Using Technology to Engage GT Students
Technology can be an excellent way to engage gifted students. They can use the Internet to link to more “knowledgeable peers and experts” and collaborate on projects. Online connections can assist GT students to locate mentors who can scaffold their learning.
Tech tools can help teachers differentiate for a wider range of abilities with increasingly sophisticated programs. Technology can provide platforms for students to advance at their own pace; utilize distance learning; and engage in independent study.
Research shows that gifted and talented students use tech to do creative and social learning activities in the classroom. Teachers can look for small changes in student engagement; this will impact student achievement. If you notice attendance is up and students want to be in your classroom, it may be because they can use tech to demonstrate proficiency.
How can technology help 2E students (i.e., Asperger’s/EFD) be more engaged in school? Many twice-exceptional (2E) kids respond well to computer programming that eliminates emotion in instruction and provides patience in interactions. Also, they can use smartphones and tablets to organize schedules and assignments.
Parents can support the use of technology in their child’s school. A student’s technology-rich life outside of the classroom can serve to support learning that goes on at school (Siegle, 2004). Students who do not have access to computers outside of school may fall behind academically (Neuman & Celano, 2006).
Check out the links below to see what technology was most liked by chat participants. A transcript of this chat can be found at Storify.
Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Tuesdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Wednesdays at 1 PM NZST/11 AM AEST/1 AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Storify. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news & information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.
About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com
Links:
Technology and the Unseen World of Gifted Students (pdf 2004)
Using Technology in Gifted & Talented Education Classrooms: The Teachers’ Perspective (pdf)
High-Tech Teaching Success! A Guide to Using Innovative Tech in Your Classroom (Prufrock Press)
Help Gifted and Talented Students with Technology
Is classroom technology good for learning or wasting time?
Factors Affecting School Teachers’ Perceptions of Instructional Benefits of Digital Technology (pdf)
8 Ways to Use Technology to Engage Students Better
Is Technology Helping or Harming My Students?
Handheld Technology in the Classroom: Respecting & Meeting the Needs of All Writers
Helping Kids Get Organized Some Suggestions for Parents (pdf)
Learning in the 21st Century: How to Connect, Collaborate & Create (Amazon)
Personal Computers Help Gifted Students Work Smart (1990)
Strategies for the Tech-Savvy Classroom (Prufrock Press)
Explore the Garden (Edufest 2017)
Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model with Technology (Amazon)
Tech Tools & Resources to Whet Your Appetite (Slideshare)
5 New Edtech tools for Teachers
Cybraryman’s Tech Integration for the Gifted Page
iPiccy: Leveraging Thought Bubbles to Differentiate Learning (YouTube 5:21)
Wonderopolis An excellent website to support reading, writing, and curiosity (YouTube 4:20)
Shazam: Writing techniques using technology (YouTube 1:05:03)
Using Word Clouds 21st Century Gifted Students (YouTube 55:45)
Learning Ally (2E)
Photo courtesy of Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad
Share this:
When Gifted Kids Don’t Fit In
Explaining giftedness to a child is often overlooked; assuming they understand all the intricacies of being identified gifted. It’s important for children to understand; otherwise, they may accept myths perpetuated by society. Being gifted is more than simply academic achievement or excellence in everything. It’s knowing that it is ok to fail or be less than expected.
Anxiety can play a role in a gifted child’s need to ‘fit in’. Adults may place unfair expectations on children based on their perception of ‘gifted’ and that is hard to live up to at times. Just because a child may not ‘fit it’ doesn’t mean they don’t want to and experience anxiety trying to be something they’re not.
Asynchronous development can also affect a gifted kid’s ability to ‘fit in’. For some gifted kids, asynchronous development can severely affect their ability to engage with age-peers. It can affect how adults interact with gifted kids and perceive how they should act.
How can teachers assist gifted students with fitting in at school? It’s helpful if teachers take time to learn about giftedness; increase their understanding of these kids. Teachers’ expectations should not include using students as teacher aides which can be source of bullying for gifted child.
