Being well aware of care

As I sit to write a post for New Zealand’s Gifted Awareness Week 2020 Blog Tour I am very conscious of the difference of the situation from previous years.

Until 2016 I was living in seaside Rosebud, Victoria and it was very easy for the folk from Sprite’s Site to go down to the beach and send light hearted greetings and good wishes across the ditch. https://spritessite.wordpress.com/tag/gifted-awareness-week-new-zealand/
The Origami Secretary Bird and Intellectual Dabrowski made sure that I also included some useful information or links.

This year I am living in the beautiful village of Poatina, Tasmania on the edge of the Great Lakes country and framed by the majestic heritage listed Great Western Tiers. https://www.poatinacommunity.com.au/
There are many wonderful walking tracks around the village and the surrounding areas https://www.poatinacommunity.com.au/trailes-bushwalks

The Poatina Tree Art Gallery can be visited virtually at https://www.poatinacommunity.com.au/poatina-tree-art-gallery

So some of the folk from Sprite’s Site have gathered on the grassed area near my cabin to send their greetings and to contribute their insights and varying expertise

The mood this year during the corona virus pandemic is more sombre.
So it is very appropriate that the theme for New Zealand’s Gifted Awareness Week 2020 is Wellbeing: Why it is important to care for the wellbeing of gifted people – young and old.

When I started considering how to provide the care needed for wellbeing I thought of what the needs are and how to meet them.

Intellectual Dabrowski appeared with the diagram of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

“Here you are!” he said. “These are the needs that must be met to ensure a person’s well-being. You will notice that, most importantly, the foundations at the very base are the physical needs of food, water, warmth and rest. After that come the needs for security and safety. Then come the needs for belonging and being loved and loving. And then the esteem needs of prestige and feeling of accomplishment. At the apex of the triangle is self-actualisation, fulfilling one’s potential and being creative.”

“That is true” said Columbus Cheetah. “But when we are thinking about care for the well-being of gifted people there are a few extra things to consider.”

“If you remember the Columbus Group 1991 definition of giftedness specifies that the gifted require modifications in parenting, teaching and counselling in order for them to develop optimally”

“And why is that?” continued Columbus Cheetah. “It is because of the asynchronous development and the heightened intensity and sensitivities of the gifted.”

So what modifications are needed to provide for the wellbeing of the gifted?

The gifted are a diverse group coming from every racial, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic group. https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2017/07/03/acknowledging-diversity-gifted-is-not-a-homogenous-group/

And there are gifted people in every age group https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/do-you-grow-out-of-giftedness/
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2015/04/24/back-from-the-hop/

The gifted need to be understood and the myths about giftedness https://spritessite.wordpress.com/tag/myths-about-giftedness/  to be dispelled.

They need appropriate education at the right level, depth, breadth and pace and to have time with true intellectual peers rather than being limited by being tied to the expectations for their age peers.

Gifted and 2E Twice Exceptional students need educational options https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/fine-focus-webinar/
that will be best suited to ensuring their progress from their innate giftedness to fully developed talent

They need examples of excellence and teachers, mentors and counsellors to support their physical, intellectual and spiritual growth.

And they need Advocacy https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/advocacy-just-ask-sprite-and-co/

It does matter that the gifted should be given the modifications of care necessary for them to develop optimally!
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/giftedness-why-does-it-matter/

So it is great to know that New Zealand is joining with Australia and Jamaica to highlight Wellbeing: A no limits approach to the care of the wellbeing of gifted people of all ages.

All at Sprite’s Site send their greetings, message flags in the trees, and wishes for a successful Gifted Awareness Week

This is a post for the New Zealand Gifted Awareness Week 2020 blog tour.

Myth busting with Columbus Cheetah

When Psycho Motor Dabrowski learned that the theme for this year’s New Zealand Gifted Awareness Week was to be Myth Busting he became even more super-over-excited than usual.

“Cool! I love myth busting!” he yelped. “Lots of bouncing and barking and blowing stuff up and then lots of high fives all round!”

“I think it would be wise to leave myth busting about giftedness to me” said Columbus Cheetah. “It is what I do! And I use Cheetah Logic rather than explosions to make my case.”

