Problem-Based Learning and Gifted Students

Posted by ctdatnu in Gifted Education and tagged with , , , , , ,

by Anne Hayden Stevens, Creative Studies Coordinator, Center for Talent Development

Early this spring, I set out on a project with my two children decorating our windows for Easter. We had a simple plan: painting big colored eggs on paper, and hiding them in a strip of paper grass that would line the bottom of the window. As I gathered materials for this activity and we discussed execution, it became clear that my daughter and son had very different ideas about how it should be done. She was impatient to get started with her plan, while he really wanted us to see and understand his idea. After some negotiation, my son drew out his concept and described it to us, we discussed our options, and we agreed to incorporate both ideas into the design.

Grappling with questions is the essence of problem based learning and design thinking. Students are challenged with an open-ended problem—one that can be solved many different ways. Problems like this mirror real life. While initially we scaffold students with examples, specific rubrics and outcomes, research is showing that students are better prepared for college and the workplace when they are faced with open-ended problems early and often.

anne1

A student and parent working on executing a student sculpture concept in Math, Physics & Sculpture, a Creative Studies course in CTD’s Saturday Enrichment Program.

For our gifted students, we know that standard rubrics and outcomes can function like the ceilings our students often hit on tests. Specified, grade-level outcomes do not challenge these students enough. They can achieve excellent grades, but are they grappling adequately with the work? Open-ended problems allow learners, and gifted learners in particular, to push themselves.

It has been two years since the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University started implementing Creative Studies courses, which ask questions like the ones asked in this article about Poetry and Robotics on PBS’s Mind/Shift blog. How can we integrate content area learning (Language Arts, Math, and Science) with the technology and design contexts that students will face in their college and professional lives? We have developed courses based on a STEM to STEAM model, which pairs the rich content of the traditional disciplines with studio-based experiences like art and design.

The benefits of these programs to gifted students are many. First, gifted students need contexts in which to share and debate their ideas. Our students have no shortage of background knowledge and grand plans, and gifted enrichment programs exist to challenge and engage these interests. ‘Studio Time’, in which students explore an open-ended design challenge, is the most popular component of our Creative Studies courses.

Second, our Creative Studies model creates a studio experience for the gifted student where they can plan, negotiate and create without ceilings or boundaries. Students have to try out their ideas, fall short, and re-approach the problem. Finally, students who have visual and spatial talents can explore them in tandem with rigorous content area exploration. Experience and research are demonstrating that hands-on experiences can cement content knowledge acquisition better than traditional testing methods.

Where else can we expose our students to open ended problems to cultivate ideation and experimentation? The key benefit of pairing Robotics and Poetry is novelty, in the best sense. Students are challenged to innovate.  Students are creating something new, which, in the context of traditional school curricula that tend to cycle every year, is radical. This builds a space of possibility where the unpredictable can occur. New problems don’t have ceilings or boundaries. Every unanswered question, each political or environmental challenge, is an opportunity for problem based learning. These are the questions that keep our gifted students on the edge of their seats in a discussion, or bent over a model for hours at a time. Our mission is to engage students throughout their academic career with new and exciting problems.

anne2

The author’s son executing his window design.

CTD is offering a number of Design Studio courses in our Summer Programs such as Math Studio in our Leapfrog program for children age 4 through grade 3, Graphic Design through Visual Communication, Design Studio and Design Entrepreneurs, in partnership with the Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University for older students.

Anne Hayden Stevens is the coordinator of CTD’s Creative Studies strand and an instructor in the Saturday Enrichment, Gifted LearningLinks, and Leapfrog programs. She has an MA in Visual Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and a BFA in Printmaking and Drawing from California College of the Arts.

Bring World Science To Your Kitchen Table

Posted by ctdatnu in Conference and tagged with , , , ,

How does a high school student in Chicago, Illinois operate a sophisticated Geiger counter housed in a laboratory in Queensland, Australia?  Through the wonder of technology and the advent of remote science labs.

Most high schools don’t have the resources to provide elaborate science laboratories.  The iLab Network, developed by Northwestern University’s Office of STEM Education Partnerships (OSEP), allows students to conduct their own experiments remotely with actual world-class laboratory equipment.

At the CTD Opportunities for the Future Family Conference on June 29, students in grades 7 and 8 can enjoy hands-on experience with an iLab.  Students who opt to attend the remote science lab session will access and operate that Geiger counter in Australia. They will learn basics about radioactive elements then design and run multiple trials of an experiment.

iLabs are a prime example of how technology is impacting education and the vast resources it opens up especially for gifted students in need of additional challenge.

