World Council for Gifted and Talented Chidren - Day Two

WCGTC Day Two Now, I have made presentations, and I know it is a little hard to remember everything under duress, but I have a few tips after watching the presentations today. First, use a font size of 20 or larger. Use few words, then elaborate. Never, never read what is on the screen. If you can’t remember what you were going to say, rehearse more next time. Please put your email on the very first slide, especially if there will not be time for questions during your presentation. Is there a web page that has resources on it? I try to blog conference notes and would love to refer my readers (I know there are at least 2) to your page. Stress Management for the Digital Age Liz Short and Dr. Bruce Kline The Plastic Brain: When Gaming is Good for You Brain Plasticity is change in neural pathways that comes from neural repeating, it is higher level under stress. It occurs during healthy learning or recovery from brain injury. It goes on throughout all of life. Two pioneers were Michael Merzenich and Pasko Rakic. Gaming can be good for you. Although the list of positive developments went by very fast, I was able to get some of them: speed of response, they’re gender neutral, action-based game (400 acts/minute), creativity, violence not always a negative - focus heightened, unique and interesting features of the game, enhanced scores in creativity, decision making , perception, hand-eye coord, other motor skills, brain function, and speed of thinking. Gaming can be bad for you because the content is negative view of world, associated with compulsive gambling and depression, addiction, obsession w/ competition, limits creative time, too much exposure to violence, inappropriate sexual themes, and over-identification with characters may occur. Signs of over-involvement are anxious or irritable behavior, impatient w/ tedious chores, disinterest in activities, social withdrawal, argumentative, overly secretive, and changes in behavior. I had to wonder how this is different from most teenage behavior, but I digress. Electronics can be good for you because it gives you access to info and news, contact with friends and family, knowledge of bigger world, resources for education and avocations. It is bad for you if you develop an addiction, spend less time in relationships, come into contact with undesirable people, less chance to develop critical thinking skills, limits exercise, contact with unhelpful content, inappropriate communications and a limit to FTF communication. Concentration and reward surges of neurotransmitters strengthen neural circuitry. Similar to physical exercise for building up muscles. Resilience defined as power to return to prior state of balance, organization, ability to cope with stress and adversity. Used Scriven and Paul’s (1987) Definition of Critical Thinking Balance is the state of maintaining enough positive factors in life to balance negative forces. Parents help child achieve balance by taking charge of managing electronic devices, developing strong relationships, paying attention to use, do the due diligence, monitor the amount and content being exposed, and if an over-balance or problem, cut back http://klineandassociates.com Keynote Speaker: Sally M. Reis Pathways for Creativity and Creative Productivity University of Connecticut Optimism about changing the world Type I: General Exploratory Activities Type II: Group training activities Type III: Individual and small group investigations of real problems 1. First Study Broadened conception of giftedness Comparison of top 5% to next 10-15% creative products Three-ring conception of giftedness Schoolwide Enrichment Model Studying outcomes in lives of students 2nd study Women/Girls Work Left Undone Model of Talent realization in Women belief that what they want to do is socially important above average talent personality traits belief in self environmental factors Diversification of Creativity in Women to include nurturing relationships, spirituality, friendship, service, work, home, personal appearance, and interests, hobbies In the19th century, the central moral challenge slavery, 20th, totalitarianism, 21st, gender equality. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn 3rd Study Underachievement in half of identified gifted = 50% because of lack of challenge, poor self-perception, lack of creative opportunities, inappropriate classroom, and low self-efficacy. Underachievement affected gifted persons in a broad spectrum from minimal to devastating. 4th Study Curriculum compacting study showed that 40%-50% of content could be eliminated for academically talented students. No change in achievement scores, some actually scored higher. Gained more over summer in reading scores than during school year. Find out what child has to learn, document knowledge, change curriculum. 5th Study Twice Exceptional Students - 2E College students with serious LD, other interfering factors, struggled in school, made it to college, had an advocate. So hard to identify because they seem so bright. Baum’s study of using Enrichment Triad model with students with LD. Focus on strengths: creativity, talent, differentiated compensation strategies, celebrate victories and strengths. 