All parents and teachers, not just those who work with gifted kids, are often concerned about how to make the best decisions for each unique child. All children need custom attention to help them grow up resilient, flexible, and compassionate. The challenge of working with gifted children is that it can feel isolating and lonely without proper support and resources. Sometimes just a little advice, validation, or encouragement, can go a long way towards working through the tough spots. Because of this 优蜜视频 offers complimentary Gifted Support Group (GSG) meetings during the school year.

GSG meetings invite leading professionals to share their knowledge and experience. These meetings provide support and community in a space specifically for shared discovery and exchanging resources and ideas. Someone else is going through or has gone through the same struggles. The GSG meetings offer a community eager to share what they have learned in their journey through not only gifted education, but also gifted living.

Talking about common struggles together is a great way to brainstorm solutions. Maybe something that didn鈥檛 work for one student is the fix another family is looking for. Sharing experiences with other parents and educators who interact with gifted children has proven to be enormously helpful in supporting gifted students strive towards reaching their full potential.

Sharing what we have learned may help someone else forego the struggles the community has encountered. But the right community of like-minded people can provide more than just new information, it allows you to be yourself. You can enter the space with no fear of judgment.

Join our community as we work together for continued success.

Here are some recording and resources from last year鈥檚 GSG meetings.

Linda Powers

Jill Stowell

Cynthia Molt

Susanna Pollack

Bethany Kwan

Maya Sissoko

Bonus

• with 优蜜视频 President, Betsy Jones sits down with Jill Stowell of The Stowell Learning Center.

Happy belated Mother鈥檚 Day to all the moms. I hope you have found a special moment just for yourself, and a lovely day with family. This time last year, we were all still trying to understand and adopt to the realities of lives in pandemic. Schools cancelled, working from home, senior shopping hours, and predicting the peak (over and over again). So much have changed since then, yet some important changes remained.

Moms are now working more jobs, their personal and professional boundary lines have been blurred to none, and they have less time for themselves. In addition to the roles prior to the pandemic 鈥� working, parenting and domestic duties, most moms are also taking on some versions of homeschooling for their children. For parents of gifted and profoundly gifted children, it has become more challenging to 鈥渒eep up鈥� with their unmet needs from their virtual classroom.

We know there are a lot of parenting resources in gifted education, from programs to services, assessments to advocacy. This blog post, however, primarily focuses on the self-care for parents of gifted and highly gifted children, how you can take care of you while taking care of the family.

If you haven鈥檛 already, please check out 优蜜视频鈥檚 monthly . It鈥檚 a great place to start. Our monthly Gifted Support Group meetings feature experts on various aspects of 

gifted education. The goals are to support parents, build community, it鈥檚 a venue for shared discovery, and a space to exchange resources and ideas. Sharing experiences with other parents and educators who interact with gifted children has proven to be enormously helpful.

In this open letter titled 鈥�,鈥� Gifted Specialist Colleen Kessler from Raising Lifelong Learners reaffirmed that sharing experiences with other parents and building community is critical to bringing calm to everyday parenting life. 

In this  by Debbie Reber, who is the founder of TiLT, a parenting community for raising unconventionally wired children, Debbie shared twelve strategies and ideas for creating a sustainable, doable self-care practice.

Taking care of you paves a strong foundation for the wellbeing of the whole family. The journey of raising gifted and highly gifted children is long, joyous, tenuous and amazing all at the same time. Know that you have a community and are never alone! Best wishes and keep in touch![vc_single_image image=”10489″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=””]

Moderating screen time for youth has never been more difficult. Television, streaming services, and video games are a huge draw for children. But video games, or gaming, has benefits beyond television and streaming services. Gaming is an interactive activity. Children can play against friends and interact with other youth which is especially needed during these times of social distancing. Games can also include problem solving and learning opportunities.

There are many resources available to parents with questions about gaming including our upcoming . This Gifted Support Group will feature Susanna Pollack from Games for Change. In this presentation, Ms. Pollack will provide insights on how games have a power beyond entertainment that can be used for social good. 