Recently, Northwestern University’s Office of STEM Education Partnerships received the 2013 Innovations in Networking Award for Educational Applications for its iLabs Network Program.  You’ll find a compelling description of the labs in this article: A Paradigm Shift in the Way Students Experience Science Labs.

The CTD Opportunities for the Future Conference, taking place on the Evanston, Illinois campus of Northwestern University, is open to gifted students and their parents. Adults attend a keynote address and subsequent presentations while students (grades 4 – 12) enjoy interactive workshops that focus on interesting fields of study and future career paths. You’ll find full information about the conference on the CTD website.

Join our Summer Conference Facebook event here!

Strategic Game Plan

Posted by ctdatnu in Gifted Education and tagged with , , , , ,

by Ann Gadzikowski, Early Childhood Coordinator, Center for Talent Development

Monday Night Games were big at CTD this winter.  6pm found a group of energized CTD staffers gathered around the conference table, immersed in games of strategy.  The goal was to figure out how and why such games might impact exceptionally bright third grade students.

photo1

CTD staff combine work with play as they experience the challenge of strategy games during one of several Game Nights.

Strategy games will be introduced this summer through the CTD Leapfrog program. Leapfrog is for children age 4 though grade 3 who demonstrate strong math or verbal ability.

Talent Talk recently sat down with Ann Gadzikowski, Early Childhood Coordinator at CTD. She described the approach to developing the strategy games course and offered some overall guidelines on selecting summer learning activities for young gifted students.

Explain the approach to Leapfrog course development, using the new strategy games offering as an example.

ANN:  There are differences between the traditional American board games many of us grew up playing, such as Monopoly, and what’s known as “Euro-style” games, such as Settlers of Catan. The latter tend to be more complex, with more variables.

For example, in Euro-style games players usually earn victory points based on different measures of success, such as the ability to compile resources or build a long road. We recognize that these complex game structures work well for gifted learners because the children are challenged to develop sophisticated strategies without the pressure of a “winner-take-all” type outcome.

Part of the course development process involved CTD staff members sampling the Euro-style games. Throughout the winter, on the first Monday of the month, CTD staff members were invited to a participate in “Game Night.” We ordered pizza and snacks and enjoyed playing the games together.

For me, one of the most interesting things that came out of Game Night was that we, as adults, got to experience what it feels like to learn something completely new. None of us had previous experience with the games. We had to read the instructions, experiment, ask each other questions, and go back to the rules for further clarification.

Here we were, a bunch of smart professionals, having to start from scratch to understand and remember the rules and strategies of these games. I often thought, “This must be what our Leapfrog students feel when they are truly challenged by new and difficult concepts.” Our Game Night experiences helped us think carefully and intentionally about the pace of our courses and our instructional practices.

Given your findings, what did the games course emerge as?

ANN: The course is called “Rule Your World: Playing and Analyzing Strategy Games.” It is an all-day course for students who have completed third grade and it will require students to use a variety of high-level math skills as they develop and test their game strategies. The games played in class will include many Euro-style games such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders, and Dominion.

The benefit to students who learn and play the games in a class, rather than on their own at home, is that the instructor will guide the students to develop, articulate, and test their game strategies in organized and reflective ways. Students will document their strategies using both words and images and this documentation will allow them to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies over time, and then refine and improve their strategies.

This time of year parents of gifted students are searching for meaningful learning experiences their child can enjoy during the summer months.  What should a parent look for when it comes to younger children?

ANN: One of the first considerations should be, “What subject areas or topics really interest my child?” You can often figure out what topics children find exciting by observing their play or noticing what books, games or movies are their favorites.

A child who uses her stuffed toys to set up a pretend animal hospital may be interested in learning more about veterinary medicine. A child who is eager to help you count the coins in your pocket might be interested in learning more about economics.

When parents know what topics really interest their children, they can plan for summer activities, both formal and informal, that are related to those topics.

Hats-1

CTD’s Leapfrog program allows young children to explore their interests in ways that are challenging, fast-paced and engaging.

Is there a prevailing philosophy for early childhood programs that serve high-ability kids?

ANN: CTD’s goal with the Leapfrog program is to develop each child’s academic strengths and talents through hands-on courses that are challenging, fast-paced, and engaging. Content is generally one or two grade levels above the standardized curriculum. Although courses are academically rigorous, it is important to incorporate some aspect of play, such as constructing architectural models out of wooden unit blocks or pretending to establish a space colony on Mars.

