GEC cover Spring'08 - Gifted Education Communicator...Gifted Education Communicator ISSN 1531-7382 is published four times a year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Opinions expressed

SPRING 2009 VOL. 40 NO. 1 $12.00

Leadership

...and the Ethicsthat Go With It

*GECommSpring09cover.qxd 4/17/09 11:51 AM Page 1


C A L I F O R N I A A S S O C I A T I O N F O R T H E G I F T E D 1

C O N T E N T SSpring 2009 | Volume 40 | Number 1

ISSN 1531-7382

Leadership and theEthics that Go With It

F E A T U R E S

16 Teaching Evaluation and JudgmentJames J. Gallagher

21 Too Many Gifted Kids Dropping Out Of School:Leadership in Building TrustToby Manzanares

26 Learning Ethics Through LiteratureJody Fickes Shapiro

28 Leadership CentersMargaret Godsfield

29 Developing A Moral Compass: Service Learning For Gifted StudentsJann E. Bohenberger & Alice W. Terry

34 Preparing Student Leaders to Make a Difference: Adult Guides are Key Julia Link Roberts & Tracy Inman

D E P A R T M E N T S

S T U D E N T V O I C E S 5 Nicole Cabell: Down-to-Earth Diva

Jennifer Beaver

P A R E N T T A L K

8 The Elephant in the Room: Coaching Your Child How To Talk About GiftednessNancy M. Robinson

T H E I N N E R G A M E : P S Y C H O L O G I C A L P R E P A R E D N E S S

10 Preparing for High Achievement: Maintaining Focus under PressureMaureen Neihart

A D M I N I S T R A T O R T A L K

11 Preventing a Gifted Dropout Disaster: Challenging Our “Different Drummers” Caroyln R. Cooper

T H E A M A Z I N G B R A I N

13 The Principle of Brain IntegrationBarbara Clark

H A N D S - O N C U R R I C U L U M

39 Leadership: Exerting InfluenceAnn MacDonald & Jim Riley

C A R P E D I E M

41 Ethics: Choice or Imposed? Elaine S. Wiener

T E C H N O L O G Y I N T H E C L A S S R O O M

42 A New Dimension in Drawing SoftwareBeth Littrell & Lance Arnt

43 Ethical Leadership in TechnologyBeth Littrell

B O O K S A V V Y : C R E A T I N G L I F E T I M E R E A D E R S

44 The Power and Potential of the Picture BookSusannah Richards

W E B W A T C H

47 Leadership and The Ethics That Go With ItCarolyn Kottmeyer

B O O K R E V I E W S

49 Teambuilding with TeensBy Mariam G. MacGregor

49 Anxiety-Free KidsBy Bonnie Zucker

50 The Cluster Grouping HandbookBy Susan Winebrenner & Dina Brulles

3 From the Editor4 Calendar of Conferences

Cover photo by Dan Nelson.

PHOTO BY KATE KORNDER

*GECommSpring0901-15.qxd 4/17/09 11:52 AM Page 1

2 G I F T E D E D U C A T I O N C O M M U N I C A T O R S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

N A T I O N A L A D V I S O R Y B O A R DErnesto Bernal, Ph.D., ConsultantSan Antonio, TX

George Betts, Ed.D., ProfessorUniversity of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO

Victoria Bortolusssi, Ph.D., Dean EmeritusMoorpark College, Moorpark, CA

Carolyn Callahan, Ph.D., ProfessorUniversity of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Barbara Clark, Ed.D., Professor EmeritusCalifornia State University, Los Angeles, CA

Tracy Cross, Ph.D., ProfessorBall State University, Muncie, IN

James Delisle, Ph.D., ProfessorKent State University & Twinsberg, Kent, OH

Maureen DiMarco, Senior Vice PresidentHoughton Mifflin Co.

Jerry Flack, Ph.D., Professor EmeritusUniversity of Colorado, Denver, CO

Judy Galbraith, M.A., Author, PublisherFree Spirit Publishing, Minneapolis, MN

James Gallagher,Ph.D., Senior Scientist EmeritusUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Julie Gonzales, ParentColorado Association for Gifted & Talented

Sandra Kaplan, Ed.D., Clinical ProfessorUniversity of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Frances Karnes, Ph.D., ProfessorThe University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesberg, MS

Felice Kaufmann, Ph.D., ConsultantNew York University Child Study Center, New York, NY

Jann Leppien, Ph.D., ProfessorUniversity of Great Falls, Great Falls, MT

Elizabeth Meckstroth, M.Ed., M.S.U.,ConsultantInstitute of Eductional Advancement, Evanston, IL

Maureen Neihart, Psy.D., Associate ProfessorNational Institute of Education, Singapore

Sally Reis, Ph.D., ProfessorUniversity of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Joseph Renzulli, Ph.D., DirectorNational Research Center on the Gifted & Talented, Storrs, CT

Sylvia Rimm, Ph.D., Director Family Achievement Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Ann Robinson, Ph.D., Director, Center for Gifted EducationUniversity of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR

Annemarie Roeper, Ed.D.,ConsultantRoeper Consultation Service, El Cerrito, CA

Karen B. Rogers, Ph.D., ProfessorSt. Thomas University, St. Paul, MN

Judith Roseberry, M.A., ConsultantFountain Valley, CA

Linda Silverman, Ph.D., DirectorGifted Development Center, Denver, CO

Elinor Ruth Smith, Educational Consultant San Diego, CA

Joan Franklin Smutny, M.A., Director, Center for Gifted EducationNational Louis University, Chicago, IL

Robert Sternberg, Ph.D., Dean of Arts & LettersTufts University, Medford, MA

Stephanie Tolan, M.A., Author, ConsultantInstitute for Educational Advancement, Charlotte, NC

Carol Ann Tomlinson, Ed.D., ProfessorUniversity of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D., ProfessorCollege of William & Mary, Williamsburg,V A

Sally Walker, Ph.D., Executive DirectorIllinois Association for Gifted Children, Roscoe, IL

James Webb, Ph.D., Consultant, PresidentGreat Potential Press/SENG, Scottsdale, AZ

Published by the California Association for the Gifted (CAG)

G I F T E D E D U C A T I O N C O M M U N I C A T O REDITOR Margaret Gosfield [email protected]

ADVISING EDITOR Barbara Clark [email protected] EDITORS

Parent Topics Jennifer Beaver [email protected]

Special Projects Richard Boolootian [email protected] & Calendar Ann MacDonald and Jim Riley [email protected] Reviews Elaine S. Wiener [email protected]

DEPARTMENTSStudent Voices Jennifer BeaverThe Amazing Brain Barbara ClarkAdministrator Talk Carolyn R. CooperWeb Watch Carolyn Kottmeyer

Technology in the Classroom Beth Littrel and Lance ArntHands-On Curriculum Ann MacDonald and Jim RileyThe Inner Game Maureen NeihartBook Savvy Susannah RichardsParent Talk Nancy M. RobinsonTeacher Talk Carol Ann Tomlinson (on leave)Carpe Diem Elaine S. Wiener

DESIGN BBM&D Strategic Branding [email protected], (805) 667-6671ILLUSTRATIONS Keir DuBois

Jon Pearson

Ken Vinton

C A G E X E C U T I V E C O M M I T T E E 2 0 0 8 – 2 0 1 0PRESIDENT Dana ReupertPRESIDENT ELECT Deborah HazeltonSECRETARY Maryanna GrayTREASURER Judith J. RoseberryCHAIR, EDUCATOR REPRESENTATIVES Pat ThurmanCHAIR, PARENT REPRESENTATIVES Anna WilliamsPAST PRESIDENT Marilyn Lane

C A G O F F I C ESusan Seamons, Executive Director11130 Sun Center Drive, Suite 100, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Tel: 916-441-3999 Fax: 916-441-2999 e-mail: [email protected] www.CAGifted.org

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O RMargaret Gosfield, Editor3136 Calle Mariposa, Santa Barbara, CA 93105Tel: 805-687-9352 Fax: 805-687-1527 e-mail: [email protected] should include your full name, address, telephone, and e-mail address. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.

Gifted Education Communicator ISSN 1531-7382 is published four times a year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Opinions expressed

by individual authors do not officially represent positions of the California Association for the Gifted. Advertising: For advertis-

ing rates and information, contact the CAG office at 916-441-3999 or visit the CAG website at www.CAGifted.org. Submission of

material: To submit articles for publication, send articles by e-mail to the editor at [email protected]. All submissions will be given

careful consideration. Photos and camera-ready artwork are particularly desirable. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit

all material in accordance with APA style and Gifted Education Communicator policy. Reprinting of materials: Articles appear-

ing in Gifted Education Communicator may be reprinted as desired unless marked by © or reprinted from another source. Please

credit Gifted Education Communicator and send a copy of your publication containing the reprint to the editor. For electronic reprint-

ing, please contact the editor. Back issues: Additional copies and back issues may be purchased (if available) for $12.00 per copy

including postage. To order, contact the CAG office.



There are all kinds of leaders—good ones, bad ones—benevolent ones, selfish ones—intelligent ones, ideolog-ical ones, partisan ones and more. We expect our giftedyouth to become positive and effective future leaders in

our increasingly complex world; that means that those of uswho work with them have an important responsibility in pro-viding experiences to develop and build ethical leadership skills.This issue is devoted to examining the components of effectiveleadership development as well as the ethics that go with it.

James Gallagher leads our feature section with an analysis ofthe critical leadership elements of evaluation and judgment. Heacknowledges that “…evaluation doesn’t show up too often onintelligence tests—probably because it is so hard to score.”Further, Gallagher points out that practice in making informedjudgments is notably lacking in much of our curricula for gift-ed learners. He suggests several means of making such practiceintegral to gifted education, particularly that of Problem-Based Learning. His article is entitled, “Teaching Evaluationand Judgment.”

Service-learning is increasingly acknowledged as an effectivemeans of providing practice for students to learn to becomegood citizens. Jann Bohnenberger and Alice Terry concur intheir article, “Developing a Moral Compass: Service Learningfor Gifted Students.” They maintain that a “Community-Action Service Learning” model is particularly relevant for gift-ed youth and lead us through its essential components. Theypoint out that this model provides a differentiated curriculumfor gifted learners.

Julia Link Roberts and Tracy Inman also focus on servicelearning in their article, “Preparing Student Leaders to Make aDifference: Adult Leaders Are Key.” They emphasize the needfor intentional leadership development rather than an unfocusedor scattered plan. And in order to implement intentional lead-ership development, training of key adults is critical. To meetthis need they have developed an annual two-day workshop foradults at the Center for Gifted Studies at Western KentuckyUniversity where they serve as Director and Associate Director.Their Leadership Institute addresses both the theory and skillsof leadership development—what they call the “minds on” and“hands-on” of leadership development. They share specifics oftheir Leadership Institute lessons and activities along withnumerous resources.

Another means of addressing our topic is in “Learning EthicsThrough Literature” by Jody Fickes Shapiro. Author and earli-er columnist for this journal, Shapiro prefaces her article by dis-cussing the increase in cheating prevalent in our modern cul-ture. She points out that a benefit of using literature as a vehi-

cle is that, “The characters in booksare enough removed from the read-er to give a sense of objectivity.” Shediscusses many specific books teach-ers and parents may find useful inhelping students clarify their beliefsregarding ethical decisions they havealready faced or may experience.

At first glance, our feature arti-cle, “Too Many Gifted KidsDropping Out of School,” may notseem to fit our theme. However, Toby Manzanares, who teach-es in an inner city school in southern California, is fervent inhis belief that it is we adults who must take the leadership rolein keeping at-risk students in school and assisting them in lead-ing meaningful lives. He discuses the philosophy of FuturesHigh School (a school-within-a-school for at-risk students inMontebello, CA); key among them is building trust betweenteacher and student. He shares some of the methods he uses inhis science classes to build that trust. A measure of the effective-ness of the program is a 97% graduation rate for the school’ssenior class.

There are many things to look for in our Departmentcolumns. Carolyn Cooper also addresses the issue of schooldropouts among gifted students in her regular column foradministrators in, “Preventing a Dropout Disaster.” NancyRobinson provides practical wisdom for parents in her article,“The Elephant in the Room: Coaching Your Child How to TalkAbout Giftedness.” Beth Littrell emphasizes the need for“Ethical Leadership in Technology,” and Carolyn Kottmeyeradds numerous resources for our topic of leaderships and ethicsin her “Web Watch” column.

Finally, we asked ourselves where might you, our readers,look for leadership within our field? We have included a listingof various centers around the country (and one in Canada) pro-viding leadership and services to those who work with and par-ent gifted children. We have included as much information aswe had space for from those who responded to our query; wegleaned information for others from their websites. We hope noerrors crept in but welcome corrections or additions for thenext issue.

And speaking of the next issue, we are currently working onour summer theme, “The Origin and Growth of Giftedness.”We hope it will be thought provoking and useful. We wish allof you a successful end to the school year.

—Margaret Gosfield

F R O M T H E E D I T O R



2009

APRIL 10 – 11, 2009Hawaii Gifted Association: Leaders In 2009Mission Inn Hotel, California (not Hawaii)http://higifted.org/events.aspx

APRIL 16–18, 2009Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education Dolce Valley Forge Hotel, King of Prussia, PApenngifted.org

APRIL 23 –25, 2009Montana Association Of Gifted And TalentedHoliday Inn Parkside, Missoula, MTmtagate.org

APRIL 17-19, 2009Beyond IQ (BIQ) Boston Courtyard by Marriott, Billerica, MAgiftedconferenceplanners.org/

JUNE 14 - 18, 2009Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium Riverland Community College, Austin, MNaustin.k12.mn.us

JUNE 16 - 21, 2009Autonomous Learner Model Estes Park Center, Estes Park, COalpspublishing.com

JUNE 22 - 24, 2009 College of William and MaryWilliamsburg, VAcfge.wm.edu/professional_psi.htm

JUNE 22 - 25, 2009Purdue’s Summer Institute for Educators West Lafayette, IAgeri.education.purdue.edu/discover/index.html

JUNE 21 - 25, 2009Pennsylvania Gifted Institute Millersville University, Millersville, PAmillersville.edu/gps/educators/institutes/gifted.php

JULY 10 - 12, 2009Beyond IQ (BIQ) Chicago Area Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, ILgiftedconferenceplanners.org/

JULY 13 - 24, 20 - 24, 2009ConfratuteUniversity of Connecticut, Storrs, CTgifted.uconn.edu/confratute/

JULY 17 - 19, 2009SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted)Orlando, FLsengifted.org/conference_about.shtml

JULY 26 - 31, 2009Gifted and Talented Edufest

Boise State University, Boise, IDsites.google.com/site/edufestprogram/information

JULY 29 - 31, 2009 New Mexico Association for the Gifted Embassy Suites Hotel, Albuquerque, NMnmgifted.org

AUGUST 3 - 7, 2009World Council for Gifted and Talented Children Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel,Vancouver, Canadaworld-gifted.org/

OCTOBER 1 - 2, 2009Wisconsin Association for Talented & GiftedWisconsin Dells, WIwww.watg.org/

OCTOBER 4 - 6, 2009Kansas Association for Gifted, Talented and Creative Lawrence, KSkgtc.org/convention.htm

OCTOBER 5 - 6, 2009Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented Mariott Denver Tech Center, Denver, COcoloradogifted.org

OCTOBER 9 - 10, 2009Florida Association of the Gifted Orlando-Lake Mary Marriott Hotel, Orlando, FLflagifted.org/

OCTOBER 19 - 22, 2009Ohio Association for Gifted Children The Hilton at Easton, Columbus, OHoagc.com/

OCTOBER 22 - 24, 2009New England Conference on Gifted and Talented Education Nashua, NHnecgt.org/

OCTOBER 22 - 24, 2009Virginia Association for the Gifted Williamsburg Marriott, Williamsburg, VAvagifted.org/

OCTOBER 23 - 24, 2009New York AGATELong Island University, Brookville, NYagateny.com/

NOVEMBER 5 - 8, 2009National Association for Gifted Children St. Louis, MOnagc.org/

If your organization has a state or national eventplanned, please contact Ann MacDonald at: [email protected] to list your information.

C A L E N D A R O F C O N F E R E N C E S

U P C O M I N G I S S U E S

O F T H E G I F T E D

E D U C A T I O N

C O M M U N I C A T O R

Summer - Origins of Giftedness

Fall - Philosophy/Humanities

Winter - Highly & Profoundly Gifted

C A G

T E A C H E R I N S T I T U T E

& S U M M E R

D E M O N S T R A T I O N

S C H O O L ,

S A N T A B A R B A R A , C A

July 27-29, 2009

Santa Barbara, CA 93130

More information at

cagifted.org

A D V E R T I S E R S I N D E X

The Mirman School Inside Front Cover

Baldwin College 7

Great Potential Press 20

Sea Camp Expeditions 33

GEC Subscriptions 38

Dr. B’s Science Destinations Inside Back Cover



S T U D E N T V O I C E SBy Jennifer Beaver

Now one of the world’s most sought-after lyric sopranos,30-year-old Nicole Cabell grew up in Ventura,California imitating the opera singers she heard on theradio. Though Cabell was just kidding around, her

mother noticed her talent and suggested the high school choir. At16, she started private voice lessons.

Since then, a lot of other people have recognized her gift. Afterearning a Bachelor’s Degree from the Eastman School of Music,Cabell was three days into graduate studies at New York’s Julliardwhen she changed course and headed for Chicago after beingaccepted at the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. The cen-ter’s three-year paid training program for young opera studentsteaches classes ranging from acting to stage combat to foreign lan-guages and music.

She’s put that unusual set of skills to work at some well-knownvenues. At her house debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera,Cabell performed one of her most acclaimed roles as Pamina inThe Magic Flute. With her home company, the Lyric Opera ofChicago, she took on a new role as Leïla in Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs dePerles. Cabell also entertained at concerts in Copenhagen, Prague,Munich, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Ottawa, Indianapolis, andRaleigh. Recently she gave a recital at Carnegie Hall for Marilyn

Horne’s 75th birthday gala concert, as well as in Toronto,Berkeley, and Cincinnati.

Upcoming engagements this season include two role debuts: theCountess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with the Cincinnati Operaand Micaëla in Carmen with the Deutsche Oper, Berlin. A moreunusual event in the soprano’s season will be a series of cabaret con-certs at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Future engage-ments include leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera, the LyricOpera of Chicago and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Cabell’s career got a major boost in 2005 when she beat out ahost of international competitors to win the BBC Singer of theWorld Competition in Cardiff, Wales. The prestigious competi-tion brings young talent to the attention of the world’s agents,managers, opera house directors, and impresarios, who hear themin person or via TV, radio or Web broadcasts. Her solo debutalbum, “Soprano” was named “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophoneand has received an incredible amount of critical acclaim and sev-eral prestigious awards.

We caught up with Cabell between continents and engagements.GEC: Please tell me about any family members who were

particularly instrumental about making you the person you are today.

Nicole Cabell: Down-to-Earth Diva


CABELL: I was extremely fortunate to have been raised in aloving, supportive, freethinking household. My mother is mybiggest fan, and my father, before he passed, would have joinedher on that front. I’m truly blessed, because I know how hard it is to make it in the arts without the psychological support of family.

GEC: How about teachers?CABELL: One person who made a difference in my life is

my middle school English teacher, Linda Brug. A student canalways tell when a teacher truly cares for her class and for theindividual students within. Mrs. Brug possesses a wonderfulcombination of loving kindness and toughness that encouragesyou to try as hard as you can, not out of fear, but out ofrespect. I studied with many music teachers—the wonderfulSusan Colla, who was my very first teacher and a wonderfullytalented, supportive person who introduced me to my firstclassical teacher, Linda Brice, and vocal coach, Vincent Sorisio.For three years I learned so much about vocal technique andartistic interpretation—they provided a truly great foundationfor my musical journey, and I am still in touch with them aswell! The list goes on and on, but these remarkable peopleformed my early years.

GEC: When you perform, you get to try on different personas.What do you like or dislike about that?

CABELL: It’s a lot of fun to act, but opera is the great“multi-tasking” art form. It’s hard to truly get lost in the char-acter when there’s so much to think about—technique, pro-jection, diction, blocking. It’s funny, but once I have the cos-tume on, I’m “in character” to a large extent. Costume andmakeup persuade you to move a certain way, hold your bodya certain way, which, on a big opera stage, is sometimes theonly thing that reads.

GEC: How do you master the different languages?CABELL: Though I can speak a little French and Italian, a

young singer will spend most of her time learning diction, or howto pronounce the language. This means that even though Isound as though I can speak French or Italian, I am not a fluentspeaker. That comes from either immersing oneself in that partic-ular country or taking a lot of language courses. But to be clear, Iknow the meaning of every word I sing. I translate the phrasesand therefore know that particular phrase, which is not often use-ful in day-to-day conversation!

GEC: What was you favorite performance? Why?CABELL: I particularly enjoyed singing Juliet in Gounod’s

Romeo et Juliette. It’s a beautiful role with luxurious music, andthere’s a lot to sink your teeth into. Great arias, a lot of lightmoments but a ton of drama. You get to fall in love, make out,and kill yourself on stage...a bit twisted, but is there anythingmore juicy for a character?

GEC: What makes you tick? What makes you eager to get out ofbed in the morning?

CABELL: Feeling useful—doing things I consider useful topeople who are open to receiving it. For instance, when I teach, Iam happy—when I know I am helping someone, and they’re

eager to learn (it’s no fun if they don’t want to be there). It’s amore visceral experience than singing, because it’s a lot morehands-on and you can see results. Just being available for adviceabout the art of singing, or the music career—these are thingsthat I find very rewarding. On a lighter note, I love having fun—anything that makes me smile gives me great energy. Sometimesthis can be a great opera role or a great piece of concert music,but also things that have nothing to do with music. If I know I’m going to explore castles or go boating, or wine tasting, I’mtruly content.

GEC: In one article you were quoted as saying, “I want to be aclassical singer, not just an opera singer.” What does that mean andhow does it affect your future?

CABELL: If you’re classically trained, you can sing recitals,concerts, and opera—not just one medium. There are plenty ofsingers who don’t feel comfortable unless they’re singing with afull orchestra in costume and makeup; but I love the joint effortof concert work such as Mahler’s 4th symphony or BrahmsRequiem, where you are a soloist but also part of a bigger pic-ture—it’s a true collaboration. Also, vocal recitals, which are justsongs sung with piano, can be a little more work, but they’re also gratifying.

GEC: How do you feel about being a role model?CABELL: I would love to be considered a role model, but in

the way I believe a role model should be defined: someone whoworks hard and is kind to others. Someone who does good for theworld. Not just a well-known singer, or someone who’s considered glamorous.

GEC: You can spend a day with any person—real or fictional,living or dead—that you choose. Who is it and why did you makethat choice?

CABELL: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for obvious rea-sons. It would have been fascinating to get to know someonewhose sole purpose was to cultivate love in a time steeped inso much hatred. It’s so very, very rare to know someone whodoes not turn bitter or hateful when surrounded by igno-rance, and if there were anyone I would consider saintly, hewould be it.

GEC: If you could have one do-over, what would it be?CABELL: I would not have been so ego-driven growing up.

It prevented me from “smelling the roses” on so many occasions,because I was a little too wrapped up in achieving success aftersuccess. Though I believe hard work, discipline, and perseveranceare essential in achieving one’s goals, so is balance. I am making

up for that now because life is pre-cious and short, and the most important thing in anyone’s lifeshould be love, friends, family...and alot of fun!

JENNIFER BEAVER is the Associate Editor forParent Topics for Gifted Education Communicator.She lives in Long Beach with her husband andgifted son, where she runs her own communica-tion service business.





Does it make you uncomfortable to talk about your chil-dren’s giftedness with adults who do not have a giftedchild? You bet it does! How do your children respondwhen people comment positively or negatively about

how bright they are? What have you done to help them prepare forsuch occasions? Do you squirm (as I do) when you hear childrenmaking statements like those below? (I am not making these up!)

• (To the psychologist’s telling the preschooler that some activ-ities were surely going to be too difficult): “Obviously youhaven’t ever met a kid like me before.”

• (To a friend’s comment on her reading): “It’s because I’m somuch smarter than you.”

• (To a classmate’s math question): “Well, anybody should beable to see that. What’s wrong with you?”

• (To a teacher): “I shouldn’t have to write this paper. Ialready know everything I need to know about biology.Biology is boring.”

• (Explaining why she skipped high school in favor of earlyentrance to college): “Middle school was like a prison. I was sosuperior to the others in my class….” (This last remark by anAmerican student was broadcast in a BBC documentary!)

