Gifted Students and the Literacy And Numeracy Review

Literacy and Numeracy Strategy For Learning and Life

The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020

The Department of Education and Skills launched this new initiative on Friday 8th July. As participants in the consultation process, our support group GAS, was invited to be present.

Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, introduced the strategy by explaining that literacy and numeracy skills are “crucial to a person’s ability to develop fully as an individual, to live a satisfying and rewarding life and to participate fully in our society. Ensuring that all young people acquire these skills is one of the greatest contributions that we can make to achieving social justice and equality in our country.” This strategy is the result of a period of consultation following information, both national and international, which indicates that many children in Ireland are not developing these skills to the best of their abilities.

Later, the Chief Inspector, Harold Hislop and Alan Wall, Director of the Department of Education and Skills went into some detail on the plan:

• Literacy includes the ability to use and understand spoken language, print, writing and digital media.
• Numeracy is the ability to use mathematics to solve problems and meet the demands of day-to-day living.
• Before we make judgements about how well students are achieving, we need a clear statement of the learning outcomes that we expect children and young people to achieve at each stage in the education system.
• The Government will clarify what they expect children to learn and develop at each stage of the education system and standardised tests will be introduced at the end of second, fourth and sixth class in primary school and at the end of second year at second level. This will enable schools and teachers to ensure that students achieve what is considered to be age appropriate for them at each stage.
• In implementing the strategy, the Department of Education and Skills will draw on specialist advice from from national and international experts on literacy, numeracy, assessment and school improvement and consult regularly with the education partners and relevant interests regarding the implementation and development of the strategy through meetings, conferences and other means.
• Pre-service and in-service teacher training will be improved to ensure that teachers understand how to interpret and use this data to plan the next steps in their teaching and their students’ learning. There will be emphasis on both assessment of learning and assessment for learning (AfL).
• There was much emphasis on improving pre-service teacher training and on continuing professional development (CPD) to ensure that all teachers remain up-to-date with the latest best practice in their field after qualification.
• Procedures between the various education providers should ensure that relevant information transfers at each juncture to facilitate continuity and progression for the child.
• Engagement with parents should be a core part of the literacy and numeracy plans of schools
• Children with special educational needs, including children who are exceptionally able, need to be supported in different ways. While children and young people who are exceptionally able may not experience difficulties in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, we need to adjust their educational experience to enable them to achieve their potential.
• Ensure that serving teachers and principals have access to continuing professional development courses and guidance on meeting the learning needs of students with special educational needs.
• Ensure that schools prioritise the tracking, assessment and analysis of the achievement of students with special educational needs as part of the school’s self-evaluation and improvement process.
• Parents will often be able to enrich teachers’ knowledge of their students’ progress through providing further information about the students’ learning at home.

We were delighted to see mention of “exceptionally able” students in the report and like to think that our participation may have had a role to play in this. However, our excitement was dimmed a little during Dr Hislop’s address for two reasons:

1. He did not refer to exceptionally able learners at any stage, but mentioned “high achievers” at least twice. Our concern here is that, for many reasons such as lack of stimulation/motivation or a learning difficulty, not all students with exceptional ability are high achievers. These terms are not interchangeable. The very students who may be in most need of support are the ones who have high ability but who are not achieving.

2. He described the plan to introduce standardised testing at various stages of a student’s school career and said that this will be done to ensure that students achieve a level of achievement deemed appropriate for their age and that they continue to achieve at this level throughout their school career. Once a student scores full marks, will the school then rest assured that all is well and they are doing very nicely, thank you? We feel that there is a very real risk that standardised testing may work to the disadvantage of gifted students unless it is recognised that for some children, this arbitrary ceiling is a barrier not a challenge.

So, we approached Dr Hislop to attempt to express these concerns. He was very anxious to assure us that by having these tests, teachers would be able to make sure that all students were achieving to an age-appropriate level and that they maintained this level of achievement as they progressed through school. Precisely our point, Dr Hislop! However, he was in a hurry to move on, so we were unable to attempt any further explanation.