To challenge advanced learners we need to do more than just quicken the pace, we need to go deep, study the details, make connections, and create engaging projects together. In Leapfrog, we focus on a single topic for an entire week.

Even a PreK/Kindergarten course such as Smelly Science involves in-depth research and experimentation with real materials. We are not just flipping through a textbook! For example, the children explore the causes of smells by conducting experiments with contrasting smells and they research and discuss big questions such as, “How do smells affect the way we think and feel?”

It’s also important that the students have opportunities to collaborate with other really bright children. They work on projects with kids who are just as excited about learning as they are.

**************************************************************************************

CTD’s Leapfrog summer program will be offered at 6 different locations in the Chicago area this summer.  Week-long sessions are available from late June through July.  Visit the CTD website for complete information.

Do you have suggestions on the types of activities that can help young, gifted learners continue to develop their cognitive, emotional and social abilities during the summer months?

Ann Gadzikowski has a MA degree from the Erikson Institute for Advanced Study of Child Development in Chicago. She has worked as a teacher and director of preschool programs. Ann is an accomplished author.  Her latest book “Challenging Exceptionally Bright Children In Early Childhood Classrooms” has just been released and is currently available through RedLeaf Press.

Nurturing the Entrepreneur

Posted by ctdatnu in Gifted Education and tagged with , , , , ,

by Cassie Sparkman, Equinox Summer Program Coordinator, Center for Talent Development

blog

Gallop recently released data that suggests student engagement wanes as young people progress from elementary to high school. Experiential and project-based learning is proposed as a method to reignite interest and motivation.

The Center for Talent Development (CTD) has developed a new set of courses designed to cultivate entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. “Partnership” courses for high school students will debut as part of the 2013 CTD Summer Program.

The three-week courses aim to provide real-world experience to students who have passion for the subject matter and connect them with industry professionals.

Courses are designed to help students develop leadership, dialog, listening, organization and follow-through skills in addition to knowledge and expertise. Students will collaborate in small teams and tackle existing challenges, enhancing their ability to think creatively and innovate solutions.

The Starter League is a Chicago-based company that trains aspiring programmers and web designers worldwide to build and launch new technology products. They are working with CTD to provide programming and web application development courses. Students will find themselves on a track to turn their online ideas into reality.

Two courses are the result of a joint venture with Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University. They are modeled on college level programs currently available to NU engineering students. The Design Entrepreneur course incorporates the principals of Design for America, which began at NU and is now expanding to other universities. High school students will get hands-on experience in collaborative design from ideation to production to presentation and nurture their ability to devise creative solutions to future challenges in their careers and personal lives.

Traditionally, education courses for academically gifted students provide accelerated study and the opportunity to delve deeply into subject matter. The new partnership model extends beyond the classroom and allows young people to apply their talent in ways that are more career oriented.

Entrepreneurism has led to breakthroughs throughout world history and may be more important now than ever. Let’s make sure our brightest young minds catch the spirit!

Check out the full roster of CTD summer partnership courses on our website.

Northwestern University is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs – read about it here.

Is the focus on entrepreneurism a good way to re-engage older students?  What other methods work?

Cassie Sparkman coordinates CTD’s Equinox Summer Program for high school students. She has been working for several years to develop a partnership / apprentice program designed specifically for academically talented students.

Rainy Day Activity: Writing Collage

Posted by ctdatnu in Rainy Day Activity and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

by Libby Galin

Spring brings plenty of rainy days providing the perfect opportunity for young, aspiring writers to put pen to paper. However, sometimes just sitting down and writing a story or an article can be a daunting task. All writers are encouraged to use warm-ups to get their creative juices flowing. Writing warm-ups help budding authors tap into their creativity, think more deeply about their piece and find an entry point to defining key things about their written piece such as voice, setting, character, tone and imagery. Encourage your young author to get the creative process started with a writing collage: a visually appealing and creative mix of the written word and an artistic piece.

This activity is for students in grades 5 through 8 but can be modified for younger children too.

Materials:

  • Magazine cut outs or old photos
  • Notebook
  • Timer
  • White or construction paper
  • Colored pencils or thin markers
  • Child safe scissors
  • Glue
  • White paper: approximately 12” x 18” (smaller or larger will work fine depending on the size you want the final product to be)
  • Computer/word processor (optional)

Steps:

1.  In a magazine or in a box of old photos that may be used for a project, identify 3-4 pictures that inspire you.  Cut the magazine pictures out or set aside the photos. (Don’t think too hard about what the photos should be; simply select the pictures that you like.)

