Australian Blogs on the Topic of Giftedness

Image Jo Freitag

Recently I received a query from Jodi Brown who is compiling a list of Australian blogs on the topic of giftedness.
I searched my lists and could only find these blogs but I am sure there must be many more.

Defying gravity – Ingi
http://www.defyinggravity.com.au/

Gifted Resources Blog – Jo Freitag
https://giftedresources.wordpress.com/

Gluten-free Mum – Kathleen Humble
http://yellowreadis.blogspot.com.au/

Mermaids and mermen
http://www.mermaidsandmermen.com.au/blog/

NSWAGTC Blogs
http://www.nswagtc.org.au/blogs.html

NTAEGT Blog
http://ntaegt2014.wix.com/ntaegt#!blog/c1rgx

Personas, Profiles and Portraits – Jo Freitag
https://jofreitag.wordpress.com/

Sprite’s Site – Jo Freitag
http://www.giftedresources.org/jo/

Thinking Ahead – Derrin Cramer
http://www.thinkingahead.com.au/index.php/blog/

If you are an Australian who writes a blog about giftedness or enjoy reading an Australian blog about giftedness which I have not mentioned here please could you tell me about it in the comments section.

This is a post for Lisa Rivero’s challenge to write 30 blog posts for the month of September. To read all about her challenge see http://www.lisarivero.com/30postshathsept/

One Page to Tell

I needed to prepare a single page handout which could be used to provide a basic introduction to some of the important reference material and explain how Gifted Resources can help locate services and information relating to giftedness.

My first thought was to provide a page full of QR codes for all my favourite websites with the Sprite’s Site characters playing with the blocks and building with them. However, after experimenting with QR codes that were reduced in size and finding they were not clear enough to scan, I realised that I would not be able to fit all the QR codes of my favourite sites on a single page.

So I ended up creating the page pictured the top of this post. I am happy that almost all the topics I would most want to discuss are represented in some way in the picture.

I managed to include the signpost for information Gifted Resources can provide, all the methods of contacting me plus words or pictures relating to key issues such as

• The specific educational and social/emotional needs of gifted people,
• The Columbus Group definition of giftedness as asynchronous development
• The Bell curve showing distribution of IQ levels in the population
• Gagne’s DMGT model of development of innate giftedness into fully developed talent (emphasising the importance of internal and situation influences)
• The diagram of underachievement (showing our role as teachers and parents in building a guard rail to prevent students falling into underachievement)
• Myths surrounding giftedness
• Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities represented by the Dabrowski Dogs

In order to include more topics and give links to my favourite web sites I would need a much bigger page. I am thinking that a board game format could be very effective.

If you had only one page on which to record as many things that were important to you about a particular topic as you could how would you choose to do it?

Gifted Resources Blog has been nominated in the Australian Writers’ Centre Best Australian Blogs 2014 Competition
http://www.writerscentre.com.au/community/best-australian-blogs-comp/

If you would like to vote for Gifted Resources blog (and Sprite’s Site and as many other great Australian blogs as you wish) click on the badge in the sidebar of the blog and follow the link to the Survey monkey poll. Gifted Resources Blog is on Page 2 and Sprite’s Site is on Page 4.

 

Community Connect Webinar

On Thursday 27 March 2014 I gave a presentation titled ‘What do we mean when we say GIFTED?’ for the Australia e-series Community Connect webinars http://australiaseries.wordpress.com/

The recording of the session can be viewed here https://sas.elluminate.com/p.jnlp?psid=2014-03-27.0153.M.E58F6EDFFA5FA3EDE727DCFB80FBD8.vcr&sid=2008350

OZeLIVE Reflections 2

The first OZeLIVE Conference http://australianeducators.ning.com/  was held 0n 22-23 February 2014

It was a great thrill to be invited to present at this conference on how Gifted Resources uses the website, e-newsletter and social media to provide information and support to teachers, parents and service providers of gifted students.

The link to the recording of the session will be found at http://australianeducators.ning.com/ozelive-2014-recordings

My session is on You Tube at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCr-14YzfvM&feature=c4-overview&list=UUfns7VgoFLFlRd1JpUkwOUw

My slides for the session can be found on Slideshare at

http://www.slideshare.net/jofrei/signposts-for-roman-riders

Virtually visiting the WCGTC Conference in Kentucky

Even if you are are unable to attend the 20^th WCGTC Conference in Louisville Kentucky 10-14 August 2013 http://worldgifted2013.org/  the WCGTC have done an excellent job in providing opportunities to follow events live online Throughout the conference several people have been posting on Twitter from presentations and sharing links to presenters’ online work under the hashtag #WCGTC13 and posting comments and photos on Facebook.

