GT Chat is back this week and Sprite helped to decorate the #gtstoogies Lobby for the occasion.
Dr Jeff Goldstein’s Twitter 21C water cooler has been set up as well as the coffee machine and chocolate fountain.
And there are gifts for GT Chat founder, Deborah Mersino, and the new moderator, Lisa Conrad, and gifts and a rocket cake for Krissy Venosdale of Venspired Learning who celebrated her birthday during the week.
GT Chat is returning this week!
There is much excitement amongst the Twitter Birds. They are getting ready to share links to websites and books and articles of interest. And they are getting ready to help provide support, encouragement and comfort as folks from around the world discuss topics relating to giftedness and talent.
This year the founder of #gtchat, Deborah Mersino, has passed the moderator baton to the very capable hands of Lisa Conrad. GT Chat will be powered by Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented and all the details can be found on their page at http://www.txgifted.org/announcements/gtchat-back
GT Chat will be held on Fridays at 7.00pm EDT. At the moment that means it will be 10.00am Saturdays for participants in Melbourne and Sydney.
You can use World Clock Meeting Planner to determine the time for your area.
For the final #gtchat of the year 2011 Deborah Mersino will be encouraging us to look back at the year 2011 and forward to 2012. She has given the example with her Ingeniosus blog post 5 Gifts from 2011 5 Hopes for 2012 at http://www.ingeniosus.net/archives/5-gifts-from-2011-5-hopes-for-2012
So, of course, the Memory Elephant was summoned to give an account of 2011 and the Dabrowski Dogs gathered round to give their interpretations.
Intellectual Dabrowski was very matter of fact about it. “If you want to know what Jo and Gifted Resources did during 2011 you should read the Activity Report at http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/files/giftedresourcesactivityreport2011.pdf ”
I noticed that two extra dogs had joined in. Wistful Black Dog and P’est pour Parfait, the perfectionist poodle, had also arrived.
“Jo should have done a lot more things and she should have done them better!” said Parfait.
“It was just a really difficult year – a lot of stressful things happened” said Wistful and Emotional Dabrowski put back her head and howled inconsolably.
“But next year will be different and better” said Imaginational Dabrowski. “Jo is preparing for a move to the lovely seaside town of Rosebud and there will be a little bungalow at the back where she can have an office for Gifted Resources”
Emotional cheered up immediately and started yelping with delight.
“I love the seaside!” said Sensual Dabrowski ” It smells great!”
Psycho Motor Dabrowski starting bouncing enthusiastically in anticipation.
“Sprite had a good year,” said Intellectual. “She participated in Survivor -Gifted Island and was nominated in the Best Australian blogs and went to parties and conferences”
“And we had a wonderful year!” chirped Twitter Birds Tweet and Retweet ” We celebrated our marriage in August!”
“They might have Tweetlets next year!” said Imaginational with a contented sigh.
This week the #gtstoogies will be holding a Texas style barbeque to celebrate the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) signing on as a Lead Global #gtchat Sponsor for 2011-2012 You can read all about it on Deborah Mersino’s Ingeniosus website at http://www.ingeniosus.net/archives/texas-association-for-the-gifted-and-talented-signs-on-as-lead-global-gtchat-sponsor
Imaginational Dabrowski is envisaging how beneficial the partnership between TAGT and #gtchat will be.
Intellectual Dabrowski is sharing wisdom with Native American Indian Dog.
Australian Cattle Dog has arrived because he loves a BBQ.
And Psycho Motor Dabrowski is going ballistic at the Twitter Bird who had retained his moustache from last Movember and is getting into the action with a Texas style display of lasso prowess.
The barrels for the Barrel Racing events were donated by Sprite. She has not needed them since her rather confused attempt at Porkbarrelling last May.
