Gifted Homeschoolers Forum

The Gifted Homeschoolers Forum (GHF) supports gifted homeschoolers in the United States and around the world through education, advocacy, community and support. GHF was founded by Corin Barsily Goodwin in 2004 to address a growing need for support and advocacy
GHF is served by the Board of Directors Corin Barsily Goodwin, Executive Director, Debbie Schwarzer, General Counsel, Anne Beneventi, Professional Outreach Coordinator, Eleen Kamas, PhD, Recording Secretary and Josh Shaine
It has a team of advisors and staff Mika Gustavson, Director, GHF Professionals, Tara Hernandez, Membership Director, Rebecca McMillan, Director of Online Education (GHF Online), Sarah Wilson, Editor-in-Chief, GHF Press, Wes Beach, Teen Advisor, Stephanie Hood, Charter/ISP Advisor, Martha Shaindlin, Marketing Manager, Cyd Dawson-Smith, Webmaster, Rev. Mona Chicks, Membership, Madeline Goodwin, General Assistant, Annette Holzman, Tax Manager, Carissa Leventis-Cox, Regional Contacts Coordinator and J. Marlow Schmauder, Professional Outreach.

The goals of GHF are:

• to link interested families with information and resources regarding educating a gifted child outside the traditional school system
• to provide gifted homeschoolers with the opportunity to network and exchange ideas and resources
• to increase awareness of homeschooling as a viable educational alternative for gifted children
• to advocate for gifted homeschoolers as needed
• to network with other education-related entities in support of these goals

Their website can be found at http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/

They provide excellent lists of resources

Resources relating to giftedness
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/resources/gifted/

Resources relating to homeschooling
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/resources/homeschooling/

Resources relating to Twice Exceptional (2E)
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/resources/twice-exceptional/

Collection of articles
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/resources/parent-and-professional-resources/articles/

GHF Online Courses

http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ghf-online/
Gifted Homeschoolers Forum also provides outstanding and engaging online courses tailored to the needs of gifted and twice-exceptional students.
The semester or year-long courses are aimed at upper middle and high school level students. GHF Online is 2e friendly and is willing to work with families to make reasonable accommodation for the student’s individual needs.

Courses for 2013
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ghf-online/whats-new-for-2013/

GHF Courses were discussed during a #GTCHAT session and the review can be read at New Online Courses at Gifted Homeschoolers Forum
http://globalgtchatpoweredbytagt.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/new-online-courses-at-gifted-homeschoolers-forum/

GHF Press

GHF Press, created by Gifted Homeschoolers Forum gathers and shares information specific to the gifted and twice-exceptional community. They publish Perspectives In Gifted Homeschooling Series
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ghf-press/

Making the choice: When typical school does not fit your atypical child by Corin Barsily Goodwin and Mika Gustavson
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ghf-press/making-the-choice-when-typical-school-doesnt-fit-your-atypical-child/

A guidebook for parents considering homeschooling, Making the Choice discusses how to balance the emotional and academic needs of gifted and 2e children, their parents, and their families. In Making the Choice, Corin Barsily Goodwin, Executive Director of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, and Mika Gustavson, MFT, demystify and de-mystify some of the perceived barriers to homeschooling. For those families wondering if this is an option they should consider, Making the Choice offers ideas, guidance, and encouragement to fully evaluate the option.

I am currently enjoying reading this book and intend to write a review shortly

Forging Paths: Beyond Traditional Schooling by Wes Beach
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ghf-press/forging-paths-beyond-traditional-schooling/

Traditional schooling may not provide your son or daughter with a satisfactory or fulfilling education. In Forging Paths: Beyond Traditional Schooling, you’ll read the stories of nine young people who took varying, nontraditional educational paths and succeeded in their chosen endeavors and vocations. Wes Beach, director of an unusual private high school, speaker, and author, prompts you to reconsider the idea that any highly successful career path must involve piling up gold stars in high school to gain immediate admission to a prestigious university in order to earn a degree which can cost more than most people earn in a year. Discover how passion, persistence, creativity and perseverance can lead to a life of satisfaction and even some traditional achievements!

I have received a copy of Wes Beach’ book and intend to write a review shortly

If This is a Gift, Can I Send it Back?:Surviving in the Land of the Gifted and Twice Exceptional by Jen Merrill
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ghf-press/if-this-is-a-gift-can-i-give-it-back-surviving-in-the-land-of-the-gifted-and-twice-exceptional/

Jen Merrill, author of the Laughing at Chaos blog, brings laughter, tears, and honesty to her latest book by GHF Press,If This is a Gift, Can I Send it Back?: Surviving in the Land of the Gifted and Twice Exceptional. Join Jen on her journey through discovery, understanding, and acceptance, as she copes with the challenges that only the gifted and twice exceptional can create. So, pull up a chair, pour a glass of wine, and start reading. You’ll swear Jen’s written about you!

I enjoyed reading Jen’s book and intend to post a review shortly

Jen discussed her book on #gtchat and the review of the session can be read at
If This is a Gift, Can I Send it Back?
http://globalgtchatpoweredbytagt.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/if-this-is-a-gift-can-i-send-it-back/

SOON TO BE RELEASED FEBRUARY 2013

Learning in the 21^st Century: How to connect, collaborate and create by Ben Curran and Neil Weatherbee
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ghf-press/learning-in-the-21st-century-how-to-connect-collaborate-and-create/

The world has transformed on an epic scale, but education has barely budged. How can you incorporate all the creativity technology has to offer into your learning experiences, even if your technological abilities are limited? How can online tools help students, especially gifted and twice-exceptional students, connect with others from around the block or around the world to collaborate on projects?

