[Tag-Info] OREGON TAG TEACHER UPDATE, March 2010, Issue # 12

Wed Mar 17 09:11:10 PDT 2010

Oregon Talented and Gifted
Teacher Update - March 2010
Please forward this issue of the update to interested professionals.
Contents:
1. Welcome to the TAG Teacher Update Newsletter
2. Welcome New TAG Specialist - Rebecca Blocher
3. Building Capacity to Support TAG Learners
    a. Professional TAG Library
    b. Tomlinson ASCD Video
4. Timely Topics for Today's TAG Students
    a. Transition
    b. Summer Programs for TAG Students
5. National TAG Topics
    a. NAGC Mile Marker Series
    b. The State of the States in Gifted Education
6. Internet Resources

1. WELCOME TO THE TAG TEACHER UPDATE:  This newsletter is designed to provide current information concerning teachers of TAG students, guidance counselors, administrators, and coordinators of TAG programs.  Please let your colleagues know that they can subscribe to this and other content areas newsletters by visiting
http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1843
Questions regarding the newsletter, TAG in general, or the transition process, please contact Rebecca Blocher at 503-947-5931, or via email at:  rebecca.blocher at state.or.us<mailto:rebecca.blocher at state.or.us>

2. NEW TAG SPECIALIST, REBECCA BLOCHER, JOINS ODE
Talented and Gifted Education in Oregon welcomes Rebecca Blocher, the new Talented and Gifted Education Specialist, in the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation at the Oregon Department of Education.  Rebecca comes to us from Denver Public Schools where she was the Director of Gifted and Talented Education for a district of 74,000 students.  While creating a life-long passion for high ability learners, she has served gifted learners as an Honors English teacher, building level facilitator, district gifted education coordinator, and director of gifted (TAG) programs during the last seventeen years.  She has provided gifted education services in the Academy District in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as well as Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas.  She has also served as an Academic Program Coordinator for the Duke Talent Identification Program, a student summer program at the University of Kansas.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts Education and a Master's Degree in Gifted and Talented Education from the University of Kansas.  She also has completed advanced certifications as a Special Education Coordinator and as a building administrator.
Rebecca's personal passion for gifted learners rises from growing up in a small town in Kansas where limited services were available to gifted learners. She is the parent of a gifted daughter, Erin, who teaches at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.  Within gifted education, Rebecca's sub-specialty areas include the differentiation of instruction for all learners, twice-exceptional gifted learners, gifted students with Asperger's Syndrome, the transition for gifted students at critical junctures, and the development of models to identify gifted students who are culturally and linguistically diverse.  She has been active in Colorado gifted education for the last four years, serving as the co-editor of the Colorado Association for Gifted on-line publication, Kaleidoscope. Rebecca has presented at the State Gifted Conferences in Colorado and Kansas, the National Association for the Gifted Conference (NAGC), and the National Social Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) Conference.

In leaving Colorado, she believes that she has exchanged one beautiful place for another to join us in Oregon!  Rebecca looks forward to working with our gifted professionals who work so diligently on behalf of our high ability, gifted learners.  "Parenting a gifted child myself and growing up gifted in a rural setting, gives me a unique perspective on the needs of gifted learners.  I became gifted children's advocate because of my own experiences as a parent and teacher." We have work to do in TAG Education in Oregon that is important to the children of Oregon.  Through our efforts, TAG children may begin to realize their lives of great promise!"

Contact Information:
Rebecca L. Blocher
Talented and Gifted Education Specialist
Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation
Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97310
Phone:  503-947-5931
rebecca.blocher at ode.state.or.us<mailto:rebecca.blocher at ode.state.or.us>

3. BUILDING CAPACITY TO SUPPORT TAG LEARNERS:
A. Professional TAG Library:  One way to assist teachers and to build their capacity to address identified TAG students'  rate and level of learning is to have some TAG publications available in the school's professional library.  Suggestions include the following:

Book Recommendation 1:  Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner.  This book is available through Free Spirit Press for $39.99.  The publication includes a CD Rom. Susan Winebrenner was a gifted education teacher herself and as a practitioner, her ideas for keeping gifted learners challenged are extremely valuable.  She provides options for the depth and complexity of learning and teacher-friendly options for higher order thinking.

Book Recommendation 2:  How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson. This book is available through ASCD for $ 20.95 and at a reduced rate for ASCD members.  This publication addresses the issue of "What's a teacher to do?"  It provides classroom management methods for differentiation for all learners with an emphasis on the mixed level of students, including TAG students who are in today's classroom.  A teacher study guide is available on-line for assistance to individual readers and for those who would like to form a professional learning community or teacher study group. In the gifted education community, this publication is commonly called the "leaf" book.