Whether through using games as a platform for learning, building awareness around important social issues, or building 21st Century Skills, young people can engage with pro-social activities while enjoying a medium that 鈥渕eets them where they are. With a commitment to learning and education, Ms. Pollack also developed a portfolio of programs that advance the use of games and immersive media in learning.  She launched the G4C Student Challenge with the NYC Department of Education in 2015, which is now a national program that reaches 10,000 students annually.

Additional resources online include:

• , National Association for Gifted Children
• , Child Mind Institute
• , Health, Social Benefits, Review Finds, American Psychological Association

As parents of gifted children, we鈥檝e all had our share of 鈥渢hose moments.鈥� Like when our child has a enormous melt-down in the store aisle, or when we are late for school or work, because our child can鈥檛 leave the house until the tags on their clothes are all cut off, or when we鈥檝e reached our limit and yell, because, well we鈥檙e human too.

After experiencing one of those moments, what do you tell yourself? Do you quickly blame yourself or others, do you berate yourself for messing up, or replay the situation over and over reminding yourself of what a failure you are as a parent? Have you ever responded by telling yourself, 鈥楾his is really hard. You鈥檙e really suffering now. You鈥檙e going to be ok, you鈥檙e doing the best you can.鈥� Take a moment to reflect on a recent one of those moments. Now imagine if you were to hear the same narrative from one of your dearest friends. What would you say to them? Would you have a critical response, blaming or shaming them for a mistake, or would you offer them compassion and empathy? I鈥檓 assuming that if you鈥檙e like most people, you wouldn鈥檛 imagine telling them some of the same things that you so easily tell yourself.

Parenting is a slippery slope. It鈥檚 one of the most challenging endeavors we encounter as human beings, and yet, there are no absolute instructions. However, when we look around us, someone else always seems to be doing it better. It鈥檚 really easy to fall into the shame trap as parents: never feeling good enough, being keenly aware of our shortcomings and mistakes, or replaying the highlight reel of our latest blunders. However, learning to practice self-compassion is the antidote to all those shame poisons we commonly ingest after a challenging day. Self-compassion quells the voices of doubt, shame, criticism, and judgement.

So what exactly is self-compassion? It鈥檚 offering ourselves empathy and compassion, just as we would to a dear friend or to our child in a time of suffering or pain. When we learn to recognize our own voices of criticism, perfectionism, comparison, judgment, or shame, and turn them around into kindness and empathy, we are practicing self-compassion.

Researcher and author, Kristin Neff, Ph.D., () talks about self- compassion as 3 essential components.

• Self-Kindness vs.Self-Judgement: 鈥淔irst, it requires self-kindness, that we be gentle and understanding with ourselves rather than harshly critical and judgmental.鈥�
• Common Humanity vs. Isolation: 鈥淪econd, it requires recognition of our common humanity, feeling connected with others in the experience of life rather than feeling isolated and alienated by our 鈥�
• Mindfulness vs. Overidentification: 鈥淭hird, it requires mindfulness鈥攖hat we hold our experience in balanced awareness, rather than ignoring our pain or exaggerating 鈥�

I鈥檝e noticed in my own life, along with other parents that I know, it鈥檚 easy to begin with good intentions to make positive changes, or develop a new practice, but then life seems to always get in the way. For me, I鈥檝e become conscious of what I need to be stay aware and grounded, and in turn able to be compassionate to myself and others. There are four things that will always work against us, and sabotage our efforts of self-compassion.

• 鈥淭he Shoulds鈥�: Whenever I detect disappointment or resentment creeping up inside me, I know that I need to check my expectations. When we can be honest about the expectations we have for ourselves as a parent, or for our鈥檚 child鈥檚 behavior or achievements, then we can explore where they鈥檝e come from and if they鈥檙e realistic or not.
• Shame: When we see ourselves as flawed, not good enough, or as a failure, our core worthiness is in jeopardy, and we will inevitably struggle with showing ourselves kindness and
• Shrinking Space: A packed life and schedule leaves no room or margin for error, reflection, or intentional practices. Practicing simplicity of schedule builds in space for the unexpected moments of life that will inevitable
• Swift Speed: When we are able to slow down, we are able to cultivate patience for ourselves and towards our children. Patience is an important piece of showing kindness and

Take a moment today, to play back something that happened recently between you and your child that didn鈥檛 go well. This time, adjust your lens to see yourself and the situation with empathy and self-compassion. Then offer yourself words and actions of comfort and compassion, just as you would to a good friend. Nurturing yourself is not selfish or indulgent, it鈥檚 essential for our own emotional well being, and goes a long way in modeling self-compassion to our children as well.

