Fall has arrived and, with it, more distance learning! To those who are still participating in 优蜜视频 online offerings like and , it鈥檚 been great to see you. To those who we haven鈥檛 seen in a while, we hope you鈥檙e hanging in there!

There鈥檚 a lot to juggle right now, so here are some ways for kids who love to learn to expand their knowledge without adding another Zoom meeting to their busy calendars:

1. Listen to a Podcast

There鈥檚 a podcast for every interest and they鈥檙e a perfect way to learn while on walks or car rides! If you鈥檇 like to listen to a podcast about giftedness, check out our from last year.

2. Start a Garden

Whether you start with a cactus or a vegetable garden, testing out your green thumb has plenty of learning opportunities.

3. Conduct a Survey

If you鈥檙e looking to gain some number sense and analytical skills, try sending a survey to family and friends, then drawing conclusions from the results. You can even display your family鈥檚 favorite animals or ice cream flavors in a pie chart!

4. Watch a Documentary

Not only are documentaries great antidotes to stress, but you can learn something while you watch! There are engaging documentaries available about nature, space, history, musicians, and more.

5. Observe an Animal

Go outside and find an animal 鈥� a bird, insect, squirrel, or otherwise 鈥� and watch it for several minutes. What is it doing? Does it have cool adaptations? What do you think it eats?

6. Write (or Draw) a Story

We all have a story to tell! Whether you write about something that happened to you, your favorite historical figure, or something entirely fictional, flex your brain by thinking about how to tell the story in the most interesting way. Is there information you can wait to reveal to build suspense? Is there a joke that could make your readers laugh?

7. Learn a New Art Form

Now is a great time to learn how to weave, embroider, macrame, or paint. Anything can be art, and it鈥檚 so nice to take a break from screens to make something with your hands. Look online or head to a local craft store for inspiration!

8. Play a Strategy Game

优蜜视频 students love to play Connect 4, Sequence, Settlers of Catan, and Set. These and other games can help boost your logic skills even while you鈥檙e enjoying time with your family.

9. Cook or Bake

The culinary arts are full of chemistry and math! Pick out a recipe that uses ingredients you already have on-hand, then start measuring and mixing. What kind of physical and chemical reactions happen as you complete each step? How would you double the recipe?

10. Take a Virtual Museum Tour

We all miss walking around museums, but the next best thing is safely touring them from home. The , Amsterdam鈥檚 , and have virtual tours online.

How else have you been learning this year? Let us know in the comments!

classes are at once engaging and educational. While sitting in on three classes two weeks ago, I was surprised by the instructors鈥� hands-on, student-centered approach to learning. Academy students arrive at conclusions through discussion and inquiry; rather than feeding the class answers and formulas, Academy instructors give students room to explore and discuss concepts. Coming from a boarding high school that emphasizes a collaborative, inquiry-based approach to learning, I was impressed to see classes with younger students using the same pedagogy.

Due to the interdisciplinary and interactive nature of these classes, students are able to apply what they learned to real-word scenarios, from using chemistry to prepare food to making video games in Java and Python. During a Primary Geometry class, for example, students learned about shapes by creating their own mini-boats out of foil and straws and testing them in a tub of water. The instructor used the most buoyant boats as a segue into a discussion about 3-D geometry, helping students visualize the intersection of geometry and the outside world. If you missed out on Primary Geometry, check out our new offering, Math Magic: Numbers up your Sleeve, a class offered in .

In a Rocket to Calculus class, the instructor asked students to predict the path of a rocket using mathematical formulas before going outside to test their predictions with their own handmade rocket. Rather than plugging numbers into equations, the instructor helped students understand the origin and meaning of the formula. In both classes, the instructor made sure that each student had an equal opportunity to ask questions; due to the small class sizes and instructors鈥� approach to teaching, each student felt included and comfortable speaking up.

Although each Academy class has a structure and purpose, instructors are open to students鈥� suggestions and are there to engage their curiosity. On the last day of a Robotics class a few sessions ago, students were testing their robots when one came up with the brilliant idea of attaching pins to the front of the each robot and balloons to the back, then pitting the robots against each other. An eccentric way to test their robots, indeed, but the creative activity made for a memorable end to a Robotics class!