Columbus Cheetah has been working on busting myths about gifted and twice exceptional students for many years now.

He has tackled the myth that there are NO gifted students
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-1/
and the myth that ALL students are gifted
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-2/
and the myth that it is possible to create giftedness by training and attitude
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-7/

He has battled myths such as
All gifted students will do well in school
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-3/

Gifted students are polite, well behaved and have neat handwriting
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-4/

Special education provisions for gifted students are elitist
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-9/

And
Gifted students have pushy parents
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-10/

And he has fought valiantly against

All students level out by Year 3
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-5/

Acceleration is harmful for gifted students
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-6/

It is not possible to be gifted and have a disability

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-8/

Sometimes Columbus Cheetah becomes disheartened when he sees that the myths he has been battling against for such a long time continue to be believed and hinder gifted and twice exceptional students from receiving the educational opportunities and the social emotional support they need.
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/the-g-word/

So Columbus Cheetah is delighted that the theme of New Zealand’s Gifted Awareness Week 2019 is Mythbusting!
https://nzgaw.jimdo.com/
All the folk at Sprite’s Site and Personas, Profiles and Portraits blog send their best wishes to New Zealand for a great week and much success with busting the myths surrounding giftedness.

Acknowledging Diversity: Gifted is not a homogenous group

Better late than never!

New Zealand’s Gifted Awareness Blog Tour is held in June

www.nzcge.co.nz/blog_tour_2017

This year I volunteered to contribute a post for the blog tour but real life got in the way of my writing. I am living with my daughter and son in law and their Stumpy Tail Australian Cattle Dogs had a litter of puppies. Caring for the puppies took up a great deal of time both during the day and overnight. The pups liked to play and be fed at between 2.00am and 4.00am. We called it the ‘stupid o’clock session’!

In the past, when I lived in Rosebud, the folk at Sprite’s Site have gone down to the beach to wave ‘across the ditch’ to New Zealand

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/tag/gifted-awareness-week-new-zealand/

But this year I am not living near the beach so they have to be content to hold up signs and send postcards and emails.

The theme for this year is Diversity.

It is a topic dear to the heart of the Sprite’s Site folk as they are a very diverse lot themselves.

The Psych-Owl –Ogist explained the concept to Retweet when she queried whether both her tweetlets could be gifted as they were so different from each other

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/the-psych-owl-ogist-6/

Gifted students come from every racial, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic group.

They can have differing profiles as described by Dr. Maureen Neihart and Dr. George Betts Revised Profiles of the Gifted and Talented 2010
http://www.ingeniosus.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PROFILES-BEST-REVISED-MATRIX-2010.pdf
Teachers would usually recognize gifted students with Successful profile, maybe the Creative ones and maybe the Autonomous Learners but may have more difficulty in recognizing the Underground, At Risk and 2E Twice Exceptional students as gifted.

The Persona Dolls from the Personas, Profiles and Portraits Blog https://jofreitag.wordpress.com/  are representatives of these profiles of giftedness

Columbus Cheetah is quick to point out that there are many myths about characteristics which contribute to the lack of understanding of the diversity present in gifted students. http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/columbuscheetah.htm

Myths such as:
All gifted students will do well in school https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-3/

Gifted students are polite, well behaved and have neat handwriting https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-4/

It is not possible to be gifted and have a disability https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-8/

All of these myths cause gifted students who do not fit those particular descriptions to be overlooked.

Gifted students also vary in the areas of giftedness and talent they have and come with varying personality types and varying types of intensity and sensitivity.

Sprite’s Site discussed the various types of giftedness in the post Gifted – How? https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/gifted-how/  which was a contribution to

Hoagiesgifted September 2014 Blog hop www.hoagiesgifted.org/blog_hop_gifted_how.htm

Because of this diversity in gifted students there is no single program which fits all of them.

Sprite’s Site discussed this:

One size shoe cover system https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/de-bonos-6-action-shoes-9-one-size-shoe-cover-system/

I am very sorry that I did not manage to complete this post in time for the New Zealand Gifted Awareness Blog Tour.
However the good news is that the excellent posts in the Tour can still be read at www.nzcge.co.nz/blog_tour_2017

 

What makes them 2E?