Michele is leading our September Gifted Support Group Meeting.聽

Topic:聽Parenting, the Self-Compassion Way

As parents of gifted and exceptional children, we are often focused on the pursuit of finding the individuals, services, experiences, etc. that will adequately meet our children鈥檚 ever-changing needs. But what about us? What about our experiences and inner worlds? In this presentation, therapist and parent of gifted and 2e children, Michelle Bodwell, will discuss the importance of tuning into ourselves, recognizing our inner dialogue, and cultivating a practice of empathy and self- compassion for the parenting journey.

Biography:

Michelle Bodwell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Board-Certified Art Therapist with a private practice in South Pasadena. In her practice, she specializes working with women, of all ages, guiding them in finding creative solutions for life鈥檚 problems. Through the journey of parenting her own gifted and 2e children, she understands the struggles and challenges of raising exceptional individuals and lends her experiences in leading A Mother鈥檚 Retreat, a parenting support group for mothers of children with high emotional needs. For more information go to

It鈥檚 hard to believe, but we鈥檙e already well into the new year: 2019. Despite heavy rains 鈥� much-needed and welcomed throughout Los Angeles County 鈥� in 优蜜视频鈥檚 home city of Pasadena, CA, the future looks bright! With the rainfall comes the opportunity to recalibrate, reflect, and reenergize for an exciting year ahead. We have some incredible new initiatives and programs on the horizon and are looking forward to continuing to serve and support our amazing students, families, educators, and community partners.

We hope you鈥檙e as excited about this list as we are!

