March 2012 |
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What's New in Gifted Education | Davidson News | Legislative & Policy News | On the Web | In the News | In the
Spotlight
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What's New in Gifted Education
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Intel Science Talent Search – Honoring the
Best and Brightest Young Scientists
Some of the brightest young
innovators in America were recently honored for their influential,
dynamic projects as the winners of the
2012 Intel Science Talent Search (STS). Nithin Tumma won the top award of $100,000 for
his research on more direct, targeted, effective and less
toxic breast cancer treatments; second place winner Andrey
Sushko was awarded $75,000 for his development of a tiny
motor which uses the surface tension of water to turn; and third place finisher Mimi Yen received $50,000 for her
study of evolution and genetics, which focuses on
microscopic worms.
Congratulations to 2011 Davidson Fellows
Marian Bechtel,
Siddhartha Jena
and Anirudh Prabhu,
and 2010 Fellow
Meredith Lehmann, who were also recognized as finalists.
View the
press release
and
click here for a detailed description of each of the
finalists' projects. Sources:
Voice of America,
Detroit Free Press
Khan
Academy – Changing Mainstream Education in America and
Across the World With
digital lessons, sample exercises and a library of more than
3,000 videos covering a wealth of educational topics, Khan
Academy is a free online tutoring site that has become an innovative means of learning for students
all over the world. Created by former hedge fund analyst Salman Khan,
the Khan Academy has backing from Google, Bill Gates and
numerous other entities. Their classes are being
incorporated into numerous American schools. Sources:
CBS News,
Huffington Post,
Washington Post,
City Journal
National Society for the Gifted and Talented (NSGT) – Scholarships for Gifted Students
The National Society for the Gifted and Talented (NSGT) is offering $10,000 in scholarships for gifted students to apply towards summer programs. In the past,
the NSGT scholarships have allowed students the opportunity to participate in programs such as
the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG), iDTech, the Cambridge College Program, The Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP),
the Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern and more. Sources:
NSGT, My Daily Sentinel
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Davidson News
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The
Davidson Academy of Nevada
If you think The Davidson Academy of Nevada may be the right fit for you, the application deadline of April 1 for the 2012-2013 school year is fast approaching! A free public school,
the Academy
encourages and supports the abilities, strengths, and
interests of profoundly gifted middle and high school
students
who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ or college entrance
tests, such as the SAT or ACT.
If you are interested in applying to The Davidson Academy
for the 2012-2013 school year, visit
the
How to Apply page to download the application files. Please review the
Qualification Criteria page and the
Application Review Process page for more information. Hear from current students and Academy parents, familiarize yourself with faculty and staff, network with others and ask specific questions at the final tour of the 2011-2012 school year on
Friday, April 27.
RSVPs are required.
Davidson Young
Scholars
The
Davidson Young Scholars program provides FREE services designed to nurture and support profoundly gifted young people and their families, including talent development and educational advocacy, an online community, annual get-togethers, and the Ambassador Program. Applications are due the first of each month. For more information, see the
How to Apply and
Qualification Criteria pages.
Davidson Discussions
Davidson Discussions delve deeper into information and topics specific to parents of profoundly gifted students who seemingly experience the same issues time and time again. These videos,
posted on the Davidson Institute's
YouTube channel, are a current and fresh way for the Davidson
Institute Family Consultant team to share their experiences of
working with this unique population of students during the
past 12 years. The latest episode provides tips to help
parents communicate with teens.
Educators
Guild
The Davidson Institute's
Educators Guild
is a FREE national service for active elementary, secondary
and post-secondary educators, as well as other professionals
who are committed to meeting the unique academic needs of
gifted students. You can become a member of this online community with access to free consulting services and Educators Guild publications
by subscribing
here. We are also happy to announce an Educators Guild
discussion group on Facebook
- join today!
2013 Davidson Fellows Scholarship Applications
The
Davidson Fellows 2013 scholarship application will be available in late April! The Davidson Institute offers $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 scholarships to students whose projects have the potential to benefit society, and are at or close to college graduate level with a depth of knowledge in their particular area of study. Applicants must be 18 or younger as of October 10, 2013
to be eligible.
