Blog Archives

Coloring Outside the Lines – Growing Up Gifted

Growing up gifted has often been viewed through the elementary school prism that everyone should ‘stay within the lines’ when coloring, but a gifted child may want to do anything but … they yearn to color outside those lines! They march to their own drummer.

So … this begs the question … do societal attitudes affect the decision made by parents or an individual to forego confirming potential giftedness? Parents often make decisions based on prior personal experience; wanting to shield their children from negative experiences. Older gifted children want to ‘fit in’ and may attempt to avoid identification as gifted. There are also many gifted students who will not care about societal attitudes and go on to create their own path.

Being identified as gifted as a very young child can affect age-peer relations. Unfortunately, some kids can be cruel. Gifted kids may be singled out for being different. When young gifted kids are bullied for their ability, they may seek out older intellectual peers.

Negative aspects of identification include adults having unrealistic expectations concerning a child’s abilities and putting pressure on them to achieve. Gifted children are the subjects of many myths; adults and teachers may not understand apparent inconsistencies in ability and behaviors.

There are positive effects of being identified as gifted. Identification can be the basis for accommodations and interventions in gifted individual education plans. It allows for exploration of possibilities in areas where a gifted child can achieve their passions.

Is giftedness something that continues across the lifespan? Gifted children grow up to be gifted adults and this shouldn’t be based solely on achievement. The role of environment cannot be minimized; it’s effect must be understood. Many people do not realize they are gifted until adulthood.

Being identified as gifted as a child can affect how someone parents their own children. Many parents base their parenting style on how they responded to being considered gifted or not. Those who were identified as gifted may have a better understanding of what it means for their child.

It is important for adults who work with gifted children to fully understand the nature of giftedness and to not have expectations based on myths or incorrect information. 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 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:

Creating Contexts for Individualized Learning in Early Childhood Education (pdf)

Gifted Children Have Special Needs, Too

Development of “out of the box” Thinking in Young Children

Raising Children Who Are as Good as They Are Smart

AUS: Recognition of Giftedness in Early Years of School Perspectives of Teachers, Parents & Children (pdf)

Giftedness Across the Lifespan: Do Gifted Children = Gifted Adults?

Giftedness Across a Lifespan

Bright Adults (Great Potential Press)

Off the Charts! Asynchrony and the Gifted Child (pdf, preview)

Many Faces of Gifted (pdf, PP)

The Two-Edged Sword of Compensation: How the Gifted Cope with Learning Disabilities (pdf)

Embracing Our Exceptionalities, Eccentricities & Sensitivities

Can I Just be Not Gifted for a Little

Photo courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in Asynchronous Development, Emotional intensity, family, gifted, gifted and talented, gifted education, Identification, labels, Mental Health, parenting

Inspiring Self-Efficacy in Gifted Kids

Feb 6

Posted by gtchatmod

Self-efficacy is a psychological construct attributed to Dr. Albert Bandura and is considered one of the most important developments in psychology as it encompasses motivation, learning, self-regulation, and human accomplishment. It is broadly defined as one’s internal belief about how their ability impacts events affecting their life.

Self-efficacy beliefs form through mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasions, and physiological cues. The most influential source of self-efficacy is considering one’s own performance. Confidence follows past performance and influences future behavior in developing one’s self-efficacy.

The idea of educating gifted children with academic peers may be one way to develop self-efficacy beliefs. Children are always comparing themselves to other children. Easy comparisons can make for overestimating one’s own ability. Peer comparisons resulting from ability grouping can be detrimental to self-efficacy of less-able age-mates.

Mastery-based learning can have a strong influence in the development self-efficacy as well. Mastery experience is the prime factor in developing self-efficacy and necessary to positive outcomes when viewing ‘self’. Mastery-based learning is how children determine what they’re good at and how they define potential personal success.

Self-efficacy beliefs can have motivational consequences. Belief in what one has accomplished influences future choices and provides inspiration for future success. A sense of competence can motivate a student to attempt more difficult tasks and consider them as challenges. The existence of high self-efficacy is usually accompanied by feelings of calm when faced with tough tasks.

What are the implications for teachers in teaching self-efficacy in schools? Teachers need to take seriously the importance of nurturing self-efficacy and how it can have beneficial or destructive influence in a student’s life. Teachers are often first academic role model for students and can empower self-assurance or diminish a student’s self-efficacy. Young students need guidance on self-appraisal as they rely on adult assessment to create judgement of their own capabilities. Teachers can ensure robust self-efficacy for students by providing appropriately challenging and meaningful work. For more from this chat, a transcript 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 14.00 NZST/12.00 AEST/1.00 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.

Links:

An Introduction to Self-Efficacy

What Influences Self-Efficacy?

Self-Efficacy Theory: Sources of Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Adolescents (Adolescence and Education) (Amazon)

Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change (pdf)

4 Ways to Develop Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Self-Efficacy During Childhood & Adolescence: Implications for Teachers & Parents (pdf)

Self-Efficacy Development in Adolescences (pdf)

Sources of Science Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Middle School Students (pdf)

Peer Group as Context for Development of Young Adolescent Motivation & Achievement (pdf)

The Peer Network as a Context for the Socialization of Academic Engagement (pdf)

Using Self-Efficacy Theory as a Guide for Instructional Practice (pdf)

Self-Efficacy: Why Believing in Yourself Matters

Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory (YouTube 3:05)

Classroom Strategies to Improve Student Self-efficacy and Learning Outcomes

Albert Bandura: Self-Efficacy for Agentic Positive Psychology

The Strengths Self-Efficacy Scale: Assessing Strengths in Action

Cybraryman’s You Matter Page

Struggling with a Solution? Make it a Design Challenge

Photo courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad

Posted in Emotional Intelligence, gifted and talented, gifted education, Mental Health, Psychology, Social Emotional

Connecting at Gifted Conferences

Aug 1

Posted by gtchatmod

Connecting at gifted conferences begins long before the conference starts. To make the most of your conference experience, it’s important to build your personal learning networks online as well as in your local area. Conference attendance should be the highlight of a well-planned experience.

