November 2008

In this issue:

• From the President’s Desk
• New SIG Commuter Option
• Bryn Mawr Student Speaks about Program
• Saturday Program at Fairfield University
• Puzzle Corner
• National Society for the Gifted & Talented
• Competitions for Academically Talented and Gifted Students
• Upcoming Conferences & Events
• Spread the News
• SIG Quick Links

A letter from Barbara Swicord, President of SIG:

Last month we included a survey in our newsletter because we wanted to know what topics we could help our readers learn more about. Many thanks to those of you who responded! We will add a focus each month on one of the items that received a high response. The two most popular items were out-of-school enrichment programs and competitions for gifted students. Clearly there is a great interest in keeping our highly capable youth involved and engaged beyond the traditional school day hours. As SIG offers programs that provide such enrichment, we are happy to know that others agree that the need continues to exist. This month’s newsletter’s special topic is on the competitions available in and out of school for students who want to engage in competitive activities.

The next most popular items on the survey were the social and emotional needs of gifted students, followed by identification and in-school programming options. There was also some interest in curriculum differentiation, technology/online learning, program evaluation, and perfectionism. Underachievement, also a popular topic, was covered in our October newsletter, so I would refer those interested in underachievement to review last month’s issue, which included a free electronic booklet on the topic.

Thanks again to all who responded to our survey. Please feel free to continue to contact us and let us know how we can support gifted youth by helping to provide information you need.

Barbara Swicord
President, Summer Institute for the Gifted

Good news for families who live within driving distance of certain SIG Residential campuses: SIG is introducing a commuter student option for Summer 2009!

The following SIG campuses will accept a limited number of commuter students in 2009:

• UCLA
• UC Berkeley
• University of Texas at Austin
• Emory University
• Bryn Mawr College

Students living near these campuses can take advantage of the academic and social advantages of a SIG program while living at home.

For more information about the commuter option, including daily schedule and fees, visit www.giftedstudy.com/commuter.asp.

We always enjoy hearing about SIG from those who know it best—the students! This speech was written by Jonathan Silverstone at the end of the 2008 Bryn Mawr session. Enjoy!

Summer Institute for the Gifted. SIG. This name is quite deceiving. Not only has this program proven to be a haven for the academically talented and driven children of America (and actually the world), the friends and connections we have made here are part of what we have enjoyed and what has nurtured us for the past three weeks. The milieu of academia and camaraderie dually made up the best summer experiences I, and undoubtedly most of the kids sitting here, can remember.

This is my second summer attending SIG. One of my closest friends and I decided to come here last year after hearing good things about it. I was still generally unsure about the classes in the program as well as my being socially accepted, considering I was coming from an extremely small middle school as a relatively introverted youth when it came to meeting new people. Immediately everyone here was immersed into a camp that challenged and improved us greatly academically, both this year and last. I considered two classes this year to be the pinnacle of my SIG learning experience. Globalization has made me reconsider the political beliefs, mostly dealing with foreign policy, which I originally thought were rigidly immovable. Philosophy truly made me feel comfortable conversing about and musing upon the oldest academic subjects and dilemmas in all of history.

Socially, SIG has been the best and worst thing for many of us. Now let me explain why I say this. The best part of SIG is that we have made friends with whom we will never stop communicating. The people here are all smart – I guess I should use the word gifted – kids who have many traits, interests, and talents in common. We have experienced an environment of passion for learning that exists outside of the classroom. I still remember two people sitting at night at the snack bar area, arguing about capital punishment when it was supposed to be a time solely for socialization. The fact that we have made friends from other states and even other nations is simply remarkable, and a great asset to this camp.

I mentioned that the social facet of SIG is also the worst. The reason I say this is because I know I will never see many of my new friends ever again, or at least for a long time, as they live in various parts of America and the world. This is what makes SIG such a special and unique place. We are all brought together from near and far to share in this experience.