6th study Talented Readers and Enrichment Reading (SEM-R), published in AERA (American Education Research Association Journal, found that we could eliminate up to 5 hours regular group reading instruction, replace with 5-10 minutes each week. No change in scores National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/semr/ http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/semr/about/teacherdownloads.html has bookmarks for teachers if they have’t read the book the student is reading. Recommendations are exposure to interests, training in creativity, problem-solving methods, freedom of choice to pursue topics and to create, invent, and produce. Advice: Conduct research with practical implications for student and schools Find partners who inspire you. Publish in journals that extend beyond gifted education Believe that your work makes a difference and then make it happen Renzulli Academy http://www.hartfordschools.org/index.php/our-schools/school-listing/schools/items/view/the-dr-joseph-s-renzulli-gifted-and-talented-academy-the-renzulli-academy Enjoyment Engagement Enthusiasm lead to Achievement Creator, inventors change agent, scholars, researchers Schools should be places for Talent Development Triad goes to College UConn IDEA Grants ugradresearch.uconn.edu/ youtube.con/watch?v=A-CV7VAb7cA NEXT-GEN CT Creatively Transforming Online Dictionaries Ian Warwick and Adrian Hall London Gifted and Talented (2003) All learners are entitled to be stretched and challenged through high challenge low-threshold learning IGGY, online resource (2008) 50% members free place STEM subjects, but also STEAM and HIstory & Politics, E for English 13-18 yr. olds student-led approach w/ post grad student mentors social media, gamification (thinking student’s FB) Looking at interaction between formal and active language Focus on language as component of achievement ELL population; those without academic language tended to be absent from highest grades. Students may have a volume of info about a subject, but don’t comprehend tasks asked on exams. language acquisition: by knowing basic 2000 words and 570 academic words (Lynn Cameron research) the greatest gains in achievement occur. Highlighter tool http://awl.londongt.org Example of need for academic language: epidemic vs. pandemic need to know word global. GOBBY developed for SE Asia market - idioms repurposed to make AWL more accessible to student target audiences building on work of London Gifted & Talented, available online and an app. It gives definition, context, contribution, tests Division of words into 5 groups: “top trump” commanding words for interrogating stuff, “peacock” the connecting words for showing off, “depth-charge” weighty words abstract thinking, “inside track” the method words that investigation requires, “weighty” guiding words that society needs ian.warwick@londongt.org adrian.hall@warwick Universal Design Practices: A Marriage of Technology and Differentiation Wenda Sheard http://england.tasis.com/page.cfm?p=837&eid=283 Don’t know when child has undiagnosed disability or when all could benefit from accommodation. Learning Target Charts: Some with lines, some without CAST is now The National Center for Universal Design Higher Ed Opportunities Act 2008 Flexibility in presentation, demonstration of knowledge, engagement reduces barriers for all students Three Roots, UDL architecture& products) Digitized text and graphics can be easily modified Brain research on learning networks inside the brain multiple means of representation multiple means of action and expression multiple means of engagement Recognition networds, strategic networks, affective networks John Geake The Brain at School The Seductive Allure of Neuroscience Explanations Yale Our senses are interconnected use the best sensory data possible: high quality copies, detailed photos, large font, bold learning targets (key concepts), high-quality sound handwriting is key to learning, memory, ideas (http://online.wsj.com.... Smart pen by Livescribe, http://disabledandable.com/disabled-students-get-smart-pens-from-college active role in learning “Gesture changes thought” Learning with hands: if allowed to gesture, later performance improved Learning with hands: less able to abstract info when images are near their hands Kurzweil Centerononlinelearning.org/ an open letter Dragon Dictate BETT Conference in London Sped Needs SEN Renzulli Learning System Taisir Subhi Yamin, from Czech Republic needed tech support for online access dynamic program, was able to show us the site, gave us opportunity to log in “T-burrow” on Online Environment for Young Gifted Kids Stanislav Zelenda Talnet online to science Since 2003, looking for and development of GT at the age of 13-19 interested in STEM Systemic approach based on creation and delivery of learning and inquiry activities virtual environment asynchronous and synchronous activities individual team product girl ages 14-19, most important characteristic was dominance Activities: T-courses T-proseminar T-excursion T-expedition more