1. Celebrating Heart, Fostering Hope: On February 9, 优蜜视频 will formally celebrate its 20^th anniversary with a gala fundraiser at the Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena. We鈥檙e so excited to share this incredible occasion with those that have helped shape 优蜜视频 for two decades. If you鈥檙e unable to join in person, please consider donating, sponsoring, or providing us with a silent auction item. All money raised will go towards continuing to help serve the nation鈥檚 brightest and most deserving students, who drive our mission on a daily basis. For more information, please click .
2. 18 years of Yunasa! Since 2002, and across 22 sessions, has been providing gifted youth with award-winning programming, embracing them for who they are and helping them understand and work with the unique joys and challenges they face. This summer, Camp Shady Brook in Colorado and Camp Copneconic in Michigan will host campers, counselors, Fellows, and 优蜜视频 staff for a unique, week-long experience like no other. Interested in applying? There鈥檚 still time!
3. Academy Additions: We鈥檙e introducing two new NAGC-award-winning Shelagh Gallagher curricula to our Academy offerings: Black Death and It鈥檚 Electrifying! 鈥� and that鈥檚 just in the spring session! Stay tuned for more additions in the summer and beyond, including a course for our youngest students, ages 6-9: The Penguin Predicament: A Problem about Animal Habitat and Survival.
4. Ready, set, make! On June 22, 优蜜视频 will host its first-ever Maker Faire. Details about this one-of-a-kind event with makers, tinkerers, and creative minds coming soon!
5. Community: Now entering its second year of providing an academic and social home for the gifted community, 优蜜视频鈥檚 Learning Center at 540 S. Marengo is excited to welcome 鈥� and welcome back 鈥� families, educators, Externs, Bradley scholars, and community partners through programming, free events, open houses, workshops, trainings, and tours. Check out our page to see what鈥檚 on the horizon!
6. Our third content guide: In June, 优蜜视频 will release its third content guide, which will focus on high schools throughout the United States that serve gifted students. We look forward to being able to provide our families with a well-researched, informative guide for their rising high schoolers. To view our two content guides released in 2018, please visit our .
7. Calling all volunteers! 优蜜视频 is launching its first-ever program! Volunteers are an integral part of 优蜜视频. We rely on our volunteers to help support a variety of services for our community. Whether you鈥檙e working with students, engaging with guests at events, or performing administrative tasks, our volunteers help our programs thrive! Join 优蜜视频鈥檚 mission to ensure that each gifted child鈥檚 specific needs are met so that they can reach their full potential.
8. Brilliant scientists, brilliant students: (Learning Among Brilliant Scientists) is in its second program year! Since its initial launch in March 2018, LABS has continued to build momentum with a great line-up of STEM professionals from Caltech, Cal State Los Angeles, and USC. They鈥檝e shared their innovative work and research on such topics as astrophysics, molecular biology, computer science, ecology and evolution, biology and mathematics! The new year kicks off with an exciting LABS on Cancer Cells in the Blood! There are still spots available for the February 16 LABS Series:
9. Streaming live, coast to coast! meetings have gone digital! 优蜜视频 is now livestreaming our meetings on Facebook and YouTube. We鈥檙e excited to be able to expand our outreach to non-local families and share gifted professionals鈥� amazing insight with our community. The next meeting, on January 31, will focus on social emotional imagination in gifted education.
10. EXPLORE-ing a new location: is launching a program in Northern California! The program continues to garner great interest from applicants in NorCal, so this summer we鈥檙e hoping to make the leap up north to host students at 1 or 2 mentor sites. We鈥檒l be able to expand our reach and serve more talented high schoolers!
11. Hot off the presses: 优蜜视频 now has a 3D printer! Thanks to a generous grant from the Ahmanson Foundation, which is providing us with funds to transform our Learning Center, our programs are now equipped to provide students with 3D printing technology, design, and coding. Check out our first test print from Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Coordinator, Mallory Aldrich:
12. Speaking of hearts: Academy is hosting it鈥檚 first-ever Valentine鈥檚 Day card-making event the week of February 4. Stop by during business hours to make cards for family, friends, teachers, and other special people in your life. Free of charge! Details located .
13. Beakers and Bunsen burners and bacteria, oh my! Within a few weeks, construction will be complete on 优蜜视频 Learning Center鈥檚 new wet lab! With three working stations, sinks, and a flat screen monitor, Academy and LABS programs will be able to provide an authentic science lab experience for students and educators. We look forward to seeing this amazing space transform into a space of hands-on inquiry that has been years in the making.
14. Student-led workshops: 2018 was a fantastic year for student-led workshops and there are already two planned for February: the third workshop in CDB Scholar Luke Gialanella鈥檚 Votes and Voices series 鈥� A Presidential History of the U.S. Two-Party System 鈥� and The Wonderful World of Poems with Cassidy Kao. We鈥檙e so grateful that our students love sharing their knowledge and experiences with each other!
15. Family and fun: When not working with and serving our incredible students, 优蜜视频 staff enjoys cultivating their hobbies and pursuing their interests. Marketing and Communications Coordinator Nicole LaChance is looking forward to joining her family for some rock and roll excitement this summer: 鈥淚 am going to see Aerosmith in June at their residency in Las Vegas with my family. Aerosmith is a special band for us and I have probably seen them at least 8 times already. It will be awesome to spend time with my family and see a great show we are all super excited about. Maybe I鈥檒l even get lucky at the casino!鈥�

What 优蜜视频 programs or events are you most looking forward to in 2019

Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who devote their time and resources to support 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs and services. Whether it鈥檚 donating books to the library in our Learning Space, facilitating a Gifted Support Group meeting, working as an mentor or member, helping out around the 优蜜视频 office or assisting with one of our special events, our volunteers greatly help us to provide quality programming to gifted students all over the country. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity in giving your time to our organization.

Thank you to everyone who has made a financial contribution to 优蜜视频 this year. Your support is essential to ensuring every gifted child has the resources to reach their full potential. We couldn鈥檛 do the work we do without your generous support. Financial gifts of all sizes allow us to provide programming, materials and services to gifted students, as well as their parents and teachers. A special thanks to everyone who sponsored our last month:

Thomas & Tiffany Hempel
Mar & Matthew Hershenson
Ken & Michelle Hirschman
Richard Chin & Christina Hyun
Megan Johnson & Dy Tran
McDonell Family

Ann & Don Smith/Gifted Support Center Family

Thank you to everyone who has shared information about our programs and services, contributed a blog post and helped us advocate for gifted children. You are building a brighter future for gifted students across the country.