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Legislative & Policy News
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NATIONAL –
The College Board and University of Cambridge International Examinations are teaming up to offer the AP Cambridge Capstone Program for high school students, designed to give high-achieving students stronger skills in independent research, writing and solving problems in teams. Four high schools in the Miami-Dade school district will offer the program in the 2012-13 school year; overall, about 18 schools in the United States and abroad are launching it. Sources:
College Board,
Miami Herald
ARIZONA – The Tempe Elementary School District is creating the ASPIRE Academy, which will offer gifted classes in
language arts, math, social studies and science. The school will feature self-contained classrooms for highly gifted middle school students under the guidance of a gifted-endorsed teacher. Source:
East Valley Tribune
Arizona Public Service recently donated $5,000 to the Early College STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Mathematics) Academy to help sustain the program. Source:
Yuma Sun
COLORADO – The Colorado House Education Committee recently voted to advance
House Bill 12-1238 to the House Appropriations Committee. Also referred to as the Colorado Early Literacy Act, the bill attempts to improve reading skills for students in grades K-3. Source:
Fort Collins Gifted Education Examiner
ILLINOIS – Under a partnership agreement between Chicago Public Schools (CPS), City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), and numerous technology companies, Chicago students will soon have the opportunity to attend one of five Early College STEM Schools (ECSS) to prepare for careers in science and technology. The companies will provide mentorship and internship opportunities for students and professional development opportunities
to teachers. Source:
THE Journal
MARYLAND – The Maryland State Board of Education recently adopted minimum standards for gifted and talented programs for the first time ever. Schools will be instructed on how to identify gifted students, design programs and report progress. Under the rules, a student as young as 3 could be identified as gifted. Sources:
Washington Post,
Education Week,
Baltimore Sun
NEW JERSEY – The Kingsway school district’s new STEM Preparatory Academy will allow 25 gifted students interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math the opportunity
to earn up to 16 credits through dual credit coursework at Gloucester County College. Source:
Gloucester County Times
NEW YORK
– Orchard Park Central’s gifted and talented program, eliminated last year due to budget cuts, will be partially reinstated. Source:
Buffalo News
NORTH CAROLINA – The Governor’s School, a residential summer program for academically gifted high school students, will operate on two campuses this summer thanks to $700,000 raised by the
North Carolina Governor’s School (NCGS) Foundation. Source:
The News & Observer
OHIO – Under a Columbus City Schools plan to change the gifted and talented program next year, gifted students will be taught in clusters of ten or fewer within inclusive classrooms, rather than being pulled out for special instruction. Critics say the change will spread services thinner, while supporters believe it will allow gifted education to reach more students. Source: Columbus Dispatch
3/14,
3/2
OREGON – Every school board in the state must specify how much it aims to improve student performance in numerous areas next year, including
Talented and Gifted (TAG) Education. Source:
The Oregonian
UTAH – The Washington County School District will implement a new program for gifted elementary students starting in the 2012-2013 school year. For its inaugural year, attendance is limited to students in grades 3-5. Source:
Dixie Press Online
How gifted-friendly is your state? Find out
on the
Davidson Gifted Database State Policy Map.
If you know of new legislation, please contact the
Communications Team.
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On the Web
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Gifted Exchange Blog
Read Laura Vanderkam's take on all things gifted.
One of her recent posts is, "Cubicles and blended learning." Join the discussion
today!
Epsilon Camp - A Challenging Summer Math Experience
The Epsilon Camp, located in Colorado Springs, Colo., is a two-week summer residential camp for exceptionally and profoundly gifted students ages 8-10 years (must be under the age of 11 during the camp) who love math. Enrollment is limited to 40. Those interested should send the preliminary Online Application as soon as possible. A parent workshop designed to help parents to build mathematical and social maturity in the EG/PG child will run parallel to the student camp.
Featured
Articles and Resources
The Davidson Gifted Database at www.DavidsonGifted.org/DB is a gateway to resources for
and about gifted students.
See what's new!
The Twice-Exceptional Newsletter is "the only publication aimed squarely at the intersection of giftedness and learning challenges."
The current issue features articles ranging from "The Role of Parents in Helping Gifted Children with Learning Problems"
to "Reflections of a Teacher of 2e Students."
A Parent's Guide to Gifted Teens: Living with Intense and Creative Adolescents
is designed to help parents understand their gifted
adolescent's intensity and excitability, and provide tips for
nurturing self-discipline, being supportive without being
controlling, and for caring for yourself while guiding an
intense, creative teen.
Click here to read a review of this book.
Millennial Youth, is a media company that produces top-quality editorial
content created by youth for young and adult audiences.