Ben Curran and Neil Weatherbee of Engaging Educators give you step-by-step instructions to get you started using technology in your learning experiences. Discover new online tools geared toward collaborating and creating. Try out projects specifically designed with these tools in mind. Create a positive and interesting online portfolio to share with college recruiters and potential employers.

Regardless of educational choice, Learning in the 21st Century: How to Connect, Collaborate, and Create will fill you with ideas and inspiration that will revolutionize how you approach learning.

I hope to read and review this book soon.

This book was discussed during a recent #GTCHAT with Ben Curran and Neil Weatherbee of ENGAGING ED and the review of the session can be read at
http://globalgtchatpoweredbytagt.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/learning-in-the-21st-century-how-to-connect-collaborate-and-create/

Susan Fisher’s Dream Classroom

About 15 years ago when the Internet was not widely used in schools and our youngest son was about 10 years old he wrote a description of his ideal classroom.
He described a room full of computers where students could follow their own program by logging into lectures given by professors from universities around the world.
He also loved playing strategy games, writing MOO code, participating in communal Internet story writing sessions and playing chess via email.

He would have absolutely loved Susan Fisher’s Dream Classroom!
During the Global Education Conference http://www.globaleducationconference.com/ Susan Fisher, Talented and Gifted Department Coordinator, Ridgeview I.B. Charter School, Fulton County Schools, Atlanta Georgia shared with us how she uses 21C gaming to encourage global awareness and responsibility in her students in a session titled ‘Dream Classroom Model Encourages Student Role as Global Citizens’

The session description read:
Susan Fisher, at Ridgeview IB Charter School, has created a perfect flipped, inspired, gamified, differentiated and project based classroom. The flexibility of the Inspired Classroom, in conjunction with the Flipped model has allowed her to move away from the traditional linear, sequential, and lecture-based teacher model. With the availability of information and resources on the internet, the teacher no longer has to be the one-stop shop for information and learning. In a true flipped and Inspired Classroom, the teacher fills the role of the facilitator that sets up a series of activities that lead the students as they learn on their own. This year that flexibility has enabled her students to participate in the Urgent Evoke Game created by Jane McGonigal and the World Bank Institute to help students learn about their role as global citizens and future problem solvers. She has incorporated her own game site for the kids, Collabornation, around the games central themes; food security, energy, water security, disaster relief, poverty, pandemic, education, global conflict and human rights which align perfectly with her 7th grade world geography curriculum.

 

Susan has designed a program called Collabornation http://fishersu.wix.com/collabornation

 for her students which incorporates games such as Evoke http://www.urgentevoke.com/

Links that Susan shared during the session included
Camtasia  http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html

Wix http://www.wix.com/

Evoke http://www.urgentevoke.com/

Edmodo http://www.edmodo.com/

Collabornation http://fishersu.wix.com/collabornation

A vimeo about Evoke http://vimeo.com/9723245

A screencast of a CNN segment about Evoke http://www.screencast.com/t/FnvbFTWMD

Susan Fisher’s Scoop.It E-Portfolio http://www.scoop.it/t/susanfisher1

Susan Fisher is @fishersu on Twitter

The recording of the session can be found at https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/recording/playback/link/table/dropin?sid=2008350&suid=D.67BBD9AB93B6AB94176FA74CBE7AE1

 

Fine Focus Webinar Part 2

Jo Hart has posted on her E-verything! Blog http://johart1.edublogs.org/2012/11/15/edublogs-webinar-overviews-pt-2-de-bono-action-shoes-for-2e-students-a-serendipity-shared-tools/  an overview of the second part of my Fine Focus session ‘Which de Bono Action Shoes are best for a 2E student on Gagne’s DMGT Road?’

The session which was recorded and can still be accessed using the link https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/nativeplayback.jnlp?sid=vclass&psid=2012-10-25.1520.D.4C3548A84E624FA254CD6511B7CA09.vcr

I began with a brief recap of the first session see Jo Hart’s post at http://johart1.edublogs.org/2012/10/23/webinar-overviews-edublogs-serendipity-de-bono-action-shoes-for-2e-students/

Topics covered in the recap were

• Edward de Bono’s Six Action Shoes
• Gagne’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent;
• the Six Action Shoes in the context of the Feetspeak Quest Map;
• a reminder of the six shoes and their relationship to the Gagne DMGT model.

The main focus of the second session was a consideration of combinations and variations in the shoes. We explored the possible combinations of two shoe types to produce modified action plans. I also shared some extra shoe types which I have added  that broaden the program possibilities including Sprite’s plaster cast that symbolizes the support that may be available through eligibility for funding!

We looked at the needs of 2E students and the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. methods of varying the program to make provisions for them and discussed them.

Fine Focus webinar

Last Friday I presented the first of two SerendipEd Fine Focus webinars ‘Which de Bono Action Shoes are best for a 2E student on Gagne’s DMGT Road?’
An overview and the recording of the presentation can be seen on Jo Hart’s E-verything blog a http://johart1.edublogs.org/2012/10/23/webinar-overviews-edublogs-serendipity-de-bono-action-shoes-for-2e-students/

In preparation the Feetspeak 2E shoes page on Gifted Resources website http://www.giftedresources.org/  has been updated to include links to the resources and websites used as references and Sprite’s Site blog has included posts on de Bono’s 6 Action shoes

Orange gumboots http://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/orange-gumboots/
Pink slippers http://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/pink-slippers/
Grey sneakers http://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/grey-sneakers/
Blue formal shoes http://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/blue-formal-shoes/
Purple riding boots http://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/purple-riding-boots/
Brown brogues http://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/10/07/brown-brogues/
and also
More shoes http://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/more-shoes/

I will give the second part of the presentation this week. Details about how to join the session and find the time for your part of the world can also be found in Jo Hart’s blog post.