Classes are still open for Session II and III, so if you missed out on previous sessions, check out our offerings for this summer. In addition to our classic offerings of Video Game Design and Microbiology, we are excited to announce a handful of new classes, from Improv 101 to Creative Writing. Summer is only getting started, so we can鈥檛 wait to see you at Academy in the coming weeks!

Mark is an extern this summer at 优蜜视频. A Los Angeles resident, Mark will be a senior at Phillips Exeter Academy this fall.

Students

What fascinating things did you learn?

鈥淲ho doesn’t want to learn about the water bear which can survive being frozen or boiled! And I also learned a lot about the causes of natural disasters. It’s a really interesting class!鈥�

鈥淚 am [now] able to distinguish the traits of Cenozoic animals. Nothing could make this class better 鈥� the class is too amazing!鈥�

鈥淚 [learned] how to code and where to hook up wires and electronics. My favorite activity so far was making games with LCD!鈥�

Did you feel challenged by your classes?

鈥渰With] only two other people in the class, we were able to learn more. I felt that I was in an environment with kids like me. This allowed me to be more challenged.鈥�

鈥淚t was more challenging, but in a good way. I am not challenged at all in school and it becomes very boring. But here, I am constantly engaged and it was fun.鈥�

鈥淚t challenged us to mold our ideas into something instead of putting them aside.鈥�

鈥淚t challenged me to build things that I haven’t built before. When something didn’t work I had to fix it and try to make my structure better.鈥�

What was your favorite part about Academy?

鈥淚 felt part of a group of kids who are just聽like me and I want to feel that feeling again!鈥�

鈥淭hey told me why here, but at my other school they just say, 鈥楧o this!鈥欌��

鈥淭his is the first math class I ever had that wasn’t boring!鈥�

鈥淚 am able to assemble, have my own ideas, and execute them.鈥�

Parents

What has your child taken away from Academy that will promote life-long learning?

鈥淢y son enjoyed the class so thoroughly it’s difficult to pinpoint the most valuable aspect. He plans to become a wildlife conservationist in the future so the knowledge gained from the class will be very useful.鈥�

鈥淪he found the class to be very fun and interesting and she liked the hands on projects. It nurtured her interest in an area that she may not have discovered on her own.鈥�

鈥淢y daughter has learned so much at 优蜜视频, but most importantly she learned that learning can be enjoyable. She looks forward to all her 优蜜视频 classes and runs to the front door every time.鈥�

Does your child look forward to Academy classes?

鈥淲e have tried other science camps and classes that wasn’t the right fit for our daughter. The World of Science was the perfect balance of difficulty, challenge, fun and education. Thank you!鈥�

鈥淭he classes at the Academy have been rigorous and challenging and yet creative and extremely fun for my son.鈥�

聽鈥淢y son looks forward all week long to being engaged, inspired and learning the mysteries of the universe in his classes at 优蜜视频. Each Saturday is like Christmas morning.鈥�

鈥淢y son is academically-inclined and enjoys school, but he LOVES attending Academy Courses. The courses are didactic but also very discussion-based, and he thrives in a setting where he can interact with others sharing- and challenging each other with ideas within a wonderfully supportive and caring environment. He loves 优蜜视频!鈥�

What does your child tell you about Academy?

鈥淎fter one of his classes, my son came out saying, 鈥楾hat was awesome. I love it!鈥� There is nothing else he would rather do than go to 优蜜视频 class and I am so grateful.鈥�

鈥淎fter the first day of class, my son came home and said, 鈥業t’s scary. It’s like they know me!鈥� From that day forward, I could tell Ryan felt comfortable and understood at 优蜜视频. By the last class, he was exuberant.鈥�

鈥淲e were driving in the car last week and Annie remarked from the back, 鈥榊ou know your hippocampus is very important. It is where you make memories. I am using my hippocampus right now!鈥� Clearly, at least some the anatomy lessons stuck!鈥�

Instructors

What is your favorite thing about teaching at Academy?

