Neag Center Home Page | News & Views
Prodigious pupils or pushy parents? In California, the college town of Davis is blowing the curve: over 35% of the town's students are identified gifted; the statewide average is around 8%. While the district's efforts to diversify their gifted program may play a role, others also credit parental drive:
www.sacbee.com/content/news/education/story/11201078p-12116899c.html
Just because they're gifted doesn't mean the know it all—especially when it comes to prepping for college. This "College Readiness Toolkit" provides tips and tricks you can use to help prepare your students for college:
www.pathwaystocollege.net/collegereadiness/toolbox/index.htm
Making languages come alive: In Britain, a new program is taking a radical yet highly sensible approach to teaching foreign languages to students, providing resources that teach the language as it is spoken, rather than according to strict rules of formal grammar:
education.guardian.co.uk/tefl/story/0,5500,1337057,00.html
Fun—and success—with phonics: In Scotland, a technique called synthetic phonics that integrates all five senses with the reading process is being considered as a means of improving students' lifelong reading and writing ability:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3959499.stm
To research, or not to research: with today's best young high school students arguably already in a high-pressure environment, some teachers say they take the pressure off their students and themselves by not assigning the traditional lengthy research papers. But critics argue that while this lightening of the workload may help students get into college, it doesn't help them learn to handle college-level work:
www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2004/10/31/the_paper_route
Practicing what you preach: this article in the ASCD's Classroom Leadership, written by a journalist turned teacher, looks at the ways in which teachers' own modeling of "writing behavior"—their own enthusiasm for writing and participation in the writing process—can have a powerful effect on students' own motivation to write:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/class_lead/200411/polochanin.html?reid=sb
A time to celebrate—everyone: as the holiday season approaches, more and more teachers may take a look around their classrooms and recognize that the traditional "holiday" decorations don't encompass the range of our students' cultural experience. The holiday season can thus be a great time for all our students to learn about other cultures:
www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/classroomholiday110904.html
When help becomes hindrance: It's natural to want to help your children succeed. But when parents become too involved in their children's work, the help stops helping and starts hurting:
www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1104edinvolve04.html
Evolution revolution: the debate over science textbooks in Georgia is only one of many battlegrounds in which the dispute between creationism and evolution has once again flared up. The NCLB-mandated review of science curricula has given those who support creationism (or "intelligent design") a new opportunity to advocate for their views:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/11/16/evolution_foes_see_opening_to_press_fight_in_schools
Curriculum compacting: not just for big kids any more! An exciting research article (yes, you read that right!) by Lisa Stamps answers the often-asked question of how best to serve very young gifted children in the regular classroom. The article can be found in Roeper Review, Fall 2004 (Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 31-41).
Spotlight on: The National Association For Gifted Children 2004 Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah
November 3-7
The NAGC convention, with more than 3,000 participants, is the largest gathering of education professionals concerned with the needs of gifted and talented children (and adults!). Participants had the opportunity to network with other concerned professionals on issues of common interest and concern, and to explore the latest offerings in the area of research, counseling and guidance, and many other exciting strands.
UConn was well-represented at the conference, with Dr. Joe Renzulli, Dr. Sally Reis, Dr. E. Jean Gubbins, Dr. Kathy Gavin, Dr. Catherine Little, Dr. Del Siegle, Dr. Rebecca Eckert, and Dr. D. Betsy McCoach (who is also the Program and Membership chair for the Research and Evaluation Division) all presenting sessions. Grad students who presented included Catharina de Wet, who is also the Division Chair for the Special Populations Division, Eric Mann, Elizabeth Fogarty, Jennifer Koehler, Rebecca Mann, and Elizabeth Romey. Several of our faculty and alumni were honored at the conference: Dr. McCoach received the Hollingworth award, along with UConn grad Dr. Carol Tieso; UConn alumna Dr. Meredith Greene received an NAGC Doctoral Student Award; UConn Professor Emerita Dr. Alexinia Baldwin received the NAGC Distinguished Scholar Award, and Dr. Little received a Curriculum Studies Division Award. To find out more about their presentations and for a complete recap of the convention, visit NAGC on the web at
www.nagc.org
Virtual reality, real education: for rural schools, distance-learning options allow them a broader range of experience, not only for students but for teachers:
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/elearning/articles/04rural.htm
USA Today announces the results of its annual All-USA teacher contest! Find out more about the twenty great teachers who received awards this year:
www.usatoday.com/news/education/2004-10-12-teacher-main_x.htm
The old nature-nurture debate rears its head once more: this issue of ASCD's ResearchBrief looks at the latest research on the relationship between nature and nurture:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/researchbrief/volume2/v2n21.html?reid=sb
And a note for the physically gifted (and the technologically inclined as well!): PE goes high-tech in England, where teachers have begun using motion-analysis software and other computerized tools to help their students improve their physical health. A highlight is the motion-analysis process, which allows teachers and students to compare their performance to that of professional athletes at a fine-motor level:
education.independent.co.uk/schools/story.jsp?story=571843
