Blog Archives
Homeschooling Gifted Students
This week, we welcomed Corin Goodwin, the Executive Director of GHF – Gifted Homeschoolers Forum as our guest to chat about homeschooling gifted students.
For years, homeschooling was considered on the fringe; those who had issues with public schools regarding religion. Gifted homeschooling is based on providing the best personal education possible to meet the unique challenges of gifted students.
Homeschooling is a very personal and individual decision and today’s homeschoolers are a diverse and emergent group. Reasons for homeschooling can include a need for greater challenge than available at traditional schools. Homeschooling allows gifted students to advance through the curriculum at a pace that meets individual needs.
What should parents consider before starting to homeschool? Parents need to make a realistic assessment of the financial resources they’ll need to effectively homeschool. They need to research homeschooling and the time commitment necessary to make it work for their child and the family.
One of the biggest myths that opponents of homeschooling bring up is lack of social opportunities which simply isn’t true. Gifted homeschooled students have many avenues to socialize with intellectual peers both in real life and online.
What are the prospects for homeschoolers when applying for college or transitioning to adult life? Universities once reluctant about homeschoolers now seek out these kids; acknowledge the benefits of homeschooling. Many resources are available to document student records and accomplishments for college admissions. Good planning can make the college admissions process easier and more successful for gifted homeschoolers. A transcript of this chat may be found at Storify.
Afterthought: This chat prompted quite a few responses (from both those who attended the chat and those who did not) directed at the moderator concerning the feasibility of homeschooling. While most agreed that it would be beneficial for any gifted child to be taught at home one-on-one in a loving and supportive environment, just wanting to make it happen was not always enough to ensure a successful outcome for everyone.
One teacher related experiences of seeing parents losing their jobs because they didn’t have the energy to work and be solely responsible for their child’s education; having their child become disengaged because they didn’t have the time or skills to teach them; and even failed marriages.
Yes, some families will be fortunate to succeed without presupposing all possible outcomes, but it is a personal decision families need to make without outside judgement. Many parents said that although they were happy they decided to homeschool, they felt they would never recover financially. Concerns for other family members and personal feelings of self-worth were also expressed. Others cited the emotional toll it placed on the parent-child relationship.
These are all very real concerns. Parents who simply can’t make it work should not have to endure criticism. Just as every child is different, so is their family’s situation. It is important to make a realistic assessment of your own situation before embarking on homeschooling. In the end, you must decide what you feel is best for you, your child and your family.
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:
Homeschooling Curriculum for the Gifted Child
Reasons to Homeschool Your Gifted Child
Creative Home Schooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families (Amazon)
Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child (Amazon)
How to Work & Homeschool: Practical Advice, Tips & Strategies from Parents (Amazon)
Educating Your Gifted Child: How One Public School Teacher Embraced Homeschooling (Amazon)
Home Schooling Gifted Children
Gifted Children: Transitioning Between Public School and Homeschool
Gifted Children: The Importance of Finding Intellectual Peers and Community
Homeschooling: Where and How to Begin
Study: States Should Provide Parents with More Information about Homeschooling Options
US Public Education Policy: Missing Voices
US Public Education Policy: Missing Voices Executive Summary and Survey Date
Sprite’s Site Nest Ed: Flocks and Shoes
Gifted Online NZ Centre for Gifted Education
NZ: Te Aho O Te Kura Pounama – The Correspondence School
GHF: Living with Gifted Children
SIG Summer Institute for the Gifted
Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories
AUS: Homeschooling Research Notes – Glenda Jackson
Photo courtesy of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum.
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.
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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:
Resources: Twice-Exceptional (2E)
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.
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Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories with Guest, Wes Beach
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.
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:
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
Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade
Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.
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Online Learning: 3 Approaches for Gifted/2E
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.
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:
Class Offerings:
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:
G3 Course Placement and Progression
Online Learning Communities Revisited
GHF Online Update (Facebook)
Graphics courtesy of Lisa Conrad, Barry Gelston, Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, Online G3 and TAGT.