So as we conclude the SIG session at Bryn Mawr College in 2008, I thank the deans, instructors, housemasters, RAs, and counselors on behalf of all of us for a great summer. SIG 2008 has been amazing. Thank you.

Last month we introduced a day program beginning in January 2009 at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. The program will run from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. from January 24 to March 7 (excluding February 14th), with March 14 reserved as a snow date. Created especially for gifted students in grades 1-6, the Saturday Program offers the chance to explore such problems as drought, erosion, archaeology, excavation, microbiology, and immunology.

If you live in the area, join students of similar interests and abilities for our problem-based learning units and become a part of our vibrant learning community.

For complete program details, contact us at our toll free number: (866) 303-4744, or visit www.giftedstudy.com/saturday_fairfield.asp to download the brochure.

November Puzzle

Choose the correct letter from each clue in the rhyme below, and then read the letters in order. They’ll spell out the answer to the riddle.

My first is in star and also seven.
My second in nine and also eleven.
My third in apple and also in play.
My fourth in kind and also think.
My last in blue but not in pink.
My whole can bite and also strike –
A creature many folks don’t like.

(Source: MENSA)

Submit your answer online at http://www.giftedstudy.com/newsletter/puzzlecorner.asp. The first student who submits the correct answer will receive a SIG T-shirt (limited sizes available), as well as recognition in the next issue of The Gifted Student!

Last Month’s Puzzle

Q: The names of three vegetables are interlettered below. Can you find them? (The letters are in consecutive order.)
A B Z S R U P O C A C C R C H A O I G L N U I I S

A: Asparagus, broccoli, and zucchini

Congratulations to Cara from Manahawkin, NJ, for being the first to respond with the correct answer to last month’s puzzle!

The goal of the National Society for the Gifted and Talented (NSGT) is to identify, honor, encourage, and support gifted students in grades K-12 who test at the 95th percentile or above in at least one of the major content areas or ability sections of a nationally-normed standardized achievement or intelligence test. All SIG participants qualify for membership in NSGT and receive a discount off the membership fee. A one-year membership includes the following benefits:

• Certificate of recognition as being one of the most highly able students in the country.
• Access to an educational planning portal equipped with free practice tests, financial advice, and information on college admissions.
• Two-week free trial of the Renzulli Learning System filled with enrichment opportunities tailored to each student’s learning style. Thanks to NSGT Board Member Joe Renzulli and to Sally Reis and their colleagues, who developed this resource.
• Opportunity to network with area parents.
• Scholarship application information.
• Tools to connect with recognized providers of programs for gifted and talented students, including college and universities.

To learn more about NSGT or to request a brochure, contact Membership Director Emilia Musella at (800) 572-6748 or by e-mail at emusella@nsgt.org. Visit the website at www.nsgt.org.

In response to requests for more information about competitions, this article samples some of the more popular programs and begins with a comment from Barbara Swicord, President of SIG.

BS: When I taught gifted and talented students or supervised gifted and talented programs in schools, we frequently used competitions to supplement the content of our programs. There are pluses and minuses to incorporating competitions. I found that it was important to keep in mind that competitions should not be the basis of a gifted program and should be optional for students who are not interested in competing. I also think it is important that parents and teachers allow students to compete on their own and not compete for them! I found that students worked much harder and produced much more professional and higher quality work when there was competition involved than when there was not. These competitions were also avenues that allowed students to shine in ways that might not be available in traditional school activities and to discover new talents and interests. Other beneficial results can include facing challenge early, learning to accept defeat at a young age so that it is easier to do at older age, and taking managed risks, where making mistakes can be great learning experiences, without fear of failure. My favorite competitions were always Future Problem Solving and Community Problem Solving, but try out several from the sampling below and see which ones work the best for you. Just remember to remind students that competitions are for developing their skills and talents and that it is fun to learn and do new things, but that competing shouldn’t be taken overly seriously.

The following is a sampling from the variety of extracurricular competitions available.

Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI)
www.fpspi.org/
Under the guidance of a teacher/coach, teams of four students in grades 4-12 use the FPSP six-step model to explore challenges and propose action plans to complex societal problems, such as fads, financial security, amateur sports, the Internet, and genetic engineering. There are also individual competitions and a community problem solving competition where teams focus on more real and local problems.

National Engineers’ Week Future City Competition
www.futurecity.org/
Future City is a national competition developed for seventh and eighth grade students to help them discover and foster interests in math, science, and engineering. Mentored by an engineer and a teacher, teams of three design a city of the future using the SimCity software and construct a creative 3-D representation of their city (using recycled materials is encouraged). Teams are evaluated on their computer-designed city and scale model, an essay, an abstract, and a presentation.

FIRST Robotics
www.usfirst.org/
The Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (US FIRST) organizes several first programs for students ages 6 to 18, as well as educators. For high school students, the Robotics Competition and Tech Challenge teams construct robots that will compete in a game designed for the particular year’s challenge. The FIRST Lego League (ages 9-14, or 16 outside of the U.S. and Canada) challenges teams to design an autonomous robot to solve a real-world issue. Teams in the Junior Lego League research the real-world issue presented in the challenge and work toward building a model with Lego bricks and moving parts.

School Scrabble
http://school.scrabble-assoc.com/
The National Scrabble Association hosts the National School Scrabble Championship (NSSC) held annually for the top performing teams from each state. Throughout the year, School Scrabble Clubs compete in local tournaments and, depending on their ranking, may have the opportunity to compete nationally.

Odyssey of the Mind
www.odysseyofthemind.com/
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

Destination ImagiNation
www.idodi.org/
Destination ImagiNation (DI) offers participants, from kindergardeners to college students, a real-world experience in creativity, teamwork, and problem solving.

National History Day
www.nationalhistoryday.org/
National History Day's core program is a national contest for students in grades 6-12. The students conduct extensive research related to an annual theme and present their findings in one of four categories: exhibits, documentaries, performances, or papers. Students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills while creating their entries. Students can choose to participate in the contest individually, or as part of a group of up to five students. Public, private, and home school students are welcome to participate. The competition starts at a local or district level and progresses to state and national competitions. At the national contest participants have the opportunity to win national awards of up to $5,000 and university scholarships.

Team America Rocketry Challenge
www.rocketcontest.org/
In this competition sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR), the challenge is to design, build, and fly a one-stage model rocket that reaches an altitude of 750 feet, stays aloft for 45 seconds, and returns 1 raw egg unbroken.

A more extensive list of contests and related resources can be found at www.hoagiesgifted.org/contests.htm

Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT)
Conference: Awakening the Gifts Within
November 12-14
Dallas, TX
www.txgifted.org

Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22
“Challenging the Gifted” One-Day Regional Conference for Educators
November 20
Doylestown, PA
www3.bucksiu.org/

Individual Differences in Learning Association, Inc.
What Works and Why: Unmasking student strengths through innovative learning experiences
November 20 – 21
Clarksville, MD
www.gifteddifferentlearners.org/

MIT Educational Studies Program
Splash! 2008
Seminars and workshops for high school and middle school students
November 22 - 23
Cambridge, MA
http://esp.mit.edu/learn/Splash/index.html

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Other AIFS Programs:

The Summer Institute for the Gifted is a unique and prestigious three-week residential or day, co-educational, summer program for academically talented students in grades kindergarten through eleven. SIG is a program of the American Institute For Foreign Study. AIFS offers premier college and high school study abroad programs, Au Pair in America childcare, as well foreign work programs. Visit us at http://www.aifs.com.

High school students from many countries study in the U.S. with Academic Year in America. Our College Division organizes study abroad for U.S. students at 18 campuses abroad including Richmond, the American International University in London. The Au Pair in America program enables American families to host international young people, who assist with childcare and share their culture. Study/travel programs for high school students are offered through the Summer Advantage program. Camp America and Resort America bring young international visitors to the U.S. to serve as camp counselors and support staff during the summer.