More margaritas – this time flowers and non-alcoholic pretty drinks for the #gtstoogies this week because Mary St George’s parrot arrived bringing news of New Zealand’s Gifted Awareness Week 13-19 June 2011. For news of all the events see http://ultranet.giftededucation.org.nz/WebSpace/384/
One feature of the week will be a Blog Tour. Sprite’s Site will be participating in the Blog Tour on 15 June which is one of the International Perspectives Days. Sprite will organise the Memory Elephant and the Dabrowski Dogs to make a fire on the beach of Gifted Island and attempt to send some smoke signals of greeting across the Tasman to Aotearoa – the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Intellectual Dabrowski has brought in the whiteboard for recording strategies for Acceleration which will be one of the topics of conversation for this week’s #gtchat. For details about how to join in the Twitter #gtchat sessions see Deborah Mersino’s Ingeniosus website http://www.ingeniosus.net/gtchat and to read transcripts of past sessions see http://www.ingeniosus.net/gtchat-transcripts
We are running a bit late with setting upthe supper table for the #gtstoogies gathering after #gtchat this week.
This is due to having problems with my computer and having to use my little very old laptop which needed lots of updating and is still very S….L….O….W
On the pinboard you can see announcements of the topics for gtchat – twice exceptional students and discussion on the blog post on Deborah Mersino’s Ingeniosus blog Call to Action: Making Gifted Education Relevant Today.
There are also reminders about The Bavarian Center for Gifted and Talented Children’s Gifted Education conferences in Second Life. and New Zealand’s Gifted Education Centre GO Gifted Online Mary St George is organising blog tours for New Zealand’s Gifted Awareness Week in June.
I have brought out the chocolate fountain as I am in need of consolation! I may not be able to participate in the next Second Life session as the little old computer may not cope with it.
This week the #gtstoogies hold a surprise Birthday party for Deborah Mersino, founder and principal of Ingeniosus website and #gtchat and also an Easter egg hunt. For some parts of the world this week’s #gtchat session will be on Good Friday and in other parts (including Australia) it will be on Saturday morning.
Every year on Good Friday the people of Victoria conduct the Good Friday Appeal for the Royal Childrens’ Hospital in Melbourne.
Buttercup Mersino is an honoured guest of the Dabrowski dogs and is playing Pass the Bone with them (except Psycho Motor who is already trying to break the pinata and Imaginational who is contemplating Easter).
The New Twitter Bird Band is in fine form. A special fireworks display has been arranged for the occasion.
And Sprite has managed to sneak in her Best Australian Blogs campaign poster and Peoples’ Choice voting instructions.
The Twitter Birds are ready with wheelbarrow loads of Easter eggs for distribution to various websites and blogs for the Easter egg hunt.
The festivities begin for the celebration of the first birthday of #gtchat with a party in the #gtstoogies lobby.
To find out all about #gtchat see Deborah Mersino’s Ingeniosus website http://www.ingeniosus.net/gtchat
Buttercup Mersino is the Dabrowski dogs special guest for the occasion. They are all playing Pass the Parcel except PsychoMotor who wants to preview the pinata.
Intellectual Dabrowski has brought some puzzles to go with the gifts.
Of course there is another fireworks display and the Twitter Bird Band is prepared to give a rousing oompah and harp variation of Happy Birthday to you!
“Come and see all the great stuff the Twitter Birds brought us!” said Sprite.
The Twitter Birds have been very keen to make amends for any offence they may have given by promoting Sprite’s Protest March and have been bringing much valuable information to my attention.
Today they brought a testimonial to the value of their service in the form of a series of articles by Deborah Mersino on her Ingeniosus blog http://giftedperspective.typepad.com/ingeniosus/2009/06/gifted-education-and-twitter-how-social-networking-can-propel-advocacy-and-learning-part-i.html
The Twitter Birds carrying the banner had used the bit.ly URL shortener http://bit.ly/ on the address of the third part of the article so that they would not have such a long banner to display
Onetwitterbird was sitting on top of the gift, chest puffed out, proud and preening.
“If you liked this you will like the other gifts we have for you!” he warbled.
Sprite's Site 