In conjunction with the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum April blog hop theme ‘Gifted 2E kids: What makes them Twice Exceptional?’ Sprite is conducting guided tours to some of the places in Sprite’s Site.

Image Jo Freitag

The first stop on the tour is the Analogy for 2E exhibit where visitors are treated to a demonstration of Roman Riding a cheetah and a tortoise.

Sprite explains that in a horse riding class where the aim of the lessons is to be able to ride independently seated on the back of a horse

• some students will not have the ability or confidence to sit on the horse without being led by someone else
• average students will be able to sit on the horse and ride independently
• bright students may perform Roman riding of two horses – standing with a foot on each horse’s back
• gifted students will perform Roman riding on two cheetahs
• and 2E twice exceptional students will be forced to perform their Roman riding with one foot on the back of a cheetah and the other on the back of a tortoise.

At the Myths exhibit Columbus Cheetah explains that one of the myths surrounding giftedness is that it is not possible to be gifted and have a disability
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/columbus-cheetah-myth-buster-myth-8/

Visitors are then taken to the theatrette to view presentations about 2E students

The first is titled ‘2E is’ and is found at https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/2e-is/

The second presentation is a discussion of the Characteristics of 2 E students using a chart provided by the Cherry Creek Schools which can be found at
http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/StudentAchievement/Documents/2EDistinguishingCharacteristics.pdf

Those who have time to take the extended tour can listen to webinars about 2E students at

Jo Freitag: Characteristics of 2e students part 1
https://johart1.edublogs.org/2012/11/28/edublogs-webinar-overview-characteristics-of-2e-students-part-1/

Jo Freitag: Characteristics of 2e students part 2
https://johart1.edublogs.org/2012/12/17/edublogs-webinar-overview-characteristics-of-2e-students-part-2/

Personas, profiles and portraits of giftedness Part 2
https://jofreitag.wordpress.com/2015/06/07/australia-e-series-tech-talk-tuesdays-webinar-part-2/

For those who do not have time to listen to the webinars Sprite has prepared a short slide show which illustrates just a few of the characteristics of 2E students observed by Dr Linda Silverman.

For more information about twice exceptional students see
2E newsletter
http://www.2enewsletter.com/

Hoagies Gifted Twice Exceptional resources page
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/2e_exceptional.htm

Gifted Homeschoolers Forum Twice Exceptional resources page
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/resources/twice-exceptional/

To read all the posts about this topic in the blog hop please visit the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum April blog hop at http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/blog-hops/gifted-2e-kids-what-makes-them-twice-exceptional/

Bachelor of Bouncing, Doctor of Daydreaming

Image Jo Freitag

Columbus Cheetah and the Dabrowski Dogs were discussing the new school year and how they could help Sprite to succeed.

Columbus Cheetah had the Feetspeak Quest map  and Prof Francoys Gagne’s DMGT model diagram  spread out and was trying to plot a path for Sprite from innate giftedness to fully developed talent.
“We can provide her with support and make opportunities available” Columbus was saying “But there are still speed humps and difficulties to overcome.
Being 2E does complicate matters.
It is quite a challenge to prevent her from being an underachiever.
She finds it hard to demonstrate her giftedness and many of her areas of strength are not ones that are recognized and rewarded in the school system.
She does not receive any credit from the school for the astronomy evenings with her mentor.
And the school is not impressed with her very original way of thinking such as:
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/thats-what-its-all-about/
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/critical-thinking/
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2015/11/24/timelines/

It is a myth that all gifted students will be successful in school.” Columbus concluded.

“If Sprite is going to succeed academically I should be the only one to accompany her to school” stated Intellectual Dabrowski.

There were growls and howls of disagreement from all the other Dabrowski Dogs.

“I am the only one who has a remote chance of getting her through the system and ending up with some sort of official academic qualification” Intellectual continued.
“What will you others help her achieve?
Bachelor of Bouncing with Psycho Motor Dabrowski
Honorary degree in Histrionics with Emotional Dabrowski
Certificate of Completion in Corporeal Comforts with Sensual Dabrowski
Or Doctorate in Daydreaming with Imaginational Dabrowski”

“What I am trying to say” said Columbus Cheetah “is that, as well as advocating for provisions for Sprite at school, it will be necessary for her to be given plenty of opportunities and experiences outside the school setting and that time with her mentor, Paula the Physicist will be very valuable.”

