Monthly Archives: October 2013
Special Guest: Stacy Hughes Visual Spatial Learners
#gtchat was joined by Texas teacher, Stacy Hughes, to chat about Visual Spatial Learners. Stacy began her teaching career at the middle school level for gifted in Florida in 1990. She taught for 10 yrs before teaching overseas. In 2009, she began teaching grades 3-5 GT in Texas.
Stacy shared that VSL learners are characterized by mainly thinking in pictures. They must visualize to learn. Some think in snapshots, some in movies. They learn in spurts, and can intuitively take learning a few steps farther. They see patterns and relationships in things. Many chat participants shared their experiences as VSL learners. A full transcript may be found here.
Links:
Gifted Development Center: Visual Spatial Learners
Visual Spatial Learners from @HoagieGifted
Eye to Eye: Connecting with Gifted Visual-Spatial Learners (Teaching Strategies) (pdf)
Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner (book) from Linda Silverman
Upside-Down Brilliance (presentation handout) Silverman
Visual-Spatial Learners (book) by Alexandra Golon from Prufrock Press
How Homeschooling Saved a Visual Spatial Learner
Are You a Visual-Spatial Learner? From Deborah Mersino
CruSHing TaLL PoPPies: Visual-Spatial Learners: Tapping into Their Creativity and Potential
Serving Visual-Spatial Learners (book) by Steve Coxon from Prufrock Press
Parenting a Visual Spatial Child
Eclectic Homeschooling: A Visual-Spatial Learner at Work
Visual-Spatial Learners Page from @cybraryman1
Sensory Awareness Page from @cybraryman1
Visual Literacy Page from @cybraryman1
Is Your Child a Visual-Spatial Learner? From Prufrock Press Blog
“I Think in Pictures, You Teach in Words: The Gifted Visual Spatial Learner” by Leslie Sword
Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child (book) Golon/Silverman
“Helping Your Children Build on Their Visual-Spatial Strength in a World of Words” (pdf) from NAGC Parenting for High Potential September 2006
“If You Could See the Way I Think A Handbook for Visual-Spatial Kids”
Posts about VSL on Sprite’s Site
Twice Exceptional: Is It a Gift?
Reading Up on VSL on Sprite’s Site
Is there a Dimmer Switch for the Memory Elephant? On Sprite’s Site
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Special Guest: Krissy Venosdale of Venspired
Our special guest for this chat was Krissy Venosdale, aka @venspired. Known throughout the online educational community for her inspirational posters, Krissy is also the administrator at a Texas school for gifted children, past gifted education teacher, mother and future teacher in space. Krissy @venspired will be presenting at #TAGT13 this year. Her topic will be Global Connections for Gifted Learners.
In her own words, “I was a gifted kid that grew up to teach gifted kids. I’ve taught cluster grouping with elementary kids. I’ve also taught a pull out gifted program for several years. But now? I am a director at a gifted school @Rainard_School. I love I have a job where I get to spend days living out true passions… providing challenge & creative learning experiences.There have been many days, when I was the only gifted ed teacher in my school, #gtchat got me through!” A full transcript may be found here.
Links:
‘Google Hangouts Guide for Teachers’
“What’s the Hype with Skype?” from @venspired
“Open the Door to the World” from @venspired
“The Kids that Launched a Project”
Cybraryman’s Ed Hashtags Page
Cybraryman’s Google Hangouts Page
Cybraryman’s Skype Page
Cybraryman’s Edmodo Page
Cybraryman’s Blogs Page
Mystery Skype from Venspired
Cybraryman’s Mystery Location Call Page for Skype or Google Hangouts
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Challenges to Developing a Healthy Lifestyle for Gifted Kids
In chatting about healthy lifestyles for gifted kids, we learned that studies and sentiments are mixed when it comes to whether the gifted are at greater risk for health issues. Topics discussed included mental health, sleep issues, overexcitabilities and misdiagnosis. A full transcript may be found here.
Links:
Health Care Providers Know Little about Gifted Children
Keys to Raising a Gifted Child
Parenting & Child Health: Gifted & Talented Children
Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children
Healthcare Providers’ Guide to Gifted Children
Gifted Children’s Health Locus of Control (Original: 1993)
The Misunderstood Face of Giftedness by Marianne Kuzujanakis
Depression and Gifted Children from Duke TIP
‘Searching for Meaning Idealism, Bright Minds, Disillusionment, and Hope’ by Webb
Gifted Children Benefit from Health Classes Accelerated to Their Needs (Abstract)
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The Role of Teacher Perspective in Educating Gifted Students
“How much does a teacher’s attitude about giftedness affect their teaching of gifted students?” was the first question we considered in this chat. There seemed to be general agreement that it plays a major role in meeting or not meeting the needs of identified gifted learners. The moderator pointed out that gifted students are the ‘group’ of students making the least progress among all groups and that teachers and administrators needed to be made aware of this fact. It was also pointed out that teacher attitude towards gifted children is responsible for a great deal of friction with parents.
A lesser known issue was discussed concerning the interaction between teachers of gifted students and the rest of the faculty. Too often gifted teachers feel isolated. Teachers in Pull-Out Programs may have little interaction with faculty or staff. Negative attitudes based on misplaced views of gifted students spill over into school policy which also affects them.
Suggestions on how to improve the situation included more courses for pre-service teachers in gifted education at the undergraduate level, gifted certification for any teacher involved in teaching gifted students, providing information about giftedness to general education teachers and on-going professional development in gifted education. A full transcript of the chat may be found here.
Links:
Teacher Perspectives Regarding Gifted Diverse Students
Characteristics/Competencies of Teachers of Gifted Learners: Hong Kong Teacher Perspective (pdf)
Teaching Strategies to Educate Gifted Children (Slideshare)
Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Gifted: The Importance of P.D. & School Culture (pdf)
Journal of the World Council for Gifted & Talented Children Aug/Dec 2011 (pdf) (multiple articles)
Pygmalion Effect (Wikipedia)
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