鈥淚 never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be able to teach what I learned in college and graduate school to such a young audience. I learned to never underestimate the students at 优蜜视频.听 It’s truly unimaginable what things they can accomplish!鈥�

鈥淚t was very rewarding. The students were very excited about the subject matter and commented frequently on how much they enjoyed the class.鈥�

鈥淭he students were so ready to learn and create, it was a pleasure to work with them. Everyone said they wish the class was longer so that they could continue it.鈥�

Did that get you pumped about Academy? Join us this session! to learn web coding, algebraic chemistry, scriptwriting and more.

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Saturday, March 12^th bore witness to our 6^th Genius Day, a day of deep learning on the life and legacy of none other than Albert Einstein. In case you didn鈥檛 know, our Genius Days are days of investigation into the life and impact of someone who may be deemed a 鈥済enius.鈥� These days are always met with immense enthusiasm: our teachers clamor to share their expertise, sign-ups are rapid, and once over, our young learners leave desperate to know the date of the next Genius Day. This part of our programming is clearly sparking interest and excitement 鈥� so it鈥檚 worth pausing for a moment and considering why Genius Days are great for gifted kids.

In no particular order, here are my thoughts:

1. Gifted kids get the opportunity to come, from near and far, and be with others who share their interests

Saturday鈥檚 delegates came from as far away as Long Beach and as near as San Marino. Most importantly, they came so they could spend the day exploring Einstein鈥檚 legacy through science, math and, perhaps surprisingly, creative writing. They engaged in a fabulous gravity well experiment in order to investigate general relativity, they voyaged through time dilation and aspects of special relativity during a math challenge game, and they re-imagined Einstein’s perspectives on the world and education, by reading and responding to letters written to him or by him. All of this was achieved in a safe environment amongst others who share a common desire to learn and a unique enthusiasm for Einstein.

2. Gifted kids get the chance to learn with and from experts; asking questions which might otherwise go unanswered, or worse, not asked

Genius Day is not just an exercise in finding engaging teaching and learning activities, but an exercise in finding those with the cavernous expertise to truly meet the intellectual needs of our students. Last Saturday, we were honored to be led by our long-standing Astronomy teacher, Dr. Tony Travouillon, who is known for his work on the Thirty Meter Telescope (as well as his ability to bake macarons!). Co-teaching on that day was Dr. Jeff Rich, currently a post-doctoral research associate at the Carnegie Observatory in Pasadena. Tony and Jeff stand in a long line of friends, teachers, researchers, and experts who have given their time and minds to previous Genius Days 鈥� from Caltech to members of the Independent Shakespeare Company. Collectively, these teachers inspire our children and address ALL of their questions with patience, respect, and oftentimes, awe!

3. Gifted kids get to work in paradise!

All days have been hosted at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino: paradise indeed. The location is not just paradise because of the inspirational beauty of the setting, but because of its riches in manuscripts, collections, and exhibits 鈥� riches we are fortunate to enjoy access to. Curators graciously donate their time beforehand to meet with the teachers and enlighten us on what aspects of the collection might relate to our named 鈥済enius.鈥� 聽For Einstein, we sourced some incredible digital images of Einstein鈥檚 visit to Mt. Wilson and then on the day itself enjoyed a visit to the award-winning Beautiful Science exhibit. Who wouldn鈥檛 be inspired to be engaged in paradise? Perhaps attendees imagined a future life as a scholar, feeding the mind through adulthood.

4. Gifted kids get what they need most 鈥� intellectual nourishment

A Genius Day is not just about showing up on the day and having the mind fed, but having expectations shaped BEFORE you even get there. All students are sent a reading pack to devour 鈥� intellectually speaking! 鈥� before the day itself. The pack outlines key terms and concepts and offers a biography. It also offers challenging readings by and about the genius from sources not always readily accessible! Pre-reading for Einstein included a newspaper article from a 1919 British newspaper, a copy of his report card revealing his achievements in Chemistry needed some attention (!), a copy of a telegram serving as a rallying cry to leading scientists in light of anxieties surrounding the atomic bomb, as well as current, breaking news on the man himself within the context of LIGO!