This is a post for Hoagies’ Gifted February 2016 blog hop:
Other Achievement: when your child doesn’t achieve where you hope. 
To find out what advice other bloggers have come on the hop with us starting at www.HoagiesGifted.org/blog_hop_other_achievement.htm

 

Asking for Help – A Guest Expert Panel Q&A session

Image Jo Freitag

The Hoagies’ Gifted Blog Hop for October 2015 looks at How and When to Ask For Help
www.HoagiesGifted.org/blog_hop_asking_for_help.htm

Who can help gifted and 2E students and how and when should we seek help?
From school administrators, teachers and coaches, mentors and leaders? From counsellors or therapists? From state &/or federal government? From humankind? From the Universe? From family and friends and other members of the gifted community? Who helps or has helped you and how? How did you seek them or reach them or find them? What difference did it make?

To address these questions we have assembled a panel of experts from Sprite’s Site.
Paula, the Physicist, will answer questions about the role of a mentor.
Dr. Ed Needs, the Education Consultant, will be joining the session via Skype.
Columbus Cheetah will speak about the myths surrounding gifted and 2E students.
The Psych-Owl-Ogist will address issues relating to identification and testing and social/emotional issues.
Twitter Bird Retweet, mother of gifted tweetlets, will speak about the support available from Parent Support Groups.
A representative from the government was invited but sent a note of apology and referred the audience to their website.
Intellectual Dabrowski was not one of the invited experts but offered to share his extensive knowledge.

The format will be Question and Answer to preselected questions.
At the end of the session the audience will have an opportunity to ask their questions in the Comments section at the end of this post.

Question 1: How can you identify gifted students and where can you go for testing?
Psych-Owl-Ogist: There are checklists which can be completed by teachers and parents and various other ways of recording observations which can help to identify gifted students.
However if you need an I.Q. test administered you need to find a psychologist or education consultant who is qualified and registered to administer the test. And it is important to choose a person who specialises in working with gifted people.
The main tests are the Stanford Binet and the WISC. For articles and discussions about the comparisons between these and other tests see http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/identification.htm 
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/testing.htm

Dr Ed Needs: Some education consultants are also qualified and registered to administer these tests as well as academic achievement level testing. They can also give testing to show areas of strength/weakness and detect possible learning difficulties and give the necessary recommendations, therapy and support.

Intellectual Dabrowski: If you are looking for psychologists and education consultants in Australia who have a special interest in giftedness see Gifted Resources list at http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/psychedcons.htm

Question 2 (To Retweet): Where have you found helpful advice for raising your gifted tweetlets?

Retweet: The Psych-Owl-Ogist tested the tweetlets and gave us helpful advice about social emotional issues. And he helped us work through decisions about our parenting.
I have also found that joining a parent support group for parents of gifted tweetlets has been helpful because I am able to discuss things with those parents which most of my friends and even some of the members of our extended family do not understand.
Since we decided to continue NEST Ed rather than sending the tweetlets to fly with the local flock we have found much helpful information from Gifted Homeschoolers Forum
and from the local NEST Ed group.

Intellectual Dabrowski: For more information about Parenting and Parent Groups see
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/parenting.htm
http://giftedparentingsupport.blogspot.com.au/

Question 3: I have been told that acceleration is harmful for gifted students. What does the panel think about this?

Columbus Cheetah: I will answer that question. It is one of the myths about giftedness that acceleration is harmful for gifted students. I discuss this and other myths about giftedness on Gifted Resources website at http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/columbuscheetah.htm

Intellectual Dabrowski: For more information about Acceleration and the Iowa Acceleration Scales see http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/acceleration.htm
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/blog_hop_acceleration.htm

Question 4 (To Paula): Paula, you are a Physicist and a Mentor for Sprite. How are you able to assist Sprite in your role as mentor?