1

2.  Set your timer for three minutes. Choose a photo. In the three minutes, describe in the richest, most vivid detail what you see in the photo or what the photo brings to your mind. As you write, use the five senses. Think about how things would look, feel, smell, taste and sound in the photo.

2

3.  Repeat for each picture you selected.

4.  Rewrite your description for each picture on a piece of white paper using colored pencils or thin markers using your best handwriting (or type the descriptions using your favorite font). Let the shape of your words to be creative and to reflect the picture you are describing.  For example, the white paper the words are on could be the same shape or size as the picture.

3

5.  Create a frame for each set of words and each picture by cutting out construction paper that is the same shape but slightly larger than the paper or picture.

6.  Glue the written descriptions and pictures on to the frames.

4

7.  Glue the framed descriptions and pictures on to the large piece of paper, arranging them using your artistic eye.

5

Discussion:

  • Examine your finished collage. Why do you think you chose the pictures you did?
  • What is the mood of your collage? What about the pictures, colors and words convey this mood?
  • Which picture and written piece do you like best? Why?
  • What stories could you develop from your written pieces?

Extensions:

  • Use one of the descriptions you wrote as a jumping off point for a story. Create plot, identify a voice, theme, characters, setting and conflict.
  • Choose your favorite picture and description. Use this as a starting point for a poem.

Modifications for younger children:

Have younger children select simpler, brighter pictures from magazines for kids, such as Highlights or Ranger Rick. Assist with cutting and gluing when necessary. Use specific prompts while they write or dictate their thoughts to an adult or recording device:

  • What do you see in this picture?
  • What colors are in the picture?
  • Is it a happy or sad picture?
  • How does it make you feel?
  • Where is the picture?
  • What is it like in that place?

Additional Resources:

Libby Galin, MS Ed, has taught several classes for the Center for Talent Development in writing, literature, creative studies and science. She has worked with gifted students in a variety of settings throughout her career including a traditional classroom, a pediatric therapy center, as a yoga instructor and through the CTD. Her next writing class is Fan Fiction, offered for grades 6 through 8 during the upcoming Spring Session of the Saturday Enrichment Program.

Is your student interested in pursuing a career in writing? CTD’s annual Opportunities for the Future Conference on June 29 will feature sessions dedicated to various writing types and career options. Writing courses are also available through CTD’s Summer Program. Check out the offerings on our website.

Principles of Innovative Learning

Posted by ctdatnu in Gifted Education and tagged with , , , ,

BACK_8256 copy

The blog Mind/Shift recently shared “7 Essential Principles of Innovative Learning”:

  1. Learners have to be at the center of what happens in the classroom.
  2. Learning is a social practice and can’t happen alone.
  3. Emotions are an integral part of learning.
  4. Learners are different.
  5. Students need to be stretched, but not too much.
  6. Assessment should be for learning, not of learning.
  7. Learning needs to be connected across disciplines.

The end goal of these principles is to design “learning environments that will help students build skills useful in a world where jobs are increasingly information and knowledge-based.”

What can we do today to prepare students for careers of tomorrow? During CTD’s annual Opportunities for the Future Conference on June 29, there will be sessions for parents and students on developing career readiness and possible pathways leading to jobs just beginning to emerge.

Test-Taking, Stress, & Competition: Worriers vs. Warriors

Posted by ctdatnu in Gifted Education and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

realpicStandardized tests are commonplace in the U.S. education system. Given the impact of test scores on students’ access to opportunities, especially college acceptance, it’s understandable that some students—even those who excel in school—feel anxious about testing. But why do certain students thrive under this pressure while others seem thwarted by it?

A New York Times article titled  “Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart?”  revisits the issue of test stress and its impact on outcomes. It cites a new study out of Taiwan, where very high-stakes testing prevails. Study results suggest that a host of factors, like how we are raised and our skills and experiences, inform the way we respond to stress, but there is a genetic component too. Researchers conducting the study hoped to learn more about the role of a specific gene, called COMT, in a person’s response to a high-stakes situation. Additional study is now underway to explore how training or other factors can impact the effect of the gene. Initial findings are that simply removing the stress is not the answer for those who struggle with anxiety in stressful situations.

What can we gain from this emerging field of research about helping gifted students manage the stress they may experience when faced with high-stakes testing?