We had better luck with Minister Quinn who was interested to know what organisation we were representing. One could say that he is a very experienced politician, but we got the distinct impression that he was genuinely listening and that he appreciated what we had to say. He explained that every child would carry a passport with them from primary level to secondary level. He felt that this would help to ensure that the depth of understanding of each child which is built up by a primary school teacher who has a child in their class all day, would not be lost in the transfer to second level where several different teachers see each student for only a few classes a week. This would appear to be a positive development.

We were encouraged to note how much emphasis was put on parent engagement in education. Yes, our right as the primary educators of our children has always been enshrined in the Irish Constitution, but we are often made to feel less than welcome in our children’s schools. It seems that the DES recognises that, in order to really improve children’s literacy and numeracy levels, parents will have to be actively involved.

So, the bottom line as we see it, is that we need to keep our eye on the ball here to ensure that the needs of gifted learners are indeed fully appreciated and addressed and that we avoid the pitfalls encountered in the USA when they introduced the No Child Left Behind Act which has come to be referred to in gifted education circles as the “No Child Gets Ahead Act”.

The full report can be read here.

Irish Talent Development Programmes

A recent online discussion caught my eye and got me thinking about the idea of “talent development” in Ireland. The discussion centred on the opinion of a teenage blogger that by participating in the CTYI summer programme in DCU many young people became arrogant about their intelligence. The post was roundly criticised by many former CTYI students who took issue with the blanket accusations therein. The young man in question had taken part in the three-week residential course last summer. The post touched on all sorts of gripes, from elitism, to labeling, to nature versus nurture to questioning the criteria for entry to the programme. It was quite a rant, designed for maximum impact! The responses from other teenagers who had gone to CTYI were predictably articulate, passionate and well written. Most of them conceded that there are some arrogant teens among the two hundred or so on each course, but rejected the assertion in the blogpost that all of them are arrogant about their intelligence or became so as a result of attending CTYI. But what really piqued my interest were the comments from some adults:

“These kids lack social skills”

“Their parents put them on a pedestal”

“Everyone is equally gifted in their own way” (italics mine)

“The idea of ‘needing’ to be surrounded by those who have similar academic qualities to yourself is ridiculous....it is simply intellectual snobbery, and the less of it there is the better.”

And this gem, which is no doubt familiar to many of us who work to dispel the myths surrounding giftedness;

“I suspect you’d do a lot more for the ‘gifted’ students by addressing their deficits rather than focusing on their already exceptional abilities.”

So, I thought I’d do a little research into other “talent development” programmes in Ireland and see what differences there were in their entry criteria. I wanted to open up some dialogue on the attitudes of adults, parents, teachers and students into their benefits. It was easy to find information on various national squads for sports, and for entry into music academies. It was difficult to find any opinion on whether these programmes are a negative for the participants however, so I had to dig a little deeper! I trawled various social media in Ireland for any trace of opinion either positive or negative on these specialist academies but found none. A very unscientific bit of research on Twitter is ongoing, results to follow!

Tennis Ireland has in its Criteria for Team and Representative Selection what they call the “future potential factor” in choosing their national squad for training at junior level. National squads under Swim Ireland must reach qualifying times in designated swim meets in order to qualify for inclusion in their elite training programme. In rugby, Ireland’s clubs and schools take on player development at younger ages, then the province academies take over when player potential has been established through participation at highest school levels. The Royal Irish Academy of Music hold auditions to determine potential in their admittance procedure, and all new entrants must pass an exam at the end of their first (probationary) year to retain their place.

I would imagine that all the children and young people who reach the standards required for these elite programmes are pretty talented and very committed. I am certain that we have in Ireland some very gifted young tennis players, swimmers and musicians. It is a tribute to those involved in these organisations that we can offer to our young citizens the specialised training that can support their talents and set them on the road to achievement. I also think that the parents of these gifted young people deserve huge praise for supporting them, driving them to training, matches, swim meets and concerts or buying them equipment, uniforms and instruments. I would be surprised if the parents would be regarded as pushy or delusional about their child’s talent. I think they would be quietly admired for their dedication! I doubt too many people would disagree with me and say that these programmes should not exist and we should caution against letting these children know how talented they are for fear of making them arrogant. I am pretty certain that not many would think that this kind of training is elitist and has no place in an egalitarian Ireland. I think most people, like myself would consider any government funds well spent in ensuring that these young people might one day represent Ireland proudly.

