Highlighting the work of 17 distinguished national authors, this special issue suggests a new course for the field of gifted education -- one that emphasizes the individual and suggests that the focus of gifted education be dynamic and contextual. From legal perspectives to changing concepts of giftedness, talent, and assessement; from using new technologies to identify differences in brain structures to using new research paradigms to reveal the nature of giftedness; from compelling reasons for early intervention to tailoring opportunities for college-ready gifed persons, this two-part issues of PJE exposes new dimensions along which paths between previously held beliefs and practices and new courses for thought and action can be forged. A parental perspective is also included.
Throughout the United States, increasing numbers of students are being educated in charter schools. Although the educators in these schools may think they are prepared to tackle any problem related to teaching and learning, personnel, financial management, and community relations, many charter schools are overwhelmed by the need for complying with federal rules and regulations while at the same time meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse population―most notably those students with disabilities. In Charting the Course, Addie Angelov and David Bateman provide readers with a background in essential aspects of delivering special education services in this unique educational setting. Developed in collaboration with prominent charter school organizations and with the support of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.
Discover ways to empower students to build confidence in sharing their learning, becoming more responsible digital citizens and evolving into classroom creators. In researching the top skills students need to succeed in the future, author Rachelle Dene Poth identified the following: ability to communicate, work in teams, think creatively, problem-solve and design. This book shows educators how to help students develop these essential skills through authentic, real-world learning experiences, building a pathway for the future of learning and work. In Chart a New Course, educators will get the tools they need to design more purposeful learning experiences to drive student engagement and motivation, promote creativity in learning, model risk-taking and build classroom culture. Readers will discover how these activities can be woven into instruction rather than layered on existing curriculum, with ideas for getting started; suggestions in response to the statement, “If you’re doing this, try this instead;” and lessons learned along the way. The book will: • Foster authentic learning through integration of digital tools and emerging trends. • Serve as a resource for emerging educators and those with varying levels of tech experience, helping them explore the use of different digital tools and concepts to prepare students for the future. • Offer clear examples and narratives from students and other educators who have implemented some of the tools discussed, focusing on themes of empowered learning, innovative design and student choice. • Explore risks taken, failures experienced and fun in working through the challenges, illustrating ways to weave established and emerging topics into curriculum. This accessible resource opens up a variety of learning experiences for students and illustrates how to implement different technologies into multiple content areas and grade levels.
A 2022 SPE Outstanding Book Honorable Mention Our society urgently needs education that motivates, challenges, engages, and affirms all students. No matter their previous successes or failures, every student has enormous learning potential and important contributions to make now and in the future. Such meaningful learning experiences don't just happen, they need to be intentionally designed. This book supports those who will undertake this vitally important work. Learning that Matters: A Field Guide to Course Design for Transformative Education is a pragmatic resource for designing courses that engage college students as active citizens. This "work" book provides research-informed approaches for creating learning experiences and developing innovative, intellectually-engaging courses. Whether a novice or a veteran, by engaging with the text, collaborating with colleagues, and reflecting on the important work of a teacher, any motivated educator can become a transformative educator. Every college course has the potential to transform students' lives. Through implementation of critical concepts such as connected and authentic assessments; dilemmas, issues, and questions; portable thinking skills and engaging strategies; and a purposeful focus on inclusivity and equity, readers begin the process of change needed for preparing students who will be able to address the monumental challenges facing our society. Click HERE to watch the book launch. Click HERE to hear the authors discuss their book. Perfect for courses such as: Education Curriculum and Instruction | Design for Transformative Learning | An Introduction to Evidence-based Undergraduate Teaching | New Faculty Orientations | Freshman Seminar Faculty Trainings | Center for Teaching & Learning | Workshops in Course Design
Like other kids their age, highly capable adolescents experience developmental challenges. They’re forging identity, finding direction, exploring relationships, and learning to resolve conflicts. These are difficult tasks to do alone, no matter how smart one may be. The 70 guided discussions in this book are an affective curriculum for gifted teens. By “just talking” with caring peers and an attentive adult, kids gain self-awareness and self-esteem, learn to manage stress, build social skills and life skills, and discover they are not alone. Each session is self-contained and step-by-step; many include reproducible handouts. Introductory and background materials help even less-experienced group leaders feel prepared and secure in their role. For advising teachers, counselors, and youth workers in all kinds of school and group settings working with gifted kids in grades 6–12.
One pervasive educational issue is the national underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education. Virtually every school district is grappling with having too few students from these groups identified as gifted and served in gifted classes and programs. Recruiting and Retaining Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education addresses this long-standing national problem through the dual lens of recruitment and retention. The focus is on how to equitably recruit (screen, refer, and/or assess) culturally different students and, just as importantly, to retain them. Recruitment and retention require providing academic, cultural, and social supports to culturally different students and ensuring that educators are willing and able to address issues and barriers. No time is better than now to address and correct the underachievement albatross, and the focus on recruitment and retention holds the greatest promise. Nominated for a 2014 NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Literary Work-Instructional Category
Today’s teachers are responsible for a greater variety of learners with a greater diversity of needs than ever before. When you add in the ever-changing dynamics of technology and current events, the complexity of both students’ and teachers’ lives grows exponentially. Far too few teachers, however, successfully teach the whole class with the individual student in mind. In Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom, Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau tackle the issue of how to address student differences thoughtfully and proactively. The first half of the book focuses on what it means for a teacher to effectively lead a differentiated classroom. Readers will learn how to be more confident and effective leaders for and in student-focused and responsive classrooms. The second half of the book focuses on the mechanics of managing a differentiated classroom. A teacher who has the best intentions, a dynamic curriculum, and plans for differentiation cannot—and will not—move forward unless he or she is at ease with translating those ideas into classroom practice. In other words, teachers who are uncomfortable with flexible classroom management will not differentiate instruction, even if they understand it, accept the need for it, and can plan for it. Tomlinson and Imbeau argue that the inherent interdependence of leading and managing a differentiated classroom is at the very heart of 21st-century education. This essential guide to differentiation also includes a helpful teacher’s toolkit of activities and teaching strategies that will help any teacher expand his or her capacity to make room for and work tirelessly on behalf of every student.
Forty-four chapters by educational and psychiatric experts examine important challenges and developments in gifted education. The book discusses a variety of curriculum and instructional models that foster academic and creative growth, including acceleration and enrichment programs. It also explores