Any conference can quickly become an expensive, albeit worthwhile, proposition. There are ways to reduce costs by sharing rooms and transportation costs. Some conferences will offer reduced fees to those who present, exhibit or volunteer to work at the conference. If you are an educator, check with your school district for funding. It’s always a good idea to check with organizers beforehand if you are looking for ways to cut costs.

Due to the nature of social media and the Internet, most conferences will have a dedicated website, Facebook Page and Twitter Account (as well as a designated hashtag solely for the conference). Major conferences make an App available, such as Guidebook or Whova, to attendees so they can follow activities, connect with friends, and see who will be speaking. Make sure to download the App to your phone as soon as it becomes available. It may also provide resources after the conference finishes.

“Great conferences are informative, invigorating and inspiring. Well worth money and time when you can connect and learn.” ~ Kelly at MyTwiceBakedPotato

It is extremely rewarding to organize a TweetUp for the conference where those from your different networks can make new connections. Once you know where the conference will be held, a review of the venue’s website will help you find an appropriate location for meeting up. It can be as simple as getting together in someone’s room to a dinner at a restaurant on-site or nearby. If you are expecting a crowd, a guest list will be in order when making reservations.

Once you arrive at the conference, Twitter is the hands-down social media platform for sharing conference information with fellow attendees and those who are not in attendance. Make sure you are using the ‘official’ hashtag or your tweets will be of little use to those outside your followers. You can tweet your location within the conference itself and even tweet out information from individual sessions. This adds value to your experience when there are so many excellent presentations occurring simultaneously. It highlights the conference for those who could not be there and acts as a way to encourage attendance at future conferences. It’s also a good idea to add your Twitter username to your official name badge if it isn’t already there.

Meeting favorite speakers, presenters or community leaders at conferences can greatly enhance your experience. It’s Important to do your homework – know about the work of community leaders who are attending the conference and read articles or books by the speakers. Make it a point to get books autographed by the author if available; a nice introduction for both parties. After attending a session, take the time to introduce yourself to the presenter.

Connecting with vendors at a conference is a good idea you might not have considered. They are generally well-versed on gifted issues as well as their products and usually offer deals to attendees such as reduced prices or free shipping on products not on hand. You’ll also find information on organizations who service the gifted community. Some vendors even host free get togethers during the evening hours!

It is just as important to keep in touch with new acquaintances after the conference! You can follow them on Twitter, consider friending them on Facebook, or scheduling meetups afterwards. We at #gtchat are excited about a new initiative from TAGT who this fall are rolling out an online community – TAGT Connect, a perfect place to continue your conference connections if in Texas. And last, but not least, Twitter chats like #gtchat are a great way to stay connected! 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 Noon (12.00) NZST/10.00 AEST/1.00 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.

Links:

7 Must-have Tools for Ed Conferences

Making the Most of a SENG Conference

NAFSA Networking Opportunities

Gifted Conferences, Events & Gatherings

TAGT 2016 Annual Conference

Graphic and photos courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in Education, gifted and talented, Gifted Conferences, gifted education

The Strong-Willed Gifted Child

May 27

Posted by gtchatmod

Strong-willed gifted children can appear oppositional and fail to respond to traditional behavior interventions. They are characterized as uncooperative, stubborn, defiant, rebellious and arrogant. They can also be thought of as passionate, idealistic, and emotionally intense. Due to asynchronous development, gifted children may have a deep understanding of a problem but lack ability to deal with it.

A gifted child’s behavior is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed by professionals. Many characteristics of giftedness may appear similar to mental health and few professionals have training in gifted issues. Misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate and ineffectual treatments which make matters worse.

Traditional behavior strategies don’t work because the underlying causes for the behavior are atypical for their age. A gifted child’s refusal to comply is often the result of deeply held yet inconsistent beliefs and feelings of injustice.

What info could be shared with teachers to help them understand this behavior as it relates to giftedness? Few teachers have a background in gifted education; basic information is a good place to start. Teachers need to know that gifted students don’t always know what they are good at; guidance may be needed to direct students to a place of understanding.

Scaffolding, a technique used in teaching, can be applied to helping gifted children deal with their emotions. It is a way to provide positive, but temporary support to a child during an emotional impasse; and can foster emotional growth as it leads to a positive, non-argumentative resolution of behavior issues. Scaffolding with gifted children promotes self-esteem and self-efficacy with long-term impact on reducing negative behavior. (Malonai 2016)

What positive steps can parents & teachers take to help strong-willed gifted children thrive? Parents can help their child discover who they are, their strengths by providing opportunities for recognizing personal strengths. Teachers can encourage students to follow their passions through school activities that challenge and validate them. Both parents & teachers need to provide positive supports before issues arise; celebrate good behavior when demonstrated. A transcript of this chat can be found at Storify.