Suggest a Resource
Suggest an Article
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In the News
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March 15, 2012 -
Education Week,
E-Schools Put Specific Measures for Success in Place
(Michelle R. Davis)
March 15, 2012 -
Babble,
When Too Many Extracurricular Activities Cause Anxiety in Kids
(Katherine Stone)
March 14, 2012 -
OCRegister,
Explore the magnet school option
(Carol Veravanich)
March 14, 2012 -
Huffington Post,
Geniuses Are Born, Not Made? Debate
(Staff)
March 7, 2012 -
Education Week Teacher,
Two Seconds
(Tamara Fisher)
March 6, 2012 -
Washington Post,
AP takes step toward International Baccalaureate-like credential
(Jay Mathews)
March 2, 2012 -
Huffington Post,
No Child Left Unmotivated
(Bryan Balin)
February 28, 2012 -
T.H.E. Journal,
Student entrants are sought for Google's Global Science Fair
(Staff)
February 23, 2012 -
SouthCoastToday.com,
Gifted children can be perfectionists
(Sylvia Rimm)
February 22, 2012 -
Education Week,
Don't Leave Gifted Students Behind
(Frances R. Spielhagen)
February 19, 2012 -
CBS News,
Mozart of Chess: Magnus Carlsen
(Staff)
February 14, 2012 -
Popular Science,
The Boy Who Played With Fusion
(Tom Clynes)
February 7, 2012 - USA Today,
Obama heralds (and nearly hires) student scientists
(Richard Wolf)
Discuss these stories and
more on the
Gifted Issues Discussion Forum.
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In the
Spotlight
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Athman Adiseshan A Davidson Young Scholar Making a Difference
There
is one project that stretched me incredibly in so many
dimensions:
Humanitarian effort, environmental research, persuasive technology,
political advocacy, technology design, public speaking,
leadership, social entrepreneurship, travel, science research,
video editing, social media marketing, meetings with amazing
social innovators and overcoming lots of obstacles.
This project has received international,
national and state level recognitions in service leadership
and science research.
I am the founder and leader of the nationwide service
project, Bags Gag (www.bagsgag.org).
My Davidson Young Scholars Ambassador project, Bags Gag, did
not quite go according to plan. Bags Gag has exceeded the
expectations of all involved, including mine.
Although Bags Gag owes its existence and success to numerous
friends, known and unknown, from all over the world, most of
the guidance and support came from my advisors, Mr. Erik
Schwinger, Ms. Shannon Harrison, and other Davidson
Institute for Talent Development staff members. At a
personal level, at times, it felt overwhelming to be trusted
so much by my advisors. I think this in turn only inspired
me to work even harder and not give up. In a project such as
Bags Gag (especially the beginning phases), the path is
laden with more thorns than petals. It sure helped to have
incredible support and encouragement from my
Davidson Young Scholars friends! Of course the real
gratification comes from the fact that Bags Gag is
contributing to make this world better for animals, humans
and the environment.
The mission of Bags Gag is to raise the awareness on the
harmful effects of plastic bags and to promote the use of
recyclable bags. Plastic bags gag the environment, animals
and humanity. Bags Gag has onsite, online, and legislative
campaigns. As part of the onsite campaign, I have made lots
of presentations in public areas to educate people about the
ill-effects of plastic bags and collect pledges to stop
using plastic bags. I have recruited and trained regional
youth leaders to promote the mission of Bags Gag in their
areas. After developing the website, I conducted research
with mentors at Stanford University and developed an
innovative paradigm to use online videos to persuade people
to stop using plastic bags. These videos were distributed
widely. Bags Gag has had direct impact in banning plastic
bags in several regions.
I am homeschooled, more so world schooled. I have enjoyed
ultimate freedom in learning, whether it is taking a
graduate level course or pursuing an internship or going out
of my way to listen to a talk from a leader. I thrive in the
learning and inspiration I draw from my most incredible
mentors in science research, leadership, music, technology
design and entrepreneurship. Yes, my mentors bring out the
best in me!
I am ecstatic that I have the freedom to seriously pursue so
many diverse fields: music composition and performance,
Shakespearean Theater, improv, creative problem solving, science research, speech-debate, website and animation design, service projects, travel, and hanging out with my friends and family. Schedule conflict is something I have learned to live with! I can’t imagine a future where I won’t dabble in so many fields. Yes, most likely I will get to create my own career!
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Closing Thought
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"The
Intel Science Talent Search celebrates the
accomplishments of our future top
researchers and innovators . . . Their dedication to science is inspiring, and the quality and depth of
their work bodes well for our nation's continued innovation and economic prosperity."
~ Elizabeth Marincola,
President, Society for Science & the Public
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