Paula: Like Sprite I am twice exceptional. I have overcome the same learning difficulties that Sprite has and have earned tertiary degrees. I also share a love of astronomy with Sprite. So I am able to relate to her and understand her areas of interest and the struggles she has. Often I can offer advice from my own experience. Also I am a person who is not her parent or teacher so sometimes she finds it easier to confide in me.
As a 2E student Sprite sometimes needs special provisions, accommodations or concessions but is often embarrassed by the need to ask for help.
I know that Sprite finds it difficult to ask for help and I am encouraging her to ask for and accept the help she needs. I am also trying to help her overcome the negative effects of perfectionism while retaining the positive aspects of it

Intellectual Dabrowski: More information about mentors  http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/mentors.htm 

Question 5 (To all panel members): Do you have a role as an advocate to help the gifted?
Paula: Whenever you speak up to increase awareness or explain issues you are acting as an advocate. Sometimes I speak to groups such as this about the characteristics and social emotional issues associated with gifted and 2E students and my role as a mentor.

Dr Ed Needs: I advocate for gifted and 2E students by giving recommendations for the educational provisions they need. Sometimes this involves being present as an advocate for the student during parent/teacher meetings. I also speak at conferences and write articles which are widely distributed.
One of the most important ways I act as an advocate is by giving parents and guardians the information, support and encouragement they need to advocate for their children.
And I also encourage the students to advocate for themselves and request the provisions they need in a respectful manner.

Columbus Cheetah: I act as a Myth Buster and as an advocate for acceleration, appropriate education in terms of pace, level, depth and breadth and for time spent with true peers rather than age peers.

Psych-Owl-Ogist: My advocacy is very similar in form to that of my esteemed colleague Dr Ed Needs.

Retweet: I allow my story to be told in the hope that it will help others who are in the same situation as me.

Intellectual Dabrowski: For more information about advocacy read

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/advocacy-just-ask-sprite-and-co/

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/advocacy/

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/advocacy-2/

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/blog_hop_gifted_advocacy.htm

This is a post for the Hoagies’ Gifted Blog Hop for October 2015 How and When to Ask For Help.

To read more about this topic please visit
www.HoagiesGifted.org/blog_hop_asking_for_help.htm

Changing the way you see us

Image Jo Freitag

New Zealand’s Gifted Awareness Week 2015 takes place on 15-21 June 2015 http://giftednz.org.nz/resources/gifted-awareness-week/

Once again Mary St George is organizing a blog tour 8-21 June to mark the occasion
https://creatingcurriculum.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/announcing-the-nzgaw-blog-tour-2015/

The Origami Secretary Bird had seen the memo I had written about the blog tour and had summoned all of the Sprite’s Site folk to gather opinions.

“I understand that ‘Changing the way you see us’ will be the theme of the week “the Origami Secretary bird told them.

Psycho Motor Dabrowski stopped bouncing for long enough to ask “Who is you and who is us?”

“I surmise” intoned Intellectual Dabrowski “that Us refers to gifted and twice exceptional students and You refers to teachers, parents, politicians and the general public.”

“I would like to proffer this piece of wisdom” Intellectual continued “To paraphrase Robert Burns
O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
Or so much better, if by spells
Others see us as we see oursels”

“That is all very well if you have good self-esteem and are contented with the way you see yourself” said little Thinks He’s An Alien Black Dog. “But it is bad enough if I see myself as an alien without everybody in general seeing me as an alien too.”

“He does make a good point” said Columbus Cheetah “It is probably more helpful to show what gifted and twice exceptional students are really like and to dispel the myths which most people have about them. This has been a major focus of my work and you can find my Myth Busting Efforts on Gifted Resources website at http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/columbuscheetah.htm

“We usually go down to the beach and wave to New Zealand during their Gifted Awareness Week” said the Memory Elephant, showing the pictorial memories of all the previous years.

“Are we going to do that again this year and, if so, how could it be related to the theme?”

“Oh yes, yes, Frisbees and kites with messages on them” barked Psycho Motor.

“Or messages in bottles It makes people feel all warm and fuzzy to get a message in a bottle” said Emotional Dabrowski.

Image Jo Freitag

“I think having gifted and 2E students telling their own story or having their story told is a really powerful way of changing the way people see them” said Sprite. “That is why I don’t mind you writing about me on the blog – though sometimes I wish would not show my faults and embarrassing moments!”