While one would hope that in general, socially sensitive chil-dren will pick up a degree of modesty as they mature, their every-day experience may be working against them. If in fact they arehabitually ahead of their class and impatient to move on morequickly, if their circles of friends do not include any at least asintellectually nimble as they are, then where is the modesty tocome from? They are describing the world as we have taught themto see it. And if we are unprepared ourselves to talk about theseissues, either with regard to our own talents or our children’s, wecompound the situation.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE SUCH SITUATIONS? You’ve surely run into adults—perhaps even members of your

family—who are glowingly over the top in their praise for your“prodigy” or “little genius” and, indirectly, for you as a parent. Orquite the opposite, you’ve probably also been accused of “push-ing” your children prematurely into mastery of skills or intoadvanced programs that no “normal” parenting would accom-plish. (How do they think you manage that?) Perhaps you’ve beentold that you are “robbing your children of their childhood.” Oryou’ve been accused of “bragging” when you mention any of yourchildren’s accomplishments.

What kinds of strategies work in such situations? First, it’shelpful to figure out how you do feel about your children’sadvancement. Your feelings are probably mixed—there’s a lot thatis positive about being the parents of children who are doingwell—but it’s also extra work and expense, and there may betimes when you worry about doing a good enough job or beingable to understand what your children are talking about. Afterthinking through your own feelings, you’ll be in a better positionto answer others.

Then, develop some ways to be graceful about the situation.It’s not easy for parents of any child who is different from thenorm to know what to say, whether the child is ahead or behind.Don’t try denying that your children are smart, but don’t take allthe credit either! Would any of these remarks fit your situation?

• “Thank you.” (It’s surprising how often this is all that’s needed.)• “He’s a good kid, too, and fun to be around. I am lucky.”• “Sometimes he does seem like an older kid, but other times he

seems like half his age.”• “It is a pleasure to see what a kick Susie is getting out of science

these days.”


P A R E N T T A L KBy Nancy M. Robinson

The Elephant in the RoomCoaching Your Child How To Talk About Giftedness

ILLUSTRATION BY JON PEARSON


• “Jaden puts in a lot or work with his (music, art, writing, etc.).Sometimes he gets really frustrated because he wants it to be just so.”

• “It’s not an unmixed blessing to have a kid like this in your fam-ily. We make a lot of trips to the library and spend time lookingfor material on the Internet or for unusual rocks for his collec-tion (or whatever it takes).”

• “It may look like pushing, but I’m running to keep up with her!”

COACHING YOUR CHILDYou’re now in a position to talk with your children about what

their advancement (giftedness) is like. This feels a good bit likehaving the “birds and bees” talk, doesn’t it? Not something youlook forward to? Talking about giftedness is almost a taboo in oursociety. Yet, your children need a chance to come to terms withwho they are and how to deal not only with ways in which theyare a bit different from others but the labels, misconceptions, andeven insults that they are likely to encounter. When you askwhether anything like this has happened to them, you may besurprised—and dismayed to hear some of their stories.

Your children deserve to have a realistic notion of how brightthey really are. For those who are “off scale,” the situation can beespecially difficult, since their differentness tends to permeate somany aspects of their lives, and it is so rare to find others likethemselves. For those who are more moderately advanced, it’simportant that they have a chance at least at times to be with oth-ers who are indeed like themselves so that they don’t develop anexaggerated notion of their differentness. They need a goodunderstanding of where their talents lie and where they don’t andto be assured that, as they grow older, they will find it easier tofind friends who share their interests.

Having frank talks with your children about specific scenarioscan be very useful. This is a good opportunity for some anticipa-tory role playing. Children who are in self-contained classes orschools tend to have friends who “talk their language” and need-n’t explain themselves so often, but they are far from immunefrom potentially embarrassing encounters.

Pose some questions. For example, “What would you say ifsomeone said …”

• “You are really a genius. How did you get so smart?”• “I wish I were as smart as you.”• “Nerds like you really make me feel dumb.”• “How come you use all those big words?”• “Why do you like math (or any other topic) so much? I think

it’s boring.”• “Kids like you don’t have any friends, do you?”• “Why do you want to be in a program where you have to work

so hard?”• “Are you doing the extra credit project just to make the rest of us

look bad? Or are you trying to be teacher’s pet?”• “You must have copied that report. Nobody your age writes

like that.”• “Please don’t put your hand up every time. I know you know

the answer. Other children need their turn.”• “But you’ll miss your prom!”

There will be other scenarios, of course, tailored to your chil-dren’s ages and circumstances, but all of them can spell trouble ifthey are not prepared. Here are some guidelines you might con-sider in helping your children formulate alternative ways torespond to such remarks.

• Acknowledge with modesty the fact that you are a goodlearner. Something like, “I do seem to be lucky and learn somethings a little bit faster.” (The phrase, “a little bit,” can be verydisarming, as in, “Sometimes I do wish the class would move alittle bit faster.”)

• Appreciate diversity in skills and expertise, personality,ideas, cultures, and interests. Being smart is only one wayof being different.

• Emphasize interest over ability: “I do the extra credit projectbecause then I get to pick something I’m really interested in.”“Sometimes it is hard to find friends who are interested in thesame things I am.” “I do get pretty turned on by (a couple offavorite topics).”

• Be specific about what’s harder and easier: “Some things arehard for me. Like, I seem to understand the math pretty wellbut I have trouble remembering my number facts.” “Sometimesit takes a long time to (figure out algebra problems) (rememberdates) (get a paper started).”

• Acknowledge the fact that you work hard even if it doesn’tshow—you weren’t born knowing the answers! “I really did-n’t copy any of the paper. But I did do a lot of reading for itbecause I got more and more into it as I went along. Maybe Ineeded to cite more references.” “I get started looking up some-thing on the Internet and keep finding other things I didn’tknow anything about.”

• Become comfortable with choices and their consequences;the reality is that one can’t do everything. Every option hasadvantages and disadvantages: “Sometimes I do miss the kidsfrom my neighborhood school, but this program somehow seemsto be a better fit for my interests.” “Being younger than the oth-ers has its drawbacks, but I’m really loving this class.” “Theonline course does cut into my free time.” “I guess they’ll justhave to have the prom without me.”

If you will e-mail me ([email protected]) sce-narios you and your children have dealt with more or lesssuccessfully, I’ll follow up later this year with another col-umn that shares your experiences and insights. Please men-tion any books that explicitly guide conversations about “theelephant in the room.” Probably we’ll need to write our own. Ilook forward to hearing from you.

NANCY M. ROBINSON, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita ofPsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Universityof Washington and former Director of what is nowknown as the Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center forYoung Scholars. Her research interests have focusedon effects of marked academic acceleration to col-lege, adjustment issues of gifted children, intellectu-al assessment, and verbal and mathematical precoc-ity in very young children.



1 0 G I F T E D E D U C A T I O N C O M M U N I C A T O R S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Preparing for High AchievementMaintaining Focus under Pressure

When competition intensifies and stakes rise, so doesanxiety. It’s normal to feel nervous, so we shouldexpect it and plan for it. No matter how talentedstudents are, they need to be able to regulate their

arousal in order to give their best performance. In addition to tensing muscles, stress does funny things to

our thinking. First, it tends to speed it up, making it less effi-cient as thoughts become more scattered. Also, stress tends tofuel criticism, increasing the frequency and severity of our self-evaluations. Stress can also cause problems with attention.Most people struggle to maintain their concentration understress, but elite performers practice strategies to keep theirfocus sharp and their mind from wandering, under even theheaviest pressures.

Relaxing doesn’t mean not working hard. It means workinghard without tension. People who can relax work efficiently. Theyget the same results or better with less effort. As they relax, theirminds calm and focus. The better they are at releasing unwantedtension, the more they are able to perform to the best of theirabilities. It takes energy to perform, but most aspiring achieversstruggle with reducing their level of arousal more than raising it.They need to be able to relax when needed. Centering, or ground-ing, is a mental skill that sports psychologist Robert Nidefferdeveloped in the seventies to help people channel anxious energyunder extreme circumstances. Since then, it’s been adapted to awide variety of activities because of its high effectiveness. Withfrequent practice, centering can visibly improve a person’s abilityto maintain a relaxed focus under pressure within a week. Itinvolves 7 simple steps.

1. The first step is to identify which muscles tense under stress.These are key muscles—the ones that will need to be relaxedto optimize performance. Is it the shoulders? The jaw?Perhaps the back, throat, legs, or hands?

2. Then, find a balanced position, either sitting or standing. Ifseated, keep your hands in your lap. If standing, keep themhanging heavy at your sides.

3. Clarify an intention—what it is you are going to do whenyou come out of the centering exercise. Be precise. Say, “I’mgoing to write my essay for the next 30 minutes,” or “I’mgoing to review all my lines for the play.”

4. Then, choose a focus point. Select a specific location belowyour eye level some distance away. It must be below eye levelbecause looking down is more conducive to calmer brain

waves. Narrow your focus to just this point. 5. The fifth step is to close your eyes and focus on your breath-

ing. Breathe slowly and fill your ribs, back, and upper bodywith air for about 6–8 breaths.

6. While breathing, scan your body for tension, especially inthe key muscles. Simply checking them like this will contin-ue to reduce tension.

7.Finally, find the center of your body. This is the center ofyour gravity, a solid, stabilizing place. You want to havea solid support beneath your waist. Power comes fromthis center. Keep yourself stable at this place for a countof 3-8 breaths.

Initially, there will be distractions and startovers, but theprocess quickly becomes more efficient. This entire sequenceshould only take about one to two minutes. Within a couple ofweeks of practice, people can learn to center in ten seconds.However, the emphasis should be on following the steps accurate-ly rather than on doing them fast. Do the exercise as part of yourdaily routine, before practicing, speaking, writing, or playing.Remind students to clarify what it is they are going to do, tobreathe properly, and to relax key muscles.

High-achieving children sometimes confuse emotional andphysical intensity. They think that if they aren’t feeling dis-tressed, they aren’t working hard enough. Parents may confusethis too. Passionate expression and intense power do not comefrom pressuring the body and mind, however, but from releasingthe body and mind to work together easily and efficiently.Focused relaxation concentrates abilities, resulting in a betteroutcome with less stress.

RESOURCESGreene, D. (2002). Performance success: Performing your best under pressure.

London: Routledge.

Hamilton, L.H. (1998). Advice for dancers:

Emotional counsel and practical strategies. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Mack, G. (2001). Mind gym. New York: McGraw Hill.

MAUREEN NEIHART, Psy.D., is a child psychologistand former teacher and school counselor fromMontana. She is Associate Professor ofPsychological Studies at the National Institute ofEducation in Singapore.

T H E I N N E R G A M E : P S Y C H O L O G I C A L P R E P A R E D N E S SBy Maureen Neihart


C A L I F O R N I A A S S O C I A T I O N F O R T H E G I F T E D 1 1

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it isbecause he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music hehears, however measured or far away.

—Henry David Thoreau

Gifted dropouts. An oxymoron? Aren’t gifted studentsthose smart kids who love school and always do well?Think again. Good teachers know that students interest-ed in what they’re learning are “engaged” much more

easily than those who find the curriculum personally irrelevant.Not all gifted students—bright as they may be—connect with thecontent they are expected to learn. Why, then, does the statisticthat gifted students comprise up to 20% of school dropouts getcaught in our throats like a chicken bone? Yes, they’re smart. Sowhy are they dropping out? More to the point, how can weadministrators help prevent this waste of talent? First, we mustunderstand who they are.

GIFTED DROPOUTS: WHO ARE THEY?Gifted students who drop out do so for any of several reasons,

each of which makes sense to them if not to their parents, teach-ers, or administrators. Some remain in school but drop out inother ways. These are the gifted students who, although in classphysically, tune out teacher talk, group work, and assignments,operating in a blur of mental numbness. Just as gifted children ingeneral are qualitatively different from other students, gifted chil-dren who are potential dropouts are qualitatively different fromother gifted students (Robertson, 1991).

Some 40 years of research on gifted students’ dropping out ofschool has revealed characteristics describing these youngsters.Profiles of their behaviors, feelings, and needs, developed by Bettsand Neihart (1988), showed that these students were depressed,withdrawn, and suffered from low self-esteem because their needsand feelings were not addressed.

Later research (Renzulli and Park, 2000) indicated that almosthalf of the gifted dropout students were in the lowest quartile ofSES (socio-economic status), a major predictor of dropping out;only 3.5% of them were in the highest. Gifted male students wereabout three times more likely to drop out of school than giftedfemale students, and white gifted students were less likely to dropout than gifted students of other ethnicities. Also, fathers’ highestlevel of education was more related to gifted students’ dropping-out behavior than mothers’ level of education.

Renzulli and Park also found that many gifted dropouts hadvery limited experience with computers and spent little time onhobbies. And while 75% of their parents reported that they triedto persuade their gifted child to remain in school, few parentscontacted the school counselor or teacher, obtained a tutor’s serv-ices for their gifted child, or offered another school as an option.

WHY DO GIFTED STUDENTS DROP OUT?District-level administrators, seldom trained in gifted educa-

tion, often miss clues to why their bright, talented youngstersdrop out. One superintendent for curriculum and instruction,incredulous at the spiking dropout rate of his district’s most capa-ble students, argued that the schools couldn’t be at fault; safetynets were designed to protect their academically talented stu-dents, he maintained. Instead, he blamed what the youngsterswere thinking about or the dynamics of their family lives. Whilethese may be factors in their decision, other people impactingthese gifted students are plainly in the classroom.

Lack of challenge. One of the most important reasons high-ly intelligent youngsters drop out is that school doesn’t challengetheir intelligence. Well-advanced in reading and/or math the daythey entered kindergarten, many have been merely rearrangingthe deck chairs ever since—playing at learning but not engaged init; the curriculum holds no personal meaning or relevance forthem. These students typically memorize what they need to knowfor the NCLB-mandated tests (No Child Left Behind), thenreturn to their game playing.

Learning styles ignored. A second cause of the alarmingdropout rate of gifted and talented students is the schools’ failureto address their learning styles (Robertson, 1991). “Learningstyle,” a powerful teaching tool that acknowledges each student’suniqueness, has become virtually meaningless in many schoolssince the advent of NCLB. Although mentioned in parent con-ferences and professional development sessions, student learningstyles are seldom applied to lesson planning, classroom instruc-tion, group work, or assignments.

Untrained teachers. That some teachers do not particularlyenjoy working with gifted and talented students poses anotherproblem for these youngsters. Often lacking training to helpthem work effectively with their gifted students, teachers interactwith them on instinct and often with serious misconceptionsinstead of with informed, professional understanding of how dif-ferently gifted youngsters think and learn. The resulting discon-

A D M I N I S T R A T O R T A L KBy Carolyn R. Cooper

Preventing a Gifted Dropout DisasterChallenging Our “Different Drummers”



nect between untrained teacher and gifted student is severelyproblematic for these students who may lose their self-esteem, feelincompetent, and consciously convert their positive potential tonegative power. This downward spiral of behavior can easily leadto gifted students dropping out.

Personal issues. Highly personal issues, as well, can influencegifted students’ decisions to drop out. Renzulli and Park foundthe majority of gifted males dropped out because they were fail-ing school; became employed; couldn’t keep up with schoolwork;didn’t like school; and couldn’t go to school and work at the sametime. Gifted female dropouts reported they didn’t like school;were pregnant; became parents and were failing school; hadanother problem; and couldn’t keep up with their schoolwork.

A FEW BOLD STEPS: MAKING LEARNING RELEVANT AND CHALLENGING

We administrators need to take the bold step for our schoolsand students that our new president has taken to address ourcountry’s major issues: Gather representatives of all stakeholdergroups in one place to discuss specific problems, propose strate-gies for solving them, and develop a plan for moving forward. Allstakeholders must be represented in the discussion of each issue;work sessions must follow quickly so that goals can be achievedexpediently, and everyone must be on the same page. This is howwe administrators must work with our stakeholders. All mustreceive the same message: Learn who our gifted students are, cap-italize on their strengths, and make learning both relevantand challenging.

We must examine our grouping practices and accelerate giftedstudents as soon as they have mastered skills and concepts at one leveland need the challenge of a more advanced placement. We mustaccept the premise that genuine learning takes place when a stu-dent is stretched a bit beyond his or her personal comfort zone.Many bright students are timid to move into this zone—they fearfailure—but accelerating a student’s learning rate and level is veryoften precisely what that student needs to maximize the learningexperience.

Gifted individuals aren’t alike. Their differences make each stu-dent unique, which means one-of-a-kind. They have individuallearning styles, personal interests, academic strengths and weak-nesses—to name only some of each unique student’s characteris-tics. Why, then, do we permit our teachers to require all studentsin a class to perform the same task in the same way at the sametime? Isn’t it uncanny that this lockstep approach to task perform-ance is required by schools, prisons, military academies, and fac-tory assembly lines?

Finally, are we condemned to maintain the “Industrial Age”model of education? Students no longer need to be prepared formanufacturing work in the factories of yesterday, producingimportant widgets, critical to America at that time. Today’s edu-cation system produces individuals whose creativity is what socie-ty values for its multiple problem-solving possibilities.

School in the Industrial Age was used to sort those who wouldbe academically successful and those who would not. Failure was

built into the bell-shaped grading system—the same system stillin use in schools across the country (Smokler, 2007). In thatarchaic system teachers were encouraged to teach to themiddle, ensuring that the most skilled students were bored and unchallenged and those with the fewest skills remained hopelessly behind.

TIPS TO PREVENT THE GIFTED DROPOUT DISASTERFour tips follow that can prevent gifted students from drop-

ping out. Practical, research-based, and student-driven, theyacknowledge individual differences and learning needs of giftedyoungsters. These tips make the school setting humane and learn-ing relevant, engaging, challenging, and interesting. When thesecharacteristics of good education are present in America’s class-rooms daily, we can reasonably expect that far more of our coun-try’s gifted students will find ways to remain in school.

1. Respect each student as the unique person he or she is andmake required work respectful, also.

2. Assume one or more students may already know the subjectmatter you’re about to teach. Pretest all students in the classto identify advanced students with a grasp of essential con-cepts and skills you want all to learn ultimately.

3. Compact curriculum for these advanced students. This buysthem time to engage in bona fide research of the real-worldissues, embedded in topics they are studying, that interestthem personally. Expect a range of interests.

4. Accelerate gifted students to the next level, requiring them tostretch their thinking abilities. Real learning takes work;doing more of what they already know how to do is useless“busy work.”

Nothing can replace engagement in one’s learning. Gifted stu-dents who see the payoff of their work are likely to choose to stayin school for an even greater return on their investment of timeand talent.

REFERENCESBetts, G. T., & Neihart. M. (1988). Profiles of the gifted and talented, Gifted Child

Quarterly, 32, 248-253.

Renzulli, J. S., & Park, S. (2000). Gifted dropouts: The who and the why. Gifted

ChildQuarterly, 44, 261-271.

Robertson, E. (1991). Neglected dropouts: The gifted and talented. Equity & Excellence,25, 62-74.

Smokler, D. (October 8, 2007). Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://

w w w. b o s t o n . c o m / n e w s / g l o b e / e d i t o r i a l _ o p i n i o n / o p e d / a r t i c l e s /

2007/10/08/an_archaic.

CAROLYN R. COOPER, Ph.D., is a retired assis-tant superintendent and served as the spe-cialist in gifted and talented education withthe Maryland State Department of Educationfor several years. A seasoned district-levelcoordinator of gifted education, she is activein the National Association for Gifted Childrenand consults with school districts and otherorganizations on educating gifted and talent-ed youngsters.



The mind emerges at the interface of interpersonal experience andthe structure and function of the brain.

—Daniel J. Siegel (1999)

Carrie was on her way to her science class. It was awesome; lastyear she dreaded anything to do with science. She always felt so dumbin that class. No matter how many times Ms. Lawrence explained itto her, she just didn’t get it. That’s what made this semester so weird.She really liked her science class and she was good at it! Of course, Mr.Garcia’s science class was really different. She never knew what toexpect. Even the classroom was never the same. Like yesterday, theywere learning about the oceans, how important they are to all livingthings, and what might happen in the future if there were big changesin the systems of the Earth’s oceans. It was all really important, andconnected, and kind of scary.

As Carrie entered the classroom she saw that the room was nowdivided into four areas. One group of desks was placed together ina circle and had big, odd-shaped, gray-colored objects on themand a lot of different-sized books. Another area was set up withheadphones and globes and stacks of maps. In the corner she couldsee a hot plate and a skillet and a bowl with ice and some piecesof gray stuff in it. There were paper plates and napkins next tothem. Were they going to cook something to eat? She noted that alarge part of the room was free of furniture of any kind and thatmade a big open space of about a third of the room. Of course, asusual, the walls were lined with shelves containing computers,books, and equipment of all kinds, like microscopes and lots ofother materials she could use if she had any questions or needed todo any research.

Carrie picked up a packet of papers as she entered the room andsat scanning it as she waited for Mr. Garcia to share the goals andobjectives for the day. One of the papers had some “ReviewQuestions,” and she was surprised that she could answer all of them.Some of them were from several weeks ago, but they connected withthings they had done yesterday. Funny, she hadn’t really studied, butthey all just seemed to go together and add to what she already knew.

Carrie’s experiences that day included an activity thatallowed the students to handle the pieces of baleen, orwhalebone, that had been laid out on the tables. Byusing the materials and readings, they discovered the

mammal’s identity. Mr. Garcia used a guided-fantasy of travelingunder the sea to highlight the facts and history about whales andtheir current status. Carrie fried and ate calamari while sharing ina discussion of how the ocean provides food and nutrients formany living creatures. The large space in the room was used tomap the migrations of several sea creatures by following theirroutes on large sheets of paper laid out on the floor. They dis-cussed some of the climatic changes on the planet and their effecton migrations of sea life; the importance of the oceans’ resourcesto all life forms; climate change; and the effects of global warm-ing on both the sea-life and human life. Mr. Garcia invited themall to make predictions about the possible future effects and howthese changes might affect them personally.

Class was almost over. Carrie smiled to herself as she wrote abouther experiences in her class journal; science was now her favorite sub-ject. How interesting!

T H E A M A Z I N G B R A I NBy Barbara Clark

The Principle of Brain Integration ILLUSTRATION BY KEN VINTON



NEW DISCOVERIESAs early as the 77th Yearbook of the National Society for the

Study of Education (Chall & Mirsky, 1978), educators and scien-tists of the day were discussing important implications for learn-ing discovered from the brain research. From work reported inthe 1970s and replicated in the years that followed, it was discov-ered that learning is not confined to one objective at a time; noris it only a one dimensional, step-by-step procedure as it had beenpreviously portrayed. It has become evident that the brain synthe-sizes information and integrates brain processes to develop learn-ing and understanding. This is an important insight that can leadto better ways of teaching.

In discussing the brain’s integration of functions and process-es, Siegel (1999) states that among the mind’s most robust fea-tures is its capacity to interconnect a range of processes as well asits functioning across time. Researchers studying diverse aspectsof mental life, from social psychology to the neurosciences, haveused the term “Integration” to refer to the collaborative, linkingfunctions that coordinate various processes within the brain itself.These complex functions emerge from the coordination of neuralactivity in a range of circuits that play an important role in neu-ral integration.

For purposes of educational planning, the functions of thebrain can be organized into four areas:

• cognitive (including rational and spatial)• affective (including social and emotional)• physical (including movement and sensing)• intuitive (including prediction and creativity)

When these functions are integrated into a lesson plan, learn-ing, understanding, and remembering are maximized, and intel-lectual growth and development are supported.

WHY IT MATTERSIn continuing studies of the brain and how it creates learning,

the importance of using the integration of all of the brain process-es in our teaching is evident. Mr. Garcia, in the vignette above,gives us some examples of how we might include cognitive, phys-ical/sensory, social/emotional and intuitive abilities using theclassroom environment and activities and materials that engagestudents. The principle of integration can be used in any class-room to make learning powerful and meaningful. Such use inteaching engages students, promotes understanding, and height-ens memory.

It has been consistently observed that information is remem-bered best when it is first encountered in a meaningful, complex,and novel manner. Carrie experienced just that type of teaching.Included were activities that allowed integration of major brainprocesses as she learned in the responsive learning environment.The more personal and integrated the learning experience, themore readily it is understood and remembered. The principle ofbrain integration presents educators in all settings, and at allgrade levels, with an important and exciting way to increase thepower of learning.

USES AND OUTCOMESWhile there are many processes used within the brain as it

functions, it is very useful to focus on the integration of four majorprocesses when planning learning experiences. Teachers can createpowerful learning experiences that allow students to integrate

• cognitive processes (both logical/rational and visual/spatialprocesses);

• affective processes (both emotional and social processes); • physical and sensory processes; • intuitive processes.