So, back to the Irish Centre for Talented Youth. This programme also requires people to qualify in order to take part, by sitting a test which measures their “future potential” much like Tennis Ireland, and by scoring above a certain point similar to Swim Ireland’s qualifying times. The teenagers whose intellectual ability qualifies them to take part in these programmes are no different than those whose musical or sporting ability allows them access to elite training in their field. So why does it seem to matter so much to some adults that CTYI exists and that the kids who attend are exceptionally bright? Why are they offended by the very idea of CTYI while accepting of other programmes offering elite training for sporting or musical talent? Our children are all different, they have all manner of talents which can be nurtured and developed with proper support. Some will reach the top of their talent pool, others will be content to achieve a more modest level, still others will not develop their talents because a support system was unavailable for them. Not all of the children who participate in these programmes will go on to win Olympic medals, Nobel prizes or join prestigious orchestras. Most of them won’t. But does that mean we shouldn’t even provide them the chance to see how far their ability takes them? Does it mean we should desist from trying to identify those who may have talent? Of course not, Ireland needs all kinds of talents to recover its strength, from modest to mind-blowing! If we can agree that tennis players, swimmers, rugby players, violinists, scientists and writers do not emerge fully formed from the womb, but rather with a potential which becomes apparent as physical maturity and opportunity arise, why can some not accept that all these various talents or gifts should be supported and encouraged whether they be physical, musical or academic?

Scroll back up the page to the quoted comments about CTYI and the kids who participate for a moment. Now reread them with our young high potential athletes and musicians in mind (you may have to replace a few words with ‘sporting’ or ‘musical’ but you get the idea). We shouldn’t allow our talented young violinists get together for orchestra training , that would be ‘musical snobbery’? We should identify our young swimmers weaknesses and get them out of the pool to improve them? They are so focused on their ‘ability’ and training at all hours of the day and night that they have social skills deficits which are far more important than their progress in tennis or flute? We should concentrate on making ‘well-rounded’ individuals instead of ‘one-dimensional’ achievers in tennis? I don’t know about you, but I think that sounds pretty ridiculous. How can young people be expected to reach the highest levels of ability without spending the time needed to develop the talent they have inside?

The original piece was just a teenage shot across the bow of a boat carrying some other teenagers. He went to CTYI, didn’t enjoy it for whatever reason and is doing something different this summer. Maybe he should have left it at that. The young people who go to CTYI in the summer should be able to do so without fear of misplaced criticism from the rest of us. The young people who spend their summers playing tennis tournaments aren’t generally pilloried for spending all that time getting better at their chosen activity. Let them all go enjoy their learning. Let them all act like teenagers. They will grow up as we all eventually do. And then there will still be pretty much the same percentage of arrogant ‘eejits’ as there always is, trust me!

All the same, I quite enjoyed the delicious irony of a teenage blogger basking in the glory of grown-up readers telling him he was absolutely spot on in accusing a bunch of other teenagers of being arrogant!

Irish Gifted Parenting Support

In the marathon that is the school year, Frazzled and I hit the infamous “wall” at about the Easter holiday mark. We limped to the finish line this week with the end of the state exams and congratulated ourselves at having arrived at this stage. Now that we no longer have school runs to do, lunches to make, gear to wash and homework to check we have found renewed energy and purpose at last!

As summer kicks off we are hoping that other parents of gifted teens and children in Ireland will consider getting together for support in their local areas and come up with some common strategies for helping their children thrive in our education system next year. We have a great group within GAS who share experiences, ideas and resources at meetings and get-togethers. Notwithstanding the vast information available on the internet about gifted issues, the value of meeting each other face-to-face is immeasurable. For many parents a support group is the first time they have been able to speak to others openly about the issues which face their gifted child. They may have read widely online or ordered armfuls of books about the subject. They may have studied giftedness from all angles, but meeting others gives them something that no amount of research and thought can...a voice.