Finally, thank you to all the gifted children who inspire us daily with their passion, creativity, ingenuity and readiness to learn and be challenged. You are the reason we continue to work diligently to provide a space for intellectual, creative and personal growth.

Thank you to everyone who has supported 优蜜视频 this year!

Would you like to support 优蜜视频? ! Gifts of all sizes are welcome and appreciated.

鈥淎 house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.鈥� -Benjamin Franklin

In August of 2017, 优蜜视频鈥檚 long search to find a permanent physical space to offer our classes, workshops and meetings came to an end. By September, we opened the doors to 540 S. Marengo Avenue in Pasadena, welcoming excited students, parents and teachers into the new 优蜜视频 facility.

A gorgeous craftsman structure on the historic registry, the house saw its public debut as a learning environment with an 优蜜视频 Academy teacher training and a few days later, students in our Fall Academy session arrived for classes. We hosted our Gifted Support Group for the first time at the house in November and in December, nearly 50 children and parents joined us for an Open House and Tree Trimming event to celebrate the season.

优蜜视频 Academy teachers gathered for training at 540 S. Marengo.

With help from 优蜜视频 team members, kids enjoy holiday craft-making at December鈥檚 Tree Trimming and Open House.

As with 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs and services, our recently acquired home is intended to provide an exploratory space to feed the minds of young intellects and nurture their personal growth as individuals. Based on the enthusiastic reception from children and parents alike, 540 S. Marengo is indeed providing that 鈥渇ood and fire鈥� Benjamin Franklin said a home requires.

This enthusiasm has manifested in an outpouring of not just support but also in-kind donations of books for the library, children鈥檚 furniture, plants and flowers, office furniture and more. Students are eagerly displaying their class and personal projects to share with others and one student is even hosting his podcast series at the house.

In addition to outfitting 优蜜视频 with three classroom spaces and a conference room/library, 540 S. Marengo provides office space for our program team. With high ceilings and plenty of windows offering a lot of light, the house is comfortable and airy. Parents often congregate in the library or on the porch while their children are in class, sharing resources and ideas on how best to support their gifted child.

Eager young scientists in Academy鈥檚 Brain Anatomy class are prepared for learning with their safety gear.

A student in Academy鈥檚 STEM Building class observes the results of their design, using the open space of the house to carry out her experiment.

As wonderful as 540 S. Marengo is as a learning space for our community, 优蜜视频 envisions an even greater space. With the support of local foundation funders, we are planning to turn the kitchen into a science lab, complete with equipment and safety features that would allow for deep scientific and exploratory learning. Anticipated technology upgrades will enable rich, interactive discovery and allow our teachers and program team to add even more rigor to our courses.

The doors of 540 S. Marengo are always open to our gifted community. If you鈥檙e interested in a tour or looking for summer enrichment opportunities for your gifted child, we invite you to join us for our upcoming Open House on April 13^th. Swing聽by for class demonstrations, to meet Academy teachers and for your kids to enjoy craft-making.

Have ideas for 优蜜视频鈥檚 new home? Tell us in the comments section below or email us at 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org.

]]> /blog-giftedness-finds-home/feed/ 0 /blog-iea-2017-highlights/ /blog-iea-2017-highlights/#respond Wed, 03 Jan 2018 02:48:46 +0000 https://ieadev.wpengine.com/blog-iea-2017-highlights/ by Ni帽a Abonal, Senior Program Coordinator

To celebrate the beginning of a new year, we wanted to take a look back at some noteworthy moments from 2017!

优蜜视频 has expanded and bought a house!

Through the generosity of our donors, 优蜜视频 was able to purchase a beautiful craftsman home in Pasadena. The new space houses our programs, Academy classes, and monthly聽 Gifted Support Groups. This past December, we hosted a Tree Trimming and Open House where families had the opportunity to take a guided tour, observe Academy classes, meet our dynamic Academy instructors, make DIY holiday ornaments, check out student work and nosh on cookies and hot cocoa.

优蜜视频 released results from a .

