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.’

Get On Board the Talent Train

Hungarian Presidency of the EU declares Saturday 9th April 2011  EU Talent day.

Historically, Ireland has punched well above its weight in terms of talent in so many areas: literature, poetry, drama, music, sport, science. In these difficult times, this is a great opportunity for us to to remind ourselves of the immense talent our young people possess and of the importance of nurturing these talents.

Together with Peter Lydon, we invite everyone to celebrate Irish talent on April 9th. What can you do to mark this occasion? It doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair. Here are some suggestions:

●        Get your family or friends together to play music or read

●        Visit a gallery or museum

●        Go to a play

●        Hold an event for your club or organisation

●        Organise an activity for your school or class

●        Hold a quiz or treasure hunt

A number of national institutions are contributing by organising events for Talent Day and we will post details on our dedicated page as details are finalised. Over time a full list of events will appear on our websites  and on the EU Talent Day website. You might like to participate in one of these.

To compliment Talent Day, we have organised Ireland's first Gifted Education Awareness Day on Friday 8th April. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of the specific needs of Exceptionally Able children in the classroom. There's a myth that exceptionally able children will perform well in school irrespective of teacher intervention. The result of this is that academic talent often goes unrecognised and undeveloped. International studies have shown that developing teaching methods to take account of children with exceptional ability raises whole school performance.

If you would like any further information or would like your event to be included in our list, please contact us at frazzledanddazzled@gmail.com. Alternatively,  post on the facebook page:

Our 2011 Election Promise for Gifted Advocacy

Although minds have been concentrated nationally on renegotiation of the IMF/EU bailout, job creation and our failed health service, we have recently seen some more success in raising awareness of the educational needs of Exceptionally Able learners. Yes, we know it's a side-issue in terms of the big picture of Ireland's current woes, but we and other advocates throughout Ireland have been working hard to reach those who will be part of our new government. We have been in touch with the political parties to raise awareness of the needs of gifted students over the last few months.

Education policy will be under scrutiny in the next government, from the dual perspectives of resources and of standards. The PISA results are a national concern and have been mentioned by most of the political parties in the run-up to polling day. With literacy and numeracy issues on the agenda, as well as overhaul of the Junior Certificate and parts of the Leaving Certificate, we are well placed to make our voices heard on behalf of highly able students. This is a crucial crossroads for Ireland, in many different ways. The importance of education cannot be understated, and among the nation's children exists a group who have been at the margins of education provision for many years. Our highly able students, contrary to the beliefs of many parents, educators and policy makers, will not achieve academic success on their own. They need the support of teachers and parents to find and reach their true potential. This need not use valuable monetary resources, but it does need training and planning by those who educate these learners.

We were pleased to see that Fine Gael's manifesto addresses the issue of gifted learners and that in government they intend to examine the supports in place for this group of students. It is to be hoped that they will take the views of parents, advocates and those who have expertise in teaching gifted learners on board as policy is re-examined. We will be pleased to be part of the consultation process on this issue alongside our colleagues as we endeavour to work together to move gifted awareness forward.

We have at last a chance to speak on behalf of highly able children. We need to do so cohesively, cooperatively and with due recognition of each other's work over many years of advocacy. Some have been working behind the scenes for years, others are newly arrived, some have teaching expertise, others are experienced in twice-exceptional matters, but all are valuable. Ireland is too small a country to have advocates not working together. So let us too make an election promise, let us all pledge to keep the focus on our common goal; raising awareness of highly able learners within the Irish education system.

Gifted Children Recognised!

For years, the government has ignored what can only be described as the ‘plight’ of Exceptionally Able children in Irish classrooms. The NCCA did its bit by producing the Draft Guidelines. However, there was never a wholesale attempt to develop those aspects of teacher training and practice across the school sector that would see Exceptionally Able children recognised as deserving of specific intervention on, at least, some level.

In January as part of our campaign to raise awareness of the needs of Exceptionally Able children we decided to write to various political parties. We had some contacts with Fine Gael and Labour. We wrote expressing simply ‘what’ gifted children were, that they often go unrecognised in Irish schools and that whole school performance could be improved if such needs were addressed in teacher practice.