This voice is not just theirs, it is that of their children and teens too. To give voice to these learners is essential, and parents doing this together can be a powerful thing indeed. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to our children’s education and the gifted population is as diverse as any other. However, there are common themes in the stories parents bring to support groups and it is these which when articulated together can make a cohesive voice. Support groups allow parents to share their experiences free from the judgement of family, friends or fellow parents. It allows them to blow off steam about school issues, raise concerns about underachievement or share a proud moment in their child’s life. It affords them opportunity to ask others how they might approach a situation, all in an accepting environment and usually with a good cup of coffee thrown in!

With our new Minister and our unfortunate new austerity, we are on the verge of some big changes in Ireland. The NCCA has already had a public consultation on a new Junior Cycle and has published a report on that stage of the process. They will present their final recommendations to the Minister shortly. (Our GAS group submission to the consultation process can be found here) He will not let it gather dust and will move quickly to put his own stamp on it. He has already indicated that changes to the Junior Cycle will be brought into effect for incoming First Year students in 2012. That’s next year! The Leaving Certificate review is not far behind. Our children use this system for entry to third level so it is vital that we are aware of changes on the way. The NCCA invites all interested parties to contribute to the process, that includes parents as well as teachers and educators.

And this is where support groups such as GAS can play a vital role. Together, parents of gifted learners can pinpoint ways that our children may be considered when policy is being examined. A network of support groups all coming to the process from a similar angle would help put the needs of gifted learners into the picture for our legislators and policy makers. Minister Quinn is going to bring about change. The Junior Certificate as is was introduced in 1992, the Leaving Certificate even longer ago. Can we afford to wait twenty years for another chance? If changes are to come don’t we want our children’s very different learning needs to be considered? I hope that despite the dark shadow of the IMF looming over us, enough parents will see the potential for positive change that will benefit our children and consider getting a local support group together to share, talk and even voice their ideas for the new Ireland that is surely ahead of us all. Think about it over the summer, get in touch with us and let’s see if we can gather momentum together as our children head back to class in September!

Back In Action

Dazzled & Frazzled Back In Action

Having a Junior Cert student each, we have been more frazzled than dazzled of late. In the home straight now, with only a couple of exams left, we are refocusing on the bigger picture again. As CTYI Session 1 kicked off today, we took the opportunity to reach parents as they converged on DCU from all around the country to drop of their excited teens. Colm, Catriona and the CTYI team were, as usual, very accommodating and encouraging.

As a result of National Gifted Awareness Day on 8th April, we already have people from sixteen counties who are interested in networking with other parents (see map below). With a bit of luck, we will gather enough new people today and at the start of Session 2 to facilitate the setting up of some new support groups over the coming months. We know that families are busy and out of their usual routines during the summer, but if they could register their interest, we could hit the ground running in September.

The very best of luck to all “CTYIzens”, new and returning. We’re sure you’ll have a ball!

View GT Network Ireland in a larger map

Unique Child Study

Researchers at Columbia University's Paul F. Lazarsfeld Center for the Social Sciences are studying how children who are unique in some way are identified and developed. They are currently collecting stories from parents with children who have been identified as gifted, children who have unique artistic, scientific, or physical abilities, children on the autism spectrum, and children who have been identified as having attention disorders. They have contacted us to invite our readers to consider participating in this study. Peter Bearman, the Director of the Centre and the Principal Investigator, writes:

"While all children are unique, the goal of our study is to identify how children with unique developmental abilities or trajectories develop over early childhood. Parents have different experiences and observations of their child's development and they have different personal resources with which they access services or programs. Parents also differ in the type and extent of their support networks and social relations. And finally, parents make different decisions when finding the right academic, extra-curricular, or other placements for their children. We would like to give parents the chance to tell their stories. Survey responses will help us understand the experiences of unique children as well as their development over time.


We are collecting stories of parents of unique children through an online, semi-structured survey: http://uniquechildstudy.org. You could help our research tremendously by encouraging parents to participate in our study." 


Before posting, I did the survey myself. It took approximately twenty minutes and was very straightforward. If you require any further information, you can contact the researchers at uniquechildstudy[at]columbia[dot]edu. They also have a Facebook page.