I certainly enjoy telling the story of the 2E Twice exceptional Sprite  and I found, when I was considering whether she was a suitable candidate for being made into a Persona Doll, that over the years I have drawn quite a detailed description of her.
https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/could-sprite-be-a-persona-doll/

I also consider it effective to tell the stories and investigate the needs of many different types of gifted student using Persona Dolls. https://jofreitag.wordpress.com/

The three webinars I have presented about them should contribute somewhat to changing the way people see and understand gifted and twice exceptional students.

Information about these webinars and links to the recordings of the sessions can be found at
https://jofreitag.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/ozelive-webinar/
https://jofreitag.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/australia-e-series-tech-talk-tuesdays-webinar/
https://jofreitag.wordpress.com/2015/06/07/australia-e-series-tech-talk-tuesdays-webinar-part-2/

Image Jo Freitag

Websites such as Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/ and Gifted Homeschoolers Form http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/  provide information about gifted and 2E students and links to resources and also conduct monthly blog tours on specific aspects of giftedness

Social media
Facebook groups such as Mary’s Gifted Contacts
Twitter chats such as #gtchat http://globalgtchatpoweredbytagt.wordpress.com/
webinars, Vlogs, podcasts Livebinders, Slideshares
can all be very helpful in raising awareness about gifted and 2E students.

I was really delighted to receive this comment on Facebook after Gail Poulin, a dynamic teacher from the U.S., had attended a presentation I gave using Blackboard Collaborate for Jo Hart’s Fine Focus webinar series http://johart1.edublogs.org/about-edublogs-serendipityfine-focus-webinars/

So here we are again for the fifth time going down to the beach to wave across the water to New Zealand and wish them all the very best for a wonderful and productive Gifted Awareness Week while the Persona Dolls watch on the laptop.
Emotional Dabrowski is sending a warm fuzzy message in a bottle. The Memory Elephant is sending greetings on a helium balloon. Tweetil is attempting to catapult his lucky acorn across ‘the ditch’.
Wishing you success with changing the way people see the gifted!

Image Jo Freitag

To read about Sprite’s Site’s participation in previous NZ Gifted Awareness Week blog tours see the posts at https://spritessite.wordpress.com/tag/gifted-awareness-week-new-zealand/

This is a post for the New Zealand Gifted Awareness Week blog tour. To read the other posts on the tour go to http://giftededucation.ultranet.school.nz/WebSpace/1286/

2E is

The topic for the Hoagiesgifted May Blog hop is 2E kids www.hoagiesgifted.org/blog_hop_2e_kids.htm

So I asked Sprite to tell me what being a 2E kid means to her and here is her response and links to some websites, articles and resources.

If Gifted = Asynchronous Development, then Gifted/Special Needs = Asynchrony Squared by Lee Singer
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/asynchrony_squared.htm

Cherry Creek Schools Twice exceptional Distinguishing characteristics
http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/StudentAchievement/Documents/2EDistinguishingCharacteristics.pdf

 

Columbus Cheetah mythbuster http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/columbuscheetah.htm

Underachievement https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/gifted-under-achievers/

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/tag/debono-6-action-shoes/

http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/StudentAchievement/Pages/TwiceExceptional.aspx

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/new-shoes/

Dr Linda Silverman says so in The two-edged sword of compensation : How the gifted cope with learning disabilities

 

Accommodations https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/pleading-the-pink-slipper/

Mentors https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/purple-riding-boots/

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/about-the-characters/

Doggy classroom dynamics https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/doggy-classroom-dynamics/

2E newsletter
http://www.2enewsletter.com/

Hoagies Gifted Twice Exceptional resources page
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/2e_exceptional.htm

Gifted Homeschoolers Forum Twice Exceptional resources page
http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/resources/twice-exceptional/

This post part of the Hoagiesgifted May blog hop
To read all the posts go to www.hoagiesgifted.org/blog_hop_2e_kids.htm

 

 

 

 

Advocacy – Just ask Sprite and co

Sprite had just completed a session with Dr Ed Needs, the Education Consultant, regarding her education requirements as a 2E twice exceptional student and now had recommendations for challenging her giftedness and extra support provisions for her areas of difference and difficulty. Dr Needs had stated that he would be available to advocate for Sprite by discussing the measures with the school if necessary.