Parents can help to ensure a good fit in the family as well. Like teachers, parents too must take time to learn about and understand what giftedness is and isn’t. They should guard against favoritism; delegation of tasks; and resource allocation of family funds. Parents can also try to provide opportunities for positive interaction with intellectual peers beyond school walls.
Learning the difference between ‘better at’ and ‘better than’ will go a long way in getting accepted by age-peers. Gifted kids should work to understand their abilities. Positive self-image ultimately benefits in how they relate to others. Developing a sense who what’s important to them; gifted kids may decide not to go along with the crowd to fit in.
An important take-away from the chat was that although it’s natural for kids to want to fit in with age-peers; conversely, gifted kids should also learn that it’s also okay not to ‘fit in’ if they don’t want to do so. A transcript of this chat may be found at Storify.
Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Tuesdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Wednesdays at 1 PM NZST/11 AM AEDT/1 AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Storify. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news & information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.
About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com
Links:
When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers: How to Meet Their Social & Emotional Needs (Amazon)
The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide: For Ages 10 & Under (Amazon)
Gifted Children Need a Place to Belong Gifted Children Need a Place to Belong
Gifted Students Often Struggle Socially
10 Facts You May Not Know about Gifted Children But Should
Young, Gifted & Likely to Suffer for It
Gifted Children & Friendships – Why Don’t I Fit In?
How to Help your Gifted Kid Thrive
The Curse of the Gifted & Talented Child
Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students
Should We Tell Them They’re Gifted?
Is Your Child Anxious Because They’re Gifted?
Guess What? Gifted Kids Can Have Problems Too
10 Lessons from Gifted Education
How to Help Your Overthinking Gifted Child
Sprite’s Site: Discovering the Depth and Breadth of Giftedness
Sprite’s Site: Belonging – A Place of Sanctuary
What to Say to Your Gifted Child…about Being Gifted
Gifted Children’s Bill of Rights
Common Characteristics of Gifted Individuals
Hoagies’ Blog Hop May 2014: The “G” Word “Gifted”
Photo courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Creative Commons
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.
Share this:
TAGT Summit: Serving Secondary G/T Students
On Wednesday, November 29th from 9:00 am – 4:15 pm, TAGT will be holding a day long Summit dedicated to serving secondary gifted and talented students prior to their annual conference, giftED17, in Houston, TX.
Secondary educators and district or campus leaders will explore and become empowered with diverse resources to meet the academic and social and emotional needs of gifted students. Participants will network, identify needs specific to secondary GT classrooms, and begin to solve the challenges around serving these students in the secondary setting.
Summit attendees will hear directly from secondary G/T students, our ultimate stakeholders about how they can be better served and what they wish we knew.
The summit includes time for table conversations allowing for reflection and to discussion around challenges encountered with fellow educators and leaders. Participants will also breakout, choosing two sessions that will cover topics such as classroom strategies around Early College High Schools, Dual Credit, and AP/IB Differentiation and Placing, Developing, and Evaluating G/T Teachers.
Dr. Michael Postma
A networking lunch, free with registration, will be followed by the keynote address by Mike Postma, Ph.D., Executive Director of SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted). Postma will examine the challenges our gifted secondary students face and share strategies to help.
“As a teacher, one of the most interesting parts of my job was the ongoing task of having to be innovative. In order to be a good educator for my students, I had to be a constant student myself, learning about new ideas, techniques, and technologies. It was important for me to stay one step ahead of my students while being flexible enough to learn from them as well. This is what makes the art of teaching so exciting: you never quite know what fresh experience the day might bring.” ~ Dr. Michael Postma in The Inconvenient Student
Afterwards, join a panel of experienced G/T professionals to explore best practices in identifying students who may otherwise be missed. The panel will discuss how to ensure diversity of G/T populations and equitable access to services, including intentional cross-departmental partnerships, planning and conversations and both qualitative and quantitative data.