Taking Gifted Advocacy in Ireland to the Next Level

One week on from EU Talent Day and I am finally finding my feet again! Firstly, a big THANK YOU is due to everyone who supported Gifted Education Awareness Day and EU Talent Day. All the organisations who lent official support and helped to spread the word through their networks. An Post and Katie McMillan for the wonderful artwork. Dublin Zoo, the National Museum, the National Gallery who held events and helped to promote the day. The members of our GAS group who helped in so many ways behind the scenes. Deserving of particular thanks are Elaine Mackey for her enthusiasm, advice and expertise and Natalie Butler who succeeded in getting coverage in the National newspapers and who is responsible for the wonderful quote from our Minister for Education! And Hilary Jordan of www.cakesunlimited.ie for the delicious chocolate cake.

In the days leading up to 8th April, every single one of the 4100+ school Principals in Ireland received a poster for their staffroom and a leaflet prepared with the help of ICEPE, with information on gifted education. Based on the number of teachers who have signed up to TEACHIreland, the new professional association for Teachers of Exceptionally Able Children in Ireland, and the phonecalls/emails from people looking for more information, our goal of raising awareness was certainly achieved. This would not have been possible without the very generous sponsorship of  Brian Clavin and KPMG.

Frazzled and Peter "negotiate"!

On Saturday 9th April, we officially launched Gifted and Talented Network Ireland. We hope to see this develop into a  body which can bring people together to ensure that gifted advocacy in Ireland can be carried out in a co-ordinated, cohesive and effective fashion, whilst still allowing for individual groups. In fact, we would hope that it can be used as a means of supporting each other. The "rules of engagement" have yet to be finalised and our plan is to bring together representatives from interested parties in a few months time to agree on these .

It is our firm belief that the way forward is for a network of strong local support groups to develop. In this way, individuals on the ground can feel involved, valued and included so that, over time, new voices and new ideas can come forward. While a few high-profile advocates remain to the fore, there is a danger that other very capable people feel that they are not qualified or valuable, so they remain quiet. They may also be of the impression that the big noises have it all sewn up and under control! The story of our GAS group serves as a good illustration of what can happen when individuals come together with confidence and a can-do attitude. It began in 2009 when one individual realised that there was no support group in their area simply because no one had set one up. All that it took was one friend for moral support to get the ball rolling and from that has slowly developed GAS South Dublin/Wicklow.


View GT Network Ireland in a larger map
We plan to use the gtnetwork register to get local support groups up and running. As you can see from the map above, fifteen counties are represented already and we will be contacting the individuals concerned over the coming weeks. We are quite happy to travel to meet these people and get them started. 


In summary, the EU Talent Day initiative in Ireland was a great start and has opened doors. Now we need to keep the momentum going and we need more hands on deck. Just imagine the success we might see with our next venture if we have people all round the country working together! 

A final THANK YOU to Hungary for the concept of an EU Talent Day and to Eszter Kethelyi who helped to put together the Irish page on their website. The result of the initiative on a European scale is the Budapest Declaration on Talent Support which calls on all member states to ensure that talent is actively supported in their own country, and to hold an annual Talent Day each spring. It is hoped that an international talent support network will develop and: 
"The participants agree to invite stakeholders from every country of the European Union to convene annually to discuss the developments and current questions in talent support. Upon the invitation of the Government of Poland the next conference will take place in Warsaw in 2012."


For those of you who couldn't make it to the Zoo, here are a few photos. More to follow when we get permission to add people pics.

Time for Ireland to Celebrate

EU Talent Day is on Saturday 9th April

This has been declared by Hungary which currently holds the Presidency of the European Union, but it is up to each individual country to make its mark. Despite our small size, Ireland has a rich history of talent in many fields. We absolutely must take this opportunity to show ourselves and the world what we can do! If proof were needed, below is a small sample of what we have so far:

Literature: Johnathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Bram Stoker, WB Yeats, Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel, Emma Donoghue, Maeve Binchy, Claire Hennessy....and on and on we could go.