5. Gifted kids get to participate, not just receive

All children are involved throughout the day. Learning activities are designed, purposefully, for a range of learning styles. There is a deliberate design for student participation and an expectation that we don鈥檛 just interrogate the science and the math, but also the very notion of 鈥済enius鈥� 鈥� historically, socially and culturally. We strive for dialogue and we do our best to ensure all voices are heard, from the past through to those magical moments in the classroom.

And so, we say 鈥淗appy Birthday鈥� to Albert Einstein and bathe in the warm glow of holding a Genius Day about him just as news of a whole new astronomy breaks, courtesy of gravitational waves.听 We also say 鈥渢hank you鈥� to our community who attend and enjoy these unique days of deep learning.

We think our Genius Days are 鈥済enius.鈥� As one of our families said, for their child, attending Genius Day is 鈥渓ike being in another world with kids that he can really talk to about the things that really interest him. We cannot express enough our gratitude for what you have created in 优蜜视频; where our son lights up, like nowhere else. Another world indeed.鈥�

We sincerely hope to have you join our world and make it your child鈥檚 world, next time at Genius Day.

Interested in Genius Day? You may also enjoy 优蜜视频’s Academy, which offers after-school and weekend enrichment courses for gifted children grades K-8th. Applications are now available for the spring term!聽Learn more and apply on the .

A British import, Louise Hindle graduated from the University of Manchester with a B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature and Language, completed her post-graduate teacher training at The University of Cambridge, and has recently completed her dissertation in Educational Leadership and Innovation with the University of Warwick. Louise has 20 years of experience in education as a high school literature teacher, lead teacher, administrator, adviser, and consultant. She is also the parent of three fun and active school-aged children. She loves working at 优蜜视频 because she is constantly learning and reflecting in order to meet the varied and complex needs of these children, who she finds to be confident and vulnerable in equal measure but always ready to learn and thirsty for more. In her free time, she likes to read with her children, hike, walk, and jog with her badly behaved dog.

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By Matthew B., Academy Student and Yunasa Camper

Three years ago, my mom brought home a flyer from a school meeting that mentioned 优蜜视频 and provided their website鈥檚 information. I was so excited that I could take a course called Rocket to Calculus with other like-minded students. This experience led me to take more classes at the 优蜜视频 Academy including: Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Mock Trial. My experiences at 优蜜视频 helped me realize how much I enjoy learning at an advanced level in a group, so I started a MathCounts team at my elementary school to help others have the same experience.

MathCounts is a national mathematics competition for students in grades 6-8 that is the only one of its kind. Over five hundred chapters are found in all fifty states as well as in several territories of the United States of America. It takes place once a year. The MathCounts competition has three divisions: regional, state, and national. There are four rounds. The sprint round focuses on speed, the target round focuses on solving more challenging problems, and the team round focuses on group problem solving. The countdown round, done in gameshow style, prioritizes individual knowledge. What makes this competition special is that it features a team score and a team round where you are working as a group on math problems in a timed environment.

When I was in sixth grade, I formed a MathCounts team. I started by going around the playground at recess and asking some of my friends and other people who I thought would enjoy being involved. I told them that anyone who wanted to join our team could. Once I found three other people so that our team would have enough members, we went to the principal and asked if we could set up a MathCounts team to represent our school. Our school鈥檚 principal said yes, but she wasn鈥檛 sure if she could find a place and time where the team could meet at school. I said that was okay; the team could meet at my house. She gave us permission slips and required our guardians to sign them.

We began meeting once a week for one hour at my house. I led the rest of the team, and at first I was the only person who taught them. As the number of members rose and what we learned went beyond what I knew really well, some of the other members helped with teaching things they knew using review and practice materials. We had adults, who were supportive of our group, teach more difficult material. Suddenly our little MathCounts club became a very big deal, which eventually led to our school creating an after-school math competition program for students in grades 4-6. First it was just our members meeting once a week at my house. Soon, parents and siblings became involved, and many of the members wanted to learn and practice more than once a week. We set up additional times where anyone who wanted to learn on that day of the week could come. The entire school became involved in math competitions when other parents and the principal started an intra-school competition called Mathzilla that same year. This experience led me and the other team members to start taking more advanced math courses. Even after we finished the MathCounts competition, our team did not end because we had developed friendships, and we decided to continue the team and do more competitions.