We commissioned the first ever national survey assessing the American public鈥檚 views on gifted education which found overwhelming bipartisan public support for increased funding for programs and resources for gifted students. It also indicated that the public recognizes the gifted population is often underserved. As a follow up in September, 优蜜视频 gathered gifted education leaders from across the country in Pasadena to discuss the next steps in advocating for a policy solution championing gifted learners. The gathering included a presentation of the poll results, roundtable discussions, 聽and a conversation on how organizations can work together to advocate for our nation鈥檚 gifted students. We are working on to inform and create change.

Students, parents, and supporters gathered for 优蜜视频鈥檚 Summer Spotlight.

In July, over 100 students, parents, and supporters of 优蜜视频 gathered at The Barder House for event where families enjoyed interactive demonstrations of our programs conducted by 优蜜视频 students and Academy instructors, connected with other families with gifted children, and chowed down on a complimentary barbeque dinner and drinks!

Twenty-eight middle-schoolers from across the country were named 2017 Scholars.

From an applicant pool of 386 students, CDB鈥檚 largest-ever applicant pool, 55 Finalists were selected by three Scholarship Selection Committees comprised of a diverse group of school admissions directors, CDB alumni, university personnel and community and business leaders nationwide. Following extensive personal interviews, 28 of the Finalists were selected as recipients of the 2017 scholarship. Congratulations to our !

Twenty talented high school students worked with distinguished Mentors through .

Students were thoughtfully matched with mentors who shared similar passions in their career field of interest and had professional trajectories externs hoped to pursue in the future. These externs conducted college level research and work in fields such as biomathematics, computer science, architecture, pediatric medical research, ethnomusicology and more. Also, as a new component of EXPLORE, students met every Friday to attend educational excursions and workshops geared towards building their college and career readiness.

Yunasa brought together 113 campers for a summer of fun outdoor activities, workshops led by our beloved Fellows, and community-building events.

This year, Yunasa accepted the most campers it has in its 15 years of operation. We welcomed back 77 returning campers and 36 new campers for Yunasa and Yunasa West. The goal of the one week camp is to balance all sides of giftedness 鈥撀爄ntellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical. Hannah, a 4th year Yunasa camper, shares her experience about finding her tribe at Yunasa .

Teacher trainings brought Academy instructors together to share their experience, knowledge and creative ideas.

Academy conducted 3 pre-session teacher trainings to help prepare our instructors to work with our community of gifted learners. Trainings covered such topics as support for twice-exceptional students and guest speakers included Sharon Duncan from GRO Gifted and 优蜜视频鈥檚 very own, President Betsy Jones.

优蜜视频 honored three valued members of the 优蜜视频 community, Dr. Tony Travouillon, Jason Roberts and Sandy Roberts, at the .

In November, we hosted 90 guests at the University Club in Pasadena for our annual fundraiser. The evening brought together program alumni, Mentors, parents, board members, and supporters of 优蜜视频 聽and we also honored including Academy Instructor, Dr. Tony Travouillon, who received the Educator Award, and Sandy and Jason Roberts of Math Academy who received the Community Advocate Award. The event raised nearly $30,000 to support 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs for gifted youth! Thank you to all who attended and contributed to this event!

We鈥檝e grown our online presence through our redesigned .

The Gifted Resource Center (GRC) is a free public tool created and curated by 优蜜视频 which serves as an online database of resources for the gifted community. To date, the database has over 450 gifted resources and over 15,000 page views.

优蜜视频 hosted nine free meetings.

During the school year, we offer complimentary monthly talks featuring experts on various aspects of gifted youth and education. These talks are intended for parents and educators of gifted children to provide support and community, a venue for shared discovery, and a space to exchange resources and ideas. Previous topics include Mindfulness and the Whole Child, Gifted Resource Swap, Gifted and Teenage, Homeschooling 101 and Finding the Right School Fit.

Four joined our small but mighty team.

Anvi Kevany, Administrative Assistant
Abby Daniels, Director of Development & Communications
Nicole Endacott, Program Assistant
Hillary Jade, Program Manager

And, most importantly, 优蜜视频 programs supported more than 453 bright young minds!

Needless to say, 优蜜视频 had a lot to celebrate in 2017 and we could not have done any of this without the help of our amazing community!

优蜜视频 continues to receive remarkable support from families who have benefited from our programs, as well as community partners who believe in our mission and work. Thank you to everyone who generously contributed this year, and to our amazing volunteers who assisted in our programming, marketing, and fundraising efforts. Thanks to you, we are able to deliver highly customized programs to more bright and eager learners across the country.