Also in England, a national education commission recently announced a new turn in secondary education, proposing radical changes to the curriculum for 14- to 19-year-olds. Among other things, students would have the opportunity to engage in vocational education—an area often neglected by our own system as well—at a younger age:
education.guardian.co.uk/1419education/story/0,15147,1330075,00.html
And, as Britain considers this overhaul, an editorial suggests looking to their—and our—neighbor to the south: New Zealand, whose education system may provide a model for changes:
education.guardian.co.uk/1419education/story/0,15147,1330924,00.html
Prepping for the SATs? Check this out: a new service offered by the Princeton Review and VOCEL allows students to download practice questions and exams to cell phones. On the downside, the program can also let parents know how their children are progressing:
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/18/MNG3S9BHPN1.DTL
Houndstooth, anyone? This article offers a discussion of how to improve citizenship education from kindergarten through high school, helping students become more aware and proactive members of society, not just good students (PDF file):
www.ecs.org/html/Document.asp?chouseid=5135M
And speaking of citizenship, the election year is a great time to get your students looking at democracy in action! This website offers tools and tips on how to bring the election into the classroom without sacrificing time spend on state standards:
www.choices.edu/curriculum_twtn.cfm
A history—or herstory—of science: Michener-prize-winning author Joy Hakim tackles the people, places, and ideas behind science and puts the story back in history:
www.csmonitor.com/2004/1019/p12s01-legn.html
Microsoft's next step: the software giant that's already opened "Windows" to the world plans to go even further, developing an all-in-one desktop application that would integrate all aspects of email and other internet communications with other software:
seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/195923_msftphone20.html
In Australia, some budding astronomers are reaching for the stars—through the internet. Using a secure website, students can direct a high-power research-grade telescope to constellations and other phenomena of interest to them:
australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,11109935%5E15321%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html
The site they use can be found here:
www.csu.edu.au/telescope
In Massachusetts, education officials recently approved a plan to provide funding for scholarships for students who score well on the state-wide MCAS exams. Critics, however, charge that the plan may discriminate against black and Hispanic students, who in past years have not scored as well as their white an Asian counterparts:
www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/10/20/new_mcas_scholarship_okd
Getting out the vote: this brochure from the Public Education Network gives and overview of candidates and their views on education policy. Check it out for yourself and your classroom:
www.publiceducation.org
It's a tough topic for many parents and teachers, and it's getting tougher: how to deal with issues of students' sexual orientation and gender identity. Fortunately, the National School Boards Association working with a consortium of national organizations, has developed a document to help parents and educators examine the legal issues associated with students' self-expressions of their sexual identity:
www.nsba.org/site/doc.asp?TRACKID=&CID=90&DID=34611
Time out for good behavior: in a reversal of the old notion of standing in the corner for bad behavior, one classroom teacher has offered a special prize to her best-behaved student each week: the Friday Sofa Award, which allows the honored student to lounge on a sofa in the classroom while participating in class activities:
www.csmonitor.com/2004/1012/p13s01-cogn.html
An image of health: conventional wisdom in baseball suggests that many gifted young pitchers may be doing damage to themselves by pitching a to demanding game. Now, with new sports-medicine technology that allows for imaging of muscles in motion, experts can determine the extent of the damage and how to prevent it:
www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2004-10-21-pitching-injuries_x.htm
Got a kid with ants in their pants? No problem! A new report in the ASCD's Curriculum Technology Quarterly suggests that many school-age children are natural kinesthetic learners—and gives suggestions on how to make the most of their movement:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ctq/2004winter/lovdahl.html?reid=sb
Testing stress: a new study finds that stress affects test-taking skills—but not in the ways we might thinks: norepinephrine (better known as adrenaline, aka our fight-or-flight hormone) actually helps students do better on simpler, short-term memory questions; on the other hand, as the hormone wanes, students were better able to cope with complex, long-term questions:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3950671.stm
Oftentimes, teachers and parents see video games as "the enemy"—a time-wasting toy that takes kids away from their work and other constructive activities. But a new study suggests that good old Super Mario and his brothers may have been unfairly maligned. The study suggests that games may play an important role in children's social development, especially when they are given the opportunity to create their own:
www.tes.co.uk/2043023
Brains in a bowl—what next? In Florida, a scientist has managed to create an artificial brain that successfully flies a simulated airplane! The discovery gives us potential insights on the workings of the brain, as well as future applications, like "living computers":
www.napa.ufl.edu/2004news/braindish.htm
A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships: Accelerating Achievement for Every Learner
January 15-18, 2005
The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA
This year's conference will focus on specific strategies that research has shown to be effective in each category for which your school must show adequate yearly progress...accelerating achievement for every learner! From keynote speakers to university partners to school-based presenters, your students will benefit from the information and strategies presented!
Pre-Conference Sessions
Creating an Environment for High End Learning, presented by Dr. Gene Hall and Dr. Joseph Renzulli
"Boys in Crisis: Hear Our Cry!" presented by Dr. Paul Slocumb from Ruby Payne's aha! Process, Inc.