Setting up our team taught me many important things. I learned how to work with a group as a leader, and I had to come up with ways to instruct them. When team members were having a difficult time, I encouraged them by reminding them that just by participating on the team they were being successful because we were working on much harder math problems than most people our age. The team was really more about understanding advanced mathematical concepts than about winning competitions, and every member of our team was in it to learn. I am very glad that I have had this opportunity. Organizing a MathCounts team taught me the value of a community, leadership skills, and that one person can make a difference.

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Summer is a busy time at 优蜜视频 鈥� all of our programs are in full swing, and many of our community members use the time off school to work on projects and participate in competitions. Take a look at what took place within the 优蜜视频 community in June!

33 campers gathered in Colorado for Yunasa West, a week of balance, community, and fun. Campers participated in yoga, guided meditation, small group sessions with 优蜜视频 Fellows, and traditional camp activities such as kayaking, swimming, ropes courses, horseback riding, and campfires.

22 students took classes like Chemistry Lab, Exploring French Culture, and Geology and the World around Us in Summer Academy Session I.

2011 CDB Scholar Anirudh was one of the at-large winners for the for his research into a genetic technique for autoimmune diseases; he also participated in the national competition in Philadelphia. Great work, Anirudh!

Academy students who enrolled in Astronomy took a fun field trip to the Griffith Observatory.

Three Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Selection Committees met to determine 2015 CDB Finalists. Then 优蜜视频 staff members set out to begin interviewing Finalists, a process which will span two months and include travel to 14 cities across the country!

Yunasa camper and Academy student Xander starred as Lord Farquaad in his school鈥檚 production of Shrek.

2011 CDB Scholar Shiloh was a national winner in the . Congratulations, Shiloh!

Several Academy classes ended the session with field trips to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Caroline D. Bradley Scholars across the country graduated from middle school, high school, and college!

Have news to share? Please send the community member鈥檚 name and affiliation with 优蜜视频 along with a photo or video to 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org. We鈥檇 love to showcase your milestones, accomplishments, and interests with the rest of the 优蜜视频 community!

1. We moved into our new home!

Thanks to a generous gift by a longstanding 优蜜视频 supporter and friend, we are excited to be in our new home!

2. was awarded the inaugural NAGC Global Awareness Network Annemarie Roeper Award.

优蜜视频 is the first organization to receive the Annemarie Roeper Award presented at the 2013 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) National Convention by the NAGC Global Awareness Network. The award, in its inaugural year, is presented to one individual and one program 鈥渨hose efforts further develop global awareness for and by gifted children and those who are concerned with them. Annemarie Roeper, co-founder of the Global Awareness Network, held profound insights into the multifaceted inner world of gifted children and deeply understood the need to foster global awareness to reflect the unique perspectives of gifted children and to respond to their inherent concerns about the world they live in.鈥� We were honored to receive this award and to be in the amazing company of the first individual recipient, Dr. Linda Silverman.

3. 优蜜视频 community members gathered to discuss 优蜜视频鈥檚 strategic plan.

In September, 30 优蜜视频 staff members, board members, parents, and alumni gathered to discuss the direction of 优蜜视频. It was a fun and productive weekend, and we look forward to the next steps in this process as we plan for 优蜜视频鈥檚 continued growth. We greatly appreciate all of those who took time out of their busy schedules to help us with this crucial part of the strategic planning process. Keep an eye out for more information as we continue this process in the coming year.

4. and alumni celebrated a wide variety of successes.

Laura Ball, a CDB alumna from the class of 2006, received the prestigious Thiel Fellowship. Several CDB Scholars were named to the U.S. Math Olympic Team, and several will be on teams representing the U.S. in history, math, and science at an international level. 2013 Scholar Vinjai gave a . 2011 CDB Scholar Anirudh was selected as the winner of the United States Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP). 2010 CDB Scholar Kiran was selected as a Montage Memory Maker for his creation of web-based nonprofit Waste No Food. Fifteen new young students were also named .