Book Recommendation 3:  The Differentiated Classroom by Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson.  This book provides an approach to working with all learners in the classroom and specific management techniques to differentiate within the classroom for all learners.  It is available through ASCD for $21.95 and at a reduced rate for members of ASCD.  A teacher study guide is available on-line for assistance to individual teachers and for those who would like to form a professional learning community or a teacher study group. In the gifted education community, this publication is commonly called the "purple" book.

Book Recommendation 4:  The Differentiated School by Tomlinson, Brimijoin and Narvaez. This is available through ASCD for $29.95 and at a reduced rate for ASCD members.  In the development of Tomlinson's work, she developed a pattern of differentiation techniques for mixed ability classrooms, the differentiated classroom, and then the total school concept.  This publication deals with differentiation concepts as they relate to an entirely differentiated school. In the gifted education community, this publication is commonly called the "apple slices" book.

B. Professional Viewing:   Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson has created a video about her book, The Differentiated School.  The video is available for viewing on the ASCD website link below:
http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Authors/Carol_Tomlinson.aspx?id=29764641001&nvid=a6b1

4. TIMELY TOPICS FOR TODAY'S TAG STUDENTS
A. TRANSITION

What is "transition" in Gifted Education?  Transition is planned management as students move from one school of instruction to another.  For example, when a student moves from elementary school to middle school or as a student moves from middle school to high school, educators in gifted education consider these to be transition phases.  For TAG students, these are quite often critical junctures.  The question becomes, how do we maximize the importance of change and minimize the emotional effect for our sensitive, TAG students?  Transition planning helps all students adjust to big changes in their academic and social/emotional environments.

Transition is clearly outlined in the TAG Administrator's Handbook as an opportune time to talk with parents about programming effectiveness.  This resource is available on page 21.

TIPS for TRANSITION:   Here are some planning questions to help guide the transition process for students who are entering the transition phases:

*         Does the TAG learning plan follow the TAG student to the next school to help inform instruction at the next educational level?

*         Are there critical courses in which the learner should be enrolled?  Also, are there testing requirements for placement into the next level of instruction such as math or foreign language?  Has this already been addressed through teacher records concerning the rate and level of learning?

*         Does the school provide a transition day for the new students who are coming to their school?  Can the students go to middle school to shadow or to have lunch?  Do TAG students have a chance to understand how TAG services will follow them to their next learning location?

*         For students who are transitioning to high school, the concept of a transcript on which everything counts, is an important concept to understand as the student enters high school.  Beginning in the first semester of the freshman year, the transcript is important.

*         Finally, transition implies change. With the right approach, change can be positive.  Helping our high potential, yet sensitive TAG students with change is always a challenge, but with planning, care, and concern, it can be very successful.  And, our students can be successful in transitioning to the next instructional change in their lives.

B. SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR TAG STUDENTS
Summer Programs - As summer approaches, TAG students nation-wide are quite often interested in a very specific enrichment or academic opportunities which occur during the summer months.    The following is some background information about selecting a summer program that is appropriate for the TAG learner:

 1.  Quite often, there is a fixed deadline to apply for summer programs. Applying early is to the student's advantage.
 2.  In this time of limited disposable income, many parents may struggle with the price of residential programs.   In answer to this, many camps have been limited to a day camp or shortened to a week-long experience.  Additionally, many summer programs provide a limited number of scholarships for those students who demonstrate keen interest and well-defined need.
 3.  When a TAG student has the opportunity to participate in a summer program, students routinely report that studying a "passion" area was a wonderful experience.  Equally enchanting for the TAG student is the opportunity to be grouped with similar ability and like minded learners who share their interests and intensities.  Summer experiences can be an opportunity for discovery, for early career exploration, and for development of talents in leadership, creativity, and visual and performing arts.
 The following is a list of summer opportunities in Oregon from the Hoagies Gifted website.

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/parent.htm

C.  OREGON-BASED SUMMER PROGRAMS:
Academy<http://www.sou.edu/ecp/youth/academy/> Southern Oregon University (grade 5 to 8)
Adventures in Learning (AIL)<http://oregonstate.edu/precollege/> Oregon State University (grade (completed) 5 to 7)
Adventure Treks<http://www.adventuretreks.com> California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Alaska, Canadian Rockies (ages 13-18)
Education Soaring<http://www.educationsoaring.com/> Margaret Scott Elementary School, Portland (grade K to 8)
Not Back to School Camp<http://nbtsc.org> OR, VT
 A Glance Within<http://www.vimeo.com/9368376> (unschoolers age 13 to 18)
OMSI Science Camps<http://www.omsi.edu> Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Redmond (grade 3 to 12)
Camp Invention<http://www.OregonCampInvention.org> various locations (grade 1 to 6)
Saturday Academy<http://www.saturdayacademy.org/> Portland State University (grade 2 to 12)
True Colors<http://www.wings-seminars.com/seminars/teen/true_colors.html> Wings Seminars, Eugene (teens 13-18)
Youth Enrichment/TAG<http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~tag/> University of Oregon, Eugene (grade K to 10)