Keynote Speakers
Differentiating Instruction: Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson
Gender Equity: Dr. Sally Reis
High Expectations for All Learners: Mawi Asgedom
Post Conference Session
Inquiry-Based Learning Strategies, presented by the master teachers from the San Francisco Science Exploratorium
Featured Presenters
Kathy Gavin, Sally Dobyns, Del Siegle, Robin Schader and Susannah Richards
For Registration and Hotel Information
Registration link on www.acceleratedschools.net
Questions: Call Ken Totten, (206) 244-8663 Email: krtotten@wwdb.org
There will be on-site registration for 1 or 2 semester credits through Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA.
Watching kids grow: The Tennessee state Department of Education is bringing out a new set of guidelines to help parents check their preschoolers' progress and enable them to get their kids "on target" for kindergarten:
tennessean.com/education/archives/04/09/58707840.shtml?Element_ID=58707840
Did John Scopes live in vain? In Ohio, the debate between evolution and creationism—also called "intelligent design"—rages on, with a debate two years ago in Ohio having served to open the floodgates. Supporters of the intelligent-design theory often call for schools to "teach the controversy" although scientists state that ID theory rests on flimsy mathematical and scientific grounds:
www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/evolution.html?tw=wn_tophead_8
One of the first steps in planning for college is to take a tour of the campuses you'd like to attend... if, that is, your budget can stretch that far. Well, there's another option: CampusTours, a website that links you to virtual tours offered by colleges around the country:
www.campustours.com
We all know that household chemicals (like cleaners) are dangerous for our kids, but new research suggests another source of damage: plastic wrap! In Sweden, a study of house dust containing chemicals responsible for softening food containers, tiles, and cling wrap showed that the chemicals, called phthalates (don't pronounce the "ph") may be responsible for a wide range of children's respiratory diseases:
www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-09-29-asthma-chemicals_x.htm
Hunting for education: in Alaska, one mother of a middle school student is asking local hunters to donate the organs from their kills to her daughter's science class. So far, the kids have dissected moose eyes and other body parts often seen in the wild, but not in a science class:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/09/30/mom_collects_big_game_organs_for_science
It's like having your very own graduate assistant! ASCD's Education Search service hotline will search existing education references on any topic you like! The number is 1-703-575-5745 (toll-free 1-800-933-2723, ext. 5745); visit the website for more details:
www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=911&reid=sb"
French testing—in England? The government-supported committee in charge of reviewing education for secondary students has suggested phasing out the existing A-levels and GCSE exams, to be replaced with a baccalaureate examination modeled on the French system:
education.guardian.co.uk/1419education/story/0,15147,1316645,00.html
When it comes to college success, SATs are key—:or are they? Twenty years ago, Bates College in Maine took the then-revolutionary step of making SAT scores optional for their applicants. Now, their in-house research finds that students who chose not to submit SAT scores did as well academically as those who did, although there is no way to know if their actual SAT scores were comparable:
www.usatoday.com/news/education/2004-10-01-sat_x.htm
The clash between fashion and dress codes has long been an issue for schools and students. But with the election imminent, the "fashion clash" has taken on another level, as teens' desire to literally wear their political beliefs on their sleeves—or other clothing—has some administrators up in arms:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6098629/site/newsweek
Most of us in gifted education are familiar with the concept of differentiated instruction. Now, there's a new "wrinkle" on this old favorite: (CL)2, a strategy designed to fuse the discussion of a college classroom with the "learning center" concept so popular in many elementary classrooms:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/class_lead/200410/barnesjohnson.html?reid=sb"
In Colorado, many students are taking advantage of one of NCLB's provisions: free tutoring. As students and parents become more aware of the provisions of the law, including a student's right to a tutor, more of them are making use of the option:
insidedenver.com/drmn/education/article/0,1299,DRMN_957_3228752,00.html
In Tennessee, as the state Dept. of Education prepared to release its latest round of school scores, many parents are looking at private education as an alternative. But are private schools really better? This article points out that private schools, which are not held to the same accountability standards as public ones, may be more of an unknown quantity than parents realize:
tennessean.com/education/archives/04/09/58917298.shtml?Element_ID=58917298
In India, students are getting hands-on cartography experience—and helping their nation's mapmakers. Students in the Almora district collected extensive data using GPS receivers provided by the nation's Department of Science and Technology—data which will be included in digital maps of the area:
cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=102127
Putting recess first: It works, according to the experience of schools in the Phoenix, AZ, area that made the decision to reverse the traditional order of lunch first, then recess. Teachers say the students are calmer and more ready to learn, and school nurses have fewer students in their offices complaining of post-prandial stomachaches:
www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1005recess05.html
Writing right! This issue of the ASCD's Educational Leadership focuses on this one of the "three R's", with a series of featured articles on writing and teaching it:
http://www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/index.html?reid=sb