5. 优蜜视频 honored two valued members of the 优蜜视频 community, Dr. Henri Ford and Mr. Stan Kong, at the .

In October, we hosted more than 90 guests at the home of 优蜜视频 supporters Kate Duey and Bob Malchione for the Moonlight & Stars Benefit Dinner. The evening brought together program alumni, Mentors, parents, board members, and supporters for a lovely evening celebrating 15 years of 优蜜视频 and honoring Dr. Henri Ford and Mr. Stan Kong for their service to 优蜜视频鈥檚 Apprenticeship Program and the Los Angeles community. The event raised more than $11,000 to support 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs for gifted youth. Thank you to all who attended and all who supported this event!

6. We launched Genius Day, a new initiative for our continuously developing Academy program.

These days of deep learning give students the opportunity to work with an expert in the field as they uncover the contributions of a person we consider a genius. The first Genius Day focused on Charles Darwin, while students in the .

We also offered聽15 new Academy classes over the course of 2013 and gained many wonderful new Academy instructors. New classes included: Academic & Personal Strengths Coaching, Chemistry Lab, Egyptian Mythology, the Female Hero in Myth & Literature, , Primary Advanced Language Arts, Primary Advanced Math, Rube Goldberg History & Creation, and many more!

7. The gifted community found new resources and support in 优蜜视频 social media.

Thousands of visitors viewed the 优蜜视频 blog over the past year, with many resources for parents of gifted kids proving helpful and popular. 鈥溾�� was our most popular blog post, as it struck a chord with many who identify with the beloved children鈥檚 book character. On , 优蜜视频 also reached a milestone of 1,000 fans.

8. 优蜜视频 hosted seven free .听

优蜜视频 hosts monthly talks to explore ways to meet gifted children鈥檚 particular needs and learn more about this amazing group of young people. These meetings are intended primarily for parents of gifted children to provide support and community in the midst of the joys and challenges of raising a gifted child. In 2013, speakers included 优蜜视频 Senior Fellow Dr. Patricia Gatto-Walden, parent Sharon Duncan, gifted expert Dr. Joanna Haase, 优蜜视频 President Elizabeth Jones, past program participants, and college counsellor Kate Duey.

9. Students, parents, and supporters gathered for .

In July, 115 students, parents, and supporters of gifted education gathered at USC for 优蜜视频鈥檚 Summer Spotlight 2013, an event designed to showcase gifted students and the programs we offer to meet their needs.

10. saw a second successful year in Colorado.

Twenty-four campers from across the country joined us for . This was the second year of Yunasa West, a second location for our pioneering Yunasa summer camps, and it proved to be yet another memorable and magical year!

11. Three new staff members joined our team.

• Lauren Albrecht, Development Coordinator
• Louise Hindle, Academy Coordinator
• Min-Ling Li, Program Coordinator working with Apprenticeship

12. Forty-two high school students from across the country came to Los Angeles to work with eminent Mentors through our .

These students worked in fields such as biomathematics, ethnomusicology, architecture, physics, pediatric medical research, industrial design, and more. Apprentices gained hands-on experience in their area of study. Sneha, a Media Relations and Social Media Apprentice at USC, .

13. And, most importantly of all, 优蜜视频 programs supported more than 200 bright young minds!

As you can see, 2013 was a great year for 优蜜视频, and we could not have done any of this without your support.

Philanthropic support for 优蜜视频 was extremely strong in 2013. We continue to receive tremendous support from families who have benefited from 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs as well as from friends of the work we do. Thank you to all who contributed this year and to the numerous volunteers who assisted in our programming, marketing, and fundraising efforts. Thanks to you, we are able to deliver our unique and highly customized programs to even more bright and eager learners across the country.

Thank you for being a part of our community. We look forward to an amazing 2014!

Interested in 2014 programs? Applications and information for all 2014 优蜜视频 programs are now available .

