SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2005
Inside out: Understanding the social and emotional
needs of gifted children
Intricate thought processes and
complex emotions are held in delicate balance in the gifted individual.
Idealism, self-doubt, perceptiveness, excruciating sensitivity, moral
imperatives, desperate needs for understanding, acceptance, love—all impinge
simultaneously.
Gifted children develop more asynchronously than others, and
often feel unable to relate to age-mates. When they are forced into a mold that
doesn’t fit, they begin to experience their differences as deficits.
All who
interact with them must understand their characteristics and overexcitabilities.
Then they can learn to appreciate themselves and develop their own unique paths.
We will explore the emotional needs
and social realities of gifted children and discuss ways to nurture their full
development.
For lecture notes, see
here.
The special needs of
exceptionally gifted children
There are
different levels of developmental advancement, just as there are different
levels of developmental delay. Mildly, moderately, severely and profoundly
delayed children require different types of interventions; so do moderately,
highly, exceptionally and profoundly gifted children.
Highly
gifted children can be at risk, even if identified as gifted within the school
and given 'standard' gifted enrichment and extension work.
The number
of exceptionally gifted in the population is much larger than anyone imagines;
low ceilings on tests prevent their detection. Personality and learning
characteristics will be discussed, along with strategies for identification,
program development and instruction.
For lecture notes, see
here.
THURSDAY 24th NOVEMBER 2005
The Two-Edged Sword of Compensation: How the gifted cope
with special needs
At
least
one-sixth of the gifted population are 'twice exceptional' - they suffer from
hidden learning disabilities (special needs).
Gifted children mask unusual weaknesses by using their
extraordinary abstract reasoning abilities to compensate. But compensation is a
two-edged sword: It helps an individual to adapt, but it also prevents accurate
diagnosis and recognition of disabilities by oneself and others. While
strengths can be counted on consistently, compensation requires extra energy and
tends to be unstable. Fatigue, illness, poor diet and stress all rob the person
of sufficient energy to be able to compensate.
In this
session, effective strategies will be shared for finding and serving gifted
children with learning disabilities. Early identification and intervention, as
well as assistive technology, are keys to success for twice exceptional
children.
For lecture notes, see
here.
Upside
- Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner
Most
people think in words; however, one-third of the student body thinks in images,
and this percentage is growing.
School was designed for auditory-sequential,
left-hemispheric students who process in words. High achievers are advanced in
reading, writing, spelling, calculation and memorization, and perform well under
timed conditions.
Visual-spatial learners are gifted in right-hemispheric
abilities, such as imagination, visualization, intuitive knowledge,
multi-dimensional perception, science and technology, holistic thinking,
creativity, artistic expression (music, dance, art, drama), and emotional
responsiveness.
These gifts are vital to employment in the 21st
century and need to be nurtured!
We will
explore specific strategies for identifying and
teaching visual-spatial learners in this seminar.
For lecture
notes, see here.
SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2005
A PROGRAM OF WORKSHOPS FOR THE CHILDREN OF ATTENDEES WAS ALSO
OFFERED.
"SIR ISAAC NEWTON" by David Hall
David Hall, who
trained as a science teacher, has been entertaining and educating audiences
nationwide as a flamboyant Sir Isaac Newton since 1996. "Sir Isaac Newton
explodes into the room and an hour later has told you of his life and
achievements as well as demonstrated (frequently using members of the audience
as volunteers) many of his ground breaking theories and discoveries - with many
a squirmingly corny joke along the way.."
"Sir
Isaac Newton" has been performed to universal acclaim in schools and colleges
throughout the country, secondary, primary and special, as well as for the
British Association for the Advancement of Science and other venues.
Comments include:
"Meet Sir Isaac
Newton is a fast moving, often hilarious, yet hugely informative one-man-show
conceived, written and directed by
Johnny Ball, (“Think of a Number” etc.) and
performed by the actor and former science teacher David Hall (English
Shakespeare Co, the BBC's Big Toe Radio Show, Blue/Orange in London's West End
and the Young Vic Theatre in London)."
"LANDSCAPES" by Pippa
Langford
Pippa Langford has worked in farming and
environmental protection, teaching at an agricultural college, working on behalf
of environmental groups to lobby Parliament, and is currently working at the
Countryside Agency to promote sustainable land management.
The workshop will look at a variety of
landscapes and consider our responses to different landscapes, both real and as
represented in a number of well-known paintings.
Pippa will then lead a discussion on the
human impact on the English landscape, with particular reference to farming and
climate change. She will discuss action that is currently being taken to protect
our countryside, what needs to be done in the future, and some success stories
showing that progress can be made.
BUCKYBALLS, by Dr Jonathan Hare
Dr Jonathan Hare is best known to the
public for his work on the OU/BBC TV series
Rough Science, but has also set up
and directs the
Creative Science
Centre at the University of Sussex.
He will give a Buckyball Workshop, which
deals with the discovery, structure and properties of C60, Buckminsterfullerene
(1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry). C60 is the head of a family of amazing new
carbon structures - the Fullerenes. Jonathan Hare was part of the pioneering
team that developed ways of making the Fullerenes. A personal account of the
developments of the story will be given as well as the latest fascinating
research. The W/S includes constructing (and keeping) a molecular model of
Buckminsterfullerene.