Finally, the day will be concluded with a Topic Roundtable & Curriculum Share. Participants will choose 3-4 meaningful topics as table facilitators lead conversations around your lingering questions. Potential topics include:
- Rural schools
- AP/IB Differentiation activities
- Parent outreach
- Lesson sharing
- Social-Emotional Curriculum
- School scheduling
- Enrichment Programs, Mentorship
- Advocating within school/district
- Soliciting and Implementing Student Feedback
Registration may be found here. (Early registration ends October 11th) Not from Texas? TAGT is offering member prices for anyone belonging to their state’s gifted organization. G/T teachers, G/T program leaders, and campus administrators may register by selecting the 1-day giftED17 option or join us for the full conference. You must register via mail using a pdf form found here. Limited space is available and you must RSVP here once you are registered for the summit.
Share this:
From Home Education to Higher Education
Families with gifted children are one of the fastest growing segments of homeschooling today. The choice to homeschool is no longer limited to those who make the choice for religious reasons as was common in the past. Along with that choice comes the need to know and understand how to approach the college entrance process. Our guest this week, Lori Dunlap, recently wrote a book entitled From Home Home Education to Higher Education from GHF Press which addresses the many questions asked by homeschoolers.
Faced with roadblocks and not having needs met at their children’s schools; parents of gifted learners often turn to homeschooling. Families realize that their school’s approach to education does not fit with their goals for their child’s education.
According to Corin Goodwin, Executive Director of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, “Homeschool families are so diverse that any generalization is going to include misconceptions.” With regard to college entrance, many people think that homeschoolers will encounter more issues in transitioning to college than their public school counterparts. This line of thinking extends to believing homeschoolers will lack the ability to deal with schedules and routines in college which simply is not the case. Corin added, “In fact, they often do better because they are self-motivated and have not had their curiosity suppressed.”
How are homeschoolers viewed by colleges and universities? Lori explained, “Colleges and universities not only accept homeschoolers; in many cases they’re actually seeking them out! In researching my book, the most FAQ that came up from admissions officers was, ‘Where can I find more homeschoolers?’ Other hurdles included misperceptions in college admissions community including “Mom grades” on transcripts and academic “rigor.”
Regarding the college application process, Lori told us, “For any student, finding schools that are a good fit for their goals and interests is the most important part of the process. In applications, admission officers want to see how homeschoolers have taken advantage of the flexibility and freedom that comes with educational choice.”
With regard to what college admission officers are looking for, Lori said, “The first thing they want to know is if the student is academically qualified and can be successful at the school. [They are also] looking for variety and diversity; an area where homeschoolers can stand out with unique educational experiences. They want to know your “story”. Think of your application as a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. Non-standard applications throw some of them for a loop. This is why SAT/ACT scores are still required for homeschoolers even at “test opt” schools.”
“Know your child. Help them set goals and steer their lives, but be ready to scaffold when needed.” ~ Corin Goodwin, Executive Director of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum
There are some ways parents can help prepare their child to transition to college life. It was pointed out by many at the chat that perhaps the hardest part, but most important for parents, is letting go. Corin reminded us, “Parents can listen to their student instead of pushing hopes on kids. The kid has to live with their choices. They should make their own.” Lori added, “To prepare, we need to give our students increasing levels of independence and appropriate responsibility as they get older. By the time they go off to college, they should have skills and confidence to operate as independently as possible.” A transcript of this chat can be found at Storify.
Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Tuesdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Wednesdays at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1 AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Storify. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news & information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.
About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com
Links:
From Home Education to Higher Education
College Admissions for Homeschoolers: 3 Inevitable Questions
College Admissions for Homeschoolers: 3 More Inevitable Questions
Forging Paths: Beyond Traditional Schooling
Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories
Happiest Homeschooling Moments: A Reflection
From Home Education to Higher Education: A Review
Grateful for All of It, No Exceptions: Loving the Unexpected Gifts of Giftedness
Reflections in a Pond: Recognizing Giftedness in Our Children and Ourselves
Research: From Home Ed to Higher Ed
Earning Admission: Real Strategies for Getting into Highly Selective Colleges – Review
Homeschooled Student’s Transcript Might Be for a Cat
Sprite’s Site: Socialization 2
Sprite’s Site: Qualified to Teach
Cybraryman’s Homeschooling Page
GHF: US Public Education Policy: Missing Voices
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.