Very little actual learning is created with rote, imperson-al, learning experiences in which the student is neither inter-ested nor involved and of which the student has minimalunderstanding.

Integrative lessons can be designed for children of all ages. Atthe beginning of this column, Mr. Garcia’s integrative secondaryscience lesson was shared. Figure 1 on p. 15 is an example of anintegrative math lesson for elementary students on measuring,estimating, and graphing. The lesson planning begins with state-ments of the purpose of the lesson in each process area. You willnote estimates of the time involved, materials needed, organiza-tion preferred, and the teacher’s role. The “procedure” sectionshows a circle with the area of process involved shaded beside eachactivity—C for cognitive, A for affective, P for physical, and I forintuitive. Each activity highlights at least one of the four areas ofprocess. The classroom will need to have the materials and spacesavailable for the students’ use.

This planning sheet is only one way to organize your use ofintegrative education. As you work with these ideas of integratingthese four processes, you will find more and more ways to includeeach of the process areas in your teaching. However you decide touse the brain’s amazing integrative abilities, you and your studentswill experience such excitement in your heightened abilities asyou continue to explore your amazing brain.

RESOURCESClark, B. (2008). Growing up gifted (7th Ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice

Hall/Pearson.

Hawkins, J., with Blakeslee, S. (2004). On intelligence. New York: Times Books/

Henry Holt.

Kandel, E. R. (2006). In search of memory: The emergence of a new science of mind.New York: Norton.

Siegel, D. J. (1999). The developing mind. New York: Guilford.

Barbara Clark, Ed.D., is a Professor Emeritus atCalifornia State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Clarkis the author of the widely used text, Growing UpGifted, now in its seventh edition (2008), pub-lished by Merrill/Prentice-Hall. She is a past pres-ident of the California Association for the Gifted,The National Association for Gifted Children, andthe World Council for Gifted and TalentedChildren. She is the Advising Editor for the GiftedEducation Communicator.



Measuring, Estimating, GraphingPURPOSE:

Time involved: 20 to 30 minutesMaterials needed: 10 to 20 “feet” (cardboard cutouts of feet exactly 12" long); rulers; paste; small containers which hold one, two, three, andfour cups; containers holding four to six ounces; rice; cornmeal; gravel; water; paper; crayons; 10"x24" piece of cardboard; 1"x10" strips of con-struction paper in two colors; clothespins with names of children printed on them; tape to protect edges of board.Organization preferred: small group of children and teacher around a tableTeacher role: demonstrator, facilitatorProcedure:Note* The shaded circle to the left of each task indicates the skill(s) being developed by the activity.

MEASUREMENT1. Ask children to choose objects or areas they would like to measure. Show the children a “foot” and ask them to estimate how many

feet they think will be in their chosen area.2. Give the children each a “foot” and allow them to measure their chosen object or area.3. Ask the children to draw their object or area and write the number of “feet” they found it to be.4. Encourage the children to measure with other things like hands, books, pencils, etc., e.g. How many books high is the door?5.Ask, How many things did you find that were ____________ feet long? How close to your guess was the measurement? Which things arelonger? Shorter? The same?

ESTIMATING1. Ask the children to predict how many cups can be filled from each container. Have the children write their predictions on a piece of

paper in front of the containers.2. Have the children experiment and check their estimates.3. Discuss how close the prediction came to the actual measurement. What did you find? Which container filled the most cups? Is that what

you thought would happen? Which containers are largest? Smallest? The same?4. How did you feel when you had more cups than you predicted you would? When you had less? When you came very close?

GRAPHING1. Ask the children to decide what they would like to find out about the people in the class, e.g. their favorite fruit, animals, colors, etc.

Explain that they will survey the class to get that information.2. Have the children decide on two possible choices that the person surveyed could make, e.g. Is your favorite color red or blue? Have

them draw or color a picture to represent each category and clip each picture to opposite sides of the cardboard chart.3. Have the children predict which color will get the most votes.4. With a clothespin representing each person in the room have the children conduct their survey and place the clothespins on the appro

priate sides of the chart.5.Ask the children to summarize their data. What did you find out? How many children did you ask? What color was chosen most? What does

that mean? Which color do you like best? How do you feel about the class choice?FIGURE 1

CognitiveTo improve the skills of making comparisons, relationships,counting, estimating, measuring, and data collection

IntuitiveTo develop skills of estimating, predicting, and synthesizing data

Physical/SensingTo develop school skills of measuring and using a ruler

AffectiveTo empower the learner by allowing involvement in the choice ofwhat to measure and by building confidence in estimating

C I

P A



How many times have we heard the comment, “Joe is suchan intelligent man, how could he do something so stu-pid?” We are very fortunate if that comment is not madeabout us from time to time. But let us analyze that state-

ment. Joe has apparently collected a great amount of informationand has impressed people with his knowledge. What went wrongwas his judgment or evaluation of a particular situation.

So, what is evaluation anyway? It appears in one form oranother in most definitions of intelligence (Guilford, 1967,Wechsler 2003, Kaufman & Sternberg, 2008). How is it differentfrom association, classification, or reasoning that we refer to ascomponents of intelligence? First of all we might remind our-selves that “evaluation” doesn’t show up too often on intelligencetests—probably because it is so hard to score.

We have no trouble scoring the question, “That was our firstpresident?” But how do we deal with “Was George Washington astrong president?” Some of our brightest students might even dis-agree on the answer. We can realize that evaluation in this situa-

tion is a two-step process. First we must establish a value contin-uum for “strong president.” Then we must place GeorgeWashington somewhere on that continuum.

So we can differ on our definition of a “strong president” andalso differ on where we place George on that continuum. Scoringsuch questions can be quite a headache and one that many testconstructors would just as soon avoid. In the end we don’t reallyput much emphasis on evaluation in our standard measurementof intelligence. So, Joe’s ability to collect large amounts of infor-mation does not tell us how that information would be organizedto meet a particular situation or decision.

Each of us makes a multitude of decisions every day that endup comprising a personal style or attitude towards life, career, andfamily, yet most of these decisions are made without much analy-sis or reflection. Take the student who has to decide what to dowith her evening. Her options are:

• watch TV• go with friends to a dance

Teaching Evaluation

and JudgmentBy James J. Gallagher

PHOTO BY DAN NELSON



• do a troublesome math assignment• work on long-term literature project• talk on phone with the newest boyfriend

Sometimes the decision would be to do some of each, but thedecision between options tells us a lot about the values and atti-tudes of the person. The willingness to foreswear immediategratification to long-range goals marks the serious student. It isnot so much intelligence as it is a striving toward goals thatrequire long-term commitment and care in making decisionsthat match those goals.

DECISION-MAKINGDecision-making, that is laying out of options, weighing the

strength of each of the options to reach a desired outcome andchoosing between them, is a teachable skill. The area where we allexercise decision-making is in our expenditure of scarce resourceswhile making a budget for ourselves. We can list expenditures,desired outcomes, and allocate available resources. The omnipres-ence of credit cards is one indicator of how difficult such deci-sion-making can be.

This entire rational process can be short circuited by emer-gency decision-making (EDM) that occurs under conditionsof strong emotions. Under conditions of fear or strong pas-sion, our priorities for the available options can be overriddenor nonexistent and, instead, a choice is made to reduce thestrong, unpleasant emotion regardless of the worthiness ofother options or goals.

This fact of EDM is well known to politicians who can evokesuch fears by exclaiming, “We are about to be attacked,” or “Oureconomy is collapsing.” This tends to focus our attention on oneissue to the exclusion of others—which may be the intention inthe first place. Joe’s problem may well be that he was in a state of

anxiety and it caused him to act rashly without careful consider-ation of options.

DECISION MATRIXOne way to systematize the development of judgment is to put

the proposed decision in a decision matrix. An example of such amatrix can be seen in Table 1, “Options for Gifted Education.”This two-dimensional table consists of proposed options or pro-gram alternatives on one axis and the criteria that form the basisof choice on the other (Gallagher, 2006).

The example matrix was constructed to aid in making typicaldecisions regarding programming for the gifted. In addition, wehave added the usual criteria for decision making on this topic:cost, personnel needs, experience or track record for the option,and public opinion We could add other criteria such as ease ofimplementation, for example.

Filling out the matrix with values is often difficult becauseof the absence of data to support the values placed in thematrix for the purpose of decision-making. A plus sign hasbeen added after those values where there seems to be suffi-cient data.

Even if we all agreed on the values inserted in the table, wecould still imagine differences in the final result between twojudges based upon the different valuation of the criteria forchoice. Some people might value cost over all dimensions where-as others might see the experience or past experiences as dominant.The goal of the matrix is not to reach an agreed upon result butrather to clarify the bases of the decision reached.

EVALUATION ISSUES As our knowledge increases in areas of medicine or education

or science, a number of evaluation questions come to the fore. Anoted physician posed this problem: Past generation of physi-

O P T I O N S F O R G I F T E D E D U C A T I O N

Options Cost Personnel Experience Public Opinion

General Education Plus Modest Modest Vague Positive

Special Grouping Part Time Moderate Moderate Vague Positive

Special Grouping Full Time High High Positive Negative

Advanced Placement Courses Modest Modest Positive+ Positive+

Outside Tutoring Uncertain High Positive Uncertain

Special Schools High High Positive Mixed

Acceleration Less None Positive+ Negative

Note* The values in the matrix are those of the author and would not necessarily be agreed upon by others. Also additional data should becollected on the effect of these options.

TABLE 1



cians were generally concerned with, “Can we effectively carryout this procedure?” Future generation of health providers maywell be faced with the question, “Should we do it?” While physi-cians can be very well prepared to deal with the first question(Can we do it?), they are often ill prepared to tackle the second(Should we do it?).

Think for a moment of the issue of extending life for a personin massive pain with no hope for recovery or taking heroic andmassively expensive procedures to save a newborn born with nocortex and thus with no possibility of gaining the human thoughtthat makes life meaningful. A physician may retreat to the coverof the Hippocratic oath that maintains that we do the maximumto save life; however, many now are wondering about the applica-bility of that in all circumstances.

Consider the scientist who in search of a cure for a particulardisease discovers a virus that could cause the death of millions ifused in war or power struggles. Is the scientist obliged to publishthese findings to the world in his scientific commitment touncover all knowledge, or should he suppress it thinking thatmankind is not ready to cope with the discovery. As a colleaguenoted, “It would be like putting a loaded revolver in the hands ofa three-year old.”

One of the problems of our current methods of educatinggifted students is that they are rarely faced with such judgmentsand are generally unprepared to grapple with them. As decision-makers of the future in many different fields of endeavor, it isour gifted students who will be faced with questions like this.How should they be prepared to carefully weigh options andcosts and benefits?

Historians of science have noted that the most important deci-sion a researcher has to make is not in the conduct of his researchbut in the initial choice of the problem to attack—not problemsolving but problem finding! What is the significant problem to

address? Once the scientist has made that choice the rest is engi-neering and technique.

It is easy enough to state that teachers should be encouragingproblem solving, problem stating, creativity, and evaluation, buthow does one do that in some of the options presented above?Also do we need special training or special personnel to carry outthe stimulation of these higher-thinking processes for gifted stu-dents? Just as evaluation has been largely ignored in measuringintelligence, it also seems to be too often missing in classroomdialogue. Although we try to measure what we teach, too often weteach only what we measure!

One device in popular usage to stimulate evaluative thinkingis Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Three principles seem to guidethis procedure:

• Students are presented with an ill-structured problem (e.g., How will we leave a clean atmosphere for future generations?).

• Students are made stakeholders in the problem (e.g., You areon a Presidential commission to make recommendations.).

• The teacher plays the role of a metacognitive coach, notinformation giver.

(The teacher can identify possible sources of information orways of using a variety of sources, even interviewing local expertson the problem.)

A variety of small group and individual work can be given tothe students to reach some conclusions. Such an approach ener-gizes the students and causes them to think about options anddecisions (Gallagher, 2008).

While numerous well-known figures in the field of giftededucation have focused on the thinking processes of giftedchildren (Renzulli & Reis, 1985; Feldhusen & Kolloff, 1986;Cramond & Cornell, 2009; Tomlinson, 2008), few have

I S S U E S O F C H A N G I N G C L I M A T E

What We Know What We Need to Know Plan of Action

temperatures are rising effect of greenhouse gasessearch Internet for effects on animals and plants

polar caps are shrinkingcurrent and projected industrial emissions

interview scientists

wildlife is affectedautomobile emissions and theirimpact on air quality

read about ozone and its impact on holding gases

growing seasons have been affected effects on agriculturesearch out the impact on corn and sugar cane

oceans are rising impact on seacoast cities develop a Decision Matrix for adaptations

TABLE 2


zeroed in on the evaluation process as opposed to creativityand problem solving.

Problem-based learning advocated by VanTassel-Baska(2004) and Gallagher (2009) seems to be more centered onevaluation procedures and practices. The teacher in this modelbecomes a guide rather than a dispenser of knowledge. She helpsstudents in their search for additional knowledge through theInternet, libraries, interviews, and polling. The “Learning IssuesBoard” is one device for using and strengthening student judg-ment. For the particular issue at hand, the students must devel-op three key factors:

• What do we know?• What do we need to know? (key missing information)• What is our plan of action? (how to find the necessary

information)

Table 2 on page 18 provides an example of this process.

Key to PBL is the choice of the ill-structured problem. This isa problem to which the answer is not apparent and where notenough information is available to solve the problem to beginwith. The ill-structured problem is characterized by:

• missing information needed to understand the problem • no single formula for conducting an investigation to resolve

the problem• problem changes with new information• never 100% assurance of the right decision

In this way, the PBL mirrors reality. We are never certain thatthe decision we have made on a difficult issue is correct, but wedo know that the more information we collect, the more likely

our final decision will be in line with much of the informationthat is available.

Another key element in PBL is to make the student a stake-holder. In the case of climate control, the student is named to thePresidential Commission for Climate Change. This gives the stu-dent responsibility for decision-making instead of just observingsomeone else’s history. Since there are many tasks to accomplish,it is necessary for small groups to divide the tasks in order to findthe needed information. “There is much knowledge to searchout before reporting to the President in April.” This requiressome strategies for systematically approaching the decision-mak-ing problem.

The uncertainty of the outcome can be disturbing to studentswho are used to always getting the “right” answer. But gifted stu-dents in particular need to be aware that not every answer isagreed upon and that reasonable people can reach different con-clusions. Once that is accepted, then we can explore the basis forhow different decisions can be reached.

SUMMARY Evaluation has been a much-ignored component of intelli-

gence. In part, this is because it is difficult to measure and score.Also, this intellectual component is rarely emphasized in curricu-lum development, despite the importance of evaluation in deci-sion-making in real life and in future academic endeavors. Theresult is that students rarely have the opportunity to master andpractice the use of these skills. “The Learning Issues Board” andthe “Decision Matrix” are two tools teachers can use with theirstudents to remedy this situation.

Although there are many models available to pursue problemsolving, creativity, and systematic thinking, few are designed to


“We have just

scratched the surface

in our ability to

prepare students

with strategies to

attack the intellectual

and social problems

they face.”




directly focus on evaluative thinking and thus the students haverarely mastered the evaluation strategies necessary to generalize tothe real world or to advanced academia.

One exception is Problem-Based Learning which focuses ondecision-making regarding significant issues and prepares stu-dents to use the strategies to attack ill-structured problems thatcomprise the vast majority of the real-life problems we face.

We have just scratched the surface in our ability to prepare stu-dents with strategies to attack the intellectual and social problemsthey face. The second decade of the twenty-first century shouldbe a rich exploration of how students of high ability can mastertechniques of evaluation and decision-making.

REFERENCESCramond, B. & Cornell, E. (2009). Nurturing creative thinking. In F. Karnes & S. Bean

(eds.) Methods and materials for teaching the gifted. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Feldhusen, J. & Kolloff, P. (1986). The Purdue three-stage model for developing pro-

grams for gifted and talented. In J. Renzulli (ed) Systems & models for develop-

ing programs for gifted and talented. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning

Press, pp 126-152.

Gallagher, J. The missing educational infrastructure for gifted students. Gifted Child

Quarterly (in press).

Gallagher, J. (2006). Driving change in special education. Baltimore, MD: Paul

H. Brookes.

Gallagher, S. (2008). Excluded: Chinese immigration in the United States. Unionville NY:

Gallagher, S. (2009). Adapting problem-based learning for gifted students. In F. Karnes &

S. Bean (eds.) Methods and materials for teaching the gifted. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Guilford, J. (1967). The nature of human intelligence. New York: Fund for the

Advancement of Education.

Kaufman, S., & Sternberg, R. (2008). Conceptions of giftedness in S. Pfeiffer (ed) Handbook

of giftedness in children. New York: Springer Science and Business Media, pp.71–92.

Perkins, D. & Grotzer, T. (1997). Teaching intelligence. American Psychologist. Vol. 52

No. 10, 1125–1133.

Renzulli, J. & Reis, S. (1985). The schoolwide enrichment model: A comprehensive plan

for school excellence. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning Press.

Swartz, R. & Park, S. (1994). The teaching of critical and creative thinking in content

instruction. Pacific Grove, CA: Critical Thinking Books and Software.

Tomlinson, C, (2008). Differentiated instruction. In J. Plucker & C. Callahan (eds.),

Critical issues and practices in gifted education. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press, p. 5.

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2004). Curriculum for gifted and talented students. Thousand

Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

VanTassel-Baska, J. & Stambaugh, T. (2008). Curriculum and instructional considera-

tions in programs for the gifted. In S Pfeiffer, (ed.), Handbook of giftedness in chil-

dren. New York: Springer Sciences and Business Media.

JAMES J. GALLAGHER, Ph.D., is a senior scientist emeritusand former director of the Frank Porter Graham ChildDevelopment Institute at the University of North Carolinaat Chapel Hill. He has worked in the field of education ofexceptional children for over 40 years. Dr. Gallagher hasserved as the president of the World Council for Giftedand Talented, president of the Council for ExceptionalChildren (CEC), and is past president of the NationalAssociation for Gifted Children (NAGC). In addition, he iscoauthor with his daughter, Dr. Shelagh Gallagher, of thebook Teaching the Gifted Child.



Imagine you’re a premature baby. The timing is all wrong,but ready or not, you’re squeezed out into the world 70days too soon. Your brain is not fully prepared to handlethe onslaught of unexpected changes—a chilling 28°F

drop in temperature, for example. Such a cold environment tostart learning about the real world, not to mention the glaringbright lights! Shocking really and on top of that, those muffledpre-birth sounds are now at full volume for neurology notcapable of filtering out such loud noise. Neonatal intensive carenurses are trained to manage this type of “not yet ready forprime time” reality.

The care of premature babies is radically different from thatfor full term newborns. A “one-size-fits-all” approach to the careof all newborns would have more frequent fatal consequences forthose babies who don’t fit the norm.

In school, I call this “Spandex Education.” This one-size-fits-all approach has its own statistical fatalities. Other than SpecialEducation, the system completely ignores all other neurologicaldifferences as though they are nonexistent. All students learn thesame way. Really?

Is that why so many kids drop out of school?Why is it that all children are expected to learn at exactly the

same pace and in exactly the same way? I’d put it differently. School-aged children, unlike premature

babies, learn exit strategies for environments that do not fit their

needs. This is why so many students are squeezed out of school.Drop out? Or squeezed out? You decide. Imagine all prematurebabies treated exactly like full term newborns. Wrap ’em, pack’em, stack ’em, and ship them out the next day; who cares about differences?

Within a month of walking into my first classroom 39 yearsago, I recognized that I had quadruple the typical rate of giftedkids in my classes at a continuation school for students expelledor kicked out of traditional high schools. No one had noticed somany brilliant minds exiting traditional schools. This is braindrain our country can ill afford . . . not to mention the personalburdens it places on students and their families.

According to Editorial Projects in Education Research Center(affiliated with Education Week), South Carolina had the worstgraduation rate in the nation at 53.8 percent.

Overall, this nation’s public schools failed to graduate1,230,000 students in the 2006-07 school year. The statis-tics are even more frightening in some of the country’surban centers, such as Detroit, which had an abysmal grad-uation rate of 24.9 percent.

So how can we at Futures High School—a school-within-aschool on the campus of Montebello High in southernCalifornia—graduate up to 97% of our senior class when the rest

Too Many Gifted Kids Dropping Out Of SchoolLeadership in Building TrustBy Toby Manzanares




of public schools around the country are failing to graduate 1.23million students?

Our program is founded on the premise that it’s not studentswho fail, but the system that fails to meet the diverse needs of itsstudents. We know this intuitively when we teach our children towalk. There are no dropouts because each baby learns to toddle athis or her own personal rate. Kids don’t become failures if they’renot walking by 10 months. We pay attention to when a child isready, and we give them tons of encouragement along the way.

So it is at our school. Rather than pushing all our students intothe same pool where they either sink or swim, we assess the needsof individual students and work to place them where they canbegin once again to experience success.

We employ the knowledge gleaned from brain research to sup-port each student. We recognize that they come with differentdominant learning modalities, and we use that knowledge of theirneurological preferences to help them grow their successes in ourprogram. In short we attempt to customize the experience to meetstudent needs rather than sculpt the student to fit into the squareholes in the educational system.

BUILDING TRUSTWe understand that by the time at-risk students reach high

school, they have had a long and unhappy chain of experiencesin school where they’ve learned, if nothing else, how to buildstrong and heavy shields to protect themselves from painfulinstitutional encounters.

We know that there are children who will not raise their handto ask a question in a class of 36 students, so we seek to reduceclass size as much as possible.

With this in mind, from day one of each school year, we are inthe business of building trust. No matter what has happened inthe past, students will not be belittled by any teacher in our pro-gram; nor will we allow students to laugh at another’s mistake.Slowly students come to feel…safe in school…safe from criti-cism…safe from humiliation.

My biology students learn that trees living in extreme arcticconditions show evidence of stunted growth. The ancientChinese tradition of foot binding similarly stunted normalgrowth. While that was considered a sign of beauty in China, it’snot pretty to see American students whose growth has been stunt-ed by an educational system that is similarly binding. My teach-ing partners work at bringing our students back into a nourishingenvironment where they discover how safe it really is to raise theirhand to ask a question or to share with one of us personal prob-lems that are holding back their progress. The importance of thisshould not go unspoken. Because our students feel protected,they are confident that our actions will always be in their bestinterest. They’ve not had this feeling in such a long time.

What we do and how we succeed is nothing new in the worldof education; we just put together a custom package to fit each ofour students. After all, we don’t buy a designer dress or suit with-out having it properly tailored; why should we expect our schoolsto give out uniforms in only one size?

REKINDLING HOPEIf you talk to students who’ve dropped out, they’ll give various

reasons. But one thing is common to all of them: they’ve losthope. They have given up hope of success in a system where theyjust don’t seem to fit.

There is no greater train wreck in the making than young peo-ple without hope …with nothing to lose. These are the kids whohave made it a habit to take risks that don’t make sense to the restof us.

It’s not difficult to find students who don’t fit in school. Theypretty much make it obvious. At Futures High School, the staffhas “Intensive Care” conferences where we brainstorm how tobetter meet the needs of students before they become another sys-tem failure statistic.

Lastly, you don’t have to start big. ’Just one at a time. The leastsuccessful students are the least affiliated. If a student has oneadult with whom to talk, they have a friend with whom to sharethe burdens of adolescence. For example, Montebello UnifiedSchool District employs 1,437 teachers. If each teacher became amentor to a failing student, there would be nearly 1,400 fewerdropouts. That’s a start.

I understand that full-time teaching is arduous work. I knowbecause I’ve taught for 39 years. Nevertheless, I still mentor highschool students and will continue to do so until I run out of days.

THE EVERYDAY WORLD OF BUILDING TRUST IN THE CLASSROOMSurprisingly, building trust is not just doing trust building

activities such as the one included in the accompanying sidebar.It is founded on what may seem like little, everyday things teach-ers can and should do. You can weave a solid basis of trust intothe fabric of your everyday curriculum. It takes time, but the div-idends make it all worthwhile. Who was it that said, “There areno shortcuts to the meaningful things in life.”

Do what you say. Often a student will ask a question and inresponse I tell him that I have a book at home that he will love.When I was younger I’d often forget to bring it in the very nextday. Now I know how important it is to do what I say in a time-ly manner. So when the student asks about the book the next day,both he and his classmates will remember that their teacher haskept a “promise.” It wasn’t really a promise, but the perception isthat I gave my word. I either keep it or I don’t. Now I use thealarm reminder on my cell phone. I actually hand it to the stu-dent and have them participate in the reminder that will come upfor me at home. They participate in the confidence building.

