Blog Archives

Writing Your Own Script: A Parent’s Role in the Gifted Child’s Development

This week, #gtchat welcomed Corin Barsily Goodwin, Executive Director of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, and Mika Gustavson, MFT; authors of “Writing Your Own Script: A Parent’s Role in the Gifted Child’s Development”, the latest book in the GHF Press Perspectives In Gifted Homeschooling Series. It marks a departure from their previous focus of finding the right academic fit for a child in their first book Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child to guiding parents on how to facilitate the development of friendships for gifted and twice-exceptional children.

We began our discussion by considering why gifted and twice-exceptional children struggle to find others with the same interests and how levels of friendship play a role. So often, age-peers do not share interests with these kids due to asynchronous development and the less cited fact that true peers are scarce. Dave Mayer pointed out, “Many seek the same level of intensity regarding a concept or activity, not just mild interest or friendly amiability.” Thus, the gifted child will not relate well to others as well. The authors referenced the work of Miraca Gross in “Play Partner” or “Sure Shelter”: What Gifted Children Look for in Friendship.

There are times when some parents have difficulty separating their own needs from those of their children. They must be honest with themselves; it’s not the child’s role to fulfill the aspirations of their parents. There are also parents who are gifted, but were never identified. Their dissatisfaction with the school system may stem from personal frustration and unmet needs as a child. Sometimes a simple open and honest dialog with your child can solve the problem.

Overexcitabilites and asynchronous development both play roles in the development of friendships. Mika told us, “One child may be on different levels emotionally, behaviorally, intellectually.” Corin added, “Not every child has the capacity to deal with meltdowns, intensities or other behavioral issues. Kids may also have conflicting needs – such as one who thrives on sensory input and another who is sensory sensitive.”

So, what role should parent’s play in their gifted/2E kids’ friendships? Each child is unique with different needs that must be reflected in the parent’s participation in their lives. Many factors must be taken into consideration as Corin stated, “Factors including age, development, tired or not tired, sensory input, one-on-one or groups, hungry, etc. Don’t expect consistency.” Parents may need to act as facilitators by providing opportunities for intellectual peers to meet. Jaime of Online G3 said, “Parents can model healthy relationships, with together time, alone time, and finding ways to connect on various levels.” As a child grows, these needs change and as Jen Merrill told us, “Eventually you have to back off; I’m kinda there now. Set up events and get outta the way.”

“Not every child has the capacity to deal with meltdowns, intensities or other behavioral issues. Kids may also have conflicting needs – such as one who thrives on sensory input and another who is sensory sensitive.” ~ Corin Barsily Goodwin

How can parents be sure they are encouraging independence in their child by the actions they take? It’s important to look for social growth in your child’s behavior. Mika said, “Remember this is about scaffolding – giving your child a hand up and the tools to become independent.” According to Corin, “Scaffolding is an investment in their future independence, really. Some folks believe that kids develop in lockstep, but that’s not true. Some develop evenly; many don’t. And that’s OK.” Care M. summed it up, “I think it’s a lot like being at the playground. Grit teeth, hope for best, be there to pick up the pieces if they fall off.” 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 Fridays at 7E/6C/5M/4P in the U.S., Midnight in the UK and Saturdays Noon NZDT/10 AM AEDT 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:

Defining Giftedness

Gifted Resources

Resources: Twice-Exceptional (2E)

Twice-Exceptional Issues

Parent Resources

4 Ways Executive Functioning Issues Can Affect Your Child’s Social Life

Friendship Patterns in Highly Gifted Children

Teaching Social Skills to Young Gifted Children: Why & How

A 5 Is Against the Law! Social Boundaries: Straight Up! (Amazon)

A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children (Amazon)

Asperger Syndrome & Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage & Meltdowns (Amazon)

Gifted, Bullied, Resilient: A Brief Guide for Smart Families (Amazon)

Keys to Successfully Parenting the Gifted Child (Talent Igniter)