I have been enjoying reading the comments and viewing the photos which have been posted and have even been able to listen to broadcasts of some of the keynote speakers via http://mixlr.com/wcgtc/me/

Global #gtchat will be holding a chat live from the conference on Monday, 12 August See http://globalgtchatpoweredbytagt.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/world-council-for-gifted-and-talented-children-20th-biennial-world-conference/
For me in Australia the time of the chat will be 8.30 am Tuesday 13 August.

I was really fortunate to be able to participate in a Skype chat with Leslie Graves, Lisa Conrad, Mary St George, Jen Torbeck Merrill, Stephanie Tolan, Carolyn K (Mrs Hoagies) Patricia Gatto Walden, Ingrid (Ingennios Illuminare  from Mexico) and Wenda Sheard who were attending  the conference in Kentucky and Stacia Trahan Taylor who joined in from Texas It was wonderful to see and hear  all those heroes of mine from the gifted education world!

Bright vs Gifted vs 2E

In case explanation is needed:
Average riders would sit or maybe try standing on one horse
Bright ones at the top of the group could learn to Roman ride on two horses
Gifted ones, who are way beyond the top group, express the experience of their different rate and level of learning by Roman riding on two cheetahs
2E Twice Exceptional, who are both Gifted and have a learning difference or disability are trying to manage Roman riding on a cheetah and a tortoise at the same time

I have given these images have a creative commons license and posted them on Flickr in the Gifted Education photo quotes group http://www.flickr.com/groups/1680413@N20/

Doc Sykes Psycho-educational Resource DVD

Recently I was introduced to a DVD full of resources from Dr Stewart Sykes which will be of great usefulness to teachers and parents, particularly teachers and parents of gifted and twice exceptional students.

The DVD is organised into documents in PDF format and contains

• Basic definitions, conceptual frameworks, notes and references
• Checklists
• Psychological and educational strategies and interventions

Each document presents topics central to general and special education as well as areas important in developmental, educational and clinical psychology.

The Parenting document, while specifically prepared for parents, should also be helpful for teachers and psychologists.

The general format of most documents is outlined at http://www.docsykes.com/

The section topics are

1. Introduction
2. Bio
3. Learning readiness
4. Early learning essentials
5. Reading
6. Spelling
7. Written expression
8. Mathematics
9. Study skills

10. Exceptionality

11. Learning disability

12. Dyslexia

13. Developmental and behavioural problems

14. Giftedness

15. Parenting

16. FAQs

 Doc Sykes also offers much valuable information on his website http://www.docsykes.com/  which is freely available and can be copied and printed provided the copyright text is retained.

The DVD can be purchased from Doc Sykes website at http://www.docsykes.com/purchasedvd.htm

Beginner’s Guide to Life on the Bright Side

I have just finished reading Derrin Cramer’s new book and I can definitely recommend it for parents and teachers of gifted students!
Beginner’s Guide to Life on the Bright Side by Derrin Cramer
Published by Thinking Ahead Extension Workshops, Como Western Australia, 2012
http://www.thinkingahead.com.au/Resources/Beginners_Guide.htm

This book is a comprehensive guide for parents and teachers and provides them with a wealth of information in an easy to read format.
Part 1 – A Gifted Child describes what a gifted child looks like, giftedness in the early childhood years and examines some of the myths surrounding giftedness

Part 2 – The Needs of the Gifted covers friendship and social issues, sensitivity, intensity and emotional issues, Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities, perfectionism, sense of justice and moral awareness, depression and stress, giftedness in families and giftedness throughout life

Part 3 – Measuring Intelligence looks at IQ testing and the different IQ assessment tests

Part 4 – Twice –Exceptionality is devoted to discussion of children who are both gifted and have some disability, learning difficulty or difference such as the 4 Ds –dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia, ADHD and Sensory issues

Part 5 – Succeeding discusses Succeeding in Life and Motivation and Success with Learning including the topics of creativity, optimism, resilience, Mindset, boredom and good habits

Part 6 – Advocating for your child addresses advocating for your child including choosing a school, meeting with the school and what to ask for

Part 7 For Teachers is a section to help teachers recognise the gifted students in their classes and provide some strategies for working with gifted students.

Throughout the book there are quotations and every part contains Read More sections giving details of books and articles for further reading.  As well as an Appendix containing useful checklists, an Index and a Glossary there is an excellent Notes section at the end of the book.

This is the book I would have loved to have when our children were young!

It can be purchased at http://www.thinkingahead.com.au/Resources/Beginners_Guide.htm