Music: Clannad, Enya, Van Morrison, Turlough O Carolan, Bernadette Greevy, Cora Venus Lunny, Sharon Shannon, Mary Black, Sinead O'Connor, U2, Phil Lynott, Rory Gallagher, Christy Moore, The Dubliners, Riverdance, John McCormack, Gerald Barry....

Art: Francis Bacon, Robert Ballagh, John Lavery, Graham Knuttel, Pauline Bewick, Poppy Melia, Eileen Gray...

Acting: Daniel Day Lewis, Richard Harris, Liam Neeson, Peter O'Toole, Cillian Murphy, Gabriel Byrne, Colm Meaney, Sinead Cusack, Colin Farrell, Pierce Brosnan, Brendan Gleeson, Brenda Fricker, Maureen O'Hara, Ivana Lynch....

Science and Maths: Robert Boyle, Francis Beaufort, George Boole, William Rowan Hamilton, Joycelyn Bell Burnell, Aoife McLysaght...

Sport: We have produced world class competitors in sports such as rugby, soccer, rowing, athletics, boxing, cycling, golf and now cricket. To name but a few: Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Graeme McDowell, Brian O'Driscoll, Keith Woods, Ronan O'Gara, Sonia O'Sullivan, Eamonn Coghlan, John Treacy, Ron Delany, Mary Peters, George Best, Roy  Keane, Katie Nolan, Barry McGuigan, Bernard Dunne,  Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche....

Leadership: Michael Collins, Daniel O'Connell, Eamon de Valera, John Hume, Fergus Finlay, John O'Shea, Adi Roche, Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese, Mairead Corrigan, Bob Geldof, Bono, Mary Davis, Debbie Deegan... John Kennedy had Irish genes, and apparently Barack O'Bama is also one of ours!

Whether it's in the water or in the genes, the Irish have something special. EU Talent Day is an opportunity for us all to forget for one day, about the dreadful mess we are now in and remember that we are a great people. Dispersed throughout the young people of Ireland right now are the next great people of talent. We must recognise that talent and make sure that they have every possible opportunity to fulfill their potential. The first step is to recognise, encourage and celebrate talent of every type and level. 

So, on Saturday 9th April 2011, we invite everyone, regardless of ability, to celebrate talent of all forms. This can be done by small groups of friends or families, by sports clubs, scout and guide troops, dance clubs, craft classes. It need not be an elaborate or special event. If you already have something planned for the day, do it in honour of EU Talent Day and let us know either via this blog or on our facebook wall so that we can add it to our list.

National Gifted Education Awareness Day

Below is our poster for EU Talent Day and National Gifted Education Awareness Day.


This initiative has the official support of the Department of Education and Skills. The Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, has declared his own personal recognition of Gifted and Talented students:


"I very much welcome the initiative to establish the first EU Talent Day on 9 April, together with the National Gifted Education Awareness Day in Ireland on 8 April. We must nurture and support talent and giftedness, if we are to meet the challenges which face today's society. This is a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate talent in many disciplines, and to promote an inclusive education system which meets all our students' needs."

Official support has been given by the national associations of both Primary and Post Primary school Principals (NAPD, IPPN), the largest secondary school teachers’ union (ASTI), and three national parents’ representative bodies (NPCpp, PACCS, FEDCBS). This is probably the first time that all these groups have come together in support of an event such as this.


Advocates for gifted children in Ireland now have an opportunity like never before. We must seize it with both hands and find a way to work together to rise to the challenge. To that end, everyone with an interest in this area is invited to attend a meeting at Dublin ZOO at 2pm on Saturday 9th April where there will be two important events:


1. The launch of TEACHIreland, an association for teachers of Exceptionally Able Children in Ireland. All teachers are invited to register their interest by signing the register on the TEACH Ireland site.


2. The launch of Gifted and Talented Network Ireland. This meeting will explore ideas as to how this network of diverse groups or organisations around the country with an interest in giftedness or gifted education might function. We really want to hear views and suggestions so we can put shape on the network. Don't feel you are ‘joining up’ to something. The main concept is the creation of a network of interested parties with a view to progressing gifted education in Ireland. Come along and find out more next Saturday at 2.00pm in Dublin Zoo. Please sign the register on the new site to let us know you are coming.