Slides from CTD Seminar, “Parenting Your Twice-Exceptional Child”

Posted by ctdatnu in Education and tagged with , , , , ,

Center for Talent Development recently hosted a free seminar titled “Parenting Your Twice-Exceptional Child: Developing Talent and Accommodating Needs.”  Guest presenter, Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon, spoke about best practices for addressing the needs of twice-exceptional students, including identifying and developing talent domains.

foley-nicpon

Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology at The University of Iowa and a licensed psychologist and researcher at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.  She is an expert in the field and has authored a variety of articles on supporting gifted students with co-existing disabilities.

We got many requests to  post resources from this seminar, and just received Dr. Foley Nicpon’s presentation slides.

You can find them here:  http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/docs/ctd/CTD_parent_workshop_for_distribution_.pdf

If you missed Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon’s article we posted last month, you can still view it by clicking here.

Poll Shows Student Engagement Drops Over Time

Posted by ctdatnu in Education, Gifted Education and tagged with , , , , ,

picAccording to a recent Gallup Student Poll, there’s a decline in student engagement as students progress from elementary school to middle school to high school.  The findings from this survey, posted in a blog titled, “The School Cliff: Student Engagement Drops With Each Grade,” include that: “A majority of elementary school students—almost eight in 10—qualify as engaged, the poll found. By middle school, however, that number drops to six in 10 students. And when students enter high school, it drops to four in 10.”

The blog suggests a combination of factors may contribute to this decline in engagement, ranging from “overzealous focus on standardized testing and curricula to our lack of experiential and project-based learning pathways for students.”

Supporting entrepreneurial pursuits is one way the blog suggests schools can encourage students.  According to the blog, students with high entrepreneurial talent are among those whose engagement declined. “Forty-five percent of students surveyed by Gallup say they plan to start their own business someday … yet a mere 5% have spent more than one hour in the last week working, interning, or exposed to real business.”

Do you think the reasons proposed in this article account for disengaged students?  Or do you attribute the findings of this survey to something else?

Check out CTD’s Summer Program offerings, including our new Partnership Courses focusing student entrepreneurship, such as the Starter League: an innovative training ground for programmers and web designers located in Chicago.   

Winter Talent 2013: Trend Watch

Posted by ctdatnu in Gifted Education, Talent and tagged with , , ,

Blogs. Apps. Facebook. Wikis. Twitter. More.

CTD’s Winter 2013 issue of the Talent Newsletter is devoted to the topic of technology as a learning tool.  With new technologies constantly changing the education landscape, it is hard to keep pace. Using the New Media Consortium’s K-12 Horizon Report and other sources such as those listed at the end of this post,  parents and teachers can keep an eye on emerging trends in technology and gifted education. Here is an overview of some key technology concepts you may hear in education today:

  • Augmented Reality: By layering virtual reality on top of physical reality and adding interactivity, augmented reality fosters an expanded view of the world and promotes a continually growing understanding of it.
  • Blended learning: A hybrid learning model that combines face-to-face and online learning.
  • Cloud Computing: Learning and collaboration take place anytime, anyplace and from any device when accessing programs and services in the cloud (Internet).
  • Digital Identity: Student create a single, secure digital identity that can be used anyplace a login is required to access a website or service. A digital identity can facilitate curriculum personalization by profiling learners’ interests based on their content consumption.
  • Flipped classrooms: In a flipped classroom, students receive instruction online outside of class and use class time for active learning facilitated by a teacher.
  • Game-based Learning: By integrating games and game mechanics with educational experiences, game-based learning can stimulate advanced problem-solving, creativity, strategic thinking and team-building. It is also valuable as a safe way to learn from mistakes.
  • Mobile Devices & Apps – Schools are adopting a cost-effective BYOD (bring your own device) model that allows students to use their own mobile device to extend learning beyond the school day and enhance learning in the classroom.
  • Personal learning environments (PLE): These online spaces allow students to make  learning connections and organize all forms of media about a topic. A PLE serves as a powerful information warehouse and reflection venue.
  • Tablet Computing: Tablets are replacing laptops and desktops due to their cost, portability and access to apps. Many schools are instituting a one-to-one tablet program, in which each student has access to a tablet.

Additional Reading:

To learn more about technology and gifted education, consult the following resources:

“Apps for Gifted Kids.” Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page.

“Resources.” Getting Smart. http://gettingsmart.com/about/resources.

“iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses.” International Association for K-12 Online Learning. (See their standards for quality online courses, programs and teaching, respectively.)

Siegle, Del. Using Media & Technology with Gifted Students. Waco, TX: Prufrock, 2005.

Technology Columns in the National Association for Gifted Children’s Gifted Child Quarterly and Teaching for High Potential.