Over time, students learn that you can be trusted to do exact-ly what you say. So later when they share a confidence with you,they have a body of accumulated data that you keep your word.No one keeps an actual score sheet, but at the end of the day asense begins to build about how much teachers can be trusted.

Keep the promise of confidentiality. It’s the law. Teachers inCalifornia are required to report any sign of child abuse. Failureto comply is punishable by up to six months in jail or by a $1,000fine or both and up to one year and a $5,000 fine if not report-ing ends in bodily injury; there is also the potential of civil liabil-



ity for not reporting. So when a studentcomes to me in confidentiality, I have tworesponsibilities: to obey the spirit and let-ter of the law and just as importantly tohonor the confidentiality the child bringsto me for guidance.

Here is one scenario in which a studentdidn’t want me to tell anyone. “It will onlymake things worse,” she told me. “My step-father will go to jail, and we’ll be evicted.”

So how do you build trust in this seem-ingly contradictory situation? I listen, andwhen the student is ready I say:

“I promise to keep what you say confi-dential—just between the two of us—with these two caveats:

• as long as you are not in any dan-ger, and

• as long as I can do so without break-ing any law

But in both cases, I promise to use mybest judgment on your behalf.”

Children come to us for sound guid-ance. They know we have to reportabuse. They know they are about tomake a life changing decision. They trustthat we can help them and minimize thetrauma along the way. Every teacher, atsome point in his or her career will be inthis difficult position. It is an opportuni-ty to help the child and also to buildtrust in you and the system. Over theyears, your index of trust will becomeyour on-campus underground reputa-tion. Every day you will have a chance toeither build or dismantle the positiveesteem students see in you.

Protect your students from humilia-tion from their peers. In every class I amgiven the opportunity to protect studentsfrom ridicule or humiliation. I have atleast one openly gay student in most ofmy classes. In addition I sense that thereare others not yet out of the closet. Andthough the atmosphere is slowly chang-ing, rampant homophobia remains thenorm. This is yet another opportunity tobuild trust.

When I hear a homophobic commentin my class, it becomes a “teachablemoment.” I briefly halt my science lessonto address this and other types of prejudicein the school’s undercurrent. I ask:

“Trust Lean”: A Typical Trust-building Lesson.

Before getting the class into dyads,demonstrate the following with a vol-unteer that you trust will be serious.

Ask your volunteer to establish eye contact.

Say, “When you turn around,keep your arms at your side, makeyour whole body stiff as a singleplank, and fall back into my handswhen I give you the signal. Can youtrust my guarantee that I will catchyou? Do you know that I wouldnever embarrass or humiliate youbefore this class?”

“Now turn around, arms at yourside, make your body stiff, and fallback into my hands when I give youthe signal.”

Do the demonstration three times.First, catch your volunteer very early,almost upright. This builds confi-dence.

1. Say to the class. “Watch the vol-unteer’s feet. If they don’t move, itdemonstrates a level of trust.” Afterthe first demo, ask the class what theyobserved and then discuss.

2. For the next demonstration say,“If you stand with your feet together,you might not be able to keep yourpromise. You have to be prepared tohave someone trust you.”

Demonstrate the “Ready Position:on your toes, knees bent, back legbraced to capture the weight of thefalling volunteer, your hands ready,two inches away and just below theirshoulder blades.”

3. Though you might be temptedto drop your friend to be funny, thisis not a time for jokes. Trust dependson building confidence. Even a smilehere would erode that confidence. Ithelps to communicate by eye contact

that you are genuine and worthy oftrust. Watch for body language,including facial expression.

Again establish eye contact andask: “Are you ready to fall a bit further?”

During the second and thirddemonstrations, catch your volunteerjust a little later each time.

Instruct students to form dyadsand carry out the exercise. Placeyourself next to the most humorousstudents to be close by in the eventthat they cave into their temptations.

Afterward, have students discusswhat they have learned about

• trusting someone else• how to be most trusted

For more ideas, go to: wilder-dom.com/games/TrustActivities.html.

I like: “Who’s Got A Dollar?” at: high-performanceteams.org/hpt_tbe.htm.

You will need to make slight mod-ification for the classroom.

Also try Global Vote where DonaldBodwell states: “Interpersonal trust canbe viewed as having five components:Truth, Respect, Un-derstanding,Support, and Trust-worthiness.”

I suggest starting your first activi-ty with the quote above on theboard. Instruct students to make alist of the five items, skipping fivelines between each before beginning.At the end of Trust Lean activity,have your class fill in their observa-tions on this worksheet. This willbecome page one in Chapter One oftheir notebook or journal.

One caution: though there is arich variety of these activities on line,it’s important to put them into ameaningful context.

Building Trust: 1, 2, 3



Who here has experienced prejudice? How did it feel? Didanyone stand up for you? Why didn’t they? When you’rehere, aren’t you treated with the dignity you deserve?Doesn’t that feel good? Don’t you prefer this atmosphere tothose where you’ve experienced silence when someoneshould have taken a stand?

At this point two things happen. One, the target of ridiculebreaths a sigh of relief and the rest of the class, including the per-petrator, learn in a dignified manner, the importance of standingup for human rights. Each time such a comment surfaces, youcan build trust.

A corollary. I use a generous amount of humor in my classes,but I’m very careful to make sure that no student feels that afunny comment is at his or her expense. I also quickly stop stu-dents in the process of telling racist jokes. Remember the oldPolish or the dumb blond jokes? I’m careful to derail them beforethe punch line, while at the same time using them as teachablemoments. We discuss the subtle and destructive undercurrent ofprejudice inherent in this form of humor.

Put positive outcomes into the mix. When students knowthey can trust you, it becomes possible to probe into a studentproblem—the theft of money for example. Though I’m verycareful to avoid temptation, I once had 400 fundraising dollarstaken from my classroom. The next day I repeated this scripteach period.

I believe that nothing happens at school without at leastone witness. So I know that at least one of you can help rec-tify this situation. $400 was taken from this room. One ofyou knows who it was and can do one of the following:a. tell that student to return the money by the end of the

week with no questions asked, or b. let me know so that I can help that student made theright decision.

You know that I’m not a punitive person. You know thatI want my students to learn that even when you make amistake, it’s never too late to make it right.

The $400 dollars turned up on Thursday, and that year 180students learned an important lesson based on trust. While itdoesn’t always turn out this way, it never hurts to put a positiveoutcome into the mix of possibilities.

These are a few things you can do that contribute to a highlevel of trust in your classroom. Keeping this frame of referencein mind will lead you to many more of your own discoveries.Send them to me; we’ll put them into a Trust Building blog acces-sible on a keyboard near you! ([email protected])

TEN SECONDSSince I use a digital projector in my classroom, my students

can see everything on my laptop’s desktop, including my appoint-ment calendar with its popup reminders. You can immeasurablycapitalize on its dramatic graphic capabilities.

The following is my latest and perhaps last set of exercises formy students before I retire in June.

Last week, ten minutes before the end-of-day passing bell, oneof my students saw “Ten Seconds” pop up on the screen andasked: “What is Ten Seconds”?

I answered, “It’s an experiment were going to begin today thatwill change your lives. In a ten-second experiment, you’re goingto learn how to make your lives better, richer, happier.” A hushfell over the room—a quiet skepticism. It seemed as though everystudent froze in his or her tracks. Perfect. I let the quiet incubate.

My students have

come to trust that

it’s safe to venture

into unknown

territory to discover

what lies just

around the corner.


*GECommSpring0916-38.qxd 4/17/09 4:34 PM Page 24


“I’m not sure you’re all ready yet.” (That usually fans theflame.) I hoped that this would whet their curiosity, not onlybecause it’s true but because there’s no better way to create thatwonderful sense of anticipation—to have my students ask for(almost plead for) the next lesson.

When they pleaded for the lesson I said, “I’ll tell you more in9 minutes.” (Additional anticipation. I could hardly wait.)

One minute before the bell.“Okay, it will take only 10 seconds when the bell rings.Students sat in hushed quiet—very strange at the end of 6th

period. There were two whispered and very soft objections tostaying after school.

One minute seemed to go on forever. (Perfect)The bell rang. I said, “Stay quietly in your seat. Ten Seconds

starts now.”The class was eager to leave, but they humored me or they

indulged their curiosity, or both. As the seconds ticked away, Icounted down: “Three, two, one. Class dismissed. We’ll continuetomorrow.”

Their body language revealed conflict. Their curiosity hadbeen fired but it did not overcome their exit energy. They filedout quietly with hardly a word. But I saw the wheels turning.“Hmmmm. What is he up to? Hmmmm.”

At the end of the period the next day someone asks: “Whatabout Ten Seconds?”

“We’ll do it again today, but this time with a twist.”At the bell I say: “For today’s Ten Seconds, I want you to focus

on what’s going on inside your body—your dominant physicalsensation.”

“Stay quietly in your seat. Ten Seconds starts now.” “Remember what you feel. Three, two, one. Class dismissed.”Third day.“Toby. Why are we doing this?”First. “Let’s look at the pros and cons of instant gratifica-

tion. It’s great to go to Google and instantly display on thescreen the answer to your questions. On the other hand,expecting instant gratification creates a conflict when shortcuts become the norm.

For example: The “Me Generation” grew up under theumbrella of instant gratification with many aspiring to retire by30. The get-rich-quick way of doing business lead to Enron,and the sub-prime mortgage inspired financial meltdown.”

I teach my students that there are no shortcuts to the mean-ingful things in life.

I tell them, at least once a week, that doing the minimum isnot acceptable in my classes. When I say the requirement is 50research facts, they are to turn in 65.

“True or False? When you have your first regular job, the payraises and promotions will go to those of you who habitually gobeyond the minimum.”

Second. School is a constant rush. Be on time. Deadlines.There is only enough time at lunch to gulp down the fast food.Fast food. Red lights are an annoyance—road rage when someonecuts in front of you. Hurry, race, blitz, scramble, dash. Personal

growth begins with self-awareness. The evolution of conscious-ness requires time for introspection. Ten seconds a day canaccomplish both practice at delaying instant gratification so thatwe can be more thoughtful about what we’re really accomplish-ing, while at the same time allowing for enhanced self-awarenessand the evolution of consciousness. My students have come totrust that it’s safe to venture into unknown territory to discoverwhat lies just around the corner.

Rick Ridgeway, in his book, The Shadow of Kilimanjaro,quotes anthropologist and adventurer Fosco Mariani, when hespoke of the only true kind of travel.

“…the journeys where the signposts are unfamiliar, and wherethe new worlds you see reveal elements in yourself that you nevereven knew existed.”

Building trust into the lives of our students. This is arisky journey, not for the faint of heart. I’m thinking thatthis is more important than any science lesson I can presentto my students. Maybe we should get this into the StateStandards or have it added to the next iteration of “No ChildLeft Behind.”

Trust puts the traditional curriculum in proper context, for isit not our mission to inspire in our students a passion for inde-pendent thought? When I tell my students to believe only half ofwhat I say, I want them to build for themselves a healthy sense ofskepticism.

“Think about what you hear from your teachers. Ask your-selves: Is this the whole truth? Is this a partial truth? Is thisfact or opinion? Is the resource credible? Is it reliable? Askyourselves these questions and trust in the response of yourinner voice.”

Does this not also build trust? Not just between the studentand teacher, but within the mind of every student.

And this brings me back to a central theme of this article…thealarming “brain drain” occurring in this country due to highschool dropouts. This is especially true in inner-city schools suchas the one I teach in Montebello, California. At Futures HighSchool, we graduate up to 97% of our students—students whooriginally come to us as at-risk for dropping out. How can we doit? I believe that our strong emphasis on building trust with andwithin our students is the major factor. The students cannot do itby themselves, however; we must provide the leadership in build-ing that trust.

Bon voyage.

TOBY MANZANARES, MA, teaches science at FuturesHigh School on the campus of Montebello HighSchool, east of Los Angeles, where he administersthe At-Risk Program. Toby has 39 years experiencein continuation, alternative, and traditional publicschools. As a science consultant he trains teachersin the management of field studies experiences andserves on the K-12 Teacher Committee of theSociety for the Advancement of Chicanos andNative Americans in Science. He was a Californiafinalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence inScience Teaching.



At a recent gathering of children’s book writers, authorCaroline Hatton spoke of her experiences as part of ateam of scientists testing athletes at the 2002 WinterOlympics in Salt Lake City. Hatton’s book, The Night

Olympic Team: Fighting to Keep Drugs Out of the Games, chroni-cles her fellow scientists’ heroic efforts—all members of theUCLA Olympic Lab—to test hundreds of bottles of urine everynight during the course of the games.

It is, in its own way, an Olympian race for the scientists to keepahead of the latest drug cheating. In the 2002 Winter Olympics, anew drug developed by Amgen for treating cancer patients wasrumored to be in use among the athletes as a blood booster. Therehad been no test yet developed for detection. The chase was onamong the scientists to identify the new drug and report it beforethe games were completed so that the true winners, ones withoutdrugs, would be awarded the medals they deserved to win.

While the book’s focus is on the drama and details involved indetection of prohibited performance-enhancing drugs, Hattonwants young athletes to think about the underlying health con-siderations and issues of maintaining ethics in sport. Both thesetopics need to be addressed and her book is a good place to beginboth discussions.

CHEATING RUN RAMPANT?Hatton’s suggested list of further reading led me to David

Callahan’s The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are DoingWrong to Get Ahead. Even though the book was published in 2004,I was reading it in tandem with the more recent scandals unfoldingeach day in the news. What has been a continuous erosion of trustamong Americans must have had an unprecedented acceleration inthe face of the latest revelations of hundreds of seemingly sophisti-cated investors being bilked out of enormous amounts of money.

Callahan discusses not only the cheating culture infecting thefinancial and business sectors, but also its incursion into sports, aca-demics, and medicine. He examines how small infractions lead to

larger criminal activity and the possible causes for what appears tohave become epidemic. For example, as the academic communityexperiences greater pressure to raise test results, students are thenpressured to produce higher scores, and the likelihood is that cheat-ing to achieve these standards will increase.

One of the antidotes to cheating among students has been theeffort at some of the country’s universities to involve the students ina collective commitment to a code of honor. Creating a culture ofethical behavior on campus has led to a reduction in cheating.Students are more likely to resist temptation when they know thefaculty will have no tolerance for cheating.

Perhaps more discussion, both at home and in the school envi-ronment, on issues of ethical behavior will raise the consciousness ofthe students before the pattern of unethical practices becomes soingrained as to begin to be unquestioned or even expected.

Since money, or the goal of acquiring it, is so often at the root ofunethical practices (e.g., failing to report income to avoid taxes, over-filling, cheating on tests or on the playing field to win scholarshipsand ultimately better paying jobs) it might be helpful to read a booklike Jayne A. Pearl’s Kids and Money; Giving Them the Savvy toSucceed Financially. Perhaps, with a healthy understanding of how tosucceed in an ethical way, the pressure to ruin one’s reputation oreven to risk criminal prosecution, might be lessened. Pearl discussesa wide range of topics including troubling issues like shoplifting andgambling along with socially responsible topics like charitable giving.

In literature for children, there are often situations in which theprotagonist is challenged to make the right decision. Books for thepre-adolescents and early teens who are forming patterns of behav-ior that will become part of their adult persona may offer a goodstarting place for discussion. The characters in books are enoughremoved from the reader to give a sense of objectivity. The plot of abook may mirror a real life situation or can be metaphorical. Ineither case they offer young people a chance to work out the ethicsof and the consequences of their choices by evaluating the issues thatare an intricate part of the plot of a good story.

Learning EthicsThrough LiteratureBy Jody Fickes Shapiro ILLUSTRATION BY KEN VINTON


THE APPEAL OF SPORTS STORIESHere are three gripping sports stories written for young adults

that deal with drugs and high school football. Robert Lipsyte’sRaider’s Night explores a community culture where winning is every-thing and how it affects the behavior of the teenagers caught up inthis mentality. One youngster, disgusted by an incident of bullying,finally makes the difficult decision to cooperate with the law toexpose the extent of the abuse.

In John McCoy’s novel, Crackback, Miles, the first person narrator,is looking forward to his football season until growing pressure froma new coach and his best friend, Zach, make him question if winningis really worth the health risks of using steroids to accomplish it.

Anxious to jumpstart his high school football career and be thesports success his father was not, Mick Johnson takes a trainer’s sug-gestion to bulk up using steroids. In spite of Gym Candy side effects,Mick admits that the pressure to be a champion leads him to makeunhealthy choices. Carl Deuker who has written a number of com-pelling sport stories, scores again with the inner struggles of an ath-lete addicted to winning.

GOING FURTHER AFIELD While sports stories are one way of exploring community culture

and a young person’s place within it, there are many middle-gradeand young-adult novels that examine issues of survival and the indi-vidual’s ethical obligations within a “civilized” society.

Molly Bang’s picture book, Common Ground: The Water, Earth,and Air We Share, might, at first glance appears to be a simple explo-ration of natural resources; but it is, in fact, a brilliant starting pointfor understanding the role each individual plays in how we share thelimited resources we have. And this dilemma is at the heart of ourethical decisions.

Take for example, the underlying premise of Jeanne DuPrau’sacclaimed middle-grade fantasy, The City of Ember. The setting is a citythat is dying. Food is running low, the generators that provide heat andlight are wearing out. Both Doon and Lina are twelve, and it is time forthem to be assigned their life’s work. Doon has an engineer’s curiosityand determination to repair the failing infrastructure. When Lina dis-covers the power structure hoarding a hidden food supply, she too ismotivated to find a way to save the city. DuPrau’s second book in theseries, The People of Sparks, a community is forced to take in “refugees”from Doon and Lina’s city. There is again the question of limitedresources and how much one community owes to another.

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life As We Knew It thrusts the reader intoa world in which a meteor has struck the moon with a forcegreat enough to knock it out of orbit. Its pull on earth’s gravitycreates one natural disaster after another, overwhelming worldgovernments’ abilities to help their citizens. Miranda’s diarydescribes how the deteriorating situation sets in motion hermother’s survival instincts, limiting her willingness to help peo-ple outside her own family.

ALSO IDEALISMOn the other hand, there are books that show an entirely differ-

ent response to community norms. Lois Lowry’s classic, The Giver,

is a much read and discussed story of one boy’s ultimate refusal toaccept the hypocrisy of his community’s utopian solution for a trou-ble-free life. And among the many stories of the heroic acts amidstthe horrors of World War II, is Irene Gut Opdyke’s memoir, In MyHands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. This incredibly resourcefulyoung woman gave aid and ultimately hid twelve Jewish survivors inthe basement of a Nazi major’s home.

As I prepare this piece for inclusion in the Gifted EducationCommunicator, one recent incident within my community con-tinues to play out in my mind. A group of students on a fieldtrip challenged each other to a prank that had serious conse-quences for them and ultimately affected their entire schoolcommunity. Although no one died, certainly reputations weredamaged. The students came from “good” families and the sit-uation was discussed far beyond the narrow confines of theschool’s boundaries.

Ethical behavior can be modeled within a community.Discussion and story can begin at the pre-school level. By lateelementary school, and certainly in middle school, when charac-ter development is finally linked with conscience and under-standing of consequences, perhaps a course of study needs to bedesigned, spanning grade levels in much the way we teach anyother discipline. And there are books at every level, fiction andnon-fiction, to help young people find their way through thecomplicated issues inherent in the understanding and practice ofethical behavior.

REFERENCESBang, M. (1997). Common ground: The water, earth, and air we share. New York: Blue

Sky Press/Scholastic.

Callahan, D. (2004) The cheating culture: Why more Americans are doing

wrong to get ahead. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

Clements, A. (2001). The report card. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s.

Coy, J. (2005). Crackback. New York: Scholastic.

Deuker, C. (2007). Gym candy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

DuPrau, J. (2003). The city of ember. New York: Random House.

DuPrau, J. (2004). The people of sparks. New York: Random House.

Feinstein, J. (2007). Cover-up. New York: Knopf Children’s Books.

Hatton, C. (2008). The night Olympic team: Fighting to keep drugs out of the games.

Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Lois Lowry, The giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. (0-395-64566-2)

Lipsyte, R. (2006). Raider’s night. Orlando, FL: Harper.

Opdyke, I.G. (with J. Armstrong), In my hands: Memories of a holocaust rescuer. New

York: Knopf Children’s Books.

Pearl, J.A. (1999). Kids and money. New York: Bloomberg Press.

Pfeffer, S.B. (2006), Life as we knew it. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

JODY FICKES SHAPIRO’S career path began with her love ofchildren’s literature. She was a school librarian, workedwith children in a public library setting, and finally owneda children’s specialty bookstore. Now she is writing fulltime. Her website, www.jodyfickesshapiro.com, will fillyou in on Up, Up, Up! It’s Apple Picking Time and FamilyLullaby. She also enjoys visiting schools and talking to stu-dents about the writing process. Email her at [email protected].




ARKANSASCenter for Gifted Education University of Arkansas at Little RockAnn Robinson, Director, [email protected] 2801 S University Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72204 501-569-3410, http://giftedctr.ualr.edu

The Center for Gifted Education at theUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock provides grad-uate programs, professional development, and directservice to gifted children and youth. The goals of theCenter are to engage in scholarship related to gifted-ness, to provide teacher and administrator prepara-tion and professional development, and to provideservices to schools. The Center maintains an activegrants and contracts initiative. A series of instruc-tional guides, Blueprints for Biography, has beendeveloped for teachers.Programs offered:

• a Master’s in gifted education• a gifted education area of concentration in the

Educational Administration and Supervisiondoctoral program

• a certificate program in gifted education• a professional development certificate in teach-

ing Advanced Placement• summer institutes for Advanced Placement teachers• Summers-n-Saturdays courses in gifted education• Online and web-enhanced courses in gifted

education• Summer Laureate, a campus-based enrichment

program for students in grades K through 8• TIP Scholar Days, campus-based career day

CANADACentre for Gifted Education University of Calgary, CanadaJanneke Frank, Acting Director Education Tower, Room 6022500 University Drive N.W.Calgary, AB T2N 1N4403-220-7799, [email protected]

The Centre for Gifted Education is the onlycentre of its kind in Canada and recognized interna-tionally for excellence in assisting gifted childrenwith their intellectual, social and emotional develop-ment. The Centre provides support to gifted stu-dents, their families and educators through research,teaching, professional development and communityoutreach programs.Programs offered:

• both thesis-based M.A., and non-thesis basedM.Ed. degree routes

• Dr. Michal C. Pyryt Lecture Series for parents • SUCCESS Summer camp for students• a series of “Super Saturday” programs for students

CALIFORNIAInstitute for Educational AdvancementAmanda Brand, Director of Programs625 Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 285 South Pasadena, CA [email protected]://www.educationaladvancement.org/

The Institute for Educational Advancement pro-vides direct student programs, consultation services,and advocacy. These services allow students to work

with other gifted individuals to establish peer support,social acceptance and a network of role models.Nurturing these highly able individuals provides themwith the confidence and guidance they need to actu-alize their fullest potential. As they realize their ownpotential, the entire nation will reap the benefits, fortheirs are the minds that will shape our future.Programs:

• the Apprenticeship Program for hands-on experi-ence for students

• Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, to identifyexceptionally gifted middle school students witha scholarship to a specialized high school

• Institute for Educational Advancement to pro-vide information and resources

• trained professional consultants • Yunasa, (the Lakota word meaning balance) a

weeklong camp experience for highly gifted youth

COLORADOGifted Development Center Institute for the Study of Advanced Development Linda Silverman, Director 1452 Marion Street, Denver, CO 80218 1-888-GIFTED1http://www.gifteddevelopment.com also a second website: www.VisualSpatial.org

Gifted Development Center and Visual-SpatialResource are services of a unique nonprofit organiza-tion, the Institute for the Study of AdvancedDevelopment. We have assessed more than 5,500 chil-dren over the last 30 years.Services offered:

• assessment of children and support to parents inadvocating for their children

• research and dissemination of works on giftedness

• Advanced Development, a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal on issues of gifted adults

• national and international presentations, consulta-tions, and counseling on all aspects of giftedness

• information on visual and spatial learning styles • externships in assessment• internships, post-doctoral research opportuni-

ties, independent study, and short-term observa-tions for professional developmentStaff members are available for professional

development workshops, seminars on assessment,and short courses on parent advocacy, parenting gift-ed children, overexcitabilities, visual-spatial learners,twice exceptional children, gifted females, excep-tionally gifted children, social and emotional needsof the gifted, asynchronous development, assess-ment, and other aspects of giftedness.