Team, individual, project-based,excursion, international (most successful) Example: NAFTA Theory - the third way of escaping, a physics problem http://www.talnet.cz/ T-burrow support of pupils on site identification and support of GT Authentic opportunities for learning inquiry and creation collaboration between teachers and students, such as content expert, organizers and facilitators, employers, international subjects, parents, teachers, schools Impressed that he presented in English. Twice-Exceptional Learners Cognitive Characteristics of Matematically Gifted Children with LD Anies Al-Hroub University of Beirut (AUB) aa111@aub.edu.lb Gifted and Dyslexic is his specialty Definitions: 1972-1995 One area of giftedness makes a child gifted Dyslexia can occur at any level of intellectual ability Three types high abilities, LD unrecognized good verbal, spelling, handwriting, disorganise LD recognized , giftedness not Both high ability AND LD unrecognized high abil & LDs recog G/LD students both recognized Multidimensional assessment characteristic pattern of strengths and weaknesses? Used 8 criteria to enroll 30 students in program IQ 120 dropped 10 points because of LD Analysis: Verbal Performance (VIQ-PIQ) Discrepancy discrepancy in LDs dis in gifted ? Cognitive models and factors placed in chart G/LD a 12-pt discrep YES and 7 pt scatter between highest and lowest subtests NO\ Bannatyne Horn Fluid-Crystallised Theory Kaufman Factors Rapaport Model Found that verbal performance was better than performance in Math Gifted kids spatial abilities and broad visualizations were significantly different visual organization factor showed significant difference in GM group visual motor significant difference coding and picture arrangement weak visual-motor How Do I Advocate for My 2E Child Kevin D. Besnoy, University of Alabama kdbesnou@bamaed.ua.edu Advocacy catalysts are event triggers that cause parents to recognize difficulties with child. Parents initially trusted school system and assumed school system would do the right thing. Felt intimidated because they didn’t know what school was required to do. They assumed school would provide needed services. Later they learned new vocabulary, policies and procedures and were able to more articulately request interventions. Supporting Gifted Girls (K-6) Strategies for Addressing Underachievement Nathan Levy Reluctant writers 1. make a list, compare lists, which fears show up in all lists, compare which fears occur and why? In the last novel, what were characters main fears Christopher Columbus fears? kids in Afghanistan? 2. interviews make connections review of basic information Three types of thinking convergent divergent cultural literacy +- X / geography Artistry for Children Creativity Day by Day 101Things in Science ACT ! Good vocabulary is important tool for writing. Stories with Holes, children want to know what went in holes. Go back and try again, because if we give up, it gets worse. Global warming, Middle East Pygmalion effect: if you think they can do it, they can The teacher makes the weather in the classroom. A Blueprint for a Creative Educational System Keynote speaker: Todd Lubart Laboratoire LATI University Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris A Brief History of Creativity Tools mosquito repellants Lascaux Sistine Chapel Homo Creativus Intellectually gifted::creatively gifted (correlation to grades =.10 to .20) an expert:: an inventor (correlation to grades = -.20 to +.10) 1975-2012 Of the number of articles per year on giftedness, creative giftedness is only about 10% per year of studies. 21st Century Skills Movement generate, elaborate, refine, evaluate new ideas use a wide range of creation techn be open, collab Raw Materials of Creativity The System’s buiding blocks children EPoC is one measure of creativity: level of creative potential divergent exploratory and convergent integrative visual-artistic banana given items to make picture verbal-linguistic Teachers trained to judge creativity serve as role models teach for creativity teaching creatively helpful vs. harmful teachers in a report by Chambers 1973 curriculum & classroom environment physical environment plants, colors, temperatures natural light, windows posters, funny pictures social environment time to think risk-taking humor reward and incentives for creativity (IMSA Wednesdays off) administrators & leaders “Materials Sciences” of Creativity creative potential involves cognitive and conative (personality motivational) factors process is important creativity is partially domain specific creativity evolves over time and can be dev everyday and great creativity are related Positive factors divergent thinking risk taking (academic risk-taking and self-reported school failure tolerance decrease with school grade) The creative process: define problem, get documentation, start experimenting, feel positive and motivated Domain specificity Stability Everyday to Great levels of creativity: Van Gogh had a peak moment in Arles in France. Had experienced Millet, was in Arles, support from Theo and friend of Gaugin, produced 80% of all his works. todd.lubart@parisdescartes.fr