The Home Team: Works by UConn Alumni [2004 Archive]
Under Her Spell: An Analysis of the Creativity of J. K. Rowling 
First, an "enchanting" article by Ann Loftus McGreevy, a UConn graduate now at Salem State College in Massachusetts, captures the mind behind the magic of Harry Potter, exploring the background and influences that play into author J. K. Rowling's popular and powerful novels. Loftus discusses the ways in which Rowling's creative development as an author reflects a variety of existing theories, including our own Dr. Renzulli's Houndstooth Model of giftedness and social capital. The article, originally published in Gifted Education International, Vol. 19, pp. 34-40.
Continuing in the vein of bringing fiction to life, UConn doctoral student Elizabeth Romey contributed to The Cherryh Odyssey, an anthology of analyses of the works of Hugo-award-winning science-fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. Romey's provocatively titled "Dr. Ariane Emory, Sr.: Psychopath—or Savior?" takes a look at one of Cherryh's more controversial characters through the lens of the psychology of high intelligence. The book, edited by Dr. Edward Carmien of Rider University, is published by Wildside Press and is available from their website as well as from Amazon.com:
www.wildsidepress.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WP1&Category_Code=authcherryh
A crisis averted—at least potentially: With the focus on high-end learning, many educators may feel that the opportunity for students to engage in authentic, high-level learning activities that encourage their curiosity and play to their interests—and thus help them to become life-long learners—is fading. This article by Drs. Joseph Renzulli, Marcia Gentry, and Sally Reis, looks at the positive role of enrichment clusters in allowing schools to offer authentic learning experiences even in today's test-intensive school environment. The article is available in the "Overview of SEM" section of our website.
And another look at high-end learning options that can be implemented even in today's educational climate: Curriculum Compacting: An Easy Start to Differentiating for High Potential Students, by Drs. Reis and Renzulli offers a discussion of this highly flexible technique, including a discussion of strategies, research, FAQs, and resources. The book is available from Prufrock Press and is part of the Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education.
All Students Reaching the Top: Strategies for Closing Academic Achievement Gaps
A Report of the National Study Group for the Affirmative Development of Academic Ability
Albert Bennett, Ph.D.
Beatrice L. Bridglall
Ana Mari Cauce, Ph.D.
Howard T. Everson, Ph.D.
Edmund W. Gordon, Ed.D.
Carol D. Lee, Ph.D.
Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, Ph.D.
Joseph S. Renzulli, Ed.D.
Judy K. Stewart, Ph.D.
2004
This report, written by members of the National Study Group for the Affirmative Development of Academic Ability, provides a set of practical recommendations for what policymakers, educators, parents, and the community can do to move all students, particularly minority and low-income students, to high levels of academic achievement. It argues that to close achievement gaps, we first must close the experience gap. This must be done not only through education policy and schooling but also through larger social policies and programs that address the environment in which students learn when they are not at school. The report also emphasizes the goal of helping all students achieve intellective competence, which means not just academic achievement but also the ability to think critically about and apply knowledge to new and changing situations outside of the classroom. The means to reach that goal is affirmative development, which requires a variety of tactics inside and outside of the classroom that instill in students an appreciation of and desire for learning. Together, these strategies will
help students realize the intellectual success that our Information Age society requires.
We are very pleased to announce that Projedct M3: Mentoring Mathematical Minds has received a prestigious national award from the National Association of Gifted Children for one of our level 3 math units, Unraveling the Mystery of the MoLi Stone: Place Value and Numeration. This unit created for talented grade 3 math students engages students as mathematicians on an archeological team in rural China. In the process of analyzing the number systems discovered on the "dig", students explore the structure of our numeration system in depth with challenging and motivational activities.
Project M3 is a five year US Department of Education Javits research grant award to develop, implement and gather research evidence on challenging math materials for talented elementary students. To learn more about this exciting project and curriculum, visit us on the web at:
www.projectm3.org
UConn's own Dr. Joseph Renzulli has a "Wireside Chat" with Education World on his popular Schoolwide Enrichment Model. SEM turns gifted education into a model that's "good for all kids"—a must in the era of No Child Left Behind:
www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat092.shtml
Elizabeth A. Romey, a first year Ph.D. student, is also a published author. Her first young adult fantasy novel, Lera of Tymoria: The Dragonmage, follows the parallel journeys of two brilliant and unappreciated magic-users—Lera, a teenager trying to become the first female mage in centuries, and Morthos, a powerful wizard seeking revenge on those who neglected him—as Lera seeks and wins the aid of the powerful dragon sorceress Rellavir and Morthos begins his plans of conquest and revenge. Their confrontation and its aftermath changes not only their lives but their entire world.
The novel is available at search.barnesandnoble.com