We look forward to an impactful 2018!

Like this post?聽聽to receive more stories, information, and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

]]> /blog-iea-2017-highlights/feed/ 0 /blog-giving-thanks-2017/ /blog-giving-thanks-2017/#respond Wed, 22 Nov 2017 01:05:00 +0000 https://ieadev.wpengine.com/blog-giving-thanks-2017/ As Thanksgiving approaches, we鈥檇 like to take a few minutes to give thanks to our 优蜜视频 community!

Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who devote their time and resources to support 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs and services. Whether it鈥檚 helping decorate our new learning space, facilitating a聽聽meeting or assisting with one of聽, our volunteers help us provide quality programming to gifted students all over the country. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity in giving your time to our organization.

Thank you to everyone who has聽contributed to 优蜜视频 financially聽this year. Your support is essential to ensuring every gifted child has the resources to reach their full potential. Financial gifts of all sizes allow us to provide programming, materials and services to gifted students, as well as their parents and teachers. A special thank you to those who sponsored our Awards Dinner & Celebration:

Seoung Jin An & Ha Yeon
Peter & Jennifer Burke
Dennis & Nancy Finnerman
McDonell Family
Hap Deneen & Jennifer Yount
Becky & Peter Knell
Seong Sik Jeon & Joo Eun Bae
Chris & Abby Newman

Thank you to everyone who has shared information about our programs and services, contributed a blog post and helped us advocate for gifted children. You are building a brighter future for gifted students across the country.

Finally, thank you to all the gifted children who inspire us daily with their passion, creativity, ingenuity and readiness to learn and be challenged. You are the reason we continue to work diligently to provide a space for intellectual, creative and personal growth.

Thank you to everyone who has supported 优蜜视频 this year!

Would you like to support 优蜜视频? Gifts of all sizes are welcome and appreciated.

Like this post?聽聽to receive more stories, information, and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

Learning about the brain development of gifted children gave me a deeper understanding of their heightened experience and unique learning needs.

At 优蜜视频鈥檚 monthly , Dr. Nicole Tetreault, Dr. Joanna Haase, and Dr. Sharon Duncan from (GRO) gave a presentation on understanding the gifted brain. Their extensive literature review on existing neuroscience research supports the hypothesis that gifted individuals have increased intellectual, emotional, sensory and motor processing capacity. Specifically, their research shows:

Gifted individuals have increased brain volume

Gifted individuals have greater brain activation

Gifted individuals have greater white matter connectivity

Gifted individuals have increased sensory and auditory processing

Neuroanatomy shows individuals with higher IQ have increased grey matter volume in various regions of the brain 鈥� what the cerebral cortex is composed of. The regions with increased volume include the frontal lobes (complex decision making and hypothesis testing), temporal lobes (auditory processing and language interpretation), parietal lobes (taste, temperature, touch sensation), and occipital lobes (visual information) [1].

This could explain why gifted students can process a large amount of information and do calculations faster than their peers. As a child, I was always told that practice makes you better, but at times, too many repetitions can make you lose interest. Keeping a child interested, engaged, and challenged is a delicate balance; understating neurodiversity is the first step to differentiating individual鈥檚 learning pace and style.

With accelerated processing speed, comes the challenge of responsiveness. Some students can solve math problems quickly in their head, but they have a hard time articulating the process. When it comes to sensory and auditory processing, gifted students can be particularly sensitive and react strongly to sound, smell, taste, and visual stimuli.

While many gifted students can identify with these feelings, it is also important 鈥� albeit difficult 鈥� to try to express one鈥檚 logical process as coherent as possible. In learning environments where the needs of gifted students are often overlooked, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively is a good practice to foster mutual understanding and master proactive learning habits.

I left GRO鈥檚 lecture with a greater understanding of neurodiversity and the difference in learning needs for gifted students. Understanding that our students learn differently, not ostracizing them for who they are, and helping them work towards their personal best with their unique learning pace and style is a great recipe for a happy and healthy childhood.

Notes:

[1] 鈥淭he Gifted Brain.鈥� March 17, 2016

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