom)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... This practical handbook provides research-based information to help teachers offer learning experiences in the classroom that focus on the needs of individual students, helping every child achieve. Preassessment strategies for determining the...

Implement inquiry in the classroom.(Engaging Readers and Writers with Inquiry )(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... With a focus on reframing existing curriculum into units of inquiry, Engaging Readers and Writers With Inquiry (ISBN 978-0-439-57413-6) leads educators in using research-based techniques to meet mandated content-area standards and, at the same...

Make informed decisions about early college entrance.(Early Entrance to College: A Guide to Success )(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Preparing for a successful college experience is one of the most important and exciting processes young people go through. Choosing a college and deciding when to embark on the journey can also be one of the hardest decisions to make in life....

Investigate ecology with young children.(Hands-On Ecology: Real-Life Activities for Kids)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Children have a natural propensity for exploring nature in their world. Parents and teachers can build on this innate interest by providing learning opportunities that incorporate ecology into activities both in the classroom and at home....

Discover the world ... in your own community.(101 Places You Gotta See Before You Are 12!)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Kids can set off on their own exciting adventures as they discover the world without having to leave their own neighborhoods! 101 Places You Gotta See Before You Are 12! (ISBN 978-1-57990-865-2) helps young people see that they do not have to...

Never too young to lead: gifted African American males in elementary school.(Cover story)
March 22, 2007... Just within the past two decades, we have witnessed the proliferation of a variety of literature, both academic (Fashola, 2005; Ferguson, 2000; Hopkins, 1997; Polite & Davis, 1999; Taylor & Phillips, 2006; Watson & Smitherman, 1996) and popular...

Creating a virtual learning environment for gifted and talented learners.
March 22, 2007... Your school has just eliminated the gifted and talented pull-out program due to budgetary constraints. Therefore, all gifted and talented students will now be taught in the general education classroom. One of your kindergarten students, Sean,...

A secret haven.(from the classroom)(Children's review)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... One of childhood's most beloved books is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Although this book is almost 100 years old, it is still a favorite, especially of gifted children. You probably remember the story. Mary is a young girl who...

No gifted student left behind: building a high school library media center for the gifted student.
March 22, 2007... We won't recognize the library of the future. Information will be available in formats unfamiliar to us now. Liz came into the media center breathless, running from one class to the next, and asked me how to find a copy of the primary...

Another perspective on cultural competence: preparing students for an increasingly diverse society.(multicultural issues)
March 22, 2007... Scholars in the field of multicultural education consistently call attention to the need for teachers, other educators (e.g., administrators, psychologists, and counselors), and postsecondary students to become culturally competent. This...

Impact of two elementary school principals' leadership on gifted education in their buildings.
March 22, 2007... Currently, principals are involved with a variety of programs offered in schools, such as IDEA, English Language Learners, Title I remedial services, migrant education, and gifted and talented programs. Added to the list of responsibilities is...

Ohio department of education.(spotlight on the states)
March 22, 2007... In this issue of Gifted Child Today, the GCT editorial board members wanted to start a new column highlighting noteworthy happenings in various states that are furthering the field of gifted education. Ohio is in the spotlight this time for its...