EU Talent Day is Gathering Steam

As we move towards EU Talent Day on 9th April and Ireland's first National Gifted Education Awareness Day on 8th April, things are looking good and it's time for a progress report.

We are in the process of finalising details of events which are being held for EU Talent Day on 9th April. This is not a centrally organised "event". It is day of  national awareness and celebration. If you would like to celebrate your talent in your area, go for it! It doesn't have to be big or elaborate. It can be celebrated by individuals, clubs, classes or organisations. Take a look at the list for ideas. We would  be delighted to include details of any events planned for the day. Particularly, we would like to see events outside the Dublin/Wicklow area!

National Gifted Education Awareness Day will be focused primarily on schools and will include the dissemination of a leaflet and poster to all schools in advance of 8th April. 

Having started out with the support  and encouragement of The Centre for Talented Youth in Ireland (CTYI) and The Institute for Child Education and Psychology (ICEPE), we now have an impressive list of official supporters:

• NAPD: The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals
• IPPN: The Irish Primary Principals Network
• NPCpp: The National Parents' Council Post-Primary
• PACCS: The Parents' Associations of Community and Comprehensive Schools
• FEDCBS: The Federation of Parents Councils Christian Brothers and other Catholic Secondary Schools 
• ASTI: The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland
• ISSU: The Irish Second Level Students Union
• ELSTA: English Language Support Teachers Association
• Scoilnet: Portal for Irish Education
• Wicklow School of Music and Drama
• FYI Dance Club
• Dara Black

It's wonderful to see parents, principals, teachers and students all come together and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support of this very worthwhile initiative. It is surely by working together that we will make progress toward a better future for all.

And thank you to Hungary for lighting the spark. Exciting times ahead!

Give Your Kids’ Imagination Wings

 Guest Post by Natalie Butler of GAS

Storybird, a free online collaborative storytelling service, is an ideal way for parents, children and teachers to celebrate both EU Talent Day and National Gifted Education Awareness Day.

It’s free, social, fun, safe, interactive and very easy to use. With Storybird, any child can be a published author. Here’s a quick tour explaining the basics.

It’s great for parents to play with at home with their kids, but it lends itself equally to use in schools, and has its own area for teachers, with three brief tutorials to add and manage students, classes and assignments. Storybird can be used to create individual or class/whole school projects and libraries.

And it suits all levels - kids who can’t yet read or write can dictate their stories through fellow students, parents and teachers.

Storybird has no chat function or personal profiles, and administrators moderate all public books and comments, so it’s secure.

Storybird can also help foster teacher-student relationships, and parent-teacher communication, which can only be a good thing!

Once signed up for an account, users create a storybird by selecting artwork from an enormous library, dragging and dropping it on to a page, and then writing their own words. You can search artwork by theme, or choose to work with a particular artist. Changing artwork, and editing words and pages, is simple.

Once finished, you have the option of sharing the finished product either privately or publicly online.

Making, sharing, reading and commenting on storybirds online is free. Stories can be viewed on your computer screen, emailed to family, friends or teachers, shared globally through a worldwide library, or printed (for a small fee). Users are encouraged to share their own stories, and to read and comment on other people’s storybirds.

It’s designed to be a collaborative tool to connect people and encourage them to take turns to create stories together, but each child can work independently if preferred. Co-authors can be sitting right beside each other, or at opposite ends of the globe. And there’s no age limit to participation (here’s one I co-wrote with my 7-year-old daughter).

You can purchase PDF downloads of your books the moment they're published. They cost US$1.99 and can be printed at home, displayed on devices like the iPad, and used to create an offline back-up/archive of your stories.

The Storybird team tell me: “We hope to release ‘personal uploads’ later this year. We're currently working on our voice prototype. By late summer we'll have the feature in open beta.” So pretty soon kids will be able to use their own illustrations and narrate their own storybirds!

Future plans include an iPad app, a bigger class/school footprint, a shop featuring handpicked stories and art, and more artists.

As the Storybird website says: ‘Our goal is to be an advocate for the imagination.’