Center for the Education and Study of Gifted,Talented, Creative LearnersUniversity of Northern ColoradoGeorge Betts, Director, [email protected] Omdal, Assistant [email protected] Graefe, Center [email protected] 44, Campus Box 141970-351-2683 http://www.unco.edu/[email protected]

The Center provides graduate-level programs in

gifted education through the School of SpecialEducation. These programs are designed for teachersat all grade levels in all content areas. In addition todirect service to educators, the Center providesopportunities for consultation, collaboration, andresearch for school and district programming devel-opment. The Center also provides education andsupport to parents and serves gifted, talented, andcreative students through day and residential sum-mer programs. Degree programs:

• Gifted and Talented Specialist Endorsement• Master of Arts in Gifted Education: Gifted &

Talented• Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education with

an Emphasis in Gifted and Talented EducationOther professional development programs:

• parent workshops• educator symposia• consulting services for program development

Programs for youth:• young child summer enrichment program (ages

4 through 4th grade)• summer enrichment program (5th through 10th

grades)• leadership enrichment program (11th and 12th

grades)Also:

• scholarships for students to attend the summerenrichment programs

• tuition assistance for graduate students to pursueadvanced degrees

• research initiatives in gifted, talented, and cre-ative education

• workshops and symposia for educatorsand parents

CONNECTICUTNeag Center for Gifted Education and Talent DevelopmentUniversity of ConnecticutJoe Renzulli, Director2131 Hillside Road, Unit 3007Storrs, CT 06269-3007 http://www.gifted.uconn.edu

The Neag Center for Gifted Education andTalent Development provides multiple pathways forinterested graduate students to pursue advanced-level courses.Master of Arts Degree

• fulltime campus program• campus and on-line program• online program

Sixth-year certificate• fulltime campus program• campus and on-line program• online program

Doctor of Philosophy in educational psychologywith an emphasis in gifted and talented education

National Research Center for Gifted/TalentedJoe Renzulli, Director2131 Hillside Road, Unit 3007Storrs, CT 06269-3007http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/NRCGT.html

The National Research Center on the Giftedand Talented is funded under the Jacob K. Javits

—continued on page 51

Gifted Education CentersEditor’s note* Adults in gifted education need guidance and inspiration in developing and maintaining local programs; the source of that

leadership is often found in the various gifted education centers around the country. Some of the information below came from responses to ourquery about center activities. Additional information was gleaned from websites on the Internet. We hope that no errors have crept in, and willwelcome corrections and additions for the next issue.



Headlines in today’s newspapers scream at us aboutdeclining moral values in our youth. The majority ofstudents not only admit to cheating in school, butthey don’t even consider it a problem. Has the focus

on good grades and high achievement eroded students’ moraldevelopment and sense of personal responsibility? Why dosome of our brightest students seem self-absorbed and insular?What motivates some gifted children to use their gifts and tal-ents in a socially-constructive manner while others use theirgifts and talents to promote themselves? How can we increasethe likelihood that our future leaders will be more inclined toimprove the human condition? According to Harry Passow(1995), a school needs not only to design and implement learn-ing opportunities within the classroom, but it also needs tointegrate learning resources and opportunities in the commu-nity with those in the classroom. Service-learning can providelearning opportunities that inspire gifted students to use theirgifts and talents in a socially-constructive manner and helpdevelop their moral compass.

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS HELP THE LOST BOYSThe plight of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” touched the hearts

of gifted students at Armstrong Elementary School in Dallas,Texas. Lauren, a student in the 4th-grade class, introducedthe story of the Lost Boys to the class for a current eventsassignment. She shared how the Lost Boys survived beingchased out of their homeland; survived being kicked out ofrefugee camps in Ethiopia; and survived crossing a crocodile-infested river at gunpoint.

When the empathetic students in this 4th-grade classlearned that 100 of the Lost Boys would be relocated to theDallas area, the young humanitarians wanted to ease therefugees’ transition into American culture. These compassion-ate students analyzed the situation and put together a compre-hensive plan of action designed to acclimate the Lost Boys toAmerican culture as well as teach them basic living skills suchas how to select a bus route, when and where to enter and exitthe bus, and how to use currency (Community ProblemSolving Final Report, 2001).

Developing A Moral

CompassService Learning

For Gifted Students

By Jann E. Bohenberger & Alice W. Terry




Through their experience with the Lost Boys, these young stu-dents gained new insights. They reported:

Over this project, our understanding of the world hasexpanded. It is hard to imagine the hardships some peopleface in the world. Some people live in fear, without enough toeat or a safe place to live…After September 11th, we celebrat-ed America by writing poems called “What Freedom Meansto Me.” But, now we understand freedom so much more(Community Problem Solving Final Report, 2001, p.6).

Still in contact with the Lost Boys, the young students feltparental pride when, three years after their first intervention, someof their Sudanese friends earned their GED and entered college.

SERVICE-LEARNING AND THE GIFTEDThe Lost Boys service-learning project illustrates the excite-

ment, commitment, and compassion associated with high-levelservice-learning projects. Service-learning, “an innovative teach-ing methodology that integrates community service with academ-ic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, andstrengthen communities,” has received noteworthy attention ineducation in recent years for all students (Fiske, 2002, p. 3). Ofthe three levels of service-learning, Community-Service,Community-Exploration, and Community-Action, the mostadvanced level, Community-Action, is generally more appropri-ate for gifted students.

Community-Action service-learning involves students becom-ing aware of a need in the community and going beyond provid-ing simple service. They become so involved and committed totheir project that they investigate and analyze the situation, gen-erate new ideas, and implement a difference-making plan ofaction. In the process, the students develop empathy, self-aware-ness, complex problem-solving skills, advanced communicationskills, the ability to connect knowledge across the disciplines, andreflective judgment (Terry & Bohnenberger, 2007).

Service-learning is essential for gifted students because theyneed to be involved in learning something relevant to them,something in which they are interested that appeals to their ide-alism, and their need to change what is wrong with society. Theymust be equipped with skills to become more responsive andeffective citizens, as well as those skills that help them to becomemore confident and compassionate human beings. “By having apassion for their community, students develop compassion them-selves” (Terry & Bohnenberger, 1995, p. 3). According toMadeline Kunin, former deputy secretary of the U.S.Department of Education, “Service-learning resurrects idealism,compassion and altruism… we cannot survive as a nation unlesswe hold onto these qualities and teach them to our children”(Fiske, 2002, p.38).

Service-learning’s importance in instilling a sense of empathyand implanting the skills of taking action to help others cannotbe emphasized enough, especially at this time when schools areprimarily addressing only the cognitive development of giftedyouth. Gifted leaders, past and present, such as Harry Passow,

Paul Torrance, and Joseph Renzulli have recognized the need tosensitize gifted students to problems within their communitiesand the world so they will use their gifts and talents for the bet-terment of society.

By increasing the awareness of gifted youth to problems intheir communities, Passow hoped that gifted students woulddevote themselves to developing their specialized talents tomaking contributions toward solving the serious problems fac-ing their communities and the world. He promoted curriculawith strong affective and process components that also comple-ment cognitive components as a means to help gifted studentsbecome more sensitive to community problems and needs(Passow, 1989).

TORRANCE AND RENZULLI MODELSE. Paul Torrance, world-renowned expert on creativity and

founder of the Future Problem Solving Program, adapted theOsborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Model (Osborn 1963;Parnes 1967) used in business for classroom use. He believed itoffered our most able students a way to become productive deci-sion-makers and future leaders. In 1984 Torrance expanded theuse of the problem-solving process to address authentic issues inthe community when he created the Community ProblemSolving Program (CmPS). Now an international competitive pro-gram, CmPS provides students from all over the world the oppor-tunity to use the creative problem-solving process to identifyproblems in their communities, develop solutions to these prob-lems, and put their solutions into action, thus making a signifi-cant difference in their communities. The CmPS Program, whichoperates at the Community-Action level of service-learning, pro-vides a methodology for teachers of the gifted to involve their stu-dents in meaningful learning that encourages them to analyzewhat is and create what ought to be.

Joseph Renzulli has examined “social capital” and the compo-nents necessary to nurture socially-constructive giftedness in hisOperation Houndstooth project. Renzulli sought to find theanswer to the question, What causes some people to mobilize theirinterpersonal, political, ethical, and moral lives in ways that placehuman concerns and the common good above materialism, egoenhancement, and self-indulgence? As a result of OperationHoundstooth, Renzulli concluded that school programs designedto develop giftedness in youth should provide as much attentionto the co-cognitive conditions of development such as optimism,sensitivity to human concerns, vision/sense of destiny, courageand physical/mental energy as we currently give to cognitivedevelopment (Renzulli, 2002). Service-learning helps to foster thegrowth of these co-cognitive factors while instilling skills of socialconstructivism (Terry, Bohnenberger, Renzulli, Cramond, &Sisk, 2008).

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TACKLE GLOBAL WARMING Inspired by lessons learned in their biology class, a group of

gifted seniors from Flagler Palm Coast High School in Bunnell,Florida investigated global warming in their community andresponded in a socially-constructive manner by increasing ener-


gy conservation in their school and community. The studentspresented their project to students in lower grades, enhancingtheir presentation through an I-movie they created. They alsocreated and distributed more than 4,000 awareness brochurescomplete with energy-saving tips. The Flagler County Chamberof Commerce was so impressed with the students’ brochure thatthey added it to the 2007 county phonebook, potentiallyincreasing the awareness of thousands of households through-out the county.

The students initiated an effort to install solar panels on theroof of a newly-built youth center at the school in order to reducethe carbon footprint. These impassioned students were alsoinstrumental in establishing an Energy ConservationCommission in their county and ultimately saved their schooldistrict over $200,000 in utility bills (FPSPI, 2007). Can a groupof motivated gifted students make a positive difference in theircommunity? You bet they can!

Service-Learning Best-Practice Model for Teachers of theGifted. Many teachers of the gifted become excited about serv-ice learning but aren’t sure how to implement high-qualityservice-learning programs appropriate for gifted learners. ACommunity-Action Service-Learning Best-Practice Model forTeachers that joins together five components has broughtabout successful service-learning experiences for gifted youth.These components are:

• cognitive apprenticeship model• creative problem-solving process• well-organized cooperative learning groups• reflection• celebration/demonstration

The cognitive apprenticeship model (Brown, Collins &Duguid, 1989) describes four elements that lead to learning: scaf-folding, modeling, coaching, and fading. This model leads stu-dents from dependence to independence in learning. Using thismodel, the teacher acts as a facilitator providing scaffolding, mod-eling, and coaching until the students are ready to take on moreresponsibility for their learning.

The creative problem-solving process provides service-learning participants with logical steps to follow starting withtheir initial investigation of community needs to the imple-mentation of their action plan. The brainstorming aspect ofcreative problem solving provides the students with a choiceand voice in the service-learning activities and decisions, there-by helping to insure more interest in and commitment to theproject goals.

Cooperative learning groups are key to successful student-run service learning. Students work together in self-selected coop-erative action groups to carry out the part of the action plan forwhich their group is responsible. Though the actual action groupswill differ depending upon the focus of the project, the interestsof the students and the related curriculum objectives—typicalaction group selections—might include research, media, technol-ogy, public relations, and correspondence. The students usually

work on different tasks at different paces within each group; yetthey all share in the responsibility for implementation, recordkeeping, and assessment.

Reflection is critical to the learning element of service learning.It utilizes creative and critical thinking processes to help youthconvert their service experiences into productive learning experi-ences. It is important that teachers take the time to provide reflec-tive activities such as journal writing and class discussion. Theseare important in guiding the students toward developing a deeperand richer understanding of their learning and service experiences.

Community Action Service-LearningBest-Practice Model for Teachers

Demonstration and Celebration

When using this blueprint for high-quality service-learning, the basic

ingredients of service-learning, Preparation, Action, Reflection and

Demonstration/Celebration, are interwoven throughout the project

instead of being implemented as separate steps.

Creative problem solving process: Facilitate the 5-step Community-

Action CPS Model from the initial investigation of community needs to the

implementation of the action plan

Cognitive apprenticeship model (Brown, Collins & Duguid, 1989):

Provide scaffolding, modeling, coaching, and fading —you monitor the action

as the project becomes student-run and student-centered

Cooperative learning strategies: Organize students into pre-designat-

ed, self-selected action groups that each carry out a piece of the action plan

Reflection: Guide examination of service experience at Analysis or

Synthesis level

Demonstration/Celebration: Arrange for students to demonstrate or

exhibit their project to the community; acknowledge and validate their

accomplishments

© 2007 Terry & Bohnenherger, Service-Learning...by Degrees


Creative Problem-Solving

Process

Reflection

Cognitive

Apprenticeship Model

Coop

erat

iveLe

arnin

g Strat

egies



Celebration/Demonstration refers to opportunities that rec-ognize and honor the students for making a positive difference intheir community. Higher levels of celebration offer opportunitiesfor the students to demonstrate their project accomplishments totheir peers, community members, and the world. For instance,the gifted youth mentioned in this article participated in theannual Community Problem Solving Fair at the InternationalFuture Problem Solving Conference where they experienced aheightened level of celebration/demonstration. In this competi-tion, students from all over the world assemble to display theirprojects, explain their projects to trained international evaluators,share their experiences, and celebrate the power of making a dif-ference in the world. This recognition for a job well done is someaningful for students that it outweighs the competitive factor(Bohnenberger & Terry, 2002).

The components of this best-practice model work togethersynchronously. In order to successfully facilitate service learn-ing, teachers must become comfortable with the cognitiveapprenticeship model, eventually fading from the project andallowing the students to take charge, to lead. By applying thecreative problem solving process, the students identify a com-munity concern and develop a plan of action. In order to imple-ment their action plan effectively, the students must acquirecooperative learning skills and organize themselves into differ-entiated action groups with specific tasks related to the goals ofthe project. Regular reflective activities provide students withopportunities to process and synthesize the information, help-ing them to achieve the required curriculum objectives andprocess the meaning of service. Celebration/Demonstration, thefinal element of the model, enhances the service-learning expe-rience for the students. This model provides a blueprint forenacting advanced levels of service learning. It encourages thedevelopment of a reciprocally-beneficial relationship betweenthe students and their community that encompasses mutualrespect and provides the gifted with opportunities to developtheir moral compasses (Bohnenberger & Terry, 2003; Terry &Bohnenberger, 2003; 2007).

SERVICE LEARNING AS A DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULUMThe Community Action level of service learning is an effective,

differentiated curriculum for instruction with gifted learners. Ithelps them to reach their cognitive, affective, and creative poten-tial as they seek solutions to society’s ever-increasing challenges. Inservice leaning instruction is concept-focused and principle-driv-en. Flexible grouping is consistently applied as students becomeactive explorers, ultimately becoming responsible for their ownlearning. This student-centered approach gives students ownershipof their learning; facilitates growing independence in thought,planning, and evaluation; and extends the richness and intensity oflearning as they progress toward a deeper understanding of the realworld. Service learning provides multiple opportunities to exploreideas through the multiple modalities while applying the conceptsand principles of a discipline to an authentic community problem(Terry & Bohnenberger, 2007; 2007b).

The Future Problem Solving Program International has beenvery successful in providing training workshops, materials,instructional guidelines, and feedback to teachers of gifted stu-dents regarding implementing Community-Action service-learn-ing projects with gifted students through its CommunityProblem Solving component. CmPS also offers gifted youthunique opportunities for celebration and demonstration througha competitive process. You can find more information as well aslocate a local affiliate program at the FPSPI website atwww.fpspi.org. The Corporation for National and CommunityService also provides support for service learning through itsLearn and Serve America initiative. For more information aboutLearn and Serve America grants and links to support materialsrelating to all levels of serving learning, visit the Learn and Servewebsite at http://learnandserve.gov.

CONCLUSIONService learning builds a bridge between school and commu-

nity, a bridge that can lead our gifted students toward greaterawareness and interest in addressing societal issues. It promotesthe development of a reciprocal relationship between giftedyouth and the community; enhances the students’ sense ofresponsibility to self and community; and helps them developtheir moral compass.

Judith A. Ramaley, assistant director of the National ScienceFoundation’s Directorate for Education and Human Resources,expressed the importance of engaging students in real-world, serv-ice-learning experiences:

If we want our students to lead creative, productive lives,we must give them opportunities to learn in ways that haveconsequences for others, as well as for themselves. I knowof no better way to invoke the many facets of cognitivedevelopment, moral reasoning, and social responsibilitythan to engage students in service-learning opportunities.At its best, a service-learning experience can be transforma-tive. Fiske, 2002, p. 58

According to Senator Sam Brownback, “As we consider thefast pace of scientific and technological progress in our modernworld, we must not lose our moral compass…” This especiallyholds true for gifted individuals who are often the ones responsi-ble for the fast pace of our modern world. We must help guideour gifted youth so they can effectively develop their moral com-passes; help make this world a better place to live; and change thescreaming headlines about declining moral values in our youth intomorrow’s newspapers.

REFERENCES Bohnenberger, J. E., & Terry A. W. (2002). Community problem solving works for mid-

dle level students. Middle School Journal, 34(1), 5-12.

Bohnenberger, J. E. & Terry, A. W. (2003). Service learning by degrees: a guidebook for

teachers. Knoxville, TN: ABLE Press.

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learn-



ing. Educational Researcher, 18, 1, 32-42.

Community Problem Solving Final Report. (2001). Community Problem Solving team:

Armstrong Elementary School, Dallas, Texas. (Available from the Future Problem

Solving Program International, PO Box 2470, Melbourne, FL 32902)

FPSPI. (2007). 2007 International conference Community Problem Solving champions.

Melbourne, FL: Future Problem Solving Program International.

Fiske, E. B. (2002). Learning in deed: The power of service-learning for American

schools. National Commission on Service-Learning. Retrieved December 24, 2006,

from http://www.wkkf.org/pubs/PhilVol/Pub3680.pdf.

Osborn, A. F. (1963). Creative imagination (3rd ed.). New York: Charles Scribner.

Parnes, S. J. (1967). Creative behavior guidebook. New York: Charles Scribner.

Passow, A. H. (1989). Educating gifted persons who are caring and concerned. Gifted

Education International, 6(1) 5-7.

Passow, A. H. (1995). Families and communities: Essential resources for nurturing gift-

edness and talent. Gifted Education International, 10, 52-55.

Renzulli, J. S. (2002). Expanding the conception of giftedness to include co-cognitive

traits and to promote social capital. Phi Delta Kappan, 84, 33-58.

Terry, A. W., & Bohnenberger, J. E. (1995). The complete how-to book for community

action projects. Knoxville, TN: ABLE Press.

Terry, A. W., & Bohnenberger, J. E. (2003). Service learning: Fostering a cycle of caring

in our gifted youth. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 1, 23-30.

Terry, A. W. & Bohnenberger, J. E. (2007). Service-learning…by degrees: How

adolescents can make a difference in the real world. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.

Terry, A.W. & Bohnenberger, J. E. (2007b). Fostering more responsive and effective cit-

izens through service learning, SCOPE, 2(3), 7-8.

Terry, A. W., Bohnenberger, J. E., Renzulli, J. S., Cramond, B. & Sisk, D. (2008). Vision

with action: Developing sensitivity to societal concerns in gifted youth, Roeper

Review, 30(1), 61-67.

JANN BOHNENBERGER is the Executive Director of TheABLE Program, LLC, an educational consulting corporationdedicated to expanding service-learning opportunities forstudents, schools, and communities. Jann previouslyworked as the international coordinator of the FPSPI’sCommunity Problem Solving component, creating all pro-grammatic materials and guidelines as well as conductinga yearly international Community Problem Solving confer-ence showcasing superior student projects from aroundthe world. She has conducted extensive workshops

throughout the US and presented sessions at conferences such as NAGC, NMSA, andNSLC. Jann and co-author Alice Terry have written numerous articles and books on gift-ed education and service-learning.

ALICE W. TERRY, a 2004-2005 John Glenn Scholar inService-Learning, is Associate Professor of SocialStudies Education at Kennesaw State University. Shehas been involved in service learning as a teacher ofyoung adolescents, as a professor of middle gradeseducation, and as a researcher. Previously she taught inpublic schools for over two decades facilitating out-standing service-learning projects, including some thatwere featured in Reader’s Digest, Parade Magazine,Teen Magazine, and USA Today as well as on the Phil

Donahue Show. She and Jann Bohnenberger outline their service-learning methodsin their 2007 book, Service-Learning…by Degrees.

Students on Ethical Leadership

“I believe that ethical leadership means leading people or a group in a fair

and just way. You make decisions to benefit not just yourself or your own

group, but also for the outside community and the world.”

—Arielle Brackett, Grade 10

“Though different, ethics and morals are closely related. Ethics are essential

morals in action. They are the set of rules you follow as a leader when you are

acting based on your morals.”

—Mary Panushka, Grade 12

“For the most part, ethics and morals are the same, but morals are more of

things to believe in while ethics are actions that you carry out.”

—Aleah Feuerborn, Grade 9

“I believe there is a relationship between ethics and integrity. Because integrity

is an important aspect of strong morals, generally people with integrity make

ethical leaders.”




Some doubters argue, “Don’t leaders just develop becausethey are born with exceptional leadership potential?” Ofcourse, a few do have the charisma and basic skills to beleaders with what seems to be little effort. But more often

it takes an adult—you perhaps—to provide them with the infor-mation and practice they need to become more effective leaders;in addition many more leaders will emerge when an intentionalleadership program provides opportunities to learn about andpractice leadership.

We know that the nurturing of skill development in athletes isof critical importance for those individuals who will reach theirhighest performance. The same is true in the realm of leadershipskill development. A young person with natural ability can be anoutstanding athlete in the neighborhood, but he will still needcoaching with lots of specific feedback if he is ever to become achampion. Likewise, a young person aspiring to leadership needsto have opportunities to apply her leadership skills in a variety ofsituations if they are to be refined and if she is to become a leaderwho can make a difference. Leadership abilities and skills improvewhen nurtured, and continuous progress in leadership develop-ment pays large dividends.

Is student leadership in your school or organization developedintentionally or in a less-than-focused way? School and organizationleaders often consider leadership development among young peo-ple to be very important, and yet they do not have a clear pictureof how to nurture leadership and the skills needed for effectiveleadership. Those who make leadership a priority have a defini-tion of leadership that is agreed upon by all educators in thebuilding or adults in the organization, so a variety of experiencescan be related directly to the development of leadership skills.

Whether your role is that of classroom teacher, school princi-pal, district program coordinator, or leader of an outside youth

group, your students need a planned leadership program so theycan truly make a difference in their—and our—world.Leadership development must be intentional.

THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE AT WESTERN KENTUCKYFor thirteen years The Center for Gifted Studies at Western

Kentucky University has offered the Leadership Institute, a two-day professional development workshop for adults who workwith young people. Plans are in the works for a fourteenth pro-fessional development session with a focus on leadership activitiesthat can be used with elementary, middle, and high school stu-dents. The Leadership Institute is planned to address both thetheory and skills of leadership development. Leadership activitiesare modeled for the educators and other adults who work todevelop leadership among their young people.

In these sessions with educators and youth leaders, the debrief-ing of the experiences is more valuable than the activity itself(although you cannot debrief without the activity). Debriefingprovides the opportunity to reflect on what was learned in theleadership activity. Reflection allows participants to digest theexperience and to see how that experience contributes to one’slearning about leadership theory and/or leadership skills. Theactivities are the “hands-on component” in leadership develop-ment, while the debriefing is the “minds-on” component. Bothhands-on and minds-on aspects are essential if children andyoung people are to develop their leadership potential. Whenadults experience these same activities, they recognize how pow-erful they can be for students.

You may not have a formal adult training opportunity in yourarea, but you can join with other like-minded colleagues to makeintentional leadership training a reality in your classroom, school, oryouth group. In this article we share some of the key theories of suc-

Preparing StudentLeadersto Make

a DifferenceAdult Guides are Key

By Julia Link Roberts & Tracy Inman




cessful intentional leadership training; in addition, we share activi-ties we’ve found to be effective in youth development. You will alsofind useful resources throughout and in the reference section.

A LEADERSHIP MODELVarious leadership models are found in the literature. Which

model educators or organization leaders choose to use will vary;in this discussion, the focus is on “Leadership to Make aDifference Model” developed at the Center for Gifted Studies atWestern Kentucky University (see Figure 1).

A leadership definition. Multiple definitions of leadershipexist, as do various programs for the development of leadershippotential. The key for developing leaders who can make a differ-ence is having a definition of leadership that is mutually accept-ed by the educators or other leaders implementing the leadershipprogram, and that provides direction for all experiences thatdevelop leadership knowledge and skills. So the starting point fordeveloping leadership is knowing where you are going. This focuson a specific definition allows the program to have measurablegoals. Without an agreed-upon definition, any activity can belabeled a leadership development experience.