“He said that I would need to learn how to advocate for myself too” Sprite said “What did he mean by that?”

“Well” I said “It means that you need to learn how to talk about what you need  in a respectful manner . For instance if you want to make mind maps and sketches when you are told to take notes you could tell the teacher that is what you are doing so that she will know you are paying attention and not just doodling.”

We have talked about Advocacy for Sprite before

Advocacy https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/advocacy/

Advocacy 2 https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/advocacy-2/

The meeting https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/the-meeting/

But advocacy is not confined to talking to schools.

It can also be raising awareness of issues and tackling myths about giftedness.

Columbus Cheetah advocates for the gifted by myth busting
http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/columbuscheetah.htm

Advocacy can also be explaining giftedness and the associated asynchrony and intensities to family and friends.
Retweet has encountered the need for this when dealing with Great Aunt Hashtag and her friends but has not always been brave enough to speak up.

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/when-extended-family-dont-get-giftedness/

Whenever you speak up to increase awareness or explain issues you are acting as an advocate.

This post is part of the Hoagies Gifted October Blog Hop: Gifted advocacy
Links to all the posts in the blog hop can be found at
www.hoagiesgifted.org/blog_hop_gifted_advocacy.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giftedness: Why Does It Matter?

The sign announcing the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum September blog hop on the topic ‘Giftedness- why does it matter?’ had been posted and the characters at Sprite’s Site were busy discussing it.

“Giftedness matters because, to quote the Columbus Group definition, the gifted need modifications in parenting, teaching and counselling in order to develop optimally” said the Psych-Owl-Ogist.

“It was certainly very helpful for us to have the tweetlets assessed by the Psych-Owl-Ogist and to learn about giftedness” Retweet said “Before we did that everyone said that they were just being naughty or neurotic and blamed our parenting. But when we found out it helped us to be more understanding and also to make decisions about how they should be educated”

https://spritessite.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/best-australian-blogs-2013-no-14-stories-3-twitter-bird-tales/

“It also matters because there are so many myths and so much misinformation about giftedness” said Columbus Cheetah.
http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/columbuscheetah.htm
“We have people saying everyone is gifted or nobody is gifted. We have people saying you can create giftedness by practice and attitude. We have people saying it does not matter whether you identify giftedness if you differentiate. We have people saying you should give all students exactly the same programs and people saying gifted do not need any different treatment.”
“But we know from the Columbus group definition that the gifted need modifications in parenting, teaching and counselling in order to develop optimally”

“It is especially important in the case of 2E students like Sprite” said Columbus Cheetah. “If their giftedness is not recognized only their learning difficulties and differences get noticed and they are put into remedial groups and not given appropriate challenges. Or else the difficulties mask the giftedness and the giftedness enables the student to hide the difficulties and the student appears average and receives no modifications at all.”

“That is why initial assessment with a psychologist who specialises in gifted and 2E issues and ongoing evaluation and treatment with an education consultant can be so helpful. 2E students need to be allowed to work at their level of ability while receiving support for their difficulties. Sometimes special services or funding is available for the students whose needs qualify them to receive them”
That is why Sprite went back to see Dr Ed Needs recently for progressive achievement testing and planning the next stages of her education.
We are planning Sprite’s education programs http://www.giftedresources.org/gr/feetspeakforweb01.htm  using De Bono’s 6 Action Shoes as the planning tool and checking the effectiveness of the programs using Gagne’s DMGT model. We need to make both suitable provisions for both her giftedness and support measures for her difficulties.

We talked about the topic of Identification of gifted students recently on Twitter #gtchat.
The transcript can be found here   https://storify.com/gtchatmod/gtchat-gifted-identification

A review of the chat and additional information links will be found on the #gtchat blog at http://globalgtchatpoweredbytagt.wordpress.com/

This is a post for the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum September Blog Hop.
Please join us on the hop and read and comment on the posts.
To find all the posts in the hop please follow the links at http://giftedhomeschoolers.org/blog-hops/giftedness-why-matters/