Giftedness

Personal Learning Environments - Meeting the Special Needs of Gifted Students

by Diogo Casanova

Ribeiro, J., Casanova, D., Nogueira, F., Moreira, A., & Almeida, M. (2010). Personal Learning Environments - Meeting the Special Needs of Gifted Students. In P. O. d. Pablos, R. Tennyson & J. Zhao (Eds.), Technology Enhanced Learning For People With Disabilities: Approaches And Applications (pp. 67-88): IGI Global.

Gifted Students, in spite of their very well known characteristics, have specific education needs in order to achieve... more Gifted Students, in spite of their very well known characteristics, have specific education needs in order to achieve their potential. Although they do not present a special educational need in the common mean- ing, they have very particular learning needs that, if overlooked, may lead to adverse feelings towards school and learning that can result in academic failure. Authors in the field agree that giftedness can and must be developed and providing challenging and facilitative learning environments is the first building block. The PLE, held up by WEB 2.0, for its openness and possibilities it offers to learn autonomously, resorting to exploration, discovery, networking with like-minded peers and experts fits the style and pace of learning of its user and shows to be a tool to fully suite the particular traits of these students. In this chapter a 5 dimension ple is conceptualized that accommodates the cognitive, emotional and education needs of gifted students.

Commentary on A. Zeigler & S.N. Phillipson ‘Towards a Systemic Theory of Gifted Education’: Connectedness and life skills development for all children

by Ricci Fong

Yuen, M., & Fong, R. W. (in press). Commentary on A. Zeigler & S.N. Phillipson ‘Towards a Systemic Theory of Gifted Education’: Connectedness and life skills development for all children. High Ability Studies.

A Model for Gifted Science Teachers’ Performance Evaluation

by Halil Eksi

Murat GÖKDERE
Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice
5 (1) • May›s / May 2005 • 89-100

The purpose of this study is to develop evaluation tools of which basic features theoretically
situated in the... more The purpose of this study is to develop evaluation tools of which basic features theoretically
situated in the literature and to combine those tools under a model framework.
The study was conducted under three phases; (1) the preparation and validity-
reliability studies of a science teacher assessment scale for students (2) developing
a science teacher observation scale (STOS) for school administrators, (3) preparing
a science teacher activity form. Interviews and DELPHI technique were used
during these studies. SPSS program was used for the statistical analyses. From the
data analyses, a science teacher assessment scale including, 55 items with .90 reliability
score, the science teacher observation scale and an activity assessment form
were developed. It is suggested that using the assessment tools effectively, a comittee
should conduct performance assessment tools.

Attitudes of experts towards expertise in the field of exact sciences

by Selman Repišti

Statistical Methods Used in Gifted Education Journals 2006-2010

by Nicola L. Ritter, M.Ed.

Warne, R., Lazo, M., Ramos, T., & Ritter, N. (in press). Statistical Methods Used in Gifted Education Journals 2006-2010. Gifted Child Quarterly.

Smart Parenting for Smart Kids: Nurturing Your Child's True Potential - EXCERPT

by Eileen Kennedy-Moore

By Kennedy-Moore, Eileen; Lowenthal, Mark S.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Wiley (2011)
http://www.EileenKennedyMoore.com

It takes more than school smarts to build a satisfying life. This warm and sensible book offers practical parenting... more It takes more than school smarts to build a satisfying life. This warm and sensible book offers practical parenting tips for helping children develop the social and emotional skills they need to become capable, confident, and caring people. It draws from research as well as the authors' clinical expericence. Chapters include: Tempering Perfectionism, Building Connection, Developing Motivation, and Finding Joy.

A literal Godsend. Parents with find great wisdom in its pages.
-- Stephen R. Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

A smart, deeply perceptive and important book.
-- Wendy Mogel (Blessing of a Skinned Knee)

Filled with strategies for raising healthy, happy, and contributing adults.
-- Vicki Abeles (producer, Race to Nowhere)


Video Book Trailer (<2 min):
Competitive parenting? Just say no!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgf2cf-gCp8

DISCUSSION GUIDE for book clubs and parent groups available at: http://www.EileenKennedyMoore.com/media/discussion-guide-smart-kids.pdf

An Examination of the Relationships Between Ego Development, Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration, and the Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted …

by Carrie Lynn Bailey

Examining Teachers' Perceptions of Twice Exceptional Students: Overview of a Qualitative Exploration

by Carrie Lynn Bailey

Survival of the fittest or the most talented?

by Roland S Persson

Persson, R. S. (2000). Survival of the fittest or the most talented? The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, Vol. XII, No. 1, Fall 2000, pp. 25-38.