Without a focus, leadership development activities are so scat-tered that their impact on developing leadership is minimal.Likewise, many learning experiences hint of leadership yet lackfocus. A false impression of progress in the development of lead-ership may be created by the tangential verbal connection of lead-ership to myriad learning experiences. Or the connection of thelearning experience to leadership is assumed but not communi-cated to the student. Opportunities to develop leadership aremissed when there is a weak or nonexistent connection betweenleadership activities and the intended learning about leadership.

The definition we adopted for the Leadership to Make aDifference Model is, Leadership is planning and implementingwith others to reach an agreed-upon goal. Without a goal, theaction taken to maintain what is going on is management ratherthan leadership. Simply holding an office does not make some-one a leader.

Location. Leadership can be developed in a variety of settingsfrom within a classroom to a location outside of school. Where

leadership is learned is not nearly as important as young peoplehaving opportunities to develop their leadership potential some-where. What has to be in place, in addition to an agreed-upondefinition of leadership, is that teachers and leaders must knowthe content and skills they want to focus on to develop youngpeople into leaders. They need to know this content well so theycan use examples of leadership, refer to the skills, and provideopportunities for students to use their leadership skills in authen-tic situations.

GOAL SETTINGLeadership is goal oriented. Leadership is working with others to

reach that goal. The first step in working with students is settinga goal. Individuals who are working to reach that goal need tohave “buy in” for the goal, so it is best to involve them in settingthe goal whenever possible.

Learning to intentionally set both long- and short-term goalsis critical to leadership development. In fact, the planning stepcannot effectively occur until goal setting is accomplished.Usually several short-term goals must be reached before the over-all goal of the leadership project is achieved.

An interesting activity focusing on long-term goals is reminis-cent of daunting job interview questions: Where do you see your-self in five years? Ten years? What do you see yourself doing?Believing? Sometimes for a student to visualize himself in highschool or college or even early career opens up new thinking andpoints of view for him. Somehow putting this in writing brings aseriousness to the activity. The debriefing can be very revealing tothe student, to the educator, and to other students.

The character education video series Big Chances, Big Choices(Pritchard) and its parent website goodcharacter.com, includemultiple goal-setting activities. It emphasizes four importantmaxims for goal setting:

• It has to be important to you, personally.• It has to be within your power to make it happen through

your own actions.• It has to be something you have a reasonable chance of

achieving.• It must be clearly defined and have a specific plan of action.

The website offers both discussion and written prompts thatencourage exploration and practice of goal setting, and permis-sion to use them freely.

PLANNINGPlanning is essential in order to become an effective leader.

Students need to recognize that whether it be for a classroomproject or a school-wide or city event, planning is done at manylevels. Karnes and Bean (1995) provide questions to guide theplanning young people do to reflect on leadership. They providea reflective piece that asks the student to list extracurricular activ-ities in which they would like to be involved and strategies fordoing so. Planning a campaign speech asks the student to reflecton why they want to run for office, personal strengths, goals forFIGURE 1



the office, and reasons that others should vote for them. Such reflection increases the like-lihood that students will seek more opportunities to use their leadership skills.

The next level of planning is determining a project goal, one in which the student isthe leader. A useful tool is a planning form that includes several components:

• the goal• the steps to reach the goal• a timeline for each step• the individual or individuals responsible for each step

Such a form works for students planning the leadership project because it builds inaccountability as it requires adding details that are necessary to reach the overall goal ofthe leadership plan. Educators can use this same form as they plan their own leadershipplan. In fact, as a final activity at the Leadership Institute, participants complete a plan-ning form to guide them as they implement a leadership program when they return totheir homes.

ASSESSINGLeadership assessment may be interpreted on multiple levels. One level is the self-

assessment students do when they consider their own leadership skills and potential. Apowerful activity that encourages keen reflection and self-analysis is MacGregor’s BodyMap (2008). After tracing their body outlines on butcher-block paper, students answera series of questions using phrases, illustrations, quotations—whatever they feel bestgets their answer across. For example, for “hands,” students answer the question, “Inwhat ways do I enjoy helping others?” For “eyes” they explain, “When people first meetor see me, what do I want them to learn about me?” This exercise can be very person-al and powerful.

Another interpretation of assessment in leadership is the evaluation of the leadershipplan itself. It’s important for students and educators to monitor progress toward the stu-dents’ goals. A simple three-pronged approach can prove very telling: Periodically asking:

• What?• So what?• Now what? encourages the developing leader to reflect, alter, and refine the plan that allows her to

reach her goal.

GROUP DYNAMICSGroup dynamics or team building is a favorite in developing leadership skills. The

Internet alone can provide tens of thousands of activities! For example, wilderdom.comdescribes the “Helium Stick” which is always a source of excitement and discussion. Toe-to-toe, teams face each other as they are given a very simple task: Using fingers only, raisethe long rod placed in between your teams to chest level. Amazed and then frustratedfaces see the rod move from the floor to their chests to their eyes and then to arms’ lengthabove their heads. It typically takes many attempts before they figure out the key. This isa terrific activity to start with because it generates so much discussion from such a seem-ingly simple task.

Another favorite activity that gets everyone involved is MacGregor’s House of Cards(2008). Teams are provided a flat surface and a large stack of index cards. They are toldto construct a house of cards—of course without using any verbal communication.Although very simplistic in concept, the results are anything but simple: students havecreated swimming pools complete with beach umbrellas and floating rafts! Competitionis strong as teams assume that they are vying for “best house.” The next step proves veryinteresting as they are told to link the different groups’ structures together. The debrief-ing tends to be excited discussion as they voice a range of emotions from the thrill ofagreeing on a concept to the frustration of altering their vision with an attached structure.Once these insights are transferred to the realm of leadership, real learning takes place.

Students on Ethical Leadership“There is a relationship between ethics and most

everything in life.”

—Trevor Sherwood, Grade 11

“While ethics are the standards you set for your-

self, integrity is the action you take to fulfill

those standards.”

—Maddie Fahan, Grade 11

“Making the ethical choice is not always the easy

one. Sometimes being a leader requires making

decisions that others are unhappy with.”

—Emily Stephens, Grade 11

“Ethics can change over time because your expe-

riences in life shape your values into what you

know them as today.

—Trevor Sherwood

“I think that people may think that ethics become

more lax over time, but in essence, what is right

is always right.”

—Samantha Carlton, Grade 12

“I think ethics are things that stay with you all the

time. They should not change when you are with

different people.”

—Margo Georghiou, Grade 11

“I believe there is a relationship between ethics

and integrity. Because integrity is an important

aspect of strong morals, generally people with

integrity make ethical leaders.”


“Ethics can change over time. As civilizations grow

and develop, the cultures also change and modern-

ize. While there are some aspects that stay con-

stant, some customs we find acceptable and ethical

today would have been rejected in other societies.”

—Arielle Brackett, Grade 10

“I do not think ethical standards are different

in various situations. People say they differ to

justify doing things that are unethical.”

—Samantha Carlton, Grade 12



PROBLEM SOLVINGLeaders must develop a plethora of problem-solving skills,

being able to vary the method depending on the situation.“Broken Squares” (Endris, 1998) provides tools that can be usedin times of stress. Like many of the other activities described, thisone develops other areas in addition to problem solving (i.e.,group dynamics, communication, and decision-making).

In teams of five, each student is given an envelope holdingpieces of a square. The goal is simple; each student must build acomplete square without talking. Soon, the students discover thatnone of the envelopes holds a complete square so that they musttrade pieces with each other to perform the task. The hitch is thatthey cannot ask for them or take them from the others; however,players may offer pieces. Typically there are groups that nevercomplete their squares much to their frustration. This is typicallydue to their lack of sharing, intense personal competition, or put-ting their portion of the goal over the importance of the groupgoal. And so many of them break the rules! Be sure to devoteplenty of time to the debriefing as this can be intense.

DECISION MAKINGA favorite activity for decision-making involves moral dilem-

mas. MacGregor (2007) explores this skill in “Doing the RightThing.” Students are asked a series of “compass questions”intended to guide their decision-making. For example, “If mymom, dad, or other important adult in my life were watching mewhile making this decision, how would I feel?” (p. 57). Then spe-cific scenarios are described that force students to examine ethicalparameters. Discussion over the scenarios must be monitoredclosely as students tend to become intensely involved in theirstances. Addressing Kohlberg’s “Stages of Moral Development” inlight of the discussions adds another dimension.

Lewis (1998) includes character dilemmas that provide youngpeople with numerous situations on which they can take a stand.Often the discussion brings to light factors to consider that willreinforce or change the stand that was first taken. Of course, stu-dents can design their own dilemmas as well.

COMMUNICATINGCommunication skills, both verbal and nonverbal, are critical

to leadership development. Because of their importance, commu-nication activities abound. One fun, yet potentially frustratingactivity is “Birthday Line Up” (McLuen and Wysong, 2000).Divided into teams, students line up according to month and dayof birthday—but they must do so without any verbal communi-cation. The debriefing of this activity provides additional insightas students describe the methods used, the emerging leaders, andthe importance of body language.

Another activity emphasizing the importance of listening is “AListening and Communicating Challenge” (Joy, 1992). Here stu-dents sit back-to-back, one with paper in hand ready to listen anddraw, the other with a geometric design in hand ready to describe.Round one is a description with listening only—no questions.Round two involves questioning and feedback. Imagine theimproved drawings and the fruitful insight that comes from the

debriefing! Learning about one-way and two-way communica-tion is important in understanding the appropriateness of eachfor certain leadership circumstances.

Another important aspect to communication is seeing situationsthrough someone else’s eyes. Roets’ “Different Points of Views”(1997) provides just that type of experience. After a brief situationis read aloud (such as “The snow is falling, light, lovely, and deep”),students are assigned to consider it from various viewpoints. In thisexample, they are to think about it as a snowflake, a five-year-old,a snow shovel salesman, and a person driving. Although simple,this exercise paves the way for more complex situations.

A final example is “Rumor Clinic: A CommunicationsExperiment” (Pfeiffer, 1981). This engaging exercise explores thedistortion that so often occurs in transmitting information. It isespecially powerful because five different people relate the sameinformation independently of each other; the debriefing of thisactivity often involves multiple connections to real-life situations.

CONCLUSIONThe development of leadership skills and adding to the knowl-

edge base of leadership are learned when the opportunities tolearn about leadership and to use those leadership skills are pur-posefully planned and taught. Agreement on the definition ofleadership comes first; then planning for key learning experiencesmust follow in order to effectively impact the development ofleadership capacity. Leadership is far more likely to develop to apoint that the leader can make a difference if the content andskills are explicitly taught.

The Leadership Institute involves educators in leadershipexperiences that they can use with their own students. Theycomplete the learning experiences rather than just hearingabout how they work. In turn, they will lead students throughthese or similar leadership activities. But leadership activitiesare only the prelude to being a leader who makes a difference.At the core of the Leadership to Make a Difference Model is“applied leadership.” The goal of leadership programs is todevelop young leaders who integrate skills with knowledgeabout leadership. That is what the model is all about—devel-oping leaders who make a difference.

SOURCESEndris, (1998). Leadership lesson plan: Broken squares. In G. Schack, J. Minnehan, & L.

Flerage Resource guide to support the development of leadership skills. Kentucky

Department of Education.

Joy, F. (March/April, 1992). A listening and communication challenge. Educational

Oasis, 34(14-15).

Karnes, F. A., & Bean, S. M. (1995). Leadership for students: A practical guide for ages

8-18. Waco, TX: Prufrock Publishing.

Lewis, B. A. (1998). What do you stand for? A kids’ guide to building character.

Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

MacGregor, M. G. (2007). Everyday leadership: Attitudes and actions for respect and

success. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

MacGregor, M. G. (2008). Teambuilding with teens: Activities for leadership, decision

making, and group success. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

McLuen, D., & Wysong, C. (2000). The student leadership training manual for youth



workers: Everything you need to disciple your kids in leadership skills. Grand

Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Pfeiffer, J. W. (1981). A handbook of structured experiences for human relations train-

ing. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Pritchard, M. (Producer.) (n.d.) Big chances, big choices. (available from goodcharac-

ter.com). United States: Live Wire Media.

Roets, L. F. (1997). Leadership: A skills training program. (8th Ed.). Des Moines, IA:

Leadership Publishers.

JULIA LINK ROBERTS, Ph.D., is the Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies at the Centerfor Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University. She received the first ever DavidW. Belin Advocacy Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)in 2001. She serves on NAGC’s Board of Directors and has also chaired itsLegislative Task Force. She and Tracy Inman recently published Strategies forDifferentiating Instruction: Best Practices for the Classroom and also, AssessingDifferentiated Student Products: A Protocol for Development and Evaluation. Sherepresents the United States as a delegate to the World Conference for Gifted andTalented Children.

TRACY FORD INMAN, M.A., has devoted her career to meeting the needs of young peo-ple, especially those who are gifted and talented. She has taught on both the high schooland collegiate levels as well as in summer programs for gifted and talented youth. Shenow serves as Associate Director of The Center for Gifted Studies at Western KentuckyUniversity in Bowling Green, KY. She also serves as writer/editor for The Challenge, theaward-winning newsmagazine for The Center for Gifted Studies. She and Julia Robertsrecently published, Strategies for Differentiating Instruction: Best Practices for theClassroom and also, Assessing Differentiated Student Products: A Protocol forDevelopment and Evaluation.

GIFTED EDUCATION COMMUNICATOR is designed to be a practi-

tioner’s journal—providing you with the information andstrategies to apply the theory, research, and best practicesin the field. You’ll find these regular features in each issue:

• Feature theme articles

by national leaders in the field

• Parent Talk

• Hands-On Curriculum

• National Calendar

• Administrator Talk• Student Voices

• Technology in

the Classroom

Subscribe Today by contacting the California Association for the Gifted: 11130 Sun Center Drive, Suite 100, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670; Phone: 916-441-3999; e-mail: [email protected]; website: CAGifted.org

Information and practical solutionsfor parents and educators.

UPCOMING THEMES:Summer - Origins of GiftednessFall - Philosophy/HumanitiesWinter - Highly & Profoundly Gifted

“Mickey’s Ten Commandments”By Martin A. Sklar

1. Know your audience.2. Wear your guest’s shoes.3. Organize the flow of people and ideas.4. Create a “wienie” (visual magnet).5. Communicate with visual literacy.6. Avoid overload—create turn-ons.7. Tell one story at a time.8. Avoid contradictions—maintain identity.9. “Ounce of treatment—ton of treat.”10. Keep it up (maintain it).

© Walt Disney Company

Editor’s note* Martin Sklar is Executive Vice President of Walt Disney

Imagineering and Imagineering Ambassador. In February, Mr. Sklar opened the 47th

annual conference of the California Association for the Gifted with his keynote address

that included the above list of “commandments.” Its application to the topic of lead-

ership is readily apparent. The list is included by permission from Mr. Sklar.



H A N D S - O N C U R R I C U L U MBy Ann MacDonald and Jim Riley

“All cultures need role models and leaders. The role of parents andeducators is critical in assisting the development of leadership atti-tudes and skills in gifted youth.” In Leadership Development andGifted Students, by Francis A. Karnes and Suzanne M. Bean: EricClearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education.

In regard to standards, Karnes and Bean state that“Leadership has been designated a talent area in federaland state definitions of gifted students who require differ-entiated programs, yet it remains the least discussed of the

curricular areas for these students in the literature, and it is notwell defined.”

Leading the way is not easy. Just talking about it can be con-troversial. Is it a weakness, for instance, to allow examination ofstrength or power and subject it to critical thinking? This lessonwill not only get the students talking about leadership, but willstructure the dilemma for analysis.

We begin with a wide variety of leadership situations—somepersonally experienced by students—and place them on a contin-uum of authority; we continue with exercises that illuminatestyles, and conclude with how to lead when things go awry andsome surprising leadership characteristics in the animal world.

SETTING UP A SCALEOpen the lesson with the terms “dictatorship,” in which the

leadership has absolute power, and “anarchy” where there is nocentral leadership at all. Place the two terms on a horizontal linerepresenting control, with complete control to the left and nocontrol to the right.

Ask the students to consider what form of leadership would fitin the center of the line; they will probably choose some form ofthe checks and balances of a democracy. Ask them how democra-cy is a compromise between control and freedom.

PROPOSING ELEMENTS TO BE MEASUREDWhat leadership situations have students experienced, either

as the leader or as one being led? What positions of leadershipare there in a family? Can a family be a democracy? A school? Acommunity?

Have the class brainstorm positions—parent, older/youngersibling, teacher, principal, playground supervisor, babysitter,coach, team captain, school newspaper editor, student councilleader, and so on—and try placing a few on the continuum.Considerations could include the openness of the decision-mak-ing process and possible pathways for appeal.

Political science students could list leadership positionsfrom various world arenas—emperor, king/queen, prime min-ister, czar, president, or chief. Of course, different places havedifferent formulations for leadership; for example, the powersof a president in one country may be different from that ofanother country.

PLACEMENT ON THE METRICAfter this initial listing and discussion of possible placement

problems, divide the class into groups of two or three to discusstheir own ideas of leadership positions. Tell them to make note ofany grey areas and to be ready to share anecdotal evidence, focus-ing on the process of leadership—not the actual names of theleaders. (When the groups come back together to show their lead-ership lineups, you could facilitate visualizing the results by usingtransparencies or a document camera.)

It might be thought that this lesson is more about power thanleadership, but there is a vital distinction.

A leader has dominion over his/her constituents—a babysitterover a child, a king over a country. The style of leadership couldwield that power as absolute but fear a stab in the toga, or beassured enough to consider the input of the ruled.

Leadership:Exerting Influence

PHOTO BY DAN NELSON



It is important that students understand power as one variableof leadership. While the delegated/elected/inherited extent ofpower is the same, the constitutional style can differ.

Among other characteristics (e.g., being in the spotlight), thislesson looks at how leaders with equivalent power could vary theinteraction with the constituencies, whether the site of power is inthe home or in the homeland.

To conclude this portion of the lesson, ask the students to cre-ate a hypothesis on leadership as a balancing act.

OPINIONS DIFFERFitting personal styles to formal processes results in a spectrum

of what leaders can do and what followers want. This second sec-tion of the lesson brings into consideration the effects of person-ality and beliefs on the expression of that positional power.

Present the following opposing quotes and have the studentsexpress their positions on the ramifications of personality andpublic perception in the carrying out of leadership. For youngerchildren, this question of leadership style could be elicited withquestions such as: Is an effective babysitter strict or permissive?Does a team captain share credit for a successful game? When is aparent open to considering diverse ideas?

Spotlight vs. backstage.“A leader is one who is best when people barely know he

exists.”—Witter Bynner“ Leaders are lights of the world and stars of the human race.”

—William CowperSolitary vs. inclusive.“A leader must always act alone. And acting alone, accept every-

thing alone.”—Ferdinand Marcos“A leader’s character and qualifications are reflected in the men he

selects, develops, and gathers around him.” —Arthur NewcombAnd for older students,How does style apply to international relations?

“Superpower is an antiquated word.” —Daniel Shore“I have …taken off my hat to nothing known or unknown.”

—Walt Whitman

THE CORE OF AMERICAN LEADERSHIPIn his Gettysburg address, Abraham Lincoln called for a new

birth of freedom and leadership dedicated to its preservation:“…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shallnot perish from the earth.” Preservation of this form of leadership,although a turbulent trip, has kept the American ideals intact.

Discuss the leadership implications of the three prepositions ingovernment of, by, and for the people and what makes the conditionsperishable? Use a school or community organization the students arefamiliar with—scouts, student councils, service clubs—to correlatethe core responsibilities of the leadership to the mission and activitiesof the group. Ask how a leader can exert influence while maintainingthe viability of the group, the buy-in of the “followership.”

WRITING A WRONGNo leader worth following is error-free. The spirit and courage

required for reaching new ground are starkly on view in the

response to mistakes. Barbara Kellerman, the James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in

Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and author ofthe books Bad Leadership and Followership, identifies four compo-nents of leadership imperatives when things go wrong. Theresponse must be:

• quick• heartfelt• address the error• provide a path for reparation

This fix-it manual can be applied to leadership in the worldarena, classroom matters, or personal relationships. Have studentschoose an event they are personally aware of where a leader madea serious error. Assign a short essay describing the situation andanalyzing the response in terms of the Kellerman points—whatwas or wasn’t done. Are all four aspects equally necessary?

NATURAL BUREAUCRACYHaving considered human leadership structure, style, and

scale, how about other species? Leadership is not exclusive tohumans; survival in animal groups depends on order.

Some classes might be interested in looking into peckingorder— literally. How does a flock of birds stay together? How dowild horses determine the Alpha horse?

Cheryl Sutor in “Pecking Order in Herds” states, “The stallionowns the herd…although he is not Alpha. The Alpha horse is thedominant leader to whom all of the other horses [show] respectand are submissive to…Dominance has very little to do withstrength. Dominance is all about wisdom. The wisest or oldesthorse will be dominant, even if she is not the strongest.” (equ-usite.com/articles/behavior/behaviorPecking.shtml)

What determines dominance in other species? An Internetsearch will yield many more facts about animal pecking ordersand the natural leadership structure.

HERDING CATSIf this effort toward lining up leadership has seemed with-

out resolution, consider that worthwhile work is never done:“The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him, in othermen, the conviction and the will to carry on.” —WalterLippmann

JIM RILEY and ANN MACDONALD are the editors of the Hands-on Curriculum departmentof the Gifted Education Communicator. They taught in the San Diego City Schools’Seminar program for the highly gifted.


“You know what they say: If God hadbeen a Liberal, we wouldn’t have had theTen Commandments. We’d have had the tensuggestions.” —Christopher Bigsby andMalcom Bradbury

Researching the topic “Leadershipand Ethics” for this issue of theGifted Education Communicatorwas similar to going down the

rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. Thejourney led to thousands of opinions, allvarying, if not disagreeing. Some opinionsdemanded commandments; some wel-comed suggestions.

Claire Andre, former associate Centerdirector and Manuel Velasquez, DirksenProfessor of Business Ethics at Santa ClaraUniversity, believe that “…Ethics is twothings. First, ethics refers to well basedstandards of right and wrong that pre-scribe what humans ought to do, usuallyin terms of rights, obligations, benefits tosociety, fairness, or specific virtues.” And“…Secondly, ethics refers to the study anddevelopment of one’s ethical standards”(Issues in Ethics, Vol. 1 No. 1, Fall 1987).

From this description, the first reliesupon “well based standards,” but the sec-ond is personal and could vary with eachindividual.

David Brooks, in his January 27, 2009column in the NY Times, quoted a reportfrom a Harvard committee:

“The aim of a liberal education…is tounsettle presumptions, to defamiliarizethe familiar, to reveal what is going onbeneath and behind appearances, to dis-orient young people and to help them

find ways to reorient themselves.”Mr. Brooks continues with this

statement: “The report implied anentire way of living. Individuals shouldlearn to think for themselves. Theyshould be skeptical of pre-existingarrangements. They should break freefrom the way they were raised, examinelife from the outside and discover theirown values.”

He contrasts this point of view withsome thoughts from On ThinkingInstitutionally by the political scientist,Hugh Heclo. In David Brooks’ words,reflecting Professor Heclo’s thinking,“New generations don’t invent institu-tional practices. These practices arepassed down and evolve. So the insti-tutionalist has a deep reverence forthose who came before and built upthe rules that he has temporarily takendelivery of.”

Both these points of view are worthy ofbig thinking.

But what about smaller thinking relat-ing to everyday living ethics? This is whereethics start in our families and in ourclassrooms. The beautiful paragraphsfrom the Harvard study tap right into thekind of teaching we do in gifted educa-tion, guiding our students into thinkingfor themselves. How do we balance thatwith the need for fundamental ethicsbased upon rules which have sustainedsociety for generations?

When we look at military schools withcodes of honor, we can see why cadets areso crisp and quick to action. It would beinteresting to show our gifted children the

advantage of such discipline while alsoteaching them to analyze and understandcodes of ethics in today’s society.Discipline is a matter of practice, whereasunderstanding is vital to a gifted mind tosustain the ability to tolerate the disci-pline. For example, every website titledArmy Core Values, including Wikepedia,refers to seven values that form theacronym LDRSHIP:

Loyalty, Duty, Respect, SelflessService, Honor, Integrity, PersonalCourage.

Gandhi has a softer approach yet alsoemphasizes self discipline.

The Seven Social Sins as quoted byMahatma Ghandhi in Young India,1925, are:

• politics without principles• wealth without work• pleasure without conscience• knowledge without character• commerce without morality• science without humanity• worship without sacrifice

Ten Commandments and ten sugges-tions would bring a beautiful blend of his-torical, religious, and chosen ethics to ourchildren. How could anyone lose with all

those possibilities?