Leslie Graves’ Livebinder Gifted and 2E

Cybraryman’s Mental and Emotional Health

Dabrowski’s Over-excitabilities A Layman’s Explanation (Tolan)

Sprite’s Site: Stories of the OEs

Sprite’s Site: Making Connections 2

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in family, Homeschooling, parenting, Parents, Psychology, Social Emotional, Twice-exceptional

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Tags: gifted, Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, gtchat, homeschooling, overexcitabilities, parenting, TAGT, twice exceptional, Twitter

Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories with Guest, Wes Beach

Jun 4

Posted by gtchatmod

Our guest this week was Wes Beach, the author of “Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories”; the latest title from GHF Press. Wes Beach is an author, a speaker, an educator with 54 years of experience, an advocate of alternative education and homeschooling. After years discouraged as a teacher in public schools, Wes founded Beach High School and continues to serve as its director today.

“BHS exists to support young people who find that a traditional high school does not provide them with what they want or need. There are almost 1,500 graduates of BHS who, without benefit of a traditional high school education, have gone on to reach the goals they have chosen, including reaching the highest levels of formal education and entering the professions.” from Wes Beach, Author Page on Amazon

Wes defined self-directed learning as “choosing goals and pursuing them in ways independent of externally imposed schedules and curricula. It uses methodologies similar to homeschool methods. Not all homeschoolers use self-directed learning, but many do.”

Self-Directed Learning details how to document the independent education process. According to Wes, this involves “Lots of details: course descriptions, reading lists, evaluative/explanatory narratives; anything that is scriptive and convincing.” Record keeping is imperative. Wes added, “It helps to keep track of activities of all kinds on an ongoing basis. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget things. Learning outside traditional education requires more detailed transcripts – but can be more powerful, convincing, effective. Portfolios and references can be useful, too.”

Many self-directed learners avail themselves of opportunities afforded by community colleges. In addition to easing the financial burden of four year institutions, they also provide a way to take classes for credit that can later be transferred to four year colleges. As Corin Goodwin of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum pointed out, “Community colleges – and local universities – can be great for young asynchronous kids who are academically advanced but young.”

How do four year colleges & universities feel about self-directed learning and does non-traditional schooling put applicants at a disadvantage? Wes answered the question this way, “No. In fact, many universities actively recruit homeschoolers, particularly self-directed learners. Self starters are prized by colleges. One of my current SDL students applied to 30 (!!!) colleges and was accepted by 21. She’ll go to MIT.”

Self-directed learning has strong appeal for gifted students. Wes stated that “gifted learners appreciate the opportunity to pursue self-paced, high-level, in-depth learning; including esoteric subjects and unique approaches.” A full transcript may be found at Storify.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented and sponsored by GiftedandTalented.com is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Fridays at 7E/6C/5M/4P in the U.S., Midnight in the UK and Saturdays 11 AM NZST/9 AM AEST 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 new Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.

Links:

Children in Charge: Self-Directed Learning Programs

Better Than College: How to Build a Successful Life Without a Four-Year Degree (Amazon)

Cool Colleges: For Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming & Just Plain Different (Amazon)

Doing School: How We Are Creating a Gen of Stressed-Out, Materialistic Miseducated Students (Amazon)

Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds

How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where & Why It Happens (Amazon)

Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child via GHF Press (Amazon)

The Art of Self-Directed Learning: 23 Tips for Giving Yourself an Unconventional Education (Amazon)

The Evolving Self: A Psychology for the Third Millennium (pdf) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence (Amazon)

Cybraryman’s Self-Directed Learning Page

Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania (Amazon)

Rethinking Education: Self-Directed Learning Fits the Digital Age

Why I Choose to Unschool My Gifted Children

Forging Paths: Beyond Traditional Schooling

Deschooling: Shift Your Mind

Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in Education, gifted, gifted and talented, gifted education, Gifted Organizations, Homeschooling, Unschooling

Online Learning: 3 Approaches for Gifted/2E

May 13

Posted by gtchatmod

When three stars join together, their light shines brightly and that is certainly what happened when Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, Online G3 and Mr. Gelston’s One Room School House recently announced their new online learning alliance. All three organizations offer online classes and if they don’t have what you need, they will refer you to one of their partners. Fortunately for gifted kids, all their classes are suited for gifted and twice-exceptional students.