D. NATIONALLY-BASED SUMMER PROGRAMS: Other more nationally-based programs which usually include programs in residence are listed with an annotated explanation on the National Association for Gifted (NAGC) website.  The pathway to summer programs is the NAGC website, "Parenting for High Potential," then to "parents", then to "summer opportunities."  The quick link is:

http://www.nagc.org/index.asp.x?=1180

The NAGC website is a combination of advertisers who support gifted education initiatives, summer camps, publishers, and university summer programs.  It offers strong information concerning parenting high potential learners.

5.  NATIONAL TAG NEWS:
A.  NAGC Mile Marker Series:  The National Association for Gifted Children just completed in November 2009, the Mile Marker Series which is an advocacy publication for parents and teachers.  The series is designed to help parents of high-ability children find useful, up-to-date practical information and resources.

What is The NAGC Mile Marker Series?  (Adapted from the NAGC website)

For many years, the National Association for Gifted Children has served as a resource for parents and caregivers seeking a wide range of advice.  These information seekers-(hundreds each month) have needs all over the map-from the most basic question about giftedness in their young child to tips for effective advocacy in their state houses.

So when a proactive group of NAGC parent volunteers came together to identify ways to better serve parents and caregivers, it was just a short leap to reach the concept of The Mile Marker Series.

Why?  Because the Mile Marker Series not only organizes information, but it also takes parents on a journey - a journey of ever broadening support for a single gifted child to gifted children in a school building and even support for gifted services across a whole state.

NAGC understands the power and influence of a well-educated parent. That's why the Mile Marker Series offers many access points to informative resources exactly where the parent or caregiver is on their "road map" to understanding.  Welcome to the journey.

The NAGC Mile-Marker Series is described on the NAGC website as:  The NAGC Mile Marker Series: Your Road Map to Successfully Support Gifted Children Think of it as your GPS for the world of gifted and talented education. More than a map or one-dimensional tour book, the NAGC Mile Marker series is a multi-dimensional navigational toolbox that you'll need to traverse the vast landscape of gifted education. The series on CD-ROM is designed as a map around five "Mile Markers," that represent different aspects of nurturing gifted children, each serving as an indicator of "learning places" one might experience during the developmental stages of a gifted child's life. Hop on. Hop off. You're the driver and can take whatever path best meets your needs.

[cid:image002.png at 01CAC5B1.C8DDC1E0]Non-member Price:   $  24.95   [cid:image002.png at 01CAC5B1.C8DDC1E0] Member Price:       $  24.95
[cid:image002.png at 01CAC5B1.C8DDC1E0]
B. State of the States: The National Association for Gifted Children published a State of the States in Gifted Education report during NAGC's most recent convention in St. Louis, Missouri, November, 2009.  While the State of the States does not portray a glowing report for all current practices in gifted education, it does define our future work and the focuses attention on program improvement.  The State of the States in Gifted Education is organized into ten key areas

 1.  State of Education Agencies
 2.  Funding for Gifted and Talented Education
 3.  Mandates to Identify and Serve Gifted Students
 4.  Accountability
 5.  Definition of Giftedness
 6.  Identification of Gifted and Talented Students
 7.  Programs and Services for Gifted Students
 8.  Personnel Preparation
 9.  Related Policies and Practices
 10. Concerns and Directions for the Future
These topics are a key to analyzing the State of Oregon's TAG Programming and will be featured in further discussions about TAG Education.

6.  Internet Resources (in every issue)
Oregon Department of Education TAG
http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=76<http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?=76>

ERIC - Educational Resources Information Center
http://www.eric.ed.gov/

Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG)
http://www.sengifted.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

National Association for Gifted Children
www.nagc.org<http://www.nagc.org/>

Oregon Association for Talented and Gifted
www.oatag.org<http://www.oatag.org/>

REAL - Resources for Educational Achievement and Leadership
http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/

Get Ready Oregon web page: New Oregon Diploma information for the general public
http://www.getreadyoregon.org<http://www.getreadyoregon.org/>

Oregon Diploma web page: Resources and tools for educators
http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=368<http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?=368>

****Disclaimer--The materials contained in the Oregon Talented and Gifted Teacher Update produced by Oregon Department of Education are drawn from both internal and external sources and inclusion of external materials does not necessarily indicate Oregon Department of Education endorsement.****

-30-

REBECCA L. BLOCHER
Talented and Gifted Education Specialist
Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation
Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97310

Phone: 503-947-5931
Fax: 503-378-5156

Rebecca.Blocher at ode.state.or.us

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