Note that this is the manuscript form of the article, which was eventually published by Prufrock Press.

This article reviews the literature and anecdotal data charting potential problems in the training of gifted musical... more This article reviews the literature and anecdotal data charting potential problems in the training of gifted musical performers. The objective of this article is to feature a conceptual framework that evaluates the role of a musical maestro (or master performer as educator) in the development of talent. Although research into the training of performers in music conservatories is scarce, clinical psychology and performance art medicine report evidence that musicians may suffer from the expectations, psychological paradoxes, and traditions inherent in the so-called "conservatory culture." The literature suggests that musical maestros, themselves highly gifted performers, may at times be unsuitable teachers and mentors.

Voices in the wilderness: Counselling gifted students in a Swedish egalitarian setting

by Roland S Persson

Persson, R. S. (2005). Voices in the wilderness: Counselling gifted students in a Swedish egalitarian setting. International Journal of Applied Counselling. 27(2), 263-276.

NB. this is the submitted manuscript to the article that was subsequently published.

An egalitarian setting; that is, a setting established on an ideological and cultural basis, in which individual... more An egalitarian setting; that is, a setting established on an ideological and cultural basis, in which individual differences traditionally is a sensitive and often problematic issue, the counseling of gifted individuals present a particular problem. Sweden provides the setting in which the current study was carried out. This qualitative case study focuses on how one highly gifted individual—a 27-year old male—has experienced his school years and university training and how successful counselling for him was construed. The case is argued to be fairly typical, and it is also suggested that Received Mentorship might be the only way to counsel a gifted individual in a forbidding egalitarian setting. The article concludes by proposing a number of recommendations for Counselors who work in similar settings

Educational justice and the gifted

by Michael Merry

Intellectually gifted individuals' Career Choices and Work Satisfaction: A descriptive study

by Roland S Persson

The submitted manuscript for the following published study:
Persson, R. S. (2009). Intellectually gifted individuals’ career choices and work satisfaction: a descriptive study. Gifted and Talented International, 24(1), 11-24,

This study set out to study which career path a group of intellectually gifted individuals chose, if any. How did they... more This study set out to study which career path a group of intellectually gifted individuals chose, if any. How did they actually like their work, and which were the reasons for satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their chosen career? In all, 287 Mensa members (216 men and 71 women) constituted the research group. Average age was 34.4 years (SD = 8.8). All had obtained IQ scores equal to or higher than the 98th percentile. The study was designed as a survey operationalized as an Internet-based questionnaire using the SPSS Dimensions software. A shortened version of the Work and Life Attitudes Survey (Warr, Cook & Wall, 1979) was included as part of the questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed as dispersions within the research group whereas qualitative data were content-analyzed using the so-called VSAIEEDC Model. Results show that participants tended to pursue careers mainly in Technology, Science and Social Work and to a lesser degree in  Practical and Aestethic work. For all these fields work satisfaction was shown to be average. For individuals choosing to start their own company and/or who end up in leading managerial positions, however, satisfaction with work and career is very high. Possible reasons for these difference between subgroups in the sample are focused, and in conclusion a possible way forward to improve work satisfaction for intellectually gifted individuals at work, where needed, is discussed.

VSAIEEDC - A Cognition-Based Generic Model for Qualitative Data Analysis in Giftedness and Talent Research

by Roland S Persson

Full bibliographic reference for the published article:
Persson, R. S. (2006). VSAIEEDC – a cognition-based generic model for
qualitative data analysis in giftedness and talent research. Gifted and
Talented International, 21(2), 29-37.

The appended paper is the submitted manuscript to the later published article.

Qualitative research is not yet generally accepted in the study of giftedness and talent. Psychometrically oriented... more Qualitative research is not yet generally accepted in the study of giftedness and talent. Psychometrically oriented research tends to dominate. Critics raise concern that in qualitative research analytical models are often vague and therefore replication nighimpossible. The fact that there are many epistemological schools of thought, each proposing its own analytical tradition, adds to the confusion keeping controversy alive and well through philosophical debates. The aim of this article is to bridge the chasm between critics and proponents of qualitative research as valid science in its own right by outlining a generic and explicit model for the analysis of qualitative data, namely
the VSAIEEDC Model. It is based on cognitive function rather then philosophical tenets and therefore also on the assumption that all models for qualitative analysis have a common basis quite irrespective of epistemological tradition. A distinction is
made between unaware analytical behavior as a necessity for everyday-living and formal analytical behavior as intentional, explicit, and applied in Science. In conclusion the need for stringent qualitative research into the socioemotional issues of
the gifted and talented is discussed.

The Multidimensional Model of Musical Giftedness (3MG): Breaking new ground in understanding musical talent and musical thinking

by Roland S Persson

Paper presented at the WCGTC Conference, Prague, The Czech Republic, August 2011

Much research has explored cognitive functions and the nature of information processing since the cognitive revolution... more Much research has explored cognitive functions and the nature of information processing since the cognitive revolution began with the advent of computers in the 1950s. With the establishing of music psychology attention was directed also to the cognition and processing of music. However, the initial reluctance of Science to avoid the study of emotions became a problem especially in studying music; which is a cultural phenomenon with the inherent ability to trigger strong affective responses. The Multi-Dimensional Model of Musical Giftedness (3MG) takes the significance of affective responses and emotive skills into account in outlining the likely constituents of musical giftedness domains. Based on available research a conceptual model is outlined as based on domain generality and domain specificity, thus proposing an understanding of musical giftedness as a set of core skills and sets of key skills particular to different musical domains.

ABILITY CLIMATE: THE FORGOTTEN CULTURAL FACTOR IN PROMOTING GIFTED EDUCATION

by Roland S Persson

Invited address to the ICIE Conference “Excellence in Education”, Istanbul, Turkey, 6-9 July 2011

Intellectually gifted individuals are increasingly seen as the problem solvers of the future who are to secure... more Intellectually gifted individuals are increasingly seen as the problem solvers of the future who are to secure societal prosperity and welfare. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that there may exist cultural obstacles in promoting intellectual giftedness in any given culture when setting such educational targets. If certain abilities are not highly valued in a given culture, it seems unlikely that increasing an interest in education focused on excellence in these abilities would be as successful as hoped. The abilities needed for economical growth and continued welfare are not necessarily the abilities valued by the people who are expected to pursue such training. Successful implementation is likely to dependent on the culturally dominant ability climate. The presentation focuses on a recent study of ability climates in 29 European countries as based on socially represented notability. The analysis of data yielded three types of European ability climates: A uniform ability climate; a divergent ability climate, and a diverse ability climate; each of which was characterized by clusters of abilities that seemed to be particularly valued in a given European country. Only nine of the participating countries appeared to feature an ability climate conducive to intellectual pursuits

Academically Gifted Programs and Services’ Formats - an annotated bibliography

by Kim Minh

Upon writing this paper, I found a book named A Menu of Options For Grouping Gifted Students (Rogers, 2006).  “A... more Upon writing this paper, I found a book named A Menu of Options For Grouping Gifted Students (Rogers, 2006).  “A menu” is what I would like to discuss for the purpose of this annotated bibliography. It leads me to imagine that in a so-called “gifted education restaurant”, I am helping a school administrator, counsellor, teacher, parent or community leader to choose a variety of appropriate options for their gifted and academically talented child. Before “ordering”, they need a menu: a “mini” encyclopaedia with brief introductions and more references of other gifted services and the formats of their programs. Apparently, they will not order only one dish, but rather a combination of suitable dishes for each gifted child. Moreover, they will require different programs according to their own positions, that will fit more correctly within the home (if they are parents or counsellors), school (if they are administrators or teachers), or community (if they are community leaders or others). 

THE TALENT OF BEING INCONVENIENT: ON THE SOCIETAL FUNCTIONS OF GIFTEDNESS

by Roland S Persson

THE TALENT OF BEING INCONVENIENT: ON THE SOCIETAL FUNCTIONS OF GIFTEDNESS

Certain highly gifted individuals are not allowed to flourish and develop although they exist in environments which... more Certain highly gifted individuals are not allowed to flourish and develop although they exist in environments which have the means to assist and stimulate their development. There appear to exist gifted individuals in our midst whom we tend ignore systematically; gifted men and women who simply are “inconvenient.” In an effort to explain such social responses to gifted behaviors a socio-biological framework is proposed, as based on a taxonomy of social function. Empirical data from three different studies (N = 287, IQ ≥ 131, M = 34 years of age), all of which demonstrated the resistance that gifted individuals encounter in their daily lives, will be used to exemplify the socio-biological framework.

Past buoy lines: an arts-based inquiry into living and knowing giftedness

by Pamela Richardson

Past Buoy Lines: Exploring Metaphors, Boundaries, and Poetic Possibilities in Giftedness Research.

by Pamela Richardson