ELAINE S. WIENER is AssociateEditor for Book Reviews for the Gifted EducationCommunicator. She is retiredfrom the Garden GroveUnified School District GATEprogram. She can be reachedat [email protected].


C A R P E D I E MBy Elaine S. Wiener

ILLUSTRATION BY JON PEARSON

Ethics: Choice or Imposed?



T E C H N O L O G Y I N T H E C L A S S R O O MBy Beth Littrell & Lance Arnt

Computer technology has changed the way that stu-dents interact with their world. At the onset of thepersonal computer in the mid-1980s, computers werelargely used as electronic worksheets that taught basic

skills. Twenty years later, they are powerful tools that serve andcreate giftedness among their users.

In 2006, Google introduced a three-dimensional drawingprogram called Google Sketchup. Now in its seventh release,the program allows users to easily create objects in a vector-based 3D drawing tool with CAD-like controls, with a fullinterface to the tools in Google Warehouse. Users can createnew images, publish them with author credit, and determinethe level of access to other users. If authors desire, they mayinvite others to improve their models in wiki-style collabora-tion. The program has an element called “dynamic compo-nents” that allows users to scale objects without distortion,add simple animation, and calculate formula values(youtube.com/user/SketchUpVideo).

DRAWING TOOLS INCLUDE:• Line—draws a regular straight line • Arc—creates an arc from two points and a drag (or third click) • Freehand—allows the user to scribble and create a freehand

figure• Circle—makes circles by clicking at a point and then defin-

ing the radius • Polygon—constructs regular polygons in much the same

way as circles: click and drag• Rectangle—makes rectangles by entering the length and

width• Follow me—creates an extrude along path (or subtraction of

such an extrude)• 3D Text—creates 3D text with customizable fonts, sizes, and

formatting

EDITING TOOLS INCLUDE:• Push/pull—Grabs a two-dimensional surface and pushes or

A New Dimensionin Drawing Software


pulls it into three dimensions. This, Google claims in thetutorial, is the main idea of Google SketchUp

• Rotate—Sets the angle for a selected geometrical piece usinga protractor

• Move—Selects, moves, and copies objects on the three dif-ferent axes or on some combination of the three

• Intersect—Offsets selected lignes, or offsets interieur ofshape/surface

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SketchUp)SketchUp users can benefit from free, online help from the

Sketchup site: http://sketchup.google.com/support/, theGoogle Groups page: http://groups.google.com/group/sketchup, or Wikis from many different sources.

The program has exciting implications for gifted learners.Middle school students at the Bayside S.T.E.M. Academy in SanMateo-Foster City School District are able to integrate math skills,spatial learning, and engineering tasks in creative new ways. Theythen combine their original drawings with those of classmates tocreate new cities or interface with Google Earth to make back-drops for projects in history and writing. In a similar vein, studentsin the Future Engineers Club at Granite Hills High School inApple Valley are using the software to design their CampusBeautification Program. In both of these examples, gifted learnersare able to use real-world technology to create a useful, real-worldproduct that allows for both depth and complexity.

In terms of cost, an attractive aspect of Google SketchUp isthat, for most needs, the software is free. SketchUp users in K-12 Education can choose between a free version of GoogleSketchUp or SketchUp Pro, which is free for educators andextremely affordable for students and schools. We recommendthat most folks in K-12 education try the free version; there’sno licensing to worry about, and students can download and

install it on their computers at home. You can get full informa-tion from the Google SketchUp home page at: http://sketchup.google.com/.

As we search for new methods to help students in the 21stcentury, Google SketchUp is a wonderful tool to nurture andsupport gifted learning. Seemingly, without creative limits,SketchUp provides a no-cost, high-interest avenue for studentsto pursue their imaginations with even greater depth and com-plexity than ever imagined.

REFERENCEShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SketchUp

http://sketchup.google.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/SketchUpVideo

BETH LITTRELL, M.Ed. is a BTSA Advisor and Resource Specialist for GATE in the SanMateo-Foster City School District in California. She has worked with gifted students andtheir teachers for 24 years. She serves on the education committee for the CaliforniaAssociation for the Gifted as well as a Parent Representative for the Bay Area.

LANCE ARNT teaches AP European History, AP English Language, and AVID at Granite HillsHigh School in Apple Valley, CA. He also serves as the AVID and GATE Coordinator for theApple Valley Unified School District, and is currently the Technology Chairperson for CAG.His favorite number is 8.


Ever-more powerful technologies create ever-increasing needs to equip stu-

dents with an ethical compass to navigate their expanding universe of information

and possibility. There are software programs that can help educators check for pla-

giarism, and there are virus protection programs, spyware programs, and pass-

word protections for documents. But for every piece of software that protects our

safety and ideas, there are thousands of ways to circumvent the rules.

And so, as technologies expand at exponential proportions, we need to create

in students a sense of real leadership and ethical awareness. It is that quality,

unique to humankind, that cannot be hacked or cracked or “beaten” by those who

wish us ill.

Because Internet sources change so rapidly, and because not all Internet sites

provide geographical location or author names essential for a complete bibliogra-

phy entry, it is important to check an online version of your style sheet for updated

documentation protocols. The American Psychological Association (APA) and Modern

Language Association (MLA) provide extensive online guidelines to documentation

and citation.

I encourage you to seek the protocols for documentation that match your

expectation of your children or your students. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the

change you want to see in the world.” If we want our children and our students to

act with ethical standards when it comes to technology, we, their parents and

teachers, need to set that example for them.

American Psychological Association. 2009. APA Style Guide To Electronic References

(PDF). Washington, DC: APA Service Center http://books.apa.org.

The Purdue OWL. 26 Aug. 2008. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue

University. 23 April 2008 http://owl.english.purdue.edu.

Ethical Leadership in Technology By Beth Littrell



The picture book may be designed to attract and interestyoung children, but as a teaching tool for older oradvanced students, it is often mistakenly overlooked.Children who are already independently reading are def-

initely not too old to be reading picture books. In fact, picturebooks often tackle complex ideas and topics in a manageablesize and form to spark further learning, especially in theadvanced student.

When I began working with gifted students in the late 1980s,I quickly discovered that picture books were a great way to stim-ulate student ideas, interests, and conversations. Among the clas-sic books that generated interest and inquiry-based activities wereMotel of Mysteries (1978) by David Macaulay; The Mysteries ofHarris Burdick (1984) by Chris Van Allsburg; Q is for Duck(1980) by Mary Elting; and CDB! (1984) by William Steig.Sometimes they even led to unexpected quests for knowledge.

One example of further exploration generated by studentreaders involved 5th graders researching Latin bases to createnames for the ordinary items in their bedrooms—an activitymodeled on The Motel of Mysteries. While these books sharedvery little in common, they had the essential ingredients thatstimulate and ignite minds that crave the complexity that abook might offer. This early use of picture books was so success-ful that I continued to build much of the curriculum for gifted

programming around them. In fact, over the years, I have regu-larly searched for additional titles that work well with thisdiverse population of bright kids, each of whom sees the worldfrom his or her own unique perspective. For example, Zoom(1995) by Istvan Banyai, presents a visual challenge that movesfrom one image to the whole world. As each page is turned bythe reader, he or she looks at the images and is led to biggerideas and unexpected destinations.

THINGS TO LOOK FORThis article is designed to help others identify picture books

that have the potential to be the right books to use with giftedlearners. The picture book is actually a complex medium thatrequires creators to present a story that engages the reader withboth text and pictures to be successful. I have tried to identify thereasons why highly able students savor these books, but I have notbeen able to determine a formula for the perfect picture book foradvanced students. I am in awe of the diversity of picture books,each taking the reader on its own particular journey within andbeyond the pages. In reviewing the new crop of picture bookseach year, I look for the perfect balance between text and art—abook that doesn’t give too much away, that always leaves the read-er with the hint of a question, and that requires the reader to beengaged to work.

B O O K S A V V Y : C R E A T I N G L I F E T I M E R E A D E R SBy Susannah Richards

The Power and Potentialof the Picture Book



I have developed a list of criteria that I use to identify picturebooks with the potential to lead to further teaching, learning, andexploration with this population. These books

• are well-crafted stories that understand that the picture bookis a complex form that necessitates a balance between thetext, images, and the reader;

• include some level of unpredictability, even if they follow apattern that may be logical and surprising;

• appeal to the child who understands or may someday under-stand New Yorker cartoons (these books may even have beencreated by children’s book creators who are New Yorker car-toonists like Jon Agee, Jules Feiffer, William Steig, JamesStevenson);

• include intricate and extensive details to stimulate the read-er to investigate the story, topic or ideas behind the story;

• play with language in unexpected formats;• use humor in a subtle way;• are visually appealing;• treat the reader as an intelligent person with the capacity

to interact with the text and images to follow one or morestorylines;

• present multiple or unusual perspectives;• provide additional information on the story such as an

author or illustrator notes, sources of information, and back-ground on the topic.

EXAMPLES OF NEW PICTURE BOOKSThe following are highlights of recently published notable pic-

ture books that may be a perfect stimulus for conversation andexploration for highly able students in your classroom or at home.

Outstanding picture books explore everyday situations inanything but ordinary ways. They bring their readers alongwith them to worlds otherwise unavailable to those readersand not just fantasy worlds. Lost your tooth? Consider howother cultures’ tooth rituals differ from those in the UnitedStates. Readers of I Lost My Tooth in Africa (2006) will learnthat, instead of a quarter under the pillow, a lost tooth may beworth a chicken. The interaction with this book may lead stu-dents to investigate other tooth-loss traditions or to compareand contrast the different value of a lost tooth over time andaround the globe.

In 2006, readers followed Adele and Simon through Paris; nowthey can travel around the United States to Chicago, Santa Fe,Washington, D.C., and San Francisco with Adele & Simon inAmerica (2008). The intricate period images and extensive backmatter (additional factual information) will provide a perfectintroduction to diversity of this varied nation. Readers may alsowant to explore the country with Adele & Simon on their websiteat adeleandsimoninamerica.com. The visual learner who delightsin finding the details in the images will find a feast of possibilities.

Uri Shulevitz takes a very different approach to traveling inHow I Learned Geography (2008). This stunningly illustrated textis based on Shulevitz’s childhood memories from World War IIwhen he and his family were living in Turkistan. He relates the

story of his father going to the market to buy bread and insteadreturning with a world map. His rationale was that while he couldnot buy enough bread to satisfy their hunger, the map might pro-vide even more sustenance. The map became the stimulus for animaginary trip around the world where the young boy navigatesthe strange and exotic places from Fukuoka to Pennsylvania in hisimagination. Of course, these world adventures (like every goodstory) achieved the father’s goal by taking his son’s thoughts awayfrom his life of hunger and misery.

Emily Gravett, British children’s picture book creator, breaksinto new formats with insight into kids and a few Latin roots asshe explores phobias in Little Mouse’s Book of Fears. This engagingand innovative book invites readers to consider their phobiaswhile confronting their fears. The vocabulary alone will makereaders want to investigate the words for different phobias such asaichmophobia—fear of sharp items. When considering “mice-knives,” the story is told through a fictional newspaper clipping,“Tail End for Deep Cut Farm’s Mouse Problem.” Every aspect ofthis book is clever from the end pages (reminding readers that“everyone is scared of something”) to the Latin catalogue of realfears, dystychiphobia, the fear of accidents, and imagined fears,whereamimophobia, the fear of getting lost. This book begs thereader to interact with the illustrations and die-cuts and deliversan invitation to add one’s own illustrations. For more, go to emi-lygravett.com.

In Lady Liberty: A Biography, Doreen Rappaport and MattTavares bring the Statue of Liberty to life with eloquent and lyri-cal vignettes and stunning illustrations that document how thisstatue captured a nation and the world. The story of this power-ful American symbol is presented in a manner intended to helpreaders understand the history of the Statue of Liberty and itscontinuing importance. The first vignette is Rappaport’s interpre-tation of what her grandfather might have thought as his shipapproached the statue.

Then early one morning, shouts of“The Lady! The Lady!” awakened him.He raced up to the deck.The ship was pulling into New York,and there was Lady Liberty greeting them all.

From that first glimpse of the statue, Rappaport then buildsthe story of its creation, beginning with Edouard de Labolulaye’sconcept of the statue and then moves through the vision andworks of the sculptor, engineer, and the workers. He even presentsthe poet who wrote the iconic words, “Give me your tired, yourpoor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...” The com-bination of Rappaport’s text and Tavares’ watercolor, pencil andink illustrations demonstrate the monumental nature of the sub-ject. By the time readers encounter the gatefold where the statuegleams in its copper glory out of the fog, readers are attached tothe icon and ready for the extensive information shared in theback matter where the dimensions and history of the statue arethoroughly presented. The history brought to the reader in this



book is delivered in small bites, each itsown story within the larger historical nar-rative. Such a large piece of our world,with significance even reaching far beyondits grand scale, is doled out in kid-sizedportions, making it all the more immedi-ate to the reader.

Since this year is the year of presidentspast and current, books about those pres-idents are bountiful. With the 200thanniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birthand the inauguration of a new (and his-toric) president, there are numerous pic-ture books that capture these larger-than-life presidential personalities. Young read-ers will be able to investigate lesser knownstories about Abraham Lincoln in AbeLincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale(2008) by Deborah Hopkinson.Hopkinson shares a little known but par-tially documented story in this imaginedtall, thin tale from Lincoln’s childhoodabout an adventure with his friend,Austin Gollaher, as they navigate theKentucky landscape. The story capturesthe reader with its folk-like storytellingand interactive illustrations.

Lincoln and Douglass: An AmericanFriendship (2008) is written by NikkiGiovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier.In a more serious historical manner,Giovanni and Collier provide a glimpseinto Lincoln’s friendship with FrederickDouglass and how that friendship playedsuch a strong role in history.

Moving from one historic presidentto another, Nikki Grimes and BryanCollier tell the story of a young boy whowants to help others pursuing a path thatleads to becoming the first AfricanAmerican elected president of the UnitedStates in Barack Obama: Son of Promise,Child of Hope (2008). The story is pre-sented by a mother telling her son thatthis is a man to watch; readers then fol-low the path that led Obama to captivatethe nation. Since the book was publishedjust as Obama won the Democraticnomination for President, readers will beable to extend the story with their owninterpretation of the events that followedthe nomination.

While not a president, another WhiteHouse inhabitant made an exuberant debut

as the star of her own picture book biography. Barbara Kerley and Edward Fotheringhamcreate a vivid portrait of an energetic and lively spirit who delighted her presidential father,Teddy Roosevelt and the nation in What To Do About Alice? (2008). Alice was an independ-ent spirit who brought life and enthusiasm to all who knew her. Readers will bounce aroundthe White House and the world as they listen to the story of this first kid. As children arebeing bombarded with news of the Obama girls, Alice’s story will give them insight into thereal world of these very normal families—families not unlike their own—in very extraordi-nary circumstances.

So, consider the potential of the picture book whenlooking to stimulate thought and conversations withhighly able students. They may lead to adventures, grandconversations, and provide invitations to explore theworld of ideas.

SUSANNAH RICHARDS, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of education atEastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT. She is co-chair ofthe Middle Schools Division for the National Association for GiftedChildren. Additional interests include finding, reading, and collectingbooks; cooking, sewing, gardening, and traveling. She can be reached [email protected].

I Lost My Tooth in AfricaPenda Diakite, illustrated by Baba Wague DiakiteScholastic, 20069780439662260

Little Mouse’s Book of FearsEmily GravettSimon & Schuster, 20089781416959304

Lincoln and Douglass: An American FriendshipNikki Giovanni, Illustrated by Bryan CollierHenry Holt, 20089788050826347

Barack Obama: Child of Promise, Child of HopeNikki Grimes, illustrated by Bryan CollierHenry Holt, 20089781416971443

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin TaleDeborah Hopkinson, illustrated by John HendrixSchwartz & Wade, 2008

9780375837685

What to Do About Alice? Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin FotheringhamScholastic Press, 2008

978043922319

Adele & Simon in AmericaBarbara McClintockFarrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2008

9780374399245

Lady Liberty: A BiographyDoreen Rappaport, Illustrated by Matt TavaresCandlewick, 2008

9780763625306

Featured Current Titles

Note* Age ranges were deliberately omitted above to emphasize that age ranges are neveras important as what the books have to offer readers of every age and reading level.



We all know a good leader whenwe see one… but what do wesee? What are the characteris-tics of a good leader? And

how can we help our gifted children devel-op good leadership skills?

Creating Opportunities to DevelopLeadership Ability, dukegiftedletter.com/articles/vol6no3_talent.html, in DukeUniversity’s Talent Identification Program(TIP) Duke Gifted Letter has an excellentlist of characteristics of a good leader, as wellas ideas to help develop these leadershipskills in our gifted youth. It’s no surprisethat ethics play a role in many of the top tenleadership skills:

• acting responsibly in social situations• displaying good social judgment• demonstrating social savvy• including respect for authority, rules,

and social conventions And the fictional and real-life examples

of good leaders and role models reallyhelp our kids see what makes a goodleader so that they can model their ownleadership skills.

Developing Leadership in Gifted Youth,hoagiesgifted.org/eric/archived/e485.html, by Frances Karnes and Suzanne Beanoffers a different set of characteristics ofleaders and a more academic or school-based approach to developing those leader-ship skills. Karnes and Bean also recom-mend extra-curricular activities to developthe gifted adolescent’s leadership skills.

If you are looking for a model programin Gifted Youth Leadership, NorthwesternUniversity’s Center for Talent Development(CTD) and Johns Hopkins’s Center forTalented Youth (CTY) jointly offer a CivicLeadership Institute (CLI), ctd.northwest-ern.edu/cep/programs/cli. It is an 11-year-old leadership program for gifted high-school students that integrates academiclearning with hands-on community service,guest speakers, and facilitated debates and

discussions, creating a “life-changing” sum-mer study program for the students. CLIprograms are available this summer inBaltimore, Chicago and San Francisco.

A great list of leadership-rich fiction isposted at YouthLeadership.com’s Liter-ature’s Leaders, youthleadership.com/literature.html. Each of the novels listedincludes a good leadership role model, andis written to appeal to our young adults.And while the issues discussed vary—racism, religion, power, violence—themoral is always that the true leader exhibitssimilar characteristics:

• personal integrity• practical knowledge• ethics and morality With some well-known titles and some

unrecognized new books, this list will go along way toward demonstrating the ethicsof leadership to our gifted youth.

Finally, let’s look at the literature inLeadership Education for Gifted and TalentedYouth: A Review of the Literature, eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/con-tent_storage_01/0000019b/80/1c/22/38.pdf. In it, Michael S. Matthews gives us asummary of the literature on leadershipeducation. Although the definition of gift-edness has changed over time, leadership hasalways been included as an important aspectof giftedness. But how do we educate ouryouth in leadership? In a search of 67 articlesover 23 years, Gifted Youth Leadership isdivided by Matthews into four categories:Program Description and Evaluation,Measurement and Identification, StudentPerceptions, and Theory and ModelDevelopment, on “a continuum from solid-ly empirical to purely anecdotal.”

Matthews’ conclusion is that gifted lead-ership research is a mixed bag, with eachstudy based on a different theory of leader-ship and study data sets that cannot beshared by any pair of studies due to variancein theories and terms. This is mostly due

not to a problem with the research, but aproblem with the underlying theory ofleadership and identification of its compo-nents. In spite of, or perhaps because of thisambiguity, Matthews offers interesting anduseful ideas for future study in gifted youthleadership education and research.

KIDS KORNER (FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES!)Mind Mapping is a great way for kids

(and adults) who don’t think in the logical,sequential style to get their thoughts down“on paper.” Instead of a traditional outline,Mind Mapping allows the writer to putthings into a visual map, linking in manydirections, making it easier for these uniquethinkers to eventually get their thoughtsdown on paper in a more traditional way.These Mind Mapping sites offer an onlineand a downloadable solution for MindMapping and may be a life-saver for the kindof mind that appreciates mapping instead oftraditional logical-sequential outlining!

Bubbl.us, bubbl.us, is brainstormingmade simple. This online solution for mindmapping offers the ability to create full-color mind maps that you can use inde-pendently or share with others! UsingBubbl.us is simple: just click on a bubbleand start typing! The anatomy of a bubblewill let your mind wander and documenteverything as you go. Remember though, ifyou are a logical-sequential thinker, sharethis link with your kids, and let them startusing it; don’t try to understand mind map-ping first. The kids will explain it to you.

Freemind, freemind.sourceforge.net, isa small Java application that downloads andruns on your computer, instead of on-linelike Bubbl.us. This means you can useFreemind anywhere, without Internetaccess. With a little different feel, it offersanother option in mind mapping. And theWiki page with the download includeseverything you need to get started, includ-ing documentation, ideas of what you can

W E B W A T C HBy Carolyn Kottmeyer

Leadership and The Ethics That Go With It



use Freemind for, and even a short videodemonstration of Freemind.

National Punctuation Day, nation-alpunctuationday.com. They say everydog has its day, but do you know if thatword is supposed to be spelled “it’s” or “its?”You can learn at the National PunctuationDay website! Don’t miss their annual cele-bration on September 24th, but in themeantime use the site for “A celebration ofthe lowly comma, correctly used quotes, andother proper uses of periods, semicolons, andthe ever-mysterious ellipsis.” And don’t missthe recipe so you, too, can cook the officialmeatloaf of National Punctuation Day!

WildCam: Belize Reef, video.national-geographic.com/video/wildcambelize,offers a real-time view of an active reef atGlover’s Reef, Belize, in Central America.Watch the fish swim and dance around thereef while sea-floor life explore the sandybottom. Or visit any of the otherWildCams from this page, includingWildCam Africa, video.nationalgeo-graphic.com/video/wildcamafrica, in theMashatu Game Reserve, Botswana and livecams on Grizzlies, Cranes, Kakadu, PolarBears and Seals. The day I visited WildCamAfrica, I watched a warthog take a morningmud bath! Or scroll down on any of theWildCam pages and find amazing previ-ously recorded WildCam footage of all sortsof local animals strutting their stuff!

I love Instructables.com, and this DuctTape Rose, instructables.com/id/Duct-Tape-Rose, is no exception. Follow only 8detailed steps and you, too, will be creatingamazing Duct Tape Roses. If you’re feelingambitious, check out the other Duct Tapeprojects available at Instructables.com,including the Wallet, MP3 Player Casewith screen protector, Shoes (yes, shoes!),Hat, and Handbag… and you can spendlots more time finding “constructable”things on Instructables.com.

Here’s an activity that combines twoloves in our house… knitting and Dr. Who.You, too, can create The Doctor Who Scarf,doctorwhoscarf.com, following this sim-ple knitting pattern. First, select Season 12,15, 16, or 18… Dr. Who’s scarf evolvedthrough Tom Baker’s stay as the Doctor.Next, follow the Yarn guide to make youryarn purchases, and then the pattern, to

create a scarf just like the Doctor. Myfavorite is still the original: Season 12.

This is sand, thisissand.com, is at onceamusingly simple and amazingly complex.Digital sand falls wherever you direct itwith your mouse. The default color schemeis variegated shades of black to white andback, but that is only the beginning. Clickon the small gray box in the corner for briefdirections or visit the blog for more details.Visit the gallery to view the amazing cre-ations of others, and submit your ownsand-art there when you’re done. The amaz-ing mountain pictures I understand, buthow did sand-artists create Mario, KingTut, the earth in Mercator projection, and ablue rose?

For our programming kids and teens,BrowserShots, browsershots.org, offersbrowser compatibility testing in a single site.Learn how your website appears on PC,Mac, Linux and BSD, when viewed withany (or all!) of the most popular browsers

including Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari,and dozens more. You may be happily sur-prised, or unhappily shocked to see justwhat your visitors are seeing when they visityour site using a particular operating systemand browser. It’s very educational!

CAROLYN KOTTMEYER is the founder and director ofHoagies’ Gifted Education Page hoagiesgifted.org andHoagies’ Kids and Teens Page hoagieskids.org. A pastboard member of SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs ofthe Gifted), she is a winner of the 2008 SENG ServiceAward, the National Association for Gifted Children(NAGC) Community Service Award, and thePennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE)Neuber-Pregler Award.