In this day and age of technology, more and more web-based resources are becoming available at our fingertips. Apple鈥檚 iTunes App Store, for example, has hundreds of applications specifically geared towards children鈥檚 learning and enrichment. Likewise, more e-learning websites are cropping up all over the Internet, offering a seemingly endless amount of educational lessons and tutorials in the form of short videos. Such educational resources are great for homeschoolers, teachers looking for ways to differentiate in their classrooms, and the life-long learner in all of us. While some parents may frown upon the use of web-based videos as a learning tool for their kids, I believe that these can be great resources for supplementing one鈥檚 education when used in moderation.

Some of the benefits of e-learning include:

• The freedom to discover and explore. With all of the information available online, your child has the opportunity to discover new subjects and delve deeper into topics that interest him or her.
• The freedom to learn at his or her own pace. Your child also has the freedom to decide on the pace of learning based on his or her ability in any one subject. In regards to videos specifically, your child has the freedom to control (literally) the speed of the lesson by pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding through content if he or she desires to review or skip specific segments of a lesson.
• The freedom to learn practically anywhere at any time. Since these are web-based resources, your child can learn anywhere you have access to the Internet and a computer or mobile device and at times that are most convenient to your family鈥檚 schedule.

With all of these benefits of e-learning in mind, I did a little research of my own to pinpoint which websites out there are the most gifted kid-friendly. Each of these websites is devoted to providing accessible, user-friendly educational tools; and best of all, these resources are free to the public! So here are my picks. Enjoy!

3.

NeoK12 is a website that offers educational videos and lessons, including games and quizzes, specifically geared to Kindergarten through 12th grade students. According to its mission, NeoK12 promotes learning through educational videos because they 鈥渂elieve that kids learn best when they 鈥榮ee鈥� how things work, when, where and why they happen.鈥� Through its comprehensive collection of videos, kids can learn about areas of study such as geography, social studies, physical science, English, math, and the human body. The site even hosts segments of the Discovery Channel show How It鈥檚 Made.

My picks:

• 鈥� Learn about the properties of the four fundamental states of matter: solid, gas, liquid, and plasma!
• 鈥� Check out this lesson on how our organs, vessels, and muscles work together in our bodies鈥� circulatory systems.
• And for fun,

2.

Khan Academy seeks to 鈥渉elp you learn what you want, when you want, at your own pace鈥� via video tutorials and lessons. It currently hosts a library of over 4,200 videos on topics ranging from chemistry, physics, trigonometry, and even humanities.

Students can create their own profiles to track their activities and earn achievement patches and badges, while parents can track their child鈥檚 progress over time. There is also a community aspect to this website, where students can ask questions about a concept they didn鈥檛 understand and have them answered by other Khan Academy students.

My picks:

• 鈥� Get an introduction to one of the coolest numbers in math! It also informed the .
• 鈥� Learn about the nuts and bolts of our DNA in this video about cells, chromosomes, and genes.

To learn more about the origins of Khan Academy, view creator, Salman Khan鈥檚 TEDTalk, .

1.

An offshoot of TEDTalks, TED-Ed delivers 鈥淟essons worth sharing鈥� through brief videos on topics ranging from the arts and literature to mathematics and psychology. Each lesson also includes multiple choice and open-ended questions for your child to engage with the content, as well as a 鈥淒ig Deeper鈥� section, which provides additional information and resources for your child to further explore the topic.

My picks:

• 鈥� Learn about how the invention of the train shaped the invention of standardized time zones.
• 鈥� Check out this fascinating video on bacteria and its chemical language!

(Please note that 优蜜视频 is not in any way affiliated with Apple, Inc., NeoK12, Khan Academy, or TED. We just wanted to share some of the great resources we鈥檝e found with you!)

What鈥檚 your child鈥檚 favorite online resource? Please share in the comment section below.

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Spring Academy classes ran for eight weeks from April 1 to May 25. Classes included two new offerings: Explorations in Literature and Chemistry Lab. Some Academy classics were also held: Organic Chemistry, Primary Advanced Math, Neuro-Energy I and II, Molecular Biology, and Astronomy. Our student attendance was the fullest it鈥檚 been and included ten new students from local public and private schools.