This week’s #gtchat hosted the executive directors and several instructors from all three alliance partners. Each answered questions about their particular programs as well as more queries about online learning in general. It was a fast-paced and informative discussion.

We first chatted about the benefits of online classes for gifted and 2E students. These classes can make learning more accessible for students who don’t have these resources locally. It provides a way for these kids to meet (virtually) and to interact with each other and connect with expert teachers. These classes can be tailored to the specific needs of the student and their individual schedules regardless of where they live; provided in a safe and quiet environment. They are also available to schools and homeschool resource centers blending learning with regular curriculum offerings.

We would like to thank Corin Goodwin, executive director of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum; Jaime Smith, founder of Online G3; and Barry Gelston, owner and Claudia L’Amoreaux, instructor at Mr. Gelston’s One Room Schoolhouse for being our guests this week. Several other instructors joined us including Justin Schwamm (GHF – Latin); Christy Knockleby (GHF – Minecraft Math); and Madeline Goodwin (GHF – Planet Earth & Climate Science). A transcript of the chat may be found on Storify.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Fridays at 7/6 C & 4 PT in the U.S., Midnight in the UK and Saturdays 11 AM NZST/9 AM AEST 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 new Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.

Links:

Class Offerings:

GHF Online Class Schedule

Online G3

Online G3 Summer Courses

Mr. Gelston’s One Room Schoolhouse

About the Alliance:

Education is Better with Friends (OnlineG3)

Friends We Trust (Mr. Gelston’s One Room Schoolhouse)

Online Learning Partnership (GHF)

Additional Links:

GHF Online Teacher Bios

G3 Course Placement and Progression

He’s Really Gifted In Math?!?

Online Learning Communities Revisited

GHF Online Update (Facebook)

Graphics courtesy of Lisa Conrad, Barry Gelston, Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, Online G3 and TAGT.

Posted in Education, gifted, gifted and talented, gifted education, Gifted Organizations, Homeschooling, Online Education, Twice-exceptional

“Gifted Unschooling” with Guest, Amy Harrington

Apr 21

Posted by gtchatmod

Amy Harrington, Esq. is a SENG board member and SENG Model Parent Group facilitator, homeschooling advocate, and an eclectic unschooler of two profoundly gifted children. She is an attorney, writer, and blogger (Gifted Unschooling) who is passionate about the future of self-directed education. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Atypical Minds, which provides coaching and guidance to gifted families in their quest for alternative education and school accommodations.

Most people are familiar with homeschooling, but the idea of ‘unschooling’ remains a mystery to most. As Amy explained, “Unschooling is a philosophy that entrusts children to find their own passions. It is child-led, passion-led, and interest-led learning. Unschooling generally rejects a traditional schooling mindset and the tools that go along with it – curriculum. The child is in the driver’s seat of their own education. Children are autonomous learners SUPPORTED by parents.”

The discussion then turned to ‘deschooling”. According to Amy, “deschooling is letting go of a traditional schooling mindset and learning to trust the process of getting to unschooling philosophy. It let’s everyone relax, detox and figure out what they are interested in learning. We shed our old mindset and embrace freedom.”

What is the role of a mentor in unschooling? Mona Chicks explained, “Mentors play a huge role, as they help the child learn about the real stuff in their chosen field. They provide outside input, too.” Amy told us that “Not everyone has mentors while unschooling but my kid has enjoyed working with many professors and entrepreneurs.”

When it was suggested that a compromise or blended learning scenario could be used to ensure comparable results such as regular education and outside-of-school enrichment, most unschoolers disagreed. They believed that for profoundly gifted students and prodigies, school was actually detrimental. Many referred to a ‘healing’ process that their children went through after withdrawing from a traditional school environment.

A transcript of this chat may be found on our Storify Page.