Civic Leadership Institute (CLI)

ctd.northwestern.edu/cep/programs/cli

Creating Opportunities to Develop Leadership Ability

dukegiftedletter.com/articles/

vol6no3_talent.html

Developing Leadership in Gifted Youth

hoagiesgifted.org/eric/archived/e485.html

Leadership Education for Gifted and Talented Youth:

A Review of the Literature

eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/con-

tent_storage_01/0000019b/80/1c/22/38.pdf

Literature’s Leaders

youthleadership.com/literature.html

KIDS KORNERBrowserShots

browsershots.org

Bubbl.us

bubbl.us

The Doctor Who Scarf

doctorwhoscarf.com

Duct Tape Rose

instructables.com/id/Duct-Tape-Rose

Freemind

freemind.sourceforge.net

Instructables.com

Instructables.com

National Punctuation Day

nationalpunctuationday.com

This is sand

thisissand.com

WildCam: Belize Reef

video.nationalgeographic.com/video/

wildcambelize

WildCam Africa

video.nationalgeographic.com/video/

wildcamafrica

Web Watch: Leadership and The Ethics That Go With It



Teambuilding with TeensBy Mariam G. MacGregor

(2008) Free Spirit Publishingpaperback, $34.99, 185 pp.ISBN-13 978-1-57542-265-7

REVIEWED BY EL AINE S. WIENER

I f you are a teacher or any other catego-ry of human being who enjoys “put-ting the ‘Active’ in Activities” as

Mariam MacGregor describes it, this isthe book for you.

All these activities are created forteachers and youth leaders in grades 6-12,although I have been in many inserviceswhere such strategies were used withadults. This hands-on book, with CD-Rom included, is reminiscent of thestrategies from the 1970’s that were therage in those days. Indeed, Dr. WilliamGlasser, well known in the 1970’s and aswell known now in his 84th year, is men-tioned and honored in this book.

Readers should follow directions verycarefully and anticipate student responsescarefully, also. Be sure to read theIntroduction first instead of ignoring it aswe are so apt to do. It’s important.Personal meaning is the backbone of thiskind of book and should be dealt withvigilantly.

With that caution in hand, this is abeautifully created, organized, and craftedbook of activities that “teach leadership,decision making, communication, and

group dynamics.”Ms. MacGregor definitely knows how

to lay out a compact activity format forteachers and leaders:

• Learning Concepts—a list of topicscovered in the activity

• Activity Preview—brief explanationand time needed for activity

• Goals—purpose of activity• Materials Needed• Getting Ready—steps to prepare for

conducting the activity• Setting the Stage—background

information if needed• Activity—step by step guidance• Talk About It—discussion questions

to use following the activityIcebreakers is an example of the first

category. The first strategy is called“Martian Names.” Being a Martian, yourname is spelled backwards, pronounced asspelled, and has a meaning that includespersonal interests.

This sounds simple minded, but hasgreat wisdom. When in a new group,revealing who you are as a Martianwith humor is far safer than revealingwho you are stripped of any comicalprotection.

The sophistication builds throughoutthe book with these titles:

Icebreakers, Self-Awareness, Workingwith Others, Communication, Qualitiesof Leadership, Social Issues, DecisionMaking and Problem Solving, andClosure.

All kinds of printouts, tem-plates, charts, activity drawings,tips, and lists are here—you nameit. My favorite characteristic ofmany of these activities is seenwhen some possible answers aregiven to any questions asked.Teachers are busy… and an-swers help.

ELAINE S. WIENER is Associate Editor forBook Reviews for the Gifted EducationCommunicator. She is retired from theGarden Grove Unified School DistrictGATE program. She can be reached [email protected].

Anxiety-Free KidsBy Bonnie Zucker

(2009) Prufrock Presspaperback, $19.95, 231 pp.ISBN-13: 978-1-59363-343-1


T his book was not written specificallyfor gifted students, but it is veryapplicable. Many gifted students are

full of anxiety because they are either driv-en achievers or unhappy underachievers.Either style yields anxiety.

Dr. Zucker is a practicing psycholo-gist who, in addition to a private prac-tice, conducts psychotherapy at theNational Center for the Treatment ofPhobias, Anxiety, and Depression inWashington, D.C.

She included in this book a self-help,carry-it-with-you set of solutions basedupon self-talk. It is profoundly simple,clever, and straight-out practical. It’s almosttoo easy to believe until you reread the chap-ters preceding the exercises; they are solidlybased upon research, clear definitions, andcomfort for our students and parents.

“Anxiety is the experience of feelingnervous, worried, scared, or afraid, and itis the opposite of feeling relaxed.”

The above statement may seem obvi-ous to the reader of this review, but Dr.Zuker elaborates by describing physicalsymptoms, case histories, disorders, typesof anxieties and, of course, what to doabout it all. Not one word is boring or

convoluted or obtuse. It takesclarity and styleto accomplishthat! The exercis-es are the payoffsfor all the learningand are deceptivelyeasy—but with asecond look havegreat depth.

This book is divid-ed into a section forparents (adults) and asection for students,

B O O K R E V I E W



but these two divisions really overlap. The chapters are titled Anxiety: What It

Is and What to Do About It; Making YourTeam and Team Goals; Relaxing the Body;Conquer Your Worries; Changing YourThoughts; Changing Your Behaviors:Facing Your Fears; Keep Facing Your Fears;Lessons Learned: Celebrate Yourself;Motivating Your Child; Special Sections.

My favorite advice from Anxiety-FreeKids is to schedule worry time, thus free-ing up the rest of the day for living. Nowthat’s a tidbit we can all use.

ELAINE S. WIENER is Associate Editor for Book Reviewsfor the Gifted Education Communicator. She is retiredfrom the Garden Grove Unified School District GATE pro-gram. She can be reached at [email protected].

The Cluster Grouping HandbookBy Susan Winebrenner & Dina Brulles

(2008) Free Spirit Publishingpaperback, $ 34.95, 211 ppISBN-13 978-1-57542-279-4


W ith this one book alone, youcould revamp a whole school sys-tem, one school at a time. With

this concept of cluster grouping, a schooldistrict could save all the costs of a self-contained or pull-out gifted program.And if you take this flat out declarationseriously, The Cluster Grouping Handbookwill do all the thinking, all the planning,all the charting, and all the predicting you

will ever need…to theultimate meticulousdetail! This is not anexaggeration. Everyfinite element for plan-ning has been accom-plished.

The SchoolwideCluster GroupingModel (SCGM) hastwo main goals:

• to insure a bal-ance of abilities through-out the grade level without return-ing to the practice of tracking and

• to reduce the learning range found inevery classroom.

The simple chart below describes it all.The purpose of this system is to nar-

row the range of student abilities in anygiven classroom so that teachers have amanageable amount of preparation inorder to provide high quality curriculumto all levels of learners in each classroom.There is special concern here to haveenough gifted students work together. Agroup of six in one classroom is betterthan one or two gifted students spreadover three classrooms.

The only chink in the armor ofthis wonderful plan is in the usualgap between the idea and the imple-mentation.

Would pulling these numbers out of aschool population create other numberproblems? Would problems occur interms of who is placed become an issue?

This may not be consid-ered tracking, but it islabeling since someoneis deemed below and farbelow. How do you keepthat a secret? The chal-lenge of the numbersappeals to my mathemati-cal mind while the chal-lenge to my counselingmind throws me back tothe misery of organizedclass lists for balance where

the kids don’t come in the right numbers.The advantage of this kind of cluster-

ing, however, is that you can pick theright numbers for these special class-rooms, but does that affect the balance ofthe remaining classrooms? This is whysome school districts prefer self-containedclassrooms for gifted children: it is easier,narrows the curriculum, and doesn’tinvolve the whole school.

Nevertheless, whether or not this is apossible idea for your school, buy thebook! It has wonderful ideas. It has 64 ter-rific reproducible pages. You can use someof them and then fantasize the rest!!

ELAINE S. WIENER is Associate Editor for Book Reviewsfor the Gifted Education Communicator. She is retiredfrom the Garden Grove Unified School District GATE pro-gram. She can be reached at [email protected].

Editor’s note* This review appeared inthe Winter 2008 issue with an incorrectchart. The chart below is as it appears in thebook. We regret the error.



Gifted Education Centers (continued from p. 28)

Gifted and Talented Students Education Act,Institute of Education Sciences, United StatesDepartment of Education.

The current 5-year research plan will lead toempirical and descriptive understandings of “whatworks in gifted education.” This plan requires theintegrated study of identification systems, model-based curricula in reading and math, and assess-ments. The focus of the research study will be to:

• extend and enhance prior studies by developinga defensible identification system

• analyze the effects of curricular units in readingand math on students identified using tradition-al and expanded criteria

• measure outcomes using extended standards-based assessments, structured performance assess-ments, or standardized achievement measures

ILLINOISThe Center for GiftedNational-Louis UniversityJoan Franklin Smutny, Director19226 Waukegan Road, Suite 2, Glenview, Ill 60025847-901-0173, [email protected]://www.centerforgifted.org/

Founded in 1983, the Center for Gifted serves chil-dren who express capacity for high performance indiverse areas of intelligence. Differentiation and creativecritical thinking are the cornerstones of our programs.

Classes and workshops are held for students invarious locations in the Chicago area including:

Winter: Wheeling, Oak Forest, LaGrange, ChicagoSummer: Burr Ridge, Chicago-Lakeview, Chicago-

Beverly, Elgin, Glenview, Grayslake, Naperville, OakForest, Skokie, St. Charles, Buffalo Grove

Center for Talent Development Northwestern UniversityPaula Olszewski-Kubilius, Director617 Dartmouth Place, Evanston, Illinois 60208-4175847-491-3782, [email protected]://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/

The Center for Talent Development is an accred-ited learning center and research facility that identi-fies, educates and supports gifted students and theirfamilies and serves as a leader in gifted education. Services include:

• Northwestern University’s Midwest AcademicTalent Search (NUMATS) (grades 3 through 9)

• summer programs (PreK through grade 12) forresidential and commuter students

• Saturday Enrichment Program (PreK through grade 9)• Gifted LearningLinks (K through grade 12) with

online enrichment, honors and AdvancedPlacement (AP®) courses

• Civic Education Project (grades 7 through 12)promotes civic responsibility

• Scholarship programs for underrepresented students• Educator/Parent Programs

INDIANACenter for Gifted Studies and TalentedDevelopmentBall State UniversityCheryll M. Adams, Director, [email protected] Lab School, Room 109, Muncie, IN 47306765-285-5390, http://www.bsu.edu/gifted/

The Center for Gifted Studies and TalentDevelopment was created in 1994 to identify, pro-mote, and develop giftedness; conduct research forthe purposes of improving programs for, and creat-ing a better understanding of, the needs of gifted andtalented individuals. It provides professional devel-opment programs for all who work with gifted andtalented individuals, and makes information aboutall aspects of the gifted and talented more accessible.Services offered:

• courses both on campus in the summer and

statewide through the academic year over theIndiana Higher Education Telecommunication

• special workshops for educators• assessment, consultation, counseling, and advo-

cacy service• Summer Scholars Program opportunities for

gifted students to extend their learning outsidethe regular school day

• workshops on assessment and identification ofgifted and talented children, from preschoolersthrough adolescents

• early identification of gifted and talented chil-dren through the School Psychology Clinic

• workshops dealing with the topic of giftedness• clinical assessment of giftedness among disadvan-

taged children with the assistance of a fee waiver.• an annual Share-Indiana (Share-IN) Conference

on parenting gifted children• Shared Information Services at both Ball State

and Purdue Universities libraries offering educa-tional materials to all adult residents of Indiana

Gifted Education Resource Institute, Purdue UniversityMarcia Gentry, [email protected] Liberal Arts and Educational BuildingWest Lafayette, IN 47906-1446765-496-3721, http://www.geri.soe.purdue.edu/

The Gifted Education Resource Institute (GERI)at Purdue University conducts research into the psy-chology of gifted and talented individuals and effec-tive educational practices for high ability youth.Super Saturday and the GERI Summer Camps,GERI’s youth talent development programs for adiverse population of high ability children and teens.

As part of the Department of Educational Studies inthe Purdue University College of Education, GERIoffers graduate programs in gifted education and a licen-sure program for K-12 educators in Indiana. GERI alsoprovides training to pre-service teachers through hands-on opportunities and training in connection to SuperSaturday and the GERI Summer Camps.

IOWABelin & Blank International Center for GiftedEducation and Talent DevelopmentThe University of IowaNicholas Colangelo, Director, [email protected] Blank Honors Center, Iowa City, IA 52242-0454800-336-6463 or 319-335-6148http://www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/Services offered:

• identification of gifted, talented, and artistic learners• specialized educational opportunities for students• awareness and use of acceleration to enhance learning• assessment, counseling, and consultation services• curriculum resources and materials• professional development for educators• dissemination of information through confer-

ences and publications• leadership in local, national, and international

policy formation• educational opportunities through technology

KENTUCKYThe Center for Gifted StudiesWestern Kentucky UniversityJulia Link Roberts, DirectorTracy Inman, Associate DirectorBowling Green, KY 42101-3576502-745-6323, http://www.wku.edu/gifted/

The Center for Gifted Studies at WesternKentucky University has provided services andoffered opportunities for children and youth who aregifted and talented, their educators, and their par-ents for nearly thirty years. The Center providesexciting educational opportunities for gifted youngpeople, rigorous professional development for edu-cators, and support for parents of gifted young peo-

ple. Advocacy is a major focus of The Center,including state and national advocacy for childrenwho are gifted and talented. The Center was award-ed a Javits grant in the fall of 2008. Project GEMScenters around developing interest and talent inmathematics and science among elementary chil-dren, including those from backgrounds underrepre-sented in science, technology, engineering, and mathfields. The Center places a priority on research andcurriculum development. The Center houses theKentucky Association for Gifted Education and islocated with the Gatton Academy of Mathematicsand Science in Kentucky.Degree programs:

• Gifted and Talented Endorsement (12 graduate hours)• Master’s Degree in Gifted Education (available

in 2010)Professional development:

• Advanced Placement Summer Institute (one week)• Vertical Team Institute (for teams of middle and

high school teachers)• Administrators Institute • Leadership Institute (for educators and organiza-

tion leaders to use to develop student leadership)• Berta Excellence in Education Lecture Series

focusing on the social and emotional needs ofgifted young people

Opportunities for youth:• Fall Super Saturdays and Winter Super Saturdays• The Summer Camp for Academically Talented

Middle School • The Summer Program for Verbally and

Mathematically Precocious Youth (VAMPY)• Spring Break Travel Abroad travel/study tour for

eighth grade and high school honors students

LOUISIANACenter for Gifted EducationThe University of Louisiana at LafayetteSally Dobyns, Director, [email protected] Box 43251, Lafayette, LA 70504-4872318-482-6701http://www.coe.louisiana.edu/centers/gifted.html

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Centerfor Gifted Education is an instructional, researchand service center, and serves as a coordinatingagency for University of Louisiana Lafayette’s exten-sive activities in the education of gifted and creativestudents: Services offered:

• professional development opportunities forteachers (including the state’s only master’sdegree program in Education of the Gifted andspecial workshops for teachers of gifted children)

• summer enrichment programs for academically,creatively, and artistically talented pre-collegestudents

• program and staff development assistance forarea school districts

• consultation services for parents• a comprehensive circulating library of reference

and curriculum materials in the areas of giftededucation and creativity A major effort of the Center is the coordination

and facilitation of research on the identification anddevelopment of high potential.

MISSISSIPPIThe Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted StudiesUniversity of Southern Mississippi atHattiesburgFrances Karnes, DirectorSouthern Station Box 8207Hattiesburg, MS 39406-8207601.266.5236http://www.usm.edu/gifted Programs offered:

• Certification in gifted education (K-12)• Master’s program• Doctoral program



• scholarships for full-time students in graduatedegree programs

• Saturday Gifted Studies Program• Leadership Studies Program• Summer Gifted Studies Program• Summer Program for Academically Talented Youth• A bibliography of books and articles pertaining

to gifted children for parents

OHIOFamily Achievement ClinicSylvia Rimm, Director, [email protected] Lorain Road, Suite 416North Olmsted, OH 44070, and alsoW267 N2907 Woodland DrivePewaukee, WI 53072800-795-7466 http://www.sylviarimm.com

Family Achievement Clinic offers a comprehen-sive range of psychological services by licensed experi-enced staff, and centers on family growth and achieve-ment, specializing in gifted children and reversingunderachievement. Services include psycho-educa-tional assessment, individual and family therapy, gift-ed child guidance, AttentionDeficit HyperactivityDisorder, social skills, anxiety therapy, parenting ther-apy, and school placement recommendations.

The TRIFOCAL Model used at FamilyAchievement Clinic involves the child, the parents, andthe school. Sessions are organized around the child’sschool achievement and social and emotional adjust-ments. Close positive communication is maintainedwith teachers and schools. As school performanceimproves, students typically show improvement inother areas such as self-esteem, the ability to approachchallenges, tolerance for frustration, the developmentof interests, and personal control over their lives.

NEVADADavidson Institute for Talent Development9665 Gateway Drive, Suite BReno, NV 89521 775-852-3483 ext. [email protected]://www.davidsongifted.org/Programs include:

• Davidson Young Scholars—free services for pro-foundly gifted students under 18

• Davidson Fellows—$50,000, $25,000 and$10,000 scholarships for extraordinary work

• The Davidson Academy—a free, public dayschool for profoundly gifted students

• THINK Summer Institute—a three-week sum-mer program for students ages 13 to 16

• Educators Guild—a free national service for educators

NEW YORKHunter Center for Gifted Studies and Education Razel Solow, Director, [email protected] Park Avenue, Room E1029, New York, NewYork, USA 10065212-650-3599http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/gifteded/gradprogram.shtml

Since 1941, Hunter College Campus Schools(Kindergarten to Grade 12) have been publicly-funded laboratory schools for intellectually giftedlearners, and are widely regarded as preeminentschools for gifted education.

The Center provides an advanced certificate pro-gram that meets the New York State EducationDepartment requirement that teachers pass the GiftedContent Specialty Test and successfully complete 12credits of graduate courses in gifted education in orderto qualify for the Gifted Certificate Extension.

The Leta Hollingworth Center for the Study of the GiftedColumbia University, Teachers College

Lisa Wright, Director,[email protected] Main Hall, 525 W 120th Street, Box 170New York, NY 10027212-678-3851http://www.tc.columbia.edu/centers/hollingworth/

The Hollingworth Center, a program within theDepartment of Curriculum and Teaching atTeachers College, Columbia University, is a service,research, and demonstration site. The Center isdesigned to provide internship and training oppor-tunities for the gradute students of Teachers College,develop model programs in early childhood educa-tion, and offer enriched educational services for chil-dren, families, and educators.

VIRGINIACenter for Gifted EducationThe College of William and MaryJoyce VanTassel-Baska, DirectorPO Box 8795, 232 Jamestown RoadWilliamsburg, VA 23187-8795804-221-2351, http://www.wm.edu/

The Center for Gifted Education at The College ofWilliam and Mary is nationally and internationally rec-ognized as an organization that develops and dissemi-nates research-based curriculum materials for K-12 stu-dents and offers quality graduate programs for master’sand doctoral candidates in a context that providesopportunities for working with school districts and pre-collegiate learners to foster talent development.Curriculum projects:

• K-8 Science Curriculum for Gifted Learnerswith units of study used in schools across thenation and in international settings

• language arts curriculum materials, includingconcept papers, a K-8 curriculum framework,and units of study organized around the com-mon theme of change

• exemplary social studies curriculum for econom-ically disadvantaged high ability students ingrades 2, 4, and 7

• units in social studies for use in 9th and 10th grades Professional development:

• annual summer institutes and national curricu-lum conferences.

• statewide, regional, and on-site workshops• Advanced Placement (AP) Summer Institute

with the College Board Southern Regional OfficePrograms for students

• Saturday and Summer Enrichment

The National Research Center on the Giftedand TalentedUniversity of Virginia, Curry School ofEducationCarolyn M. Callahan, Director405 Emmet Street, P.O. Box 400265Charlottesville, VA 22904-4265434-924-0791http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/overview-gifted-277

The National Research Center on the Gifted andTalented (NRC/GT) is a research center affiliatedwith the academic program of gifted education atthe University of Virginia’s Curry School ofEducation.

The National Research Center on the Gifted andTalented conducts research on methods and tech-niques for identifying and teaching gifted and talent-ed students and for using gifted and talented pro-grams and methods to serve all students. It also con-ducts program evaluations and surveys. As part of itswork, the center collects, analyzes, and developsinformation about gifted and talented education.Emphasis is given to the identification of and servic-es for students not traditionally included in giftedand talented education, including individuals withlimited English proficiency, individuals with disabil-ities, and individuals living under economically dis-advantaged conditions.

WASHINGTONHalbert Robinson Center for the Study ofCapable YouthUniversity of WashingtonGuthrie Annex II, NI-20, Seattle, WA [email protected]://depts.washington.edu/cscy/

The Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for YoungScholars at the University of Washington is a pioneer andan international leader in recognizing and serving theneeds of gifted young pre-college and college students.Each year the Robinson Center serves several thousandfamilies and students throughout the State of Washington.Activities:

• present scholarly forums and community activitiesto share new knowledge regarding gifted youth

• identify gifted children and youth, and help directthem to appropriate educational placement frompre-school through post-secondary education

• recruit the brightest young scholars inWashington State to the University ofWashington through the Transition School/Early Entrance Program and the UW Academyfor Young Scholars.

• promote students’ academic success throughmentoring, advising, and support services dur-ing their pre-college and undergraduate years

• conduct longitudinal follow-up studies to moni-tor and refine program activities.

WASHINGTON, D.C.Center for Gifted Education PolicyAmerican PsychologicalFoundationRena F. Subotnik, DirectorAshley Edmiston, Program Officer750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242202-336-5923http://www.apa.org/ed/cgepabout.html

Housed in the Education Directorate of theAmerican Psychological Association, the Center forGifted Education Policy’s (CGEP) mission is to gener-ate public awareness, advocacy, clinical applications,and cutting-edge research ideas that will enhance theachievement and performance of children and adoles-cents with special gifts and talents in all domains,including the academic disciplines, the performing arts,sports, and the professions. One of CGEP’s primaryfunctions is as a producer of various mentorship pro-grams aimed at talented youth. These programs matchup gifted adolescents with Masters in various fields.The current program, Catalyst, focuses on the domainsof Chemistry and Art. Current research initiativesinclude a study, funded by the National ScienceFoundation, on the impact of specialized public highschools of science, math and technology. CGEP is alsothe host of a listserv focused on gifted education and itsissues. Members are researchers, graduate students,teachers and parents with gifted children.

WISCONSINWisconsin Center for Gifted Learners217 West Dunwood Rd.Milwaukee, WI 53217-3108414-351-4441, [email protected]

The Center is a non-profit corporation that pro-vides educational and consulting services for highlyintelligent children, their parents, and teachers who careabout such children and who want to work with them.

The Center offers two primary programs forchildren: the Developing Dimensions Program, aSaturday and summer program designed to augmentand complement the regular schooling of giftedlearners; and the Magellan Day School, EPL, theEarly Preparatory Learning Program that offers a dayschool designed specifically for highly intelligentlearners. Both programs recognize that gifted learn-ers require a true peer group to develop social skills,leadership abilities, and self-acceptance.



Name:Last First Middle Initial

Preferred Mailing Address:

City / State / Zip : Calif. County:

E-Mail Address: Preferred Phone: ( ) School District:

Non Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Oxnard, CA

Permit # 1691

11130 Sun Center Drive, Suite 100Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Membership/Service Category

Individual ($75)

2-year Individual ($140)

Family ($85)

Life ($1000)

Institution ($100)

Credential Program Student ($50)

Advisor Signature:

Limited Income ($25)

Gifted Education Communicator — subscription only ($45)

(for mailing addresses outside the U.S., please add $15)

Role

Administrator/Coordinator

Board of Education Member

Consultant

Counselor/Psychologist

Grandparent

Parent

Teacher

Other

Special Skills/Interests

Art/Music

Humanities

Math

Science

Computers

Advocacy/Legislation

Other

Payment

Personal Check #: CHARGE: MasterCard Visa American Express

District Check #: Card #: Exp. Date:

Purchase Order #: Signature:

Please Mail with check or charge information to:California Association for the Gifted, 11130 Sun Center Drive, Suite 100 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670Phone: 1-916-441-3999 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.CAGifted.org

If you are not already a CAG member, please use the application below to become a continuing supporter of gifted education. CAG is active in lobbying efforts to

promote appropriate education for gifted and talented students and assigns $5.00 of each membership to CAG/PAC, CAG’s Political Action Committee. Dues pay-

ments are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I O N

California Foundation for Gifted Education was formed in July of 2006 to make a positive differ-

ence in the lives of gifted children and youth by generating funds to support research and develop-

ment, scholarships, and gifted education projects. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation.

I also wish to make a tax-deductible contribution in the amount of $

to the California Foundation for Gifted Education.


Documents

GEC cover Spring'08 - Gifted Education Communicator...Gifted Education Communicator ISSN 1531-7382 is published four times a year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Opinions expressed