Chemistry Lab, taught by Dr. Rosemary Rohde and Ronnie Bryan, was a hit with its hands-on curriculum. Dr. Rose took concepts from Chemistry I and II and expanded on them by conducting correlating experiments for each of the eight weeks. Some lab topics were rates of reaction, electrochemistry and chemical equilibrium. Proper safety precautions were taught with the use of chemicals鈥攊nformation most students don鈥檛 usually cover until they take a high school chemistry course.

Susana de la Pe帽a, adjunct professor at UCLA, taught a humanities class called 鈥淓xplorations in Literature and Meaning Making.鈥� The students read three novels and a variety of short stories and wrote poems for their culminating activity. Literary analysis was emphasized as the class dug deep into gothic themes. The class came up with challenging questions and conjectures about some of the more obscure aspects of life but also had fun putting themselves in the shoes of the main characters.

Astronomy students took a field trip to the Griffith Observatory with Tony Travoullion, astronomer at work on the thirty-meter telescope through California Institute of Technology. Tony walked through each exhibit with his class and related museum information to concepts studied in Academy class. The field trip was also an opportunity for astronomy students to demonstrate mastery by explaining the exhibits to their fellow classmates and family members in attendance.

Just as spring term was brought to a close, Genius Day, a day of deep exploration into the life of genius Charles Darwin, commenced. The inaugural Genius Day was held at the Huntington Library last Saturday. Chief curator, Dr. Daniel Lewis, led students through a dynamic portrayal of Charles Darwin and a few of his contemporaries. The objective of the day was to gather evidence, showcase mastery and, in the end, define genius. Students fully immersed themselves in the scope of Darwin鈥檚 many contributions while having access to Dr. Lewis, an expert on the subject. Uninhibited by barriers of time or content, it was a joy to watch Academy kids thrive during an unforgettable day of deep learning.

Summer Academy sessions begin June 17! Sign up today!

SOUTH PASADENA, Calif.鈥擫os Angeles-area kindergarten through eighth-grade gifted and talented students are stepping out of the traditional classroom to engage in advanced classes that explore disciplines such as chemistry, astronomy and humanities. Academy classes, taught by local specialists who hold doctorates in their fields, college professors and professionals, inspire Los Angeles鈥檚 brightest youth to grow socially and intellectually.

The Academy was created by . 优蜜视频 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing programs that help gifted children balance intellectual ability with social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth. Independent of government funding, 优蜜视频 gives students the tools to work toward actualizing their full intellectual and personal potential in supportive environments such as the Academy.

优蜜视频 is meeting a need in the community by serving a demographic that often struggles with a lack of challenge in the mainstream classroom. Academy students are given work at a level appropriate for them, develop community with like-minded peers and bond with instructors who can relate to their special needs. For the students 优蜜视频 serves, weekly classes at the Academy are essential in fueling and satisfying their quest to know more. 鈥淚 would recommend Academy classes to anyone who enjoys learning!鈥� says Ariane Watkins, an Academy student who completed a Neuro-Energy course last term.

The program links a broad range of students from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds with instructors who鈥檝e been trained to teach advanced, college and high school material in a kid-friendly fashion. Winter 2013 classes include self-paced math, calculus, chemistry, ecology, humanities and astronomy. With an average class size of five students, Academy classes are a hands-on, inquiry-based and student-driven approach to learning. In Rocket to Calculus, for example, students make use of actual rockets to learn the basics of algebra, geometry and pre-calculus; in the final class, calculations are brought to life with a real rocket launch.

Scholarships for local Pasadena youth have been made possible by generous grants from the Ann Peppers Foundation and the Avery Dennison Foundation. 鈥淒ue to the scholarships we provide, gifted students in our community grow. Not only do we fan the flame of life-long learning in youngsters from all backgrounds, but they become stronger representatives of the schools they attend and are better able to contribute to their communities,鈥� says Jen Mounday, 优蜜视频 Academy program coordinator.

The Academy runs year-round, with the winter 2013 session running Jan. 12 to March 14. Classes are held at the 优蜜视频 offices in South Pasadena, Calif. Classes meet once a week for eight weeks and are offered after school on weekdays and during the day on Saturdays. For a full schedule of classes and to download an application, please visit the Academy page of 优蜜视频’s website or contact Jen Mounday at Academy@educationaladvancement.org or 626-403-8900.