We are very pleased that Fine Gael has now included Gifted students in their manifesto. Under the section appropriated titled ‘Quality and Standards’, the Fine Gael Manifesto states:-

“Gifted Students: We will examine the supports in place for gifted students and create improved links with third level institutions on a regional basis, to provide gifted students with access to new programmes or educational resources.”

This is the first time that a political party in Ireland has recognised the needs of gifted students and made specific provision for them. We are extremely pleased with this success. We look forward to working with a new government to move the issues of gifted children out of the dark corner in which they have too long sat into the brand new light of day.

An Post, Katie and the stamp.

While searching for ideas for a "logo" for the National Gifted Education Day/Talent Day on 8th/9th April, we came across a stamp from 2006 which just seemed perfect for the job. It's pretty, has happy children, the Irish and the European flags and for added perfection, it was the winning entry in a children’s art competition. So, we contacted An Post to ask permission to use it. A few days later, I found myself speaking to Anna McHugh, their Head of Corporate Communications. In a world where we often come to expect little, I was bowled over by her enthusiasm and the trouble she had taken to help us out.

Firstly, we would need permission from the child who painted the picture. That was Katie McMillan who was then 12 years old and in 6^th class at Mater Dei Primary School, Basin Lane in Dublin. Anna had contacted the school where they remembered Katie well. In fact, proudly on display, they have a picture of Katie receiving her prize for the drawing back in 2006. Someone there knew her mother and progress was being made in tracking her down.

Meanwhile, the actual artwork was elsewhere, at the printers. Now, printing stamps is a specialized business and An Post generally uses one particular company. In this instance, for some reason, they had used a printer in the UK. Nevertheless, Anna had found out who and where they were, had made contact and the artwork had been located. All that was necessary was Katie’s permission…

We are now highly chuffed to say Katie has been in contact and is delighted that her picture is being revived and used in this way. Now in 5^th year at Loreto College, Crumlin, she still loves art and hopes to study at the National College of Art and Design when she leaves school.

We would like to thank Anna McHugh of An Post for going out of her way to bring this together for us and to thank Katie McMillan for being so generous with her fabulous artwork. We wish her the very best for her future as a talented artist.

What a perfect ending to the story…or start to our celebration of talent!

What Exceptionally Able Kids Say About Schools

Last night at #gtie, we discussed what exceptionally able students say about school. It might have been yet another session of adults discussing what they think kids want and how they think they feel. However, thanks to two very intelligent and articulate teenagers, we had the privilege of hearing what they really do think. They made some very worthwhile and constructive comments and the discussion would not have been the same without them. 

• We're not learning what we think we should be. I think the focus should be on the future not on what has already been done...We're shown what has already been proven without being shown how it can applied to the real world and our futures.
• I think in an attempt to standardise everything we've limited what people are allowed to do. Going against what education should be? 
• Take two or so subjects for LC, real in-depth work, understanding and learning of what fascinates you, my idea of school.
• The Extended Essay is the sort of thing that really appeals to me, imagine having that as part of exam in each subject!
• DCG (Design Communications Graphics) is great for LC! 40% is an independently researched and designed project, makes it one of my favourite subjects!

So, more independent, project based learning with more depth rather than breadth would be a good start. Less of the rote learning and more room for discussion and debate. Turns out we weren't far wrong in what we thought, but it was great to hear it from the horse's mouth and to be able to tease it out with them. 

I really enjoyed this particular chat because I felt that we had all the necessary stakeholders present for a proper discussion. If we are to bring about change for gifted learners, we need to include them in the process. It is they, afterall, who will have to live with the changes. As we clearly saw last night, these young people know what they want, are well able to speak for themselves and deserve a great deal of respect. I hope they too enjoyed the chat and that they will come back to contribute again. Nia and Gavin made me proud to be Irish and all the more determined to advocate on behalf of our thousands of  gifted students.

To read the full transcript, click here and scroll to 9pm for the start.

For our international friends, below is a glossary and description of the Irish Education system!!

National Gifted Education Awareness/EU Talent Day Ireland

Hungary has for many years had a national day of talent to mark Béla Bartók's birthday on 25th March. This year, with talent support as the central theme of their presidency of the EU, they have invited the rest of Europe to join them on Saturday 9th April to mark EU Talent Day. Together with Peter Lydon, we see this as an opportunity both to raise awareness of the needs of gifted and talented children and to give them an opportunity to celebrate their exceptional ability. To this end we have planned Ireland’s first National Gifted Education Awareness Day to run complementary to the first EU Talent Day.

National Gifted Education Awareness Day 

Friday 8th April

The goal of this event is to promote awareness among teachers of the special needs of Exceptionally Able and Twice Exceptional (2e) children in classrooms across Ireland and to recognise those schools that have already developed policies to help meet the special educational needs of gifted children.

EU Talent Day Ireland

Saturday 9th April

On this day, we would like to encourage individuals, groups and organisations to organise events to celebrate talent of all descriptions. This may be something as simple and informal as parents meeting for coffee whilst their kids are at CTYI classes. We are working on a few ideas of our own, but here are some great but simple ideas which you could use to contribute to the day:-

a treasure hunt
an art and craft event

a concert

a dance-off

a poetry reading

a book club meeting

a sports event

a museum tour

a visit to an art gallery

a trip to the ‘Dead Zoo’

A trip to a real Zoo!

A picnic.

...anything goes...be creative! Organise your event for gifted children then tell your community….go to our facebook page and post your idea to inspire others.

We would love to see all gifted advocates in Ireland come together to make this occasion a springboard for taking gifted education and awareness to a new level. Please feel free to post any ideas, comments or events on the facebook wall. The Facebook page and the Talent Day are yours to share.

Many thanks must go to CTYI and ICEPE for their encouragement and support in this venture.

Teachers are Frazzled too!

Our education system is a complete mess for so very many reasons. I would imagine, from a teacher's point of view, it must be difficult at times to keep morale up. It is easy for parents to criticise, but we have no idea what it is like to face a room of thirty kids of hugely varying abilities and be under pressure to get them all safely through the state exams. Add a sprinkling of learning difficulties of all descriptions - maybe not even diagnosed - and dwindling back-up from the resource department. In secondary school at least, toss in the hormones and behaviours of adolescence and you have a potent mixture!

When it comes to special needs, how much training do teachers get before they are thrown in to sink or swim in the "inclusive" classroom? For giftedness at least, I think the answer is “none”. Rather than think the worst of them, we need to try and empathise and support teachers. As advocates for gifted children, our job is to help teachers to help this group. A very good first step which would be of benefit to us all, would be for some of the basics of giftedness to be covered in all pre-service teacher training. If we didn’t have gifted children ourselves, would we have a clue of how it might present or how to deal with it? Most of us, even with our knowledge and experience, struggle with the task ourselves at times. I believe that most teachers, if they understood what giftedness really means rather than the usual myths, would be open to working with parents.

Let’s face it, one facet of giftedness is intensity. So, at the very least, I think they should be warned that the parents of gifted students may well be very INTENSE, but they are not to be feared! They are usually just very EAGER to help, but maybe aren’t sure how. As in so many aspects of parent-school interaction, understanding, respect and openness is required on both sides. For our part, parents must remember that we don’t really know how schools operate on a day-to-day basis and what may seem obvious and reasonable to us, may in fact be  well nigh impossible to do.

Teachers, please don’t feel threatened by us. We know that our kids can be difficult to provide for in our current system. We know that you are largely unsupported in this regard. Parenting a gifted child is not easy either. Sending our children to school can be both frightening and frustrating for us and sometimes that emotion may spill into our behaviour when we interact with you. You have no idea how wonderful it feels when a teacher is receptive and supportive. Speaking from personal experience, when my own child was struggling in early secondary school, finding just one teacher who “got it” transformed the lives, not only of that child, but of the whole family. Instead of being a nervous wreck sending him to school each morning, I felt secure in the knowledge that he had someone to turn to if things began to overwhelm him. In the end, she didn’t need to do much at all. It was just knowing that she was there and that she understood that made the difference to us all. We all have teachers from our dim and distant pasts who we remember with affection and this one will certainly be one of those.

It is by talking to each other, sharing ideas and experiences, that parents and teachers of gifted children can make a difference. 

Gifted Learners and Lev Vygotsky's ZPD

Lev Vygotsky was a pioneering Russian psychologist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries whose interest in the fields of developmental psychology, education and culture led to his being known as “the father of cultural-historical psychology”. A prolific author who researched relationships between thought, language, speech and play, Vygotsky studied the development of cognitive skills in children and developed a concept known as the “zone of proximal development” (ZPD). He described it as “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” .

Arguing against the use of tests to examine a child’s progress, Vygotsky said that what should be measured is a child’s ability to problem-solve independently, rather than with assistance. Real learning takes place in the ZPD, according to Vygotsky and the later psychologists who developed his idea further. This ZPD is the area of growth which is just beyond the current ability of the learner but not so far as to be impossible or demoralising. If the level is set so low that the child has already mastered the task, or so high that the student cannot achieve it without considerable assistance, effective learning will not take place. The ZPD is the zone where the student, aided by a teacher or expert, can stretch to the point just beyond their current capabilities. This is where learning is internalised and previous skills can be built upon, according to Vygotsky.

Later psychologists and educationalists elaborated on Vygotsky’s idea of the ZPD by introducing the concept of scaffolding. Scaffolding is the provision of sufficient support to learners that they are able to reach their ZPD. The support offered is only enough to allow the student to build on prior knowledge and skills and is gradually reduced and removed as the learner enters his or her ZPD. Examples of instructional scaffolding are resource materials, visual aids, templates, guidelines and verbal or written demonstration.

The concepts of ZPD and instructional scaffolding are now applied wider than Vygotsky’s original context of problem-solving to a range of educational domains such as reading, reciprocal teaching and problem-based learning. Many researchers now believe that young children learn their native language while in their zone of proximal development, with scaffolding provided by their parents as the child’s skills develop.

The ZPD has particular resonance for highly able learners. In many classrooms the material regularly presented to them would be within their current ability level and therefore would not bring them into their zone of promixal development. All students need to be required to work in their ZPD on a regular basis, including gifted learners. Where most students experience this level of challenge daily, highly able children for whom the regular curriculum holds less challenge may not. In order to internalize the learning process, to experience the stretching of their capability beyond what is easily achievable we must find a way to ensure that gifted pupils enter their ZPD. Effective differentiation can go some way to this goal.

In a paper entitled “Different Differentiation” Paul and Sharon Ginnis outline eight different strategies which teachers can use to ensure that every pupil works in their ZPD. They recommend setting the parameters by planning the task between the outcome projected for their most able and their least able learners. The ZPD of the class is within this. The two factors of the challenge of the task and the skill of the individual learner will determine the outcome. If the gap between these two factors is either too big or too small, outcomes will be less successful. Interestingly, they point out that in both cases (too little challenge or too much) the likely result is the same, that of disengagement and underachievement.

The strategies they describe cover a range of teaching approaches, from a higher level of teacher control to a more student-controlled task. From setting a task above and below the core task expected of the majority of the class, through peer-coaching and ability grouping, all the way to what they label “self-service” there is a menu of styles. Each of them have at their centre the goal of having each student work in their ZPD. For exceptionally able children, opportunities to work in the types of learning environments described would allow them to learn how to synthesize their learning and how it feels to be challenged to reach a goal. These are not usual outcomes for highly able children in Irish classrooms who often find themselves with little or no challenge for long periods of time. We need fresh approaches and an increased awareness that opportunity of challenge is essential for all learners and that gifted pupils need this as much as any other. It is not exclusive or elitist or selfish, it is only fair.

Link to the paper on “Different Differentiation” is here

More on Lev Vygotsky can be found here