Featured Topic – Motivation |
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 An issue
profoundly gifted students commonly face is a lack of
motivation, which can happen for many different reasons. If a class, subject or other educational activity is
not mentally stimulating or challenging for gifted students, they will often withdraw interest. When gifted students are
not properly challenged, they can experience a lack of motivation and underachieve. So how do
educators figure out the cause of these students' lack of motivation?
First and foremost, you may wish to rule out any physical causes of underachievement, such as audiological issues, vision problems, etc. Then proceed to ask these students questions to narrow down the factors contributing to
their lack of motivation. How are they feeling about the class or subject? What are
their favorite and least favorite parts? Have they previously learned the material?
Next, it is important to identify how certain students are motivated. While the ultimate goal is intrinsic motivation,
you may need to consider external motivation to bridge the
gap. What sparks their interest? What are they passionate about? The more you know about your students by building rapport, the better you will be able to help them identify ideas to encourage their academic growth.
If you would like more information on motivation, take a look at the following resources below.
Resources
Websites:
Intrinsic Motivation
Motivation: The Key to Academic Success
Boredom: A Surprisingly Interesting Topic
Some Ideas for Motivating Students
Books:
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
A Love for Learning: Motivation and the Gifted Child
Motivating Gifted Students
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Professional Development Courses, Conferences and Careers |
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 Courses Drexel University’s Online Special Education Degrees
Drexel University offers online education programs for
educators and administrators seeking new tools and
methodologies to instruct students with autism spectrum
disorders and related learning disabilities.
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GT Ignite
- North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC) - Gifted Endorsement Courses
Conferences
Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented (TAGT)
- 2016 Annual Conference
The TAGT Annual
Conference, Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2016, is designed to help
educators, administrators and more take their teaching, advocacy, leadership, connections and programs to the
next level, experiencing the energy of 2,000 passionate
advocates for gifted education.
Vanderbilt Gifted Education Institute - Upcoming Conferences
 Vanderbilt's Gifted Education Institute will provide an opportunity to learn effective strategies that support low-income, high-achieving students
at a two-day conference Dec. 8-9, 2016. Dr. Carol Horn and Dr. Tamra Stambaugh will be the featured keynote speakers.
Vanderbilt will also host a two-day conference February 27-28, 2017,
reviewing strategies that can be applied in a classroom for gifted learners. District teams are encouraged to attend and a discount will be provided to teams of
five or more who register together and include an administrator.
Visit the
Gifted
Education Institute page for more information on both
conferences.
SENG Annual Conference, August 4-6, 2017
The 2017 SENG annual conference
in Naperville, Ill. strives to empower, support, and connect
with the gifted population. SENG also is a great experience
to connect teachers, parents and counselors.
Hoagies Gifted Conferences Page
Visit the
Hoagies
Gifted Conferences, Events & Gatherings
page for information on gifted conferences and events for teachers, parents
and students across the U.S. and online.
Careers
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Resources |
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Grants
AIAA Foundation Classroom Grant Program
The
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronauts is dedicated to the importance of STEM education and awards $200 in grants to K-12 teachers who want to incorporate new ways of teaching
STEM subjects into their classroom. Funds can be used to purchase laboratory equipment, math and science software, robotics supplies, and other items that will add depth and dimension
to lessons.
From Failure to Promise K-12 Educator’s Grant
The
From Failure to Promise k-12 Educators' Grant
will provide several $500 mini grants to community-based
organizations, libraries or schools with creative ideas for
motivating, energizing, and catapulting K-12 students to
reach their full promise in literacy, math, science, or
technology through their curriculum.
Earthwatch Institute’s Teach Earth Teacher Fellowships
 The Teach Earth program is a travel and expeditionary learning program for U.S.-based educators. Each year, the Earthwatch
Institute selects teachers in a variety of subject areas to
"work side by side with world-class scientists on field
research expeditions around the world." The program is open
to all educators, even educators without scientific
backgrounds.
Curriculum Resources
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In the News |
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Davidson
Programs |
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Davidson Academy – Announcing New Online High School!
 The
Davidson Academy is pleased to announce the launch of a new full-time online high school option, called Davidson Academy National, opening for the 2017-2018 academic year!
Consequently, the Davidson Academy will now offer two educational options for students –
the online high school for those living anywhere in the U.S. and the day school on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The
Academy has been a proven leader in educating our nation’s
brightest students. Since 2006, the Davidson Academy of
Nevada has been recognized as an exceptional school for
profoundly gifted middle and high school students already
living in the Reno area and those who can move to Nevada. For those who cannot move, now there will be a full-time online high school option.
This new online option reflects the Davidson Academy’s commitment to the profoundly gifted student population by offering a rigorous online academic environment where these students can thrive among their intellectual peers.
Davidson Academy National – The application for the new online high school, Davidson Academy National,
will open in mid-November. For the 2017-2018 academic year,
the online high school will include courses for incoming
freshmen and sophomores. Courses for juniors and seniors
will be added in subsequent years. The Davidson Academy
National's curriculum is two to three years accelerated and
all courses are accredited. Applicants must be 12 to 15
years old as of Sept. 30, 2017, submit ACT or SAT scores for
incoming 9th and 10 graders according to the
Online High
School Qualification Criteria and commit to being full-time
students. This age requirement will be expanded upward as
even more advanced high school courses are added in future
years. For Nevada residents, both options – attending either
the online or Reno school – are free, and there is no
application and assessment fee. However, out-of-state
students must pay a $100 application and assessment fee. If
accepted, out-of-state students must also pay tuition. The
application deadline is March 1, 2017 and, if space remains
available, late applications will be considered until April
15, 2017. Please visit the Davidson Academy National’s
How to Apply page.
Davidson Academy of Nevada – A free public day school for profoundly gifted middle and high school students located on the University of Nevada, Reno campus,
the Academy is now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 school year. Classes are grouped by ability level, rather than by age-based grades, thereby providing profoundly gifted young people an educational opportunity matched to their abilities, strengths and interests. To attend the Davidson Academy of Nevada, students must be at the middle or high school level across all subject areas and score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ or college entrance tests, such as the
ACT or SAT.
Please visit the Davidson Academy of Nevada's
Qualification Criteria and
How to Apply pages. Applications are reviewed on a monthly basis with a final application deadline of Jan. 1, 2017.
Educators GuildAll educators, and people interested in gifted education, are invited to join the
Educators Guild Discussion Group on Facebook and contribute to the ongoing conversation about how to best serve the academic needs of our nation’s brightest students.
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Closing Quote |
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“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
-